Out & About: Totino-Grace/Rogers

#10 posting 3.13.2008
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

AAA SEMIFINALS
TOTINO-GRACE eagles 48
ROGERS royals 40

I saw this movie last night. Only tonight there was a different ending. Totino-Grace built up an 11-0 lead early and then held off a Rogers Rally to beat the second seed 48-40. Last night Rogers pulled a comeback out of the hat, down 10 with 5 minutes left. If Rogers was to pull the same trick again tonight in back to back games it would have been the equivalent of riding a unicycle across a high-wire juggling meat cleavers and not falling or dropping a knife. Rogers trailed at half 23-11.

After half time TG added to their lead with a transition lay up by Veronica Scott to give the Eagles their biggest lead at 25-11. Amanda Chesness tried to rekindle the magic from the night before with five straight points starting with a 3 from the top of the key to cut the score to 29-22. There was plenty of time for a comeback with 11:06 left. Yet TG didn't crack. They scored on their next four possessions and the lead popped back to 12. Again Rogers sliced the lead to 39-32 thanks in part to a four point possession when Casey Mann scored a lay up and had an &1 opportunity. She missed the free throw, but Jennifer Dowd got the board and scored. TG was ripe during that time with six empty possessions, three of which were turnovers. But Rogers soon followed with their own dry six, only one of which was a turnover. From the 4:20 mark all TG points came at the line. Rogers had opportunities still, but failed to seize the free throw chances (10 points--including the back end of one & ones--were left on the table). With 1:06 left TG settled back to the 14 point margin again after two free throws by Sasha McHale. Casey Mann added two 3s late but it was too much, too little, too late for the Royals.

Here is the StarTribune Report.

key: player (grad year) points, pp100, floor %

TOTINO-GRACE
STARTERS
Veronica Scott (08) 14, 12, 116.7, .417
Jessica Meyer (08) 7, 12, 58.3, .250
Caroline Haik (08) 5, 5, 100.0, .400
Sasha McHale (08) 4, 5, 80.0, .400
Lizzi Naumann (09) 4, 10, 40.0, .200
BENCH
Lauren Palkert (08) 3, 5, 60.0, .200
Jackie Meyer (09) 3, 9, 33.3, .333
Sam Laventure (08) 8, 8, 100.0, .500

ROGERS
STARTERS
Camille Loughlin (08) 0, 10, 0.0, .000
Casey Mann (08) 18, 22, 81.8, .318
Heather Brunn (08) 2, 7, 28.6, .143
Amanda Chesness (08) 8, 11, 72.7, .364
Jennifer Dowd (09) 10, 13, 76.9, .385
BENCH
Emily Dosmann (09) 0, 1, 0.0, .000
Britni Tokheim (09) 2, 1, 200.0, 1.000

TRENCH PLAYER
Veronica Scott

BY THE NUMBERS
Totino-Grace 48, 66, 72.7. .333
Rogers 40, 65, 61.5, .277
made 3s: TG 6, Rogers 5
ftm/fta-ft%: TG 12/22-.545, Rogers 5/14-.455
Bench: TG 14, Rogers 2

DEFENSIVE WRAPS
TOTINO-GRACE
Sasha McHale 8
Lizzi Naumann 7.5
Veronica Scott 5.5
Caroline Haik 5
Jessica Meyer 4
Lauren Palkert 3
Sam Laventure 2
Totals: 35

ROGERS
Casey Mann 11
Camille Loughlin 7
Amanda Chesness 6
Heather Brunn 5
Jennifer Dowd 3
totals: 32

Next up: tomorrow morning