Out & About: Park-Cottage Grove/Hopkins

#6 posting 3.4.2008
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

PARK-COTTAGE GROVE wolfpack 55
HOPKINS royals 52

In a battle between two AAAA heavyweight contenders, it was #6 PCG that connected on their last punch with a 55-52 hard fought win over #2 Hopkins. Every pass, every dribble, every shot was contested by both teams in an intense playoff worthy contest. The win wasn't firmly in PCG's corner until Tina Fisher made two free throws with 3 seconds left. Future Gopher Jackie Voigt had 21 points for PCG.

Right from the start this game had a big time feel. Hopkins landed the first punch with a Stephanie Sension basket. Once PCG landed their blows, they connected on six straight and 8/9 to take a 17-14 lead. Hopkins was connected on two long distance bombs, PCG also connected from beyond the arc with a Voigt 3, the first of three. Both teams were perfect at the line with four free throws each. Hopkins tied the game at 19. Voigt again nailed a 3 which started a 4/5 scoring spurt for PCG as they finished the half up 27-22. Their last possession was milked down to the last ticks with a high low basket by reserve Jaimee Lurken. Sension had 9 for Hopkins and Voigt had 8 by half.

PCG maintained the lead in the second half, but Hopkins whittled away at the lead. A pair of free throws by Sension cut the margin to 33-32. Voigt posted up to push that lead back to three. PCG pushed the lead back out to 41-36 on a jumper by Voigt with 10 minutes to go. The Wolfpack went hungry for five possessions. Hopkins took advantage of that down time with a 6-0 run to take a 42-41 lead. Hanna Muegge knocked down a three to tie it, Caitlin Rowland made one free throw for the advantage. There were four lead changes after that and three ties. First Voigt put PCG back in front with two free throws. Rowland responded with a put back & one for a 45-43 Hopkins advantage. Samantha Hildebrandt got out of a double team and drove in on the left side for a lay up to tie it at 45. Hopkins scored on two possessions to go up 49-45 with about 3:30 left. Both baskets were in transition. Sension had the first steal-lay up, Brianna Williams followed after a missed shot after a steal by Muegge. After that basket Hopkins was 2/8 on their possessions, PCG was 5/8. Katya Leick came up with a couple of big pull up jumpers to tie the game up at 49. Voigt put PCG back up on a post feed from Fisher. Voigt added another bucket on a post feed from Nohrenberg. That proved to be the game winner at 53-51. Rowland missed on a drive and Hildebrandt rebounded. Nohrenberg was fouled and she missed the front end. It was almost shades of Becker/Rogers. Both teams iced over at the line the last 43.8 seconds. Of the potential 10 points only three found the bottom of the basket. Rowland rebounded the miss and eventually made it to the line. She made the second shot (the Royals were in double bonus). A PCG turnover gave the ball back to Hopkins with 30 seconds left. They got the ball inside, but as I have said before, nothing was easy. Sension missed and Muegge got the board. Her put back attempt was rebound by Leick. She was immediately fouled with 16.5 seconds left. She too missed her front end. Kara Elofson grabbed the key board with 9.7 left. Hopkins took a time out and Rowland was fouled by Hildebrandt on the ensuing inbound play. She missed both, but Lillemoe grabbed the loose rebound in the left corner and let a shot go. This time the missed free throw parade was over as Fisher got the miss and was fouled with three seconds left. Williams desperation mid court three was off the mark to close a true epic struggle.

Now this is potentially the bad news--Park-Cottage Grove & Eastview in 3AAAA, and Hopkins & Mpls South in 6AAAA--- only one worthy team in each of these sections will get to showcase their skills under the bright lights of the Target Center. It is a shame that the state can't figure out a way to seed the state 1-64 (yes sixty-four). The best deserve to be in the state tournament.

photos: #1. Tina Fisher goes up for two for PCG. #2. 6-2 Steph Sension gets low on the drive against Katya Leick. #3. Leick uses her off hand on the lay up. photos by Teas. Coach Teas has said this game is one of the top games he has seen in two years.

