Friday, February 29, 2008

Out & About Hibbing/Hermantown

#8 posting 2.29.2008
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

7AAA SEMIFINALS
HIBBING bluejackets 58, HERMANTOWN hawks 53

Despite beating Hermantown earlier in the year, Hibbing was the #3 seed and it was their size and strength overcoming the speed and athletic ability of Hermantown 58-53.

Neither team gained much of an advantage in the first half. Hibbing held leads at 14-10. Hermantown did have a 2/12 offensive sequence but Hibbing was only one scoring sequence better at 3/12. Hibbing led 24-21 at half time. Laicee Grahek had 11 for Hibbing at half while Bri Davis had 10 for Hermantown at the break.

Hibbing scored on their first possession of the half for a five point advantage. Hermantown tied it at 26. A six straight scoring sequence pushed Hibbing to a 40-32 lead. Alia Cook had 7 of the 12 points including a three from the top of the key. The Bluejackets stretched the lead to 10 with 9 minutes to go. A five possession drought by Hibbing opened the door for Hermantown. The Hawks cut the margin to 46-42. Laura Kesti had four points for Hermantown in the run. Hibbing snapped out of it and scored four straight times to give them an 11 point lead 53-42 with 1:55 left. Ahna Metsa hit two 3s and provided 8 of the last 11 Hermantown points. The margin did get as close as 56-53 with under 10 seconds left but time ran out on the comeback.

photos: #1 four look for the board while two players are on the deck. (Hermantown's #23 Ahna Metsa, #53 Laua Kesti, #15 Bri Davis, and Hibbing's #50 Alia Cook, #30 Kate Lange). #2. Alia Cook goes over Bri Davis. photos by Teas.

key: player (grad year) points, possessions, pp100, floor %
HIBBING
STARTERS
Laicee Grahek (10) 15, 12, 125.0, .583
Alia Cook (08) 17, 15, 113.3, .600
Melissa Nyberg (09) 6, 10, 60.0, .300
Kate Lange (10) 6, 6, 100.0, .500
Breanna Chamernick (08) 4, 6, 66.7, .333
BENCH
Hillary Bungarden (10) 5, 6, 83.3, .500
Misa Matetich (09) 0, 2, 0.0, .000
Beth Marklowitz (08) 5, 4, 125.0, .750

HERMANTOWN
STARTERS
Bri Davis (08) 19, 15, 126.7, .667
Ahna Metsa (08) 19, 19, 100.0, .474
Megan Mullen (10) 2, 4, 50.0, .250
Kristen Gates (09) 2, 4, 50.0, .250
Kaylee Steen (09) 2, 4, 50.0, .250
BENCH
Laura Kesti (09) 8, 8, 100.0, .500
Erika Bergstedt (08) 0, 3, 0.0, .000
Anna Danielson (08) 1, 3, 33.3, .333
Margaret Tierney (10) 0, 1, 0.0, .000

TRENCH PLAYER
Alia Cook

BY THE NUMBERS
Hibbing 58, 61, 95.1, .492
Hermantown 53, 61, 86.9, .443
made 3s: Hibbing 2, Hermantown 2
ftm/fta-ft%: Hibbing 14/33-.424; Hermantown 9/14-.643
bench: Hibbing 10, Hermantown 9

DEFENSIVE WRAPS
HIBBING
Kate Lange 8
Laicee Grahek 5.5
Alia Cook 5.5
Melissa Nyberg 5
Misa Matetich 3
Beth Marklowitz 3
Breanna Chamernick 2
Hillary Bungarden 1
totals: 33

HERMANTOWN
Kaylee Steen 7.5
Laura Kesti 5.5
Ahna Metsa 4
Bri Davis 3
Megan Mullen 2
totals: 22

Next up: tomorrow morning

Out & About: Grand Rapids/Cloquet

#8 posting 2.29.2008
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

7AAA SEMIFINALS
GRAND RAPIDS thunderhawks 58, CLOQUET lumberjacks 38


#1 seed Grand Rapids used a 13-0 run to establish a 27-15 lead on their way to a 58-38 semifinal win. GR's Ashley Runge connected on four 3s on the night and had 16 points to lead all scoreers.

Cloquet's last lead came at 15-14. After that the Lumberjacks had a 14-0 drought as GR had a 13-0 run. The Thunder Hawks started off with four straight scores on their run with Kelly Niles scoring the first four points. Cloquet had 7 turnovers during the stretch including two offensive fouls by Kami Diver. Ashley Runge rang up 11 points by half time as GR led 31-18.

GR forced Cloquet into another six possession drought in the second half as they built up a 46-26 lead. It was 58-35 with three minutes left. GR closed with six straight non scoring possessions. Cloquet wasn't much better with an 8 possession drought before the bench kicked in a few points with under a minute to go.

photos: #1. Brynn Joki #11 of GR looks like she is playing twister with Jessica Vork of Cloquet. #2. Jessica Cagel avoids Kailee Kutter on her shot. photos by Teas.

key: player (grad year) points, possessions, pp100, floor %
GRAND RAPIDS
STARTERS
Brynn Joki (09) 6, 8, 75.0, .375
Ashley Runge (08) 16, 7, 228.6, .857
Jessica Cagle (09) 9, 10, 90.0, .500
Stephanie Cramer (08) 2, 6, 33.3, .167
Meredith Rothstein (09) 2, 5, 40.0, .200
BENCH
Katie McBride (08) 8, 6, 133.3, .667
Kelly Niles (11) 8, 6, 133.3, .667
Jenna Gillson (10) 6, 7, 85.7, .429
Karly Ackerman (09) 1, 3, 33.3, .333
Kasey Petersen (09) 0, 4, 0.0, .000
Meghan Helmbrecht (09) 0, 1, 0.0, .000
Sarah Stejskal (10) 0, 0, 0.0, .000

CLOQUET
STARTERS
Rebecca Rowenhorst (08) 5, 6, 83.3, .500
Kami Diver (08) 10, 19, 52.6, .211
Jill Rosenthal (08) 4, 6, 66.7, .333
Jessica Vork (09) 13, 12, 108.3, .417
Hannah Roy (09) 2, 4, 50.0, .250
BENCH
Annabel Morrisroe (11) 0, 2, 0.0, .000
Becca Sorenson (08) 1, 5, 20.0, .200
Kialee Kutter (10) 0, 1, 0.0, .000
Brianna Henagin (10) 3, 7, 42.9, .286
Colleen McFarlane (08) 0, 1, 0.0, .000

TRENCH PLAYER
Ashley Runge

BY THE NUMBERS
Grand Rapids 58, 63, 92.1, .444
Cloquet 38, 63, 60.3, .286
made 3s: GR 4, Cloquet 4
ftm/fta-ft%: GR 8/14-.571; Cloquet 4/16-.250
bench: GR 23, Cloquet 4

DEFENSIVE WRAPS
GRAND RAPIDS
Brynn Joki 6
Jessica Cagel 6
Kasey Petersen 5
Meredith Rothstein 5
Ashley Runge 4
Jenna Gillson 4
Kelly Niles 3
Katie McBride 2
Stephanie Cramer 1
Karly Ackerman 1
Sarah Stejskal 1
totals: 38

CLOQUET
Brianna Henagin 10.5
Kami Diver 6
Rebecca Rowenhorst 4
Jill Rosenthal 4
Jessica Vork 3
Annabel Morrisroe 2
Becca Sorenson 1
Hannah Roy 0.5
totals: 31

Next up: 7AAA Semifinals

Worden Leaves, Whitewater Upset

#7 posting 2.29.2008
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

COLLEGE REPORTS
final edition
D1
LEAVING
Freshman Tanaeya Worden (Sioux City North) has left Southern Illinois.

BIG 10
Minnesota beat Indiana 69-54. Emily Fox had 20 and Leslie Knight (Hopkins) 19 for the Gophers. Jamie Braun (Marshfield, WI) had 16 for Indiana.

Iowa beat Northwestern 68-42. Wendy Ausdemore (TriCenter, IA) had 16 for Iowa. Melissa Miller (Breck) did not score for NW.
Iowa's Johanna Solverson is featured on the Big 10 network.

Michigan State beat Illinois 54-46. Alyssa DeHaan (Grandville, MI) had 7 for MSU. Mia Johnson (Mpls North) did not score for MSU. Jenna Smith (Bloomington Kennedy) had 15 for Illinois.

