The Week That Was #16: Late Games, Late Nights

#12 posting 3.2.2008
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

THE WEEK THAT WAS #16; Late Games and Late Nights

14 games in 7 (yes 7 last week) days. It all started with the State Community championship at Ridgewater at Willmar on Sunday as Rochester won their first state title. Then it was Rochester Monday, back to The Moorhead area on Tuesday, at Kennedy on Wednesday, off to the icy roads to St. John’s on Thursday, up to Duluth on Friday and then a double dose of games at Benilde and then St. Olaf.

There were some memorable games this week--Pine Island ended Kingsland's season in a three part game on Monday. DGF looked overpowering on Tuesday. Thursday Crookston finished them off (and Crookston continued to win beating EGF on Saturday in the toughest subsection in the state for AA bar none.). Wednesday it was the Richfield Rally over Eden Prairie. Thursday New London-Spicer held off Sauk Centre in a grinder. Friday Hibbing got a little revenge vs Hermantown for a loss in the section finals two years ago. Saturday Apple Valley caused Eastview fits and PCG survived a Lakeville North challenge.

You may have noticed a lack of information in the out & abouts. That is not because there is nothing to say, but because I too have to race against the clock. Going up to a Moorhead and coming back takes about 3 and a ahalf hours from where I sit. So when we got back from DGF on Tuesday it was close to Midnight. To do the story up right takes about 2 hours for numbers to be digested, copy to be written, and photos to be uploaded. You might think the camera is broken since you haven't seen any photos up yet. I will be working on that, when I have time (or IF I have time) the next few days. My sleep has been disrupted the good part of the last two weeks. I enjoy all the "hoop-la" but I can't function on four hours of sleep very well.

LATE GAME SITUATIONS
In the fog of battle things can get pretty crazy with end game situations. I harp on awareness, but I see teams that trail late in the game flail away on offense, chucking shots up at the first light of day. I see teams with the best option not getting the ball. I see no system designed to come back when confronted with a deficit. I see floor balance unbalanced. I see players totally unaware of the clock.
When trailing it is important to score quickly, and if possible, with the clock stopped. I think time outs when the clock stopped are wasted if taken by the trailing team.
Of the 14 games seen this week half came down to the last minute. Do teams that do well win the late game situations?
My answer is no. Championship teams make sure the game is won early. They take away all hope of comebacks. A mistake is to let a team think they can play with you. Great teams win big.
STILL STANDING
There has not been that much carnage to top seeds this year. These are the highest seeds to leave the scene:
AAAA: 7: #2 Forest Lake
AAA: Three number 2s are done—2—Mankato West; 7—Hermantown; 8---Sartell
AA: This is where #1s start dropping. 1: Kingsland; 3 (they have 3 teams—Pipestone, JCC, and YME); 5: Eden Valley-Watkins; 6: Minnewaska; 7: Braham; 8: Crosby-Ironton. Now there are two #1s per section (unless you are in 3) so there is a number one left in each section.
A: 1: Goodhue; 3: Adrian; 6: Battle Lake;

The best survival story so far---#6 seed Browerville in 5A West. They beat #3 Nevis, and #2 Menahga. Is the next upset victim #1 Sebeka?

As far as the past award winners----of the 16 winners so far this year…
7 teams of the week are still standing. 4 have fallen by the wayside including the last two (Braham and Hawley).
On the Player of the week winners four are out and nine are left standing.
The best survivability factor is the defensive player. Only two have turned in their uniforms. 8 are left standing. Community College players and an injured Sarah Hintz also factor into that award, that is why only 8 are listed.
The worst record is for newcomer of the week. Since I started tracking this honor only one player is left standing-- Erin Schmeling of St. Croix Lutheran.

