Out & About: North Tartan Larson/NC Heat

#7 posting 5.23.2007
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

This game took place on Sunday, May 20
Forest Lake AAU Tournament
Gold Semifinals
NORTH TARTAN LARSON 65, NC HEAT 64, 2 OT

I reported on this game on Sunday on my Gabcast channel, Episode #25. I was wrong on that broadcast with the numbers. I didn't run those until I got home.

The screwy scheduling put these top shelf teams in the semis. The difference was it was North Tartan's first game of the day, NC Heat earlier in the day beat MN Stars Smith 75-51.

In an highly anticipated match up featuring the gbbrecruit #1 (NC Heat) and #2 (North Tartan) teams the contest couldn't be decided after 32 minutes, or 35 minutes. It took two overtimes, a rally, dead eye buzzer beater, and intense, physcial play to put NT on top 65-64. All this despite 30 points from NC Heat phenom Tayler Hill. The overflow crowd got their moneys worth in this contest.

The game started off with a NC heat grabbing an 11-6 lead. Tayler Hill had five early points, and Megan Nipe had four, and Ephesia Holmes also chipped in with a steal and lay up. The fact was only those three NCH players would score from the floor. NCH had a six possession drought after taking the lead, but NT wasn't able to seize advantage as they were mired in a 1/15 offensive sequence. 10 of those possessions ended up as turnovers as NT had troubles with the intense pressure provided by NCH. NT did snap out of their offensive funk with the 3 ball. Hannah Draxten and Kiara Buford converted on two consecutive possessions to cut the margin to 16-15. Jenny Gilbertson scored a three point play on an "& 1" and tied the game at 18 with 4:30 left in the half. Then NT went into offensive hibernation again as NCH outscored NT 11-2 on a 1/10 sequence. NCH's Nipe finished up with four points. NCH led 29-20 at the half.

NCH maintained their lead for the first portion of the second half with the biggest lead coming at 37-26 after a Holmes 3 from the left wing. A six possession drought cut the NCH lead to 38-37 as NT scored on six straight possessions. Draxten provided four of the 11 points in the 11-3 run. Hill put an end to the Heat's drought with a 3 from the top of the key. That started a 10 point run by Hill. She was cashing in at the line for 8 of them. NCH only took free throws the last 4:33 with only one exception. NCH stretched the lead back to six at the 4:33 mark. A five point, three possession NT run cut the margin right back 45-44 with 3:05 left. NCH was in freeze mode trying to draw NT into fouling. For the most part it worked, but NCH was basically playing a two person game as Hill & Holmes were playing a tight rope game at mid court. Hill picked up an offensive foul with a elbow to Caitlin Rowland in trying to create breathing room at 2:03. Hill & Holmes fell off the tight rope with 54.8 seconds left with an over & back. Voigt scored off a Wahlin pass to cut the margin to 49-48. Megan Nipe was fouled and she made both tosses 51-48. Voigt scored on a put back of a Wahlin miss 51-50. Hill was fouled and again delivered both with 10.9 ticks to go. I told a reliable source that NT was putting in their bomb squad with Linz waiting to come in. NT took a time out. Linz got the ball from Wahlin and let fly in the left corner as the buzzer sounded to tie the game at 53.

Buford scored first for NT. Each team scored quickly in the next three possessions with Holmes making both free throws. Wahlin scored on a drive, her first points of the game, to put NT back in front. Hill scored on a drive that creeped in to tie it at 57. Both teams had two more possessions. NT's last possession ended on a miss by Voigt. The ironic thing, and a subplot in the many of this day, was Katya Leick had the last shot for NCH. Both Voigt and Leick are teammates at Park-Cottage Grove during the HS year.

The second overtime, which went from three minutes to two minutes, started the same as the first with NT getting control of the tap. Voigt found Linz again in the left corner and NT had their biggest lead of the night 60-57. NCH had a second chance, but Kranz's shot didn't fall. NT's Buford got the rebound. After taking some time off the clock Buford was fouled and made the first free throw. NT now led 61-57. Hill was fouled and put down 29 & 30. NT turned it over. Nipe was fouled after getting an offensive board off a Hill miss. She made one with 19.9 left to cut the margin to 61-60. Viehauser got the board and Linz was fouled. She dropped both with 15.8 left. Holmes drove the length of the floor and scored a lay up with 6.7 seconds left. Gilbertson was immediately fouled. She knocked down both shots to make the score 65-62. Holmes got the ball again and drove in for a lay up at the buzzer 65-64.

