Spy Out & About: 4AAAA Semis Part 2

#13 posting 3.3.2008
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

Here is another Spy Out & About, this time from Marc Hugunin

WOODBURY 43, CRETIN-DERHAM HALL 40

Like St. Paul Central in the game that followed, Woodbury used a fast start and a controversial call to hang on and to advance to the Section 4AAAA finals Friday night at Concordia St. Paul. Woodbury jumped out to a 14-5 lead over Cretin-Derham Hall near then 10:00 mark of the first half, and led 19-14 at the half.

The Royals took their largest lead of the night at 28-18 on a bucket by Caitie Christoffel at 14:00 of the second half. From there the Raiders whittled away at the Woodbury lead. Cretin scored 6 straight points while Woodbury suffered a 7 possession drought, but Woodbury answered with 5 points in a row. Cretin responded with 8 straight. Then after a Jessica Thone free throw for Woodbury, Cretin finally tied it up at 34 at about 5:00 on a Sarah Hendricks bucket on a pretty feed from Mary Kenney. Thone, a junior, hit another free throw, but Molly Geske gave Cretin the lead, 36-35, at 3:52. Kendra Harris hit a couple of buckets for Cretin, the second at 0:34, but that only tied the game at 40. Because between Harris’ buckets came a pair of field goals by Thone, a 3 at 1:40 and a 2 off of a steal by Carrie Lang at 1:07.

Woodbury took timeout at 0:20 and gave every indication of milking the clock down to the final seconds before attempting a shot. They probably took it further than Coach Dave Preller would have liked, as sophomore Kassey Kallman’s 3 left her hand with less than 0:01 on the clock. It hit the top of its arc as the buzzer sounding, then swished through the net. The entire gym held its breath, waiting to see if the shot was good or not—neutral observers were divided on the question. But the officials made a bee-line for the door and the Woodbury celebration began.

A Cretin assistant followed the officials out of the gym and the Cretin players stayed at their bench waiting for a reversal that never came. The Woodbury players lined up for the traditional post-game handshake and waited...and waited. Finally, they left the gym. But eventually Cretin coach Amy Bellus asked Preller to bring his team back, which he did, and the handshake followed.

Thone scored 13 of Woodbury’s 24 second-half points, while Kallman’s game-winner was her only bucket of the 2nd half. Harris, Hendricks and Geske scored all but 2 of Cretin’s 2nd-half points.

Submitted by “Spy” Marc Hugunin

Thanks again to all my Spies out there. If you have a report, go to my profile and email me.

next up: Tomorrow morning.