CHAMPIONSHIP THIS WEEK
THURSDAY
AAAA
4: finalist will be decided Monday, but St. Paul Central should figure to be there.
5: Centennial plays Osseo for the third time this year. Osseo had a lead late in the second meeting when Center Jennie Sunnarborg was on the bench with an injury. Now she is back and the Orioles think they can close the margin again. Will it be enough?
6: The prime time event this week bar none is Minneapolis South vs Hopkins at Osseo for the 6AAAA title. Hopkins beat South in the Hopkins tournament in December. South will need to avoid foul problems that plagued them in December. Hopkins will need to play as clean as they did before. This is a state semifinal type contest.
It is a shame it is not under the Target center lights. The state needs to seriously get the state seeded 1-64. Yes some team is the 64th team out there. Hire a therapist and get it over with.
AAA
2: It is the rubber match between Worthington and Marshall.
3: Totino-Grace has not had problems with Fridley this year.
4: Minnehaha vs. St. Paul Johnson. Two teams that score often. Who will have the defense to stop the other?
8: Fergus Falls takes on defending two time section champ Detroit Lakes.
AA
1: Defending section champ Caledonia takes on perennial power Rochester Lourdes.
A
1: Defending section champ Rushford-Peterson takes on a resurgent Bethlehem Academy

FRIDAY
AAAA
1: It is #1 seed Rochester JM vs #2 Owatonna in a rubber match.
2: Kennedy vs Chaska. Boler vs Boylan. Rubber match at St. Olaf
3. Eastview vs Park-Cottage Grove. Speed vs Power. Last time it was OT with these two. Also at St. Olaf.
8. St. Cloud Tech needs to get by Brainerd for the third time this year. Both are senior dominated teams.
AAA
1: New Prague is the two time defending champs. They lost to Austin earlier in the year.
5: The Rogers vs Becker rivalry is one of the best in the state. Rogers has two wins over Becker this year. Becker is the defending AAA champs.
7: Grand Rapids has a 21 game winning streak.
AA
2: finalists to be decided Monday
3: Fairmont is on the rise and made it to state last year. Can MN Valley Lutheran slow down the hard charging Cardinals?
5: Howard Lake-W-W takes on Holy Family
6: Albany needs to beat West Central to advance.
8: #1 Crookston faces Pequot Lakes.
A
2: Finalists to be decided on Monday.
3: SW Star takes on RTR.
6: #1 Ada-Borup takes on Hancock. Hancock beat AB last year in the state semis.
8: Finalists to be decided on Monday.

SATURDAY
AAAA
7: Finalists to be decided on Wednesday.
AAA
6: finalists to be decided on Wednesday.
AA
4: Finalists to be decided on Thursday.
7: Finalists to be decided on Wednesday.
A
4: Finalists to be decided on Thursday.
5. Finalists to be decided on Thursday.
7: Finalists to be decided on Thursday.

TEAM OF THE WEEK
Minneapolis South wins the title for the third time this year. South faced a spirited Wayzata team that put their best effort out there. South rose to that challenge and then some. The Tigers had the highest pp100 of the year so far at 128.8 and a floor % of .606. The Tigers press causes headaches. In my view guards win championships at the high school level. South has three top flight guards. Tayler Hill is a well known headliner. Ephesia Holmes is a major force in her own right. She can penetrate, and hit from distance. Tyisha Smith is thisquick. The Tigers have 3 point shooters with Ameshia Kearney, Sadiqah Jihad and Jenny Houle. Taquoia Hammick has made great strides over the season inside.
Last year St. Paul Central took this honor four times.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Tayler Hill is the first player this year to win the title twice. She simply can take over the contest at both ends. Her awareness and basketball IQ is off the charts. Her body control is like acrobat. When she smells blood she puts teams away. She can score every sort of way you can think about. Again defensively Hill led the Tigers. What is missing from her list of accomplishments is a state title. Last year South finished second. Right now they are humming. Some may be tired of the Hill express, but I never tire of watching great players performing at a high level.

Again, for those that don’t know. #1 I need to see the player during the week. #2. minimum of 10 possessions (that knocked off Ashley Runge of Grand Rapids this week. She had a pp100 of 216.7, but only 7 possessions). #3. +100 pp100. #4 + .500 floor %.

FIRST TEAM
Anne Breland, Rochester CTC
Tayler Hill, Minneapolis South
Ephesia Holmes, Minneapolis South
Brittnye McSparron, Eastview
Jackie Voigt, Park-Cottage Grove
SECOND TEAM
Shakila Boler, Bloomington Kennedy
Jennie Noreen, Albany
Cassie Rochel, Lakeville North
Christina Steele, Apple Valley
Laura Weber, Eden Prairie
THIRD TEAM
Alia Cook, Hibbing
Bri Davis, Hermantown
Pamela January, Richfield
Heidi Lensing, BBE
Bentley Mancini, Apple Valley
FOURTH TEAM
Libby Augedahl, Caledonia
Aubrey Davis, Bloomington Kennedy
Laicee Grahek, Hibbing
Jenna Green, DGF
Kasie Hiemer, Rochester CTC

DEFENDER OF THE WEEK
Shakila Boler of Bloomington Kennedy is another player that has awareness and is quick to the ball. Shakopee was the victim as she pickpocketed, boarded and deflected balls left and right. In some blow outs it is hard to stay motivated, but her intensity didn’t waver.