Ohio State beat Penn State 87-84. Tamarah Riley (Detroit DePorres) had 10 for OSU. Janessa Wolff (Park Rapids) had 16 for PSU.

Wisconsin beat Michigan 69-67. Jolene Anderson (South Shore, WI) had 14 for Wisconsin. Alyssa Karel (Cretin-Derham Hall) had 11 for the Badgers. Janelle Cooper (Detroit Renaissance) had 13 for Michigan.

MISSOURI VALLEY
Evansville beat Northern Illinois 57-55. Lizzie Boeck (Milwaukee Lutheran) had 22 for UNI.

Bradley beat Southern Illinois 77-72. Jenny Van Kirk (Waconia) did not score for Bradley. Cortney Sales (Detroit Murray Wright) did not score for SIU.

HORIZON
Valparaiso beat Cleveland State 66-52. Dominique Butler (Milw Madison) had 12 for CSU.

Detroit beat UI Chicago 55-51. Zemora Davis (Detroit Community) had 10 for Detroit. Chanica Hall (Benilde-St. Margaret's) added 5 for Detroit. Jessie Miller (Holy Angels) had 14 for UIC.

SOUTH
LSU beat Arkansas 83-46. Kristen Morris (Detroit Country Day) had 2 for LSU.

Rice beat Marshall 68-64. Kizzy Hart (Oak Park, MI) had 23 for Marshall.

Arkansas State beat Louisiana Monroe 68-53. Kayla Pospisil (Marion, IA) had 4 for Arkansas State.

WEST
UTEP beat SMU 76-63. Jareica Hughes (Southfield-Lathrup, MI) had 22 for UTEP.

Texas State beat Stephen F Austin 70-67. Marie Moser (Cedar Rapids Jefferson) had 6 for Texas State.

Montana beat Northern Colorado 66-55. Courtney Stoermer (Iowa City West) had 13 for UNC.

Boise State beat San Jose State 74-65. Sierra Moeller (Pierre) had 6 for Boise State. Natalie White (Dubuque Senior) had 27 for SJSU.

Idaho State beat Sacramento State 95-78. Ally Sisal (Luxemburg-Casco, WI) did not score for ISU.

Louisiana Tech beat Utah State 62-47. Jade Hatchett (Milwaukee Vincent) had 2 for Utah State.

Gonzaga beat Santa Clara 80-71. Claire Goins (Sioux City Heelan) had 9 for SC.

HIGH FIVE
In the tightest High Five Michigan edged out three other states by three points
MICHIGAN --78
Kizzy Hart, Marshall (Oak Park) 23 vs Rice 64-68
Jareica Hughes, UTEP (Southfield-Lathrup) 22 vs SMU 76-63
Janelle Cooper, Michigan (Detroit Renaissance) 13 vs Wisconsin 67-69
Tamarah Riley, Ohio State (Detroit DePorres) 10 vs Penn State 87-84
Zemora Davis, Detroit (Detroit Community) 10 vs UI Chicago 55-51

MINNESOTA --75
Leslie Knight, Minnesota (Hopkins) 19 vs Indiana 69-54
Janessa Wolff, Penn State (Park Rapdis) 16 vs Ohio State 84-87
Jenna Smith, Illinois (Bloomington Kennedy) 15 vs Michigan State 46-54
Jessie Miller, UI Chicago (Holy Angels) 14 vs Detroit 51-55
Alyssa Karel, Wisconsin, (Cretin-Derham Hall) 11 vs Michigan 69-67

WISCONSIN --75
Lizzie Boeck, Northern Iowa (Milwaukee Lutheran) 22 vs Evansville 55-57
Jamie Braun, Indiana (Marshfield) 16 vs Minnesota 54-69
Jolene Anderson, Wisconsin, (South Shore) 14 vs Michigan 69-67
Dominique Butler, Cleveland State (Milw Madison) 12 vs Valparaiso 52-66
Danielle Ward, Wisconsin, (Milw King) 11 vs Michigan 69-67

IOWA --75
Natalie White, San Jose State (Dubuque Senior) 27 vs Boise State 65-74
Wendy Ausdemore, Iowa (TriCenter) 16 vs Northwestern 68-42
Courtney Stoermer, Northern Colorado (Iowa City West) 13 vs Montana 55-66
Nicole Clausen, Northern Iowa (Denison-Schleswig) 10 vs Evansville 55-57
Claire Goins, Santa Clara (Sioux City Heelan) 9 vs Gonzaga 71-80
Erin Brocka, Northern Iowa (North Butler) 9 vs Evansville 55-57

SOUTH DAKOTA --6
Sierra Moeller, Boise State (Pierre) 6 vs San Jose State 74-65

D2
NORTH CENTRAL
UN Omaha beat UM Duluth 65-57. Alyssa Green (Cedar Rapids Washington) had 17 for UNO. Katy Freeman (Duluth East) had 15 for UMD.

South Dakota beat Augustana 82-42. Bridget Yoerger (Hinton, IA) had 13 for USD. Molly Hayes (Harrisburg, SD) had 9 for Augustana.

OTHER
Northern Kentucky beat UW Parkside 69-54. Brittany Hogan (Arlington Heights Hersey, IL) had 13 for UWP.

D3
WIAC SEMIFINALS
Eau Claire beat Stout 86-61 Michelle Burns (Eau Claire North) had 27 for Eau Claire. Julia Hirssig (Rochester Mayo) had 20 for Stout.

Stevens Point beat Whitewater 79-71. Haley Houghton (Wausau East) had 23 for SP. Tiffany Morton (Beloit Memorial) had 19 for Whitewater.

NAIA
Mayville State upset #9 Dakota State in the DAC Tournament semi finals last night by the score of 72-66. Comets were led in scoring by Cassie Leraas with 22 points, Laura BigCrow with 19 points and 7 rebounds and Danielle Guilbert who recorded a double/double scoring 16 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. The DAC Championship in Sunday afternoon at 3:00 pm

COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Kirkwood CC jumped out to a 50-17 halftime lead in winning it's 18th straightconference game 100-34 over Southeastern CC.

The Eagles (18-0, 24-6) will be the number one seed in next weeks Region XItournament.

Kirkwood had seven players in double figures led by Lauren Thomas-Johnson's 13. MyKenya Johnson and Breann Hill added 12 while McKensey Long, Rachele Monroe, Alicia Wright and El Sara Greer added 10 each. Greer had a team high 11 rebounds.

Kirkwood will host Southeastern next Tuesday night (March 4) at 7 pm in a first round playoff game.

If the Eagles win on Tuesday night, they travel to Boone, Iowa for the Region XI semi-finals and finals on March 7-8.

Next up: Later tonight with Out & Abouts.

Michigan State Tournament Set

#9 posting 2.29.2008
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

MICHIGAN REPORTS
There were finals in 32 regions last night. Here are the results and state match ups.
A
Southfield-Lathrup is headed to state after a 62-49 win over Detroit Northwestern. From the Detroit Free Press.

Southgate Anderson beat Romulus 53-37. Grosse Pointe North beat Chippewa Valley 50-47. From the Detroit News.

POINT PARADE
A
Nickie Arner, Ludington 35 vs Sault Ste Marie 68-62
Cassie Beller, North Farmington 29 vs Brighton 50-45
Amber Avery, Southfield-Lathrup 27 vs Detroit Northwestern 62-49
C
Amanda Chidester, Allen Park Cabrini 28 vs Consortium 61-38
Chelsie Wealton, Ishpeming Westwood 22 vs Houghton 47-41
Kaitlyn McDonald, Saginaw Nouvel 22 vs. Flint Hamady 79-45

Cambria-Friesland's Charmed Life

#5 posting 2.29.2008
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

WISCONSIN REPORTS
REGION TOURNAMENTS

D2
Oconto Falls surprised New London 42-34. Fox Valley Lutheran beat Appleton Xavier 51-43. From the Green Bay Press Gazette and Appleton Post Crescent.

Ripon beat Wautoma 65-45. From the Oshkosh Northwestern.

Markesan beat Pittsville 47-33. From the Beaver Dam Daily Citizen.

Slinger beat Campbellsport 63-62. Waupaca beat Lomira 27-26. From the Fond du Lac Reporter.

New Berlin West beat Pewaukee 54-48. plus other results in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

D3
Algoma beat Kewaunee 57-26. Algoma had a 27-2 run in the contest. From the Green Bay Press Gazette.

