Out & About: WI Heat/Metro Stars 14

#6 posting 5.15.2007
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

this game took place on May 13
Richfield AAU
15u Championship
WI HEAT 49, METRO STARS 14 44

I reported on this game on Sunday on Gabcast Episode #19

The WI Heat survived another tight game to win the Richfield championship. The second place WI finishers in the 15 division had two close calls, but found a way to get the job done.

The Heat was on at the start with LeTaya Mulhern scoring six of the first eight points for the Heat. The Heat were four for five early on their possessions. The Metro Stars came back with five of six scores and a 7-2 run. Erica Gress had eight of the first nine points for the MS. In fact Gress had 13 points in the first half. Mulhern was matching her almost point for point with 12. Droughts struck both squads with the Heat going through a seven possession dry spell the same time that the Metro Stars were doing a six possession drought. The Metro Stars took a 16-15 lead on a Gress "& 1".Their were five ties in the first half the last at 20. Mulhern broke that with a three from the right corner at the buzzer. The Heat led 23-20 at the half.

The Metro Stars started the second half with a 9-5 run. The Heat were mired in a nine possession drought. A time out at the 10:27 mark seemed to get the Heat cooking again. The Heat cranked up the heat on defense and went on a 15-4 run to make it 43-33 lead with a little more over three minutes left. The Metro Stars were 2/16 during the stretch. The Heat had an 8 point lead at 46-38 with 1:20 to go. The Metro Stars put on a flurry late. A deep three by Ellen Edison cut the margin to 46-41 with 1:05 left. The Heat had problems passing the ball in against the press as Julia Wiemer made the steal and was fouled with 1:03 left. She made the first free throw and missed the second. Gress pulled down the board. Wiemer had a three that bounced off. Courtney Falk got the rebound for the Heat. She was fouled and delivered one free throw to make it 47-42. Another three miss by the Metro Stars and another turnover by the Heat put the ball back in the Metro Stars hands. A drive by Brooke Brown was rebounded by Gress. She scored her 22nd point on the put back to make it 47-44. The Heat's Falk kicked the ball away on the inbounds as the press still bothered them. The Metro Stars never got the ball in as Gress picked up an offensive foul trying to get open. The Heat went over the top of the press and Falk finished the scoring with a lay up 49-44.

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

WI HEAT
STARTERS
21 LeTaya Mulhern, Osseo-Fairchild 16, 15, 106.7, .438 got things off to a sizzling start with pull up jumpers. Has 3 range. good free throw shooter.
43 Kaitlin Haag, Hudson 12, 9, 133.3, .778 moves without ball. got up for boards. runs the floor.
15 Kendra Schiell, Amery 1, 4, 25.0, .000 wrapped up defensive possessions. RF: offensively has tendancy to make slow decisions.
23 Jamie Mattison, Osseo-Fairchild 0, 6, 0.0, .000
24 Alex Michol, Wausau West 1, 3, 33.3, .333
BENCH
25 Tessa Wells, River Falls 10, 14, 71.4, .357 point guard. has 3 range. can score off the drive. RF: passes can sail too high.
33 Kelly Stewart, Amery 3, 8, 37.5, .250
44 Courtney Falk, Wausau West 6, 9, 66.7, .444 post player.

METRO STARS 14
STARTERS
Erica Gress, Apple Valley 22, 25, 88.0, .480 work horse inside. uses body to seal well. RF: ball handling, traveling. especially away from the block
Brooke Brown, Chaska 5, 11, 45.5, .182 has 3 range. RF: shot consistency.
Shannon O'Toole, Wayzata 0, 3, 0.0, .000
Ellen Edison, Maple Grove 5, 9, 55.6, .222 3 range. pull up j. led team with assists. RF: consistent shot.
Hana Potter, Edina 0, 1, 0.0, .000 Will rebound. RF: foul problems. needs quicker release on offense. needs to deliver some points to the table.
BENCH
Taylor Cullers, Eastview 0, 4, 0.0, .000
Lisa Loeffler, North St. Paul 2, 3, 66.7, .333 post player. RF: strength.
Grace Veker, Edina 2, 1, 200.0, 1.000 lanky perimeter. RF: needs to put stamp on game. has ability, hiding.
Julia Wiemer, Hopkins 8, 11, 72.7, .364 scored in transition. RF: size

TRENCH PLAYER
LeTaya Mulhern

BY THE NUMBERS
WI Heat 49, 68, 72.1, .382
Metro Stars 14 44, 68, 64.7, .324
made 3s: WI Heat 3, Metro Stars 2
made fts: WI Heat 13, Metro Stars 6
assists: Metro Stars 10, WI Heat 9
bench: WI Heat 19, Metro Stars 12
The Metro Stars kept going in to Gress. She had 37% of the total possessions and 55% of the possessions for scores.
The Heat has to deliver with better composure when faced with the press. The game became more interesting than needed with three turnovers in the last four possessions.

DEFENSIVE WRAPS
WI HEAT
Kendra Schiell, Amery 8
LeTaya Mulhern, Osseo-Fairchild 6
Tessa Wells, River Falls 4
Kaitlin Haag, Hudson 4
Courtney Falk, Wausau West 4
Jamie Mattison, Osseo-Fairchild 2
Kelly Stewart, Amery 2
Alex Michol, Wausau West 1

METRO STARS 14
Erica Gress 7
Brooke Brown 4
Hana Potter 4
Taylor Cullers 3
Grace Veker 3
Lisa Loeffler 2
Ellen Edison 1
Shannon O'Toole 1
Julia Wiemer 1

Next up: tomorrow morning and then later tomorrow the quarters and semis from the HS Richfield AAU tournament.