FIRST TEAM
Libby Augedahl, Caledonia
Shakila Boler, Bloomington Kennedy
Anne Breland, Rochester CTC
Tayler Hill, Mpls South
Caitlin Rowland, Hopkins
SECOND TEAM
Jill Gruber, Sauk Centre
Brianna Henagin, Cloquet
Jade Nielsen, Pine Island
Laura Weber, Eden Prairie
Karli Wendlandt, New London-Spicer

NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK
Bri Davis of Hermantown takes the honor, but you won’t see her play high school ball anymore. She is a 6-0 senior, lanky and lean with good hands, can jump and run and has a decent touch, even if the shot is a bit unorthodox. She is a post, but would probably be a 4 post high school.

PAST WINNERS
I have put the teams and players in bold that are still standing.
Team
15 Hawley
14 Braham
13 Park Cottage-Grove
12 Mpls South
11 Crookston
10 Centennial
9 New Life Academy
8 Long Beach Poly, CA
7 Hopkins
6 Forest Lake
5 Richfield
4 St. Paul Central
3 Mpls South
2 Hopkins
1 NDSCS CC

Player of the week
15 Kiley Severson, Hayfield
14 Devin Diedrich, Braham
13 Jackie Voigt, Park-Cottage Grove
12 Tayler Hill, Mpls South
11 Lizzie Traxler, Holy Family
10 Becca Swalla, Riverland CC
9 Lauren Barber, Owatonna
8 Alison Johnson, St. Louis Park
7 Stephanie Sension, Hopkins
6 Hannah Linz, Eden Valley-Watkins
5 Brittnye McSparron, Eastview
4 Rachel Banham, Lakeville North
3 Courtney Boylan, Chaska
2 Megan Nipe, Centennial
1 Tanika Massey, NDSCS CC

Defender
15 Tayler Hill, Mpls South
14 Suriya McGuire, Minneapolis Roosevelt
13 Jengeih Tamba, Park Center
12 Tayler Hill, Mpls South
11 Lizzie Traxler, Holy Family
10 Kiara Allums, Centennial
9 Charmaine Cross, Minneapolis CC
8 Jasmine Dixon, Long Beach Poly CA
7 Meme Hudnell, DeLaSalle
6 Anne Berner, Forest Lake
5 DaNae Moore, Eastview
4 Brianna Mastey, Becker
3 Sarah Hintz, Woodbury
2 Madelyn Houser, North Iowa Area CC
1 Whitney Glazier, Central Lakes CC

Newcomer
15 Angie Jetvig, Hawley
14 Becca Dahlman, Braham
13 Jacki Lode, Coon Rapids
12 Ashley Kirk, MN West CC
11 Taylor Stippel, Stillwater
10 Becca Swalla, Riverland CC
9 Brittany Monio, Minneapolis CC
8 Hope Sevlie, Red Wing
7 Ruby Harvey, St. Paul Arlington
6 Erin Schmeling of St. Croix Lutheran
5 Yaasmiyn Salahu-Din, St. Paul Como Park
4 Hannah Frost, Mahtomedi
1-3 I didn't start the honor until week 4

SEEDING THE STATE
There was a lot of shifting in AAAA.
AAAA
1. Centennial (5)
2. Mpls South (6)
3. St. Paul Central (4)
4. Bloomington Kennedy (2)
5. Eastview (3)
6. St. Cloud Tech (8)
7. St. Francis (7)
8. Rochester JM (1)

AAA
1 DeLaSalle (6)
2 Rogers (5)
3 Minnehaha (4)
4 New Prague (1)
5 Fergus Falls (8)
6 Totino-Grace (3)
7 Worthington (2)
8 Grand Rapids (7)

Next up: tomorrow morning.