Summer Jam Day 1

#7 posting 6.16.2007
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

SATURDAY SUMMER JAM SUMMARY
Today's action took place in the hot gyms at Bloomington Kennedy. A few weeks ago I told you a jacket was needed at Cooper. Leave your jacket at home. No need at Kennedy. Reports were the upstairs gyms were 10 degrees warmer than the field house downstairs.

Today my mission was to watch the teams I haven't seen yet during the spring/summer AAU season. I will bold the teams I haven't seen yet. All games took place in the pools of the 16 tournament.

I got to the game later due to the construction of bridges on interstate 94. As it was I got there about 7 minutes later than I wanted and the first game up was Prairie Bison Hoopsters vs the 'Stangs and PBH won in the narrowest game that I watched today 72-69. PBH is made up of players from North Dakota and South Dakota.

Game two the Wisconsin Select 16 beat Basketball Plus Elite 52-32. PBE is a Minnesota team made up primarily of players from Holy Angels. Team Wisconsin Select 16 led from the start in this game.

Game three featured the #1 gbbrecruit IBCA Select I team from Iowa. They beat Southern Minny Elite 70-44. Again IBCA Select led right from the start. Their defensive double teams and rushing the ball fed their offense. This was the first time Amber Kirchbaum played with IBCA Select I (at least when I was watching). She didn't play in the Iowa State Tournament. SME is made up of players from the smaller schools in southern MN.

The last game was another IBCA Select team--II. Their opponent was MN Stars Antl. This contest had some drama. IBCA Select II broke free from an 18 all tie with a 27-11 run. IBCA Select had six straight scores in a row, and a 9/11 sequence. MSA had a 9-0 run to cut the margin to 45-38. IBCA Select II pushed the lead back to 12 at 56-44. With under a minute MSA put on a furious rally cutting the margin to 60-55 with under 30 seconds to go. Lana Otting gave IBCA Select II some breathing room with a pair of free throws. IBCA won 64-55.

So looking at the teams I hadn't seen until today, they were 2-2 with the winners coming from outside of Minnesota.

In other action the 19s look like a pair of 16s will meet in the finals. North Tartan Larson and MN Stars Hested could be playing at 5:15 in the championships. In fact all the championships will be at 5:15.

The one thing about this tournament is that the best teams aren't going to face each other. IBCA Select I won't get a chance to play the top MN 16 year old teams. They opted up. The 19s have been pretty thin this year with few teams and few tournament opportunities.

I will do more out & about details later on these games. Check back tomorrow for a release schedule.

One thing that ticked me off today was the theft of a chair I was using. I placed my bags and went to get the rosters for Southern Minny Elite (three names). When I came back the chair disappeared. So tomorrow bring a fan and a guard dog for your chair. I should count my blessings, at least the sneaks didn't take my bags.

After the Summer Jam I attended a retirment party for Judy Sorenson who happens to be the mother of one of my old Mpls South players Susie Sorenson 1990. It has been quite a few years since I have been back to their neighborhood and it was good to touch base again. Susie had a baby boy last October-Gavin.

Next up: tomorrow morning