Edgar beat Stevens Point Pacelli 47-46. from the Wausau Daily Herald.

Ozaukee beat Cedar Grove-Belgium 47-26. From the Sheboygan Press.

Brillion beat Manitowoc Roncalli 44-32. From the Appleton Post Crescent and Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter.

D4
Menasha St. Mary's Central beat Valley Christian 61-36. From the Oshkosh Northwestern.

Niagara and Wausaukee will face each other Saturday after Thursday wins. From the Green Bay Press Gazette.

Cambria-Friesland beat Randolph 45-40. It was the second straight come from behind win for CF. From the Beaver Dam Daily Citizen.

POINT PARADE
D2
Taylor Wurtz, Ripon 26 vs Wautoma 65-45
Kristi Grassell, Fox Valley Lutheran 22 vs Appleton Xavier 51-43
D3
Kyrsten Carter, Coleman 24 vs Three Lakes 52-34
D4
Jamie Vandenberg, Niagara 25 vs Laona 62-39
Bria Ebert, Gresham 24 vs Wabeno 37-71

Next up: Michigan

Ballard Falls to Heelan

#4 posting 2.29.2008
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

IOWA REPORTS
STATE TOURNAMENTS
Yesterday it was semis for 2A and 3A. Today Semis in 4A, Finals in 1A and 2A.

3A
Sioux City Heelan beat Ballard 50-49 in overtime. From the Sioux City Journal. It seems Ballard was a victim of Glaeser's Theorem.

Pella beat Marion 75-63. A 32-3 run helped turn the trick. From the Des Moines Register and Cedar Rapids Gazette.

2A
MFL-Mar-Mac beat Manson Northwest Webster 51-43. From the DMR, the CRG and Fort Dodge Messenger.

Davenport Assumption beat Monticello 65-47. From the Quad City Times and the Des Moines Register.

CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW
Newell-Fonda will play Springville tonight for the 1A championship. NF has finished second twice. From the Fort Dodge Messenger and Cedar Rapids Gazette.

Undefeated MFL-Mar-Mac is the underdog in the game against Davenport Assumption. From the Quad City Times.

SEASON RECAPS
North Polk, Des Moines East, Des Moines Roosevelt, all have their seasons recapped in the Des Moines Register.

Next up: Wisconsin

Roosevelt Tournament Run Over

#3 posting 2.29.2008
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

SOUTH DAKOTA REPORTS
It is region time in South Dakota as all three classes winnow the field.
AA
Huron beat Mitchell 46-35. From the Mitchell Daily Republic.

Pierre punched their state ticket with a 33-30 win over Aberdeen Central. From the Rapid City Journal from the Aberdeen American News.

Sioux Falls Washington beat Brandon Valley 72-66 in overtime. Brookings knocked out Sioux Falls Roosevelt 39-38. It is the first time in 13 years Roosevelt will not be in the state tournament. Watertown beat Sioux Falls O'Gorman 55-36. From the Sioux Falls Argus Leader.

WHY NOT THE BEST?
Stu Whitney in the Sioux Falls Argus Leader argues that the AA playoff system is dysfunctional. The best don't get to state.....where have I heard that (and know that). In South Dakota there are only 16 teams in AA. Why not just have one jumbo tournament where all are invited and seed it? That would be the best scenario.

A
West Central beat Parkston 72-65. From the Sioux Falls Argus Leader and the Mitchell Daily Republic.

Sioux Valley beat #2 Milbank 54-45 to go to state.

POINT PARADE
AA
Ashley Eide, Sioux Falls Washington 28 vs Brandon Valley 72-66 OT
Abby Burbach, Yankton 27 vs Sioux Falls Lincoln 58-53
A
Vanessa Johnson, West Central 33 vs Parkston 72-65
Maggie Malloy, Parkston 32 vs West Central 65-72
Valerie Kleinjan, Sioux Valley 29 vs Milbank 54-45
B
Kyle Westover, Colman-Egan 26 vs Viborg 72-46

Next up: Iowa Reports

Tournaments X 3 in North Dakota

#2 posting 2.29.2008
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

NORTH DAKOTA REPORTS
It is tournaments, tournaments everywhere. The As have their regions, the Bs started the state tournament yesterday.
A REGIONS
EAST
Fargo South beat Wahpeton 75-39. plus the other east results from the Fargo Forum.

WEST
#1 Seed Bismarck beat Williston 98-52. Minot beat Bismarck Century 61-53. Mandan beat Turtle Mountain 94-61. From the Bismarck Tribune.

Jamestown beat Dickinson 58-51. From the Jamestown Sun and Dickinson Press.

B STATE TOURNAMENT
Hazelton-Moffit-Braddock beat Lakota 55-52. From the Jamestown Sun and the Grand Forks Herald.

Bottineau beat Shiloh Christian 73-55. From the Minot Daily News.

Hankinson beat Fordville-Lankin/Park River 51-44. From the Grand Forks Herald.

Bowman County beat New Town 54-46. From the Dickinson Press.

POINT PARADE
A
Danny Luetzen, Minot 24 vs Bismarck Century 61-53
Morgan Dale, Jamestown 23 vs Dickinson 58-51
B
Sarah Smith, Grand Forks Red River 22 vs West Fargo 54-46

Night of Upsets

#1 posting 2.29.2008
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

MINNESOTA REPORTS
final edition
There were a few upsets last night in the sections. Two #1s had their seasons end.
In Class A there is now only one unbeaten team left as Battle Lake fell to Ashby 50-47.
In AA section 8 #3W East Grand Forks took revenge on #2W Hawley 47-40. Last Friday Hawley beat EGF. But a #1 went down in the 8AA east side unheralded Warroad topped #1E Crosby-Ironton 48-45.
In AAAA #7 seed Blaine upended #2 Forest Lake 52-47.
AAAA
7: #7 Blaine rallied from a five point halftime deficit to beat host #2 Forest Lake 52-47. On Sunday I mentioned Blaine was a dangerous #7. Blaine has a history of playoff upsets. This is the second year in a row that Blaine has pulled a shocker. Last year they ended Centennial's run in the old 7AAAA. This year Centennial is in 5AAAA.

AAA
5: #1 Rogers opened post season play with their 100th win in the schools history as they beat Monticello 65-25.

#2 Becker beat Dassel-Cokato 68-39. plus other results from the St. Cloud Apollo.

AA
6: #1E Albany beat BBE 82-52. I have a little report on that now, and will back fill the numbers later. The St. Cloud Times has their version up now.
#2E New London-Spicer beat #3E Sauk Centre 42-37. The first paragraph in the West Central Tribune is quite wrong. SC DID NOT have a 38-29 lead. It is hard to have 38 and then lose a point during the game. I will have my report up later.
In the West it was Minnewaska beating Benson 46-32. From the West Central Tribune.

8: In the west side #1 Crookston avoided an overtime scenario with DGF 82-60. #3 East Grand Forks turned a loss six days ago into a 47-40 win over #2 Hawley. From the Fargo Forum.

A
6: #1N Ada-Borup beat New York Mills 83-49. Lake Park-Audubon beat Norman County West 65-56. From the Fargo Forum.

It was in the South that #1 Battle Lake took a tumble to Ashby 50-47. #2 Hancock beat Brandon-Evansville 74-61. Missed free throws loomed large. From the Fergus Falls Daily Journal.

8: The Bemidji Pioneer has the 8A East quarterfinal results.

TODAY'S BEST BETS:
The 3A finals in both North and South subsections take place at SW MN State. Minneota takes on RTR in the north half, while Adrian plays SW Star in the south.