key: player (grad year) points, possessions, pp100, floor %
PARK-COTTAGE GROVE
STARTERS
Sarah Nohrenberg (08) 3, 15, 20.0, .133 point guard. was able to feed high low. Pressured hard. elbow got too far away on dribble, vision needs to remain up.
Katya Leick (09) 10, 12, 83.3,. l417 came up with big clutch baskets when down four. perimeter. has good size. moves well. a fighter.
Tina Fisher (09) 11, 8, 137.5, .625 post player. scored inside early. can step out and pass. rough and tumble inside.
Jackie Voigt (08) 21, 12, 175.0, .750 versatility. knockout performance. season high 21 points. lefty. Good size. hard to match up. sag off she will hit the 3. put a smaller defender on her and she will post up. she will also will hit pull ups and drives. also was used to bring up the ball. Big impact, big statement in a big contest.
Samantha Hildebrandt (08) 4, 4, 100.0, .500 scored that lay up as she slipped the double team. critical defense on Muegge. solid perfomance.
BENCH
Holly Riesselman (09) 5, 4, 125.0, .750 post player. Quality minutes off the bench. Big presence on defense. contributed with key rebounds and stops. on offense went to the line three times.
Jaimee Lurken (09) 2, 1, 200.0, 1.000 scored right before the half on a high low.
Meghan Nelsen (08) 0, 2, 0.0, .000 back up point guard. was pressured hard

HOPKINS
STARTERS
Caitlin Rowland (08) 12, 17, 70.6, .353 perimeter. match ups on defense had her defend post players. was 1/4 at the line late. Forced offense late.
Stephanie Sension (08) 15, 12, 125.0, .583 post player. creates space, chins ball strongly on rebound. went to the line four times (8/8). can hit the 3. made a steal at mid court and glided in for the lay up.
Hanna Muegge (08) 11, 13, 84.6, .308 point guard. hit two 3s. also scored on drives. picked up dribble too far out at times. passes inside were forced at times. turns her body so it isn't square on shot.
Kara Elofson (09) 6, 4, 150.0, .750 steady, solid defender. provides grit and hard hat ethic.
Jenna Lillemoe (09) 1, 6, 16.7, .167 harrassed Nohrenberg on defense.
BENCH
Hana Potter (10) 0, 2, 0.0, .000 back up post. needs to make quicker decisions.
Brianna Williams (11) 2, 4, 50.0, .250 ninja hands on defense. smaller guard. fast
Chelsea Garcia (09) 3, 1, 300.0, 1.000 3 point shooter.
Tess Komarek (09) 2, 1, 200.0, 1.000 back up point. made 2 free throws.

TRENCH PLAYER
Jackie Voigt hands down

BY THE NUMBERS
Park-CG 55, 58, 94.8, .466
Hopkins 52, 60, 86.7, .400
made 3s: Hopkins 5, PCG 3
ftm/fta-ft%: Hopkins 17/22-.773; PCG 14/21-.667
bench: PCG 7, Hopkins 7

DEFENSIVE WRAPS
PARK-COTTAGE GROVE
Holly Riesselman 7.5
Tina Fisher 5
Samantha Hildebrandt 5
Jackie Voigt 4.5
Katya Leick 3
Sarah Nohrenberg 2
Jaimee Lurken 1
totals: 28

HOPKINS
Stephanie Sension 6
Hanna Muegge 5
Kara Elofson 5
Caitlin Rowland 3
Jenna Lillemoe 2
Brianna Williams 1
Chelsea Garcia 1
Tess Komarek 1
totals: 24

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
PCG used man most of the evening. They did slip into 2/3 in each half for a stretch.
Hopkins relied on man.
match ups: (Hopkins off/PCG def) Lillemoe/Nohrenberg; Rowland/Leick; Muegge/Hildebrandt; Elofson/Fisher; Sension/Voigt
(PCG off/Hopkins def) Nohrenberg/Lillemoe; Leick/Elofson; Fisher/Rowland; Voigt/Sension; Hildebrandt/Muegge

of note: Voigt and Rowland were teammates the last two summer seasons with North Tartan Larson.
Tina Fisher was teammates with Steph Sension and Hanna Muegge on the Metro Stars Black squad.

next up: tomorrow morning