NUMBERS EXPLAINED
player, points, possessions, pp100, floor %

NORTH TARTAN
STARTERS
Hannah Draxten, Fergus Falls 11, 7, 157.1, .714 plays with intensity. 3 range. physical. RF: too physical picking up fouls that aren't needed.
Jackie Voigt, Park-Cottage Grove 8, 15, 53.3, .267 lefty. came through in the end. was nice & low on defense.
Kiara Buford, St. Paul Central 14, 15, 93.3, .467 playing with fire. much more active defensively. is starting to develop into a leader. RF: passes can sail high
Amanda Viehauser, Armstrong 5, 7, 71.4, .429 post player that is picking up her physical presence. has a nice up & under. RF: needs to make move s/decisions quicker. exposes the ball.
Caitlin Rowland, Hopkins 4, 5, 80.0, .400 bright. guard. harrassed Hill into picking up an offensive foul. RF: needs to work on speed/quickness.
BENCH
Kamille Wahlin, Crookston 2, 11, 18.2, .091 point guard. lefty. as game went on got stronger, more comfortable. RF: early on was pressured into turnovers, outsized, not used to the quickness and speed.
Jenny Gilbertson, Winona Cotter 10, 8, 125.0, .500 has 3 range. can score when hit. RF: at times hesitates. Just go up and through people on the block.
Hannah Linz, Eden Valley-Watkins 11, 9, 122.2, .556 lefty, delivered the money shots, but also can pass and play defense.
Rey Robinson, Becker 0, 1, 0.0, .000 another lefty. big wing span on perimeter. RF: needs to play with abandon. needs to be ready to play.

NC HEAT
STARTERS
Tayler Hill, Mpls South 30, 24, 125.0, .583 kept NCH afloat with her moxy, and body control. scores off the drive more often than not. RF: in delay game needs to keep better spacing and face basket. take the ball away from lines in delay game. yanks had back on follow through at times. needs to hold the pose
Brianna Edwards, Mpls North 0, 3, 0.0, .000 athletic, quick inside post. RF: needs to be aware of situations. Takes some shots without offensive rebounders in place.
Megan Nipe, Centennial 13, 15, 86.7, .467 aggressive, physical player. has good elevation and quick release. RF: footwork at times.
Ephesia Holmes, Mpls South 17, 21, 81.0, .429 RF: needs to know time and score. A three was needed to tie, and she has the ability to drain it. needs to take ball down away from the midcourt line in the delay game. Too much dribbling without creating space in the delay game made her vulnerable to getting picked. I want her eyes under the net when dribbling that will help awareness.
Katya Leick, Park-Cottage Grove 1, 7, 14.3, .143 strong desire for the ball, blocks out well. RF: will need to step up on the offensive side and deliver some baskets. short on the shot, needs more leg.
BENCH
Courtney Kranz, Visitation 2, 3, 66.7, .333 physical post. RF: needs to deliver more from the floor.
Brittany Dyshaw, Eagan 1, 2, 50.0, .500 long limbed wing span causes problems on defense. RF: needs to develop an offensive persona
Mandy Poke, Richfield 0, 3, 0.0, .000 guard. defensively caused headaches and had a couple of steals. RF: offensively needs to contribute.

TRENCH PLAYER
Big time shots, big time results, Hannah Linz

BY THE NUMBERS
North Tartan 65, 78, 83.3, .397
NC Heat 64, 78, 82.1, .423
made 3s: NT 5, NCH 2
made fts: NCH 24, NT 16
assists: NT 16, NCH 4
bench: NT 23, NCH 3
Delay games are fine, but NCH, and for that matter every team I see trying to run a delay game, needs to take the ball closer to the 3 pt line. Offensive players need to come to the ball like starving wolves coming to a chunk of meat instead of standing like statues.

NT did a good job of keeping the pressure on and making NCH to pick up the ball at midcourt.

NT finished with a 25-17-147.1 pp100-.765 floor % in the last nine minutes of regulation. This is the kind of fire power the versatile, cookie cutter team has. But they also have the ability to go into hibernation. The trick for NT will be to stay at the high end and avoid the droughts.

NCH ended their last 17 possessions with a 88.2 pp100 which is actually better than their overall game score, and their floor % was .412. But NCH will need more than three players to score from the floor, and they will need their bench to stand and deliver. Some one will have to step up and grab the opportunity.

The fact was NCH had 33 scoring possessions on the game, NT only 31. The difference 3 more 3s from NT. Ask Linz.

DEFENSIVE WRAPS
NORTH TARTAN
Hannah Linz 6
Jackie Voigt 5
Jenny Gilbertson 4.5
Kiara Buford 4.5
Amanda Viehauser 4
Kaitlin Rowland 4
Hannah Draxten 2
Kamille Wahlin 2
totals: 32

NC HEAT
Tayler Hill 6
Megan Nipe 6
Brianna Edwards 5
Katya Leick 5
Courtney Kranz 5
Mandy Poke 3
Ephesia Holmes 2
Brittany Dyshaw 2
totals: 34

Next up: tomorrow morning, and later tomorrow the upset of MN Stars Borowicz vs North Tartan