POINT PARADE
AAA
Brittani Wiese, St. Michael-Albertville 31 vs Annandale 50-37
Casey Mann, Rogers 26 vs Monticello 65-25
AA
Julianne Mitchell, Mpls Edison 37 vs Providence 85-51
Keke Reed, Mpls Edison 27 vs Providence 85-51
Kamille Wahlin, Crookston 27 vs DGF 82-60
Marissa Janning, Watertown-Mayer 26 vs Mayer Lutheran 82-44
Hannah Linz, Eden Valley-Watkins 26 vs Litchfield 66-45
Angie Jetvig, Hawley 26 vs East Grand Forks 40-47
A
Shelby Goble, Bigfork 35 vs Littlefork-Big Falls 85-42
Dawnelle Askelson, Lake Park-Audubon 32 vs Norman County West 65-56
Emily Anvid, AlBrook 32 vs Cotton 75-69
Katrina Newman, Barnum 31 vs Cromwell 54-18

Jessica Aakre, Warren-Alvarado-Oslo 29 vs Northern 50-66
Autumn Beasley, Heritage 28 vs Meadow Creek 42-37 OT
Nicole Smart, Ada-Borup 28 vs New York Mills 83-49
Samantha Anderson, Wrenshall 26 vs Silver Bay 79-33
Megan Strese, Brandon-Evansville 26 vs Hancock 61-74

Ann Poxleitner, Kelliher-Northome 25 vs Cass Lake-Bena 51-64

Next up: North Dakota. Also I will back fill the games from last night.

HAPPY LEAP DAY

Thursday, February 28, 2008

Out & About: New London-Spicer/Sauk Centre

#11 posting 2.28.2008
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

6AA EAST SUBSECTION SEMIFINALS
NEW LONDON-SPICER wildcats 42,
SAUK CENTRE mainstreeters 37

In the rubber game of this series it was NLS topping Sauk Centre in a low scoring contest. NLS, for those that don't know, lost center Renee Henjum in January to an ACL/MCL injury. The Wildcats have had to adjust their attack.

Sauk Centre led at halftime 21-18.

NLS came out after the break with an 8-1 run as they took a 26-22 lead. SC battled back and had the lead one last time at 30-29. NLS then had an 8-0 run to open up the margin to 37-30. Both teams were methodical and deliberate in their half court attack. When you are playing ahead that is all fine and good. But SC could not shake anyone open vs the NLS 2/3 zone. Each possession saw precious seconds slip away. SC did close to 40-37 with 1:10 left. NLS made one free throw on their next two possessions to finish the scoring. SC took 15 seconds on possessions when the clock was under 30. In fact with only 2.2 seconds left it seemed they were oblivious to the clock as they never got a shot off.

Right now I need my rest. The roads weren't fun.
photos: #1. Taylor Thompson goes up for a shot for NLS with Livja Christianson defending. #2. Kelli Olmscheid drives in with Thompson defending this time. photos by kja

key: player (grad year) points, possessions, pp100, floor %
NEW LONDON-SPICER
STARTERS
Karli Wendlandt (10) 15, 16, 93.8, .500
Ellary Asche (08) 3, 5, 60.0, .200
Kelsey Cors (09) 3, 2, 150.0, .500
Cassie Ziemer (10) 2, 4, 50.0, .250
Brianna Jacobson (09) 2, 4, 50.0, .250
BENCH
Justine Dammermann (10) 6, 9, 66.7, .333
Taylor Thompsen (10) 9, 12, 75.0, .333
Michele Hanson (09) 0, 1, 0.0, .000
Abbey Knisely (11) 2, 1, 200.0, 1.000
Trista Norris (09) 0, 0, 0.0, .000

SAUK CENTRE
STARTERS
Kelli Olmscheid (08) 10, 12, 83.3, .417
Kali Peschel (12) 4, 12, 33.3, .167
Livja Christianson (08) 0, 5, 0.0, .000
Jill Gruber (08) 12, 14, 85.7, .500
Megan Rieland (10) 3, 5, 60.0, .400
BENCH
Annie Borgmann (08) 8, 6, 133.3, .667
Kayla Voller (08) 0, 0, 0.0, .000

TRENCH PLAYER
Karli Wendlandt

BY THE NUMBERS
New London-Spicer 42, 54, 77.8, .370
Sauk Centre 37, 54, 68.5, .370
made 3s: NLS 5, SC 0
ftm/fta-ft%: SC 9/14-.643; NLS 5/12-.417
bench: NLS 17, SC 8

DEFENSIVE WRAPS
NEW LONDON-SPICER
Karli Wendlandt 10
Justine Dammermann 4
Brianna Jacobson 4
Ellary Asche 2
Cassie Ziemer 2
Taylor Thompson 2
Kelsey Cors 1
Abbey Knisely 1
Trista Norris 1
totals: 27

SAUK CENTRE
Jill Gruber 11
Megan Rieland 6
Kelli Olmscheid 4
Kali Peschel 3
Annie Borgmann 1
Kayla Voller 1
totals: 26

Next up: tomorrow morning

Out & About: Albany/BBE

#10 posting 2.28.2008
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

6AA EAST SUBSECTION SEMIS
ALBANY huskies 82, BBE jaguars 52

First off a warning. I am only going to put up the brief summary tonight and back fill later tomorrow. The candle is about to meet in the middle. I have not had a great day.
Also the roads were slow going up. I didn't arrive at St. John's until the 12:00 mark of the first half. For those around the country the Twin Cities got socked with snow and what usually takes 20 minutes took 35. Anyhow...

When I arrived Sam Larsen was sitting and Taylor Voss soon joined her. That may have indicated Albany was having a rough time. Not really. The score was 12-2 and that lead kept building throughout the night. Jennie Noreen and Hannah Hylla provided most of the offense I saw in the first half. Albany was quick to the ball, got their hands on a lot of passes, and aggressively attacked the basket on offense. It was 40-14 at half.

Just a week ago I saw BBE. The result was different and that was due to Albany. Most of Albany's starters were down with 8 minutes left. The score at that point was 65-27. The one thing I think that was interesting was Heidi Lensing of BBE had four &1 opportunities in the second half. It looked like she could have had five but the officials waved it off. Most of these happened in the second half when the Albany bench was in. When I was tabulating Lensing ended up with 21 points. Jennie Noreen for Albany had 20 at half and 24 for the game.

photo: Emily Roelike and Sam Larsen are both airborne before Roelike shoots. photo by kja

key: player (grad year) points, possessions, pp100, floor %
Keep in mind this is only what I charted, NOT the full game
ALBANY
STARTERS (2nd)
Hannah Hylla (09) 12, 8, 150.0, .625
Taylor Voss (08) 9, 8, 112.5, .500
Jennie Noreen (08) 16, 16, 100.0, .500
Holly Terres (08) 2, 5, 40.0, .000
Sam Larsen (08) 4, 7, 57.1, .286
BENCH
Sarah Jepsen (09) 5, 4, 125.0, .500
Nicole Ramler (10) 7, 6, 116.7, .667
Amanda Ahrenholz (08) 4, 2, 200.0, 1.000
Katrina Hendrickson (08) 0, 2, 0.0, .000
#3 2, 4, 50.0, .250
Albany Saatzer (09) 4, 3, 133.3, .667
Brittney Roering (08) 0, 2, 0.0, .000
Brittany Scheiber (08) 1, 2, 50.0, .500
Amanda Pilarski (09) 0, 1, 0.0, .000
Rebecca DeGeest (09) 0, 1, 0.0, .000
Emily Tamm (11) 3, 1, 300.0, 1.000
#55 0, 0, 0.0, .000

BELGRADE-BROOTEN-ELROSA
STARTERS (2nd)
Heidi Lensing (09) 21, 16, 131.3, .625
Emily Roelike (09) 13, 19, 68.4, .368
Missy Montriand (08) 0, 3, 0.0, .000
Danielle Davis (08) 2, 4, 50.0, .250
Lindsay Goodwin (08) 4, 4, 100.0, .500
BENCH
Amber Evenson (08) 0, 8, 0.0, .000
Jesse Wold (08) 1, 3, 33.3, .333
Jennifer Hieserich (09) 2, 4, 50.0, .250
Jena Scroeder (08) 0, 2, 0.0, .000
Sarah Gruber (08) 0, 4, 0.0, .000
Julie Hieserich (11) 2, 1, 200.0, 1.000
#52 1, 2, 50.0, .000
Rachel Anderson (10) 0, 2, 0.0, .000
Ashley Serbus (09) 2, 1, 200.0, 1.000
Laura Johnson (10) 0, 1, 0.0, .000

TRENCH PLAYER
Jennie Noreen

BY THE NUMBERS --only what I saw
Albany 69, 72, 95.8, .444
BBE 48, 74, 64.9, .324
made 3s: Albany 3, BBE 0
ftm: Albany 20, BBE 12
bench: Albany 26, BBE 8

DEFENSIVE WRAPS
ALBANY
Hannah Hylla 8
Taylor Voss 5
Jennie Noreen 5
Holly Terres 5
Sarah Jepsen 4
Sam Larsen 3
Nicole Ramler 2
Katrina Hendrickson 2
Amanda Pilarski 2
Amanda Ahrenholz 1
#3 1
Brittany Scheiber 1
#55 1
totals: 40

BBE
Emily Roelike 8
Heidi Lensing 5
Julie Hieserich 4
Rachel Anderson 4
Jesse Wold 3
Danielle Davis 3
Amber Evenson 2
Lindsay Goodwin 2
Missy Montriand 1
#52 1
totals: 33

next up:game #2

3 Sign, Miss Basketball, Triple A Awards

#9 posting 2.28.2008

your daily dose of girls basketball news & information
AFTERNOON GRAB BAG
SIGNING
Nikki Walsh (Baltic, SD), Kendra Drinnin (Columbus Lakeview, NE), and Alexa Phipps (South Sioux City, NE) have signed with Briar Cliff.
VISIT
The photo is Kiara Allums and her future college coach-- Joe McKeown of George Washington University. He was in town to see her play recently. Photo with a cell phone. photo by DelaMartinez.
AAU
MISS BASKETBALL EXPOSURE EVENTS & TEAM CAMP
Miss Basketball will be hosting three college exposure events this summer. The 13th Annual Miss Basketball Showcase on July 10-13 in Kearney, Neb., will feature 64 teams from 17 states. Last year, 194 college coaches from 28 states scouted the super-talented event. Games are played at the University of Nebraska-Kearney Health & Sports Center (host of the NCAA Division II Women’s Elite 8 in a few weeks).

The 2nd Annual Miss Basketball Big Show tournament on July 3-6, is open to teams with players who will be 9th and 10th graders in 2008-09. Last year’s event featured 32 teams from 11 states. The Kansas Belles topped the Minnesota Metro Stars 14’s in the championship game. The tournament is also at the UNK Health & Sports Center in Kearney, Neb.

The 8th Annual Miss Basketball Dakota Showcase will feature 32 of the top teams from an 8-10 state region battling June 26-28 at Augustana College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Last year more than 60 Division II, III, NAIA and Juco coaches were on hand to scout the event. This event has been honored as the Girls Basketball Recruit’s best tournament of the summer each of the last two years.

The 14th Annual Miss Basketball Shootout on June 7-8 will feature 84 individual high school teams from across the Midwest. Each team will play 3 pool games on Saturday, followed by 3 tournament games on Sunday. Great facilities, certified officials, outstanding competition, divisions for large/small schools!

For more information on these events, visit http://www.missbasketball.com/ or contact Doug Koster at 308.237.4012 or doug@missbasketball.com.

WANTED
The Metro Stars White 16U team is looking for a wing/forward to complete the roster. Class of 2009/2010 with varsity starting/all-conference experience preferred. Contact Head Coach Carl Scales at crlscales@hotmail.com if interested

AWARDS
Hannah Muegge of Hopkins is the Triple A Award winner for the Region 6AA.
ALL CONFERENCE
The Northern Sun has passed out its post season awards. UM Crookston's Jamie Zelinsky (Park Center) was named newcomer of the year.
next up: later tonight...if they play the games I am going to...

Carleton Upsets St. Benedict in MIAC

#8 posting 2.28.2008
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

COLLEGE REPORTS
D1
BIG 12
Baylor beat Colorado 76-62. Hannah Skildum (Mounds View) had 2 for Colorado.

Kansas State beat Nebraska 69-65. Cory Montgomery (Cannon Falls) had 9 for Nebraska.

Texas beat Kansas 57-53. Kelly Kohn (Adrian, MI) did not score for the Jayhawks.

Iowa State beat Missouri 58-54. Jocelyn Anderson (Prairie Valley, IA) and Kelsey Bolte (Battle Creek-Ida Grove, IA) each had 12 for ISU. Amanda Nisleit (Woodbury) added one for ISU.

MID-AMERICAN
Bowling Green beat Ohio 82-67. Jenny Poff (St. Johns, MI) had 12 for Ohio.

Ball State beat Central Michigan 81-69. Britni Houghton (Lansing Waverly) had 23 for CMU.

Northern Illinois beat Western Michigan 67-65. Jessie Wilcox (Oshkosh West) had 7 for NIU. Tiera DeLaHoussaye (Detroit Country Day) had 15 for WMU.

Eastern Michigan beat Toledo 58-57. Brittany Tyson (Ann Arbor Huron) had 5 for EMU.

Miami, OH beat Kent State 76-59. Asheley Harkins (Saginaw Arthur Hill) had 7 for Kent State.

MIDWEST
Dayton beat Xavier 68-58. Brittany Holterman (Racine Prairie) had 9 for Dayton.

EAST
George Washington beat Richmond 75-59. Stefani Munro (Mt. Clemens, MI) did not score for GWU.

Temple beat St. Louis 77-66. Shenita Landry (Milw King) had 12 for Temple.

American beat Navy 69-37. Talicia Jackson (DeLaSalle) had 8 for American.

Vermont beat Maine 74-52. Sofia Iwobi (Fairfield Maharishi, IA) had 2, and Jill Rademacher (Holdingford) did not score for Vermont. Brittany Bowen (Merrill, WI) did not score for Maine.

WEST
Wyoming beat Colorado State 68-46. Emily Neal (Breck) had 9 while Elle Queen (Minnetonka) had 6, Lauren Young (Edina) 2 and Kelly Finley 0 for Colorado State.

HIGH FIVE
Michigan swept the high five in convincing fashion.
MICHIGAN--76
Britni Houghton, Central Michigan (Lansing Waverly) 23 vs Ball State 69-81
Tiera DeLaHoussaye, Western Michigan (Detroit Country Day) 15 vs Northern Illinois 65-67
Latisha Luckett, Central Michigan (Detroit Lakes) 14 vs Ball State 69-81
Angel Chan, Central Michigan (Wyoming Park) 12 vs Ball State 69-81
Jenny Poff, Ohio (St. Johns) 12 vs Bowling Green 67-82

IOWA--38
Jocelyn Anderson, Iowa State (Prairie Valley) 12 vs Missouri 58-54
Kelsey Bolte, Iowa State (Battle Creek-Ida Grove) 12 vs Missouri 58-54
Alison Lacey, Iowa State (Ballard) 10 vs Missouri 58-54
Sofia Iwobi, Vermont (Fairfield Maharishi) 2 vs Maine 52-74
Alisa Brinkman, Kent State (Pocahontas) 2 vs Miami, OH 59-76

WISCONSIN--28
Shenita Landry, Temple (Milw King) 12 vs St. Louis 77-66
Brittany Holterman, Dayton (Racine Prairie) 9 vs Xavier 68-58
Jessie Wilcox, Northern Illinois (Oshkosh West) 7 vs Western Michigan 67-65

MINNESOTA--20
Cory Montgomery, Nebraska (Cannon Falls) 9 vs Kansas State 65-69
Talicia Jackson, American (DeLaSalle) 8 vs Navy 69-37
Hannah Skildum, Colorado (Mounds View) 2 vs Baylor 62-76
Amanda Nisleit, Iowa State (Woodbury) 1 vs Missouri 58-54

D2
POLLS
South Dakota is #1 in the North Central poll with North Dakota #2.

ACADEMIC HONORS
The North Central Conference has released their Academic All Conference list. Kierah Kimbrough (BGMR) and Alys Seay (Grand Forks Central) made the list for UND.

D3
MIAC PLAYOFFS
St. Thomas beat Gustavus 77-61. Carrie Embree (Waukee, IA) had 25 for St. Thomas. St. Thomas had a 17-2 run over the final 5:55. Sheena Porter-Wrzos (DeLaSalle) had 13 points (11 of those in the 2nd half) and Jessica Katch (Dowling Catholic) chipped in with 12 points and 9 rebounds. Jess Vadnais (Hudson, WI) had 19 for Gustavus.

Carleton upset St. Benedict 64-60. Hannah Oken-Berg (Portland Lincoln, OR) had 23 for Carleton. Mindy Schmidt (Champlin Park) and Ariel Tauer (Edina) each had 16 for St. Ben's.

next up: grab bag this afternoon.--the photos are now up of the Richfield and Kennedy wins last night.

A Rival to MHSAA?

#7 posting 2.28.2008
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

MICHIGAN REPORTS

A rival state organization? That is what may happen in Michigan. There is a proposal to create the AAAM to challenge the MHSAA. Why? rules that don't make sense, rules from another era. From the Detroit Free Press.

Brighton uses 10 starters with defined roles. From the Livingston Press & Argus.

TOURNAMENT
There are 32 regional finals today. From the Detroit News.

LATE
Detroit King fell on Tuesday to Southfield-Lathrup 53-51. From the Detroit Free Press.

next up: College reports

Selk MVP

#6 posting 2.28.2008
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

WISCONSIN REPORTS
ALL CONFERENCE
Amy Selk of Sheboygan South was named Fox River Classic Conference player of the year. The FRCC also lists their All conference team. From the Sheboygan Press.

LATE TUESDAY RESULTS
Hustisford coach Bob Nass picked up career win #100 when they beat Green Lake 57-20. From the Watertown Daily Times.

Next up: Michigan

Upsets in 1A Iowa Semis

#5 posting 2.28.2008
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

IOWA REPORTS
STATE TOURNAMENT
1A SEMIS
Springville sprung a surprise on Lawton-Bronson 60-45. From the Des Moines Register and Sioux City Journal and Cedar Rapids Gazette.

Newell-Fonda knocked off undefeated Dunkerton 81-62. From the Fort Dodge Messenger.

4A QUARTERS
Linn-Mar beat Des Moines Roosevelt 66-38. From the CRG and DMR.

Iowa City beat Cedar Falls 52-40. From the CRG and DMR.

Cedar Rapids Washington dethroned defending champs Sioux City North 75-63. From the CRG and DMR.

Waukee got revenge for their only loss with a 63-53 win over Dowling Catholic. From the DMR.

TODAY
The 2A and 3A Semis.
Davenport Assumption is the assumed favorite in 2A. From the Quad City Times.

This is where to turn to for results today.

POINT PARADE
4A
Katelin Oney, Cedar Rapids Washington 27 vs Sioux City North 75-63
Staci Gillum, Waukee 26 vs Dowling Catholic 63-53
1A
Kayla Waskow, Dunkerton 24 vs Newell-Fonda 62-81

Next up: Wisconsin

8 Finals Today, The Switch Six Years Later

#4 posting 2.28.2008
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

SOUTH DAKOTA REPORTS
Michigan has had to switch their sports seasons. South Dakota did it six years ago. Most of the problems did not materialize. From the Mitchell Daily Republic.

REGION TOURANMENTS
A
Parkston plays West Central for the ticket to state tonight. From the Mitchell Daily Republic.

There are three finals today in A, three in AA, and two in B. The SDHSAA has more.

Next up: Iowa reports

Tournaments-- B, East and West

#3 posting 2.28.2008
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

NORTH DAKOTA REPORTS
A
In the West section tournament Jamestown faces Dickinson. From the Jamestown Sun.

The Bismarck Tribune has the capsules on all the West squads.

Ali Collins of Mandan has had to overcome injuries. From the Bismarck Tribune.

Dickinson has been snake bit with point guard injuries. From the Dickinson Press.

Scroll to get to the East girls tournament preview in the Grand Forks Herald.

B
The B State Tournament opens today. There are plenty of firsts and returns for the entrants. From the Dickinson Press. The Bismarck Tribune has capsules on the 8 Bs.
Here is the schedule with some team previews.
Hazelton-Moffit-Braddock From the Jamestown Sun, and Shiloh Christian .....from the Bismarck Tribune.

POLL
The final A poll came out with no changes in the top 4. From the Jamestown Sun.

Next up: South Dakota reports

Big School Quarters, Corradi 1000

#2 posting 2.28.2008
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

MINNESOTA REPORTS
final edition
The AAA and AAAA section quarterfinals took center stage yesterday. I attended the 2AAAA games at Kennedy and have the out & abouts with Richfield edging out Eden Prairie 62-60 and Kennedy's romp over Shakopee 62-20. I will get coach Teas' photos up later this morning. I also received a spy out & about on the Park-Cottage Grove win over Eagan and Lakeville North's win over Rosemount.
Unfortunately, I can not be everywhere at once. If you have game reports, go to my profile and email me.

Most of the time first round tournament games are not very compelling. However three of the 2AAAA games were decided by five points. #2 seed Chaska avoided an upset by #7 Prior Lake 48-47. #3 Edina took revenge on an early season loss to Bloomington Jefferson in low scoring affair 30-28. And then there was the comeback by Richfield.

TODAY'S BEST BET
Today the schedule is heavy with A and AA contests. There are two AAA sections, and one AAAA section wraping up their quarterfinals
A-Hillcrest Lutheran in Fergus Falls hosts the 6A South subsection semis with undefeated Battle Lake facing conference rival Ashby and Hancock taking on Brandon-Evansville.
AA-Section 8AA west will be the place to be as the toughest AA Section in the state has their subsection semis. DGF faces #1 Crookston. The last time they played it went to overtime. Hawley sees East Grand Forks for the second time in the last week. Games will be at MSU Moorhead. Unfortunately I will NOT be headed to the Red River Valley tonight. I am glad I was able to see all four quality teams during the season.
AAA--Interesting match ups in 6AAA. the #4 seed Benilde-St. Margaret's hosts #5 Waconia.
AAAA-The 4/5 match up in 7AAAA Andover at Cambridge.

SECTION TOURNAMENTS
AAAA
1: Northfield beat Winona 59-41. From the Winona Daily News.

#1 seed Rochester JM beat rival Rochester Century 60-42. Rochester Mayo beat Farmington 54-46. From the Rochester Post Bulletin.

AAA
1: #2 seed Austin beat Albert Lea 48-44 in a tight contest. From the Austin Daily Herald.

MILESTONE
Megan Corradi of Chisago Lakes reached the 1000 point mark with 12 in the 3AAA quarterfinal 58-40 win over North Branch. Corradi is the 70th player to reach the mark from Minnesota this season and 51st from the 2008 class.

FEATURES
Heart problems have sidelined Cherry point guard Laura Griffiths. From the Duluth News Tribune.

POINT PARADE
AAAA
Kiara Buford, St. Paul Central 30 vs Henry Sibley 96-52
Katya Leick, Park-Cottage Grove 27 vs Eagan 64-40
Casey Christian, Prior Lake 25 vs Chaska 48-49
Tayler Hill, Mpls South 25 vs Minnetonka 67-38
AAA
Tacita Gonzalez, St. Paul Johnson 26 vs St. Paul Arlington 93-29
AA
Kristen Donner, Mora 29 vs Esko 51-58

Next up: North Dakota reports

Spy Out & About: 3AAAA quarterfinals at Park-Cottage Grove

#1 posting 2.28.2008
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

Here is a reader submitted report from Marc Hugunin on the 3AAAA quarterfinals. If you have a report, to to my profile and email me.

There were no surprises in the Section 3AAAA quarter-finals at Park High School, as #2 seed Park and #3 Lakeville North pulled away from underdogs #7 Eagan and #6 Rosemount, respectively.

Lakeville North 67 Rosemount 54

Lakeville North vs. Rosemount was a game of runs, but North’s were bigger and better than Rosemount’s.North came out rather listlessly, however, and trailed 17-8 at the 10:20 mark. Concordia (St. Paul) coach Paul Fessler arrived about that time to watch his recruit, 6-2 Rosemount center Michelle Hugelen. He missed seeing her dominate North’s 6-4 center Cassie Rochel in the early going, as by that time Hugelen had 4 buckets, an assist, a block, an offensive rebound and a steal.

North switched from a zone to man-to-man defense, both full-court and half-court, about then and promptly got off a 10-0 run, taking its first lead at 18-17 on a Kaiya Sygulla basket at 7:10. Rosemount had successfully pounded the ball inside against North’s zone but against the “man” the Irish had 4 turnovers, mostly on passes into the paint, before they scored again. Still, the two teams played pretty evenly through the rest of the half, and Laurie Tyson’s bucket with :04 left gave Rosemount a 28-27 half-time lead.

The North Panthers opened the 2nd half with their biggest run of all, 16-0, as Rochel and North’s full-court pressure began to assert themselves. Rochel, a sophomore, had 4 points and a block and freshman guard Rachel Banham had 6 points and 3 steals during the run. Still, Rosemount battled back with a 10-0 run of its own to within 52-46 at 5:50. But the Panthers responded with an 8-1 run to lead 60-47 at 3:49. The margin remained at 13 at the final buzzer despite a very tough sequence for Rochel just inside of 3 minutes. She committed her 4th foul at 2:47, then turned the ball over and immediately committed her 5th foul, all within 8 seconds. But the Panthers actually extended their lead by 2 after Rochel sat down.

Rochel scored 12 points in the second half, including 8 for 8 from the FT line, with 4 blocks and 4 offensive rebounds, and was the game’s MVP. Sygulla and sophomore back-up center Jess Braaten each scored 8 points in the half.

Park-Cottage Grove 64 Eagan 40

This one was closer than it sounds, as Park led 37-28 at the 10 minute mark of the 2nd half, then out-scored Eagan 15-2 over the next 5 minutes. Park junior forward Katya Leick scored 11 of Park’s 15 points on 3 3s and a put-back.

Park had taken control with an early 8-0 run that erased a 4-2 deficit. Leick and guard Sarah Norenberg each score 2 buckets during the run, 2 of the 4 buckets coming off nice inside feeds by Jackie Voigt. After the Wildcats got with 14-13, Park ran off another 8 consecutive points with Leick and Tina Fisher both scoring on put-backs. It was 27-18 at the half.

The pretty inside passing among Leick, Fisher, Norenberg and Voigt continued through the 2nd half. About 8 minutes into the second half, the lead was still 9, but then came Park’s 15-2 run. The run started about 45 seconds after Voigt hit the floor and appeared momentarily as if she might be seriously hurt. Voigt went up to block a baseline jumper by Eagan’s Molly Sinclair. She landed on Sinclair’s back and tumbled head first to the floor. She stayed down about 5 seconds or so, plenty of time for fans to be thinking the worst. But she popped up, and even stayed in the game. It was about this time, too, that Park’s full-court pressure began to create some turnovers and the route was on. The final was Park 64 Eagan 40.

Leick dazzled with 27 points and a super effort at the point of Park’s 1-2-2 zone. She was clearly the game’s MVP. Voigt added 15 points. Adrea Holler of Eagan made some nice moves into the lane off the dribble and was the only Wildcat to score in double figures with 19 points.

Thanks to the readers for the game reports. It makes for better understanding.

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Out & About: Bloomington Kennedy/Shakopee

#10 posting 2.27.2008
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

2AAAA QUARTERFINALS
BLOOMINGTON KENNEDY eagles 62,
SHAKOPEE sabers 20

#1 seed Kennedy used their quickness and defense to throttle Shakopee 62-20. Shakopee had a drought of biblical proportions---38 possessions stretching across both halves. Shakopee actually led 3-0 in this game. The next time they scored was with 14:30 left in the game.

This game, for a writer/spectator/fan that doesn't have a dog in the fight, was vegatables to the desert that was the first game. The outcome was a forgone conclusion. Kennedy just had too much quickness, strength and power for Shakopee's players. Kennedy dictated tempo and pressure and there was no real mystery what was going to happen in this contest. It was a 32-3 game at half.

Shakopee was able to come up with 17 points in the second half, 13 in the last 9 minutes.

Kennedy has solved the mid season blues when they lost five straight. Since that time the Eagles have won 9 in a row. Kennedy is 20-6. Shakopee finishes the season 8-19.

photos: #1. It looks like Kennedy Coach Wade is also playing defense as Aubrey Davis and Alexis Holt slap on the trap. Kayla Undesser is the Shakopee potential receiver. #2. Shakila Boler goes up and erases a shot with Davis looking on. photos by Teas.

key: player (grad year) points, possessions, pp100, floor %
BLOOMINGTON KENNEDY
STARTERS
Brittany Zins (09) 9, 9, 100.0, .444 post, that can go out and shoot the three. runs the floor
Alexis Holt (09) 10, 9, 111.1. .556 scored inside
Shakila Boler (10) 18, 16, 112.5, .500 point guard. the Kennedy engine. strong, quick, snappy passes. gets the ball down court quickly
Aubrey Davis (11) 10, 10, 100.0, .500 perimeter. had a 3, runs the floor.
Bailey Lund (10) 4, 3, 133.3, .667 hard hat perimeter. defensive specialist.
BENCH
Danielle Bradley (08) 3, 4, 75.0, .250 perimeter
Raven Boone (11) 5, 5, 100.0, .400 back up point
Kelly Boelter (08) 0, 3, 0.0, .000 back up post
Alexis Love (10) 3, 3, 100.0, .667
Sierra Howard (08) 0, 2, 0.0, .000
Raquisha Lowe (08) 0, 1, 0.0, .000
Whitney Luhring (08) 0, 0, 0.0, .000

SHAKOPEE
STARTERS
Kelsey Berken (08) 7, 17, 41.2, .176 point guard. hit a three, also drove late. made basket at the final buzzer.
Jean Theis (10) 4, 9, 44.4, .222
Rachel Hentges (11) 2, 13, 15.4, .077 perimeter
Emily Pehrson (09) 0, 5, 0.0, .000
Katrina Blackowiak (08) 2, 5, 40.0, .200 post
BENCH
Kayla Undesser (09) 0, 6, 0.0, .000
Kelsey Greening (10) 3, 2, 150.0, .500 hit a three.
Kimberly Fehring (08) 0, 1, 0.0, .000
Danielle Dreier (11) 0, 1, 0.0, .000
Mari Kyngas (08) 0, 0, 0.0, 000
In general Shakopee players need to get stronger physically, get stronger with the ball, make better decisions, come to the ball, and attack the baskets. only 3 free throw attempts all game highlight that issue.

TRENCH PLAYER
Shakila Boler

BY THE NUMBERS
Bloomington Kennedy 62, 65, 95.4. .446
Shakopee 20, 64, 31.3, .141
made 3s: Kennedy 6, Shakopee 2
ftm/fta-ft%: Kennedy 8/15-.533; Shakopee 0/3-.000
bench: Kennedy 11, Shakopee 3
Shakopee turned the ball over 33 times, 18 in the first half, 7 times in a row on possessions 3 to 9.

DEFENSIVE WRAPS
BLOOMINGTON KENNEDY
Shakila Boler 14.5
Brittany Zins 5.5
Alexis Holt 5.5
Aubrey Davis 3.5
Bailey Lund 3.5
Raven Boone 2.5
Alexandria Love 2
Whitney Luhring 2
Danielle Bradley 1
Kelly Boelter 1
Sierra Howard 1
Raquisha Lowe 1
totals: 43

SHAKOPEE
Katrina Blackowiak 7
Rachel Hentges 4
Kayla Undesser 3
Jean Theis 3
Emily Pehrson 2
Kimberly Fehring 2
Kelsey Berken 1
Abby Berens 1
Kelsey Greening 1
Mari Kyngas 1
totals: 25

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Both teams used man. Kennedy used full court pressure both man and zone.
match ups; (Shak off/Ken def) Blackowiak/Zins; Hentges/Lund; Berken/Davis; Theis/Holt; Pehrson/Boler
Ken off/Shak/def: Boler/Hentges; Zins/Blackowiak; Davis/Berken; Lund/Pehrson; Holt/Theis

Next up: Spy Out & About

Out & About: Richfield/Eden Prairie

#9 posting 2.27.2008
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

2AAAA QUARTERFINALS
RICHFIELD spartans 62, EDEN PRAIRIE eagles 60

Richfield rallied from a 9 point halftime deficit to beat Eden Prairie 62-60. The two met in the Apple Valley tournament and EP beat Richfield 79-60. However Pamela (and younger sister Jessica) January were on vacation. Pamela had 20 tonight to make up the difference, and the Spartans, with their more boisterous crowd moves on to the semis.

Eden Prairie won the tip and Kjersten Bradley started this game with a three from the right wing. Richfield came back and answered on their first possession with a basket by Amy Peterson. EP led 11-8 after a Carly Rothfusz jumper. Richfield pulled in front 13-11 on a three by Jamie Noonan in the left corner. EP took control with six straight and 9/10 scoring possessions, a 19-7 run to lead 31-20. Mikayla Clark hit consecutive 3s for EP in the run and had 8 total during that time. The rest of the half was played fairly even as EP enjoyed a 39-30 lead at the break. Laura Weber for EP tallied 12 by half, and Pamela January had 10 to lead the Spartans at half.

Richfield didn't pressure full court in the first half. They increased the heat in the second. Also EP picked up four offensive fouls in their first 15 possessions, 3 in their first 7. Two of the fouls were illegal screens, two full steam ahead type offensive fouls. Pamela January held her ground on two of the offensive fouls. Richfield started the half with a 5/6 scoring sequence and 12-6 run to cut the margin to 45-42. Mandy Poke had 7 in the run. EP put more distance between the two teams with an &1 by Tobin and a pair of free throws by Lauren Wittman to make it 50-42. Poke drilled another 3 to cut the margin back to five and two possessions later Pamela January stole the ball and scored the lay up to put it back at 50-47. EP had a five possession drought after Wittman's free throws, four of which ended as turnovers. Jamie Noonan tied it at 51 with 7:20 left. EP had their last lead at 53-51 on a pair of free throws by Mikayla Clark. Then EP went through another dry spell, this time 1/7, but this time they couldn't connect and they were limited to one shot. Jessica January had two wraps in this sequence as did Poke. Richfield led 59-55 after a Pamela January shot from the right side. EP had a late flurry with one free throw by Wittman and a lay up by Laura Weber. That made the score 59-58. Richfield was in a delay-cautionary mode and threw the ball away. EP had a chance to take the lead with 1:30 left, but Weber's shot was off and Poke grabbed the rebound. Richfield moved the ball around and Pamela January found Shelby Clarke all alone for a lay up as EP extended their defense. That made it 61-58 with less than a minute to go. Carly Rothfusz made two free throws for EP's final points. Noonan added a free throw for Richfield with 23.3 seconds left. EP had a chance to tie or win with a three. They took a time out with 16.3 seconds left. The Richfield defense held, and Clark was only able to get off a 3 from well beyond the arc. After the contest the Richfield faithful swarmed the court.

Many may have doubted Richfield's ranking, but they proved they could play with their backs to the wall and they delivered when it mattered. Richfield earned some respect tonight. If they want to earn the 2AAAA title they need to win two more hard fought contests.

photos: #1 Laura Weber of Eden Prairie making a move to the hoop, Pamela January defending. #2. What proved to be the game winner by Shelby Clarke. #3. Mikayla Clark's long 3 attempt with 1.3 seconds left. #4 The party begins for Richfield at mid court. Coach LeeAnn Wise finds Pamela January. photos by Teas.

key: player (grad year) points, possessions, pp100, floor %
RICHFIELD
STARTERS
Amy Peterson (08) 4, 2, 200.0, 1.000 post player. Not a lot of touches. fouled out.
Mandy Poke (09) 14, 16, 87.5, .375 point guard. sparked the second half rally early with 3s. looks to drive
Pamela January (09) 20, 17, 117.6, .588 perimeter/high post type. strong, good jumper. scores off the drive/pull up. took two key charges.
Jamie Noonan (09) 9, 9, 100.0, .444 perimeter, 3 point shooter. made two on the night.
Shelby Clarke (08) 8, 8, 100.0, .500 post. sealed and used body well. 0 defensive rebounds.
BENCH
Hannah Nelson (09) 6, 5, 120.0, .600 back up post
Jessica January (13) 0, 3, 0.0, .000 young (7th grade) sister of Pamela. Is playing major minutes now. is quick to the ball and caused headaches on defense. is physical and aggressive. plays like a veteran.
Kierra Jeffers (08) 1, 2, 50.0, .500 guard
Stephanie Skoog (10) 0, 0, 0.0, .000 post

EDEN PRAIRIE
STARTERS
Kjersten Bradley (08) 3, 3, 100.0, .333 hit a three in the first 15 seconds, but after that never was in the offensive flow.
Serenae Levine (08) 4, 12, 33.3, .167 point guard. out of control on offense (3 offensive fouls).
Carly Rothfusz (09) 11, 11, 100.0, .455 long perimeter. lefty. can drive, has 3 range and can hit pull up. went to the line three times.
Laura Webber (08) 21, 18, 116.7, .611 post player. established herself on offense and defense in the paint. can run the floor. led both teams in d wraps.
Michelle Tobin (09) 5, 4, 125.0, .500 post player. scored inside. only scored once in half court offense, the other was a second chancer.
BENCH
Mikayla Clark (09) 10, 10, 100.0, .400 started EP' flurry in the first half. had two 3s. didn't score from the floor in the second half. showed frustrations with defensive heat.
Lauren Wittman (09) 6, 6, 100.0, .667 lefty. went to the line three times.

TRENCH PLAYER
Pamela January

BY THE NUMBERS
Richfield 62, 62, 100.0, .484
Eden Prairie 60, 64, 93.8, .453
made 3s: Richfield 5, EP 3
ftm/fta-ft%: EP 15/23-.652; Richfield 7/15-.467
bench: EP 16, Richfield 7
Richfield's defense forced 9 second half turnovers, 15 for the game.
Richfield had 10 first half turnovers on offense. 15 for the game. So it was a flip flop of turnovers the turned the game to the Spartans.

DEFENSIVE WRAPS
RICHFIELD
Mandy Poke 6
Pamela January 5
Jessica January 4
Jamie Noonan 3
Hannah Nelson 3
Kierra Jeffers 3
Amy Peterson 2
Shelby Clarke 1
Stephanie Skoog 1
totals: 28

EDEN PRAIRIE
Laura Weber 10
Serenae Levine 4
Michelle Tobin 4
Carly Rothfusz 3
Mikayla Clark 2
Kjersten Bradley 1
Lauren Wittman 1
totals: 25

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Both teams used man. EP would use a half court trap after a time out.
match ups. EP off/Rich def: Weber/Peterson-P January-Clarke; Levine/Poke-Noonan; Bradley/P January-Poke; Wittman/Noonan-Peterson; Rothfusz/Clarke (when these folks were in: Clark/J January)
Rich off/EP def: P January/Bradley; Poke/Levine; Clarke/Tobin; Noonan/Rothfusz; Peterson/Weber (Clark/J January)

next up: 2AAAA Quarterfinal

Evel Knievel & Coaching

# 8 posting 2.27.2008
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

The post-season brings us another message from Seashells and Balloons…..

There’s a little bit of Evel in Every Great Coach

It’s playoff time. Time for stacked sections, and 1-point upsets and the endless debate about who deserves what seed. You may be expecting a series of pithy inspirational stories from years gone by, or a couple of anecdotes about which teams deserve the most respect. Not today. I’m thinking about that star-spangled daredevil Evel Knievel. And how he’s a little like every great coach…especially during the playoffs.

Some of you may remember Evel Knievel from his daring stunts in the 70s. He made a living out of dreaming a motorcycle jump, planning for that jump, selling tickets to the jump, and most of the time landing that jump. Some were brilliant. And he would circle his bike back and look up at the ramp…..taking in the applause and ultimately thanking his team and his powerful bike for getting him there. And some jumps were messy, cartwheeling flops. He would vow to retire after a crash. Or it was all he could do to muster a thumbs up from the stretcher.

The basketball playoffs bring out those same thrills and spills. And inspire the best performances in the unlikeliest places. Nobody knows that more than the good coaches. The great coach says believe in each other, and we can do anything. Those coaches know how to prepare, and in the end they know that behind every great jump, there is always a little bit of magic. Evel says “ I did everything by the seat of my pants. That’s why I got hurt so much”. The great coaches inspire their teams to do what can’t be done. To push their players to the brink. And we hear the same in Evel’s words: “A Roman general in the time of Caesar had a motto - "If it is possible, it is done. If it is impossible... it will be done." And that, ladies and gentlemen, is what I live by”.

Evel inspired thousands of kids to go outside and try their own jumps on their banana bikes. And a great coach creates a community full of little girls practicing their shot, working on their defense, all so they can put on the jersey of the great teams before them.

If things go right this year, our team will face their own version of the Snake River Canyon, or the Wembley Stadium double-decker bus jump. They will be prepared. They will be ready. They will follow their coach to the end of the ramp, look down with courage and start revving their engines. They could make it with room to spare. Or they could go down in flames. I am betting on the former. Because where there’s a coach who is willing to believe and take the leap, there are 15 or so players willing to take that same leap with him. I’ll be watching and cheering. I hope you will be too. When there’s a coach with a little bit of Evel Knievel in him, it’s easy to believe that any glorious dream can happen.

Good Luck Teams!


Thanks again Seashells & Balloons.

Next up: Later tonight with a deuce Out & About