Out & About: MN Heat Red/Hill-Murray

#2 posting 4.7.2008
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

this game took place on Saturday, April 5
MYAS 16U TOURNAMENT QUARTERFINALS
at Park Center
MINNESOTA HEAT RED 37
HILL-MURRAY 34

This was the first quarterfinal game in the MYAS 16u tournament. The games were 14 minutes stop time.

For the first portion of the game points were few and far between. For many of these teams it was their first time playing against live competition as a team. For Hill-Murray this was not the case. MHR scored on their first two possessions then went 9 trips with nothing. Later HM had a 7 possession drought after taking a 6-4 lead. MHR pulled in front 10-6. HM tied it up at 14 on a post up by Bethany Doolittle. She had six of the first 14 points for HM. In the last two minutes MHR scored 8 points to take a 22-14 lead at half. Jordan Sammons had the last five on a three and a steal and lay up.

Hill-Murray started the second half on fire with seven of nine scores on a 12-2 run. Five different Pioneers took part in the onslaught. MHR offense was slumbering with a 1/9 sequence with only one turnover in the mix. This started a cat and mouse game where one team would edge up two only to be answered by the other. There were four ties in the second half. Kumari Daniels broke the tie with a transition lay up &1 which she converted. Natalie Kapphahn added another transition basket for a 35-31 lead. Another Kapphahn lay up pushed the lead to 37-31 with 32 seconds left. HM's Johnson nailed a 3 from the top to cut the margin to 37-34. Johnson had a crack at a midcourt three, but the ball rimmed out and MHR moved on to the semis.

photos: #1. Hill-Murray's Bethany Doolittle rising up for a shot. #2. MHR's Natalie Roundtree goes up for a shot in the paint. photos by kja.

In these evals, and in the games that follow this week, players need to get stronger physically and make better decisons, especially in regards to passing. All need to get lower on defense when guarding the ball initially.

key: player, school, points, possessions, pp100, floor %
MN HEAT RED
STARTERS
Keziah Ojika, Irondale 2, 5, 40.0, .200 reminds me of Chiamaka Okonkwo of Osseo. post, strong body. needs to develop ball skills and quicker shot. rebounded on offense. Mainly took second chancers.
Natalie Kapphahn, Champlin Park 8, 6, 133.3, .667 perimeter. scored in transition. scored on drives.
Jordan Sammons, Apple Valley 5, 7, 71.4, .286 perimeter. has 3 range. needs to keep the ball lower when dribbling. led both teams with assists.
Libby Johnson, Irondale 2, 8, 25.0, .125 post. struggled against Doolittle's long wing span.
Amy Betcher, Hastings 2, 4, 50.0, .250 basket came in transition.
BENCH
Natalie Roundtree, Blaine 13, 16, 81.3, .313 perimeter. looks to take 3. runs the floor. has pull up. needs to get stronger with the ball.
Gurinder Sidhu, Totino-Grace 0, 6, 0.0, .000 guard. Ball control needs work
Kumari Daniels, Park-Cottage Grove 5, 4, 125.0, .500 perimeter. scored off the drive and transition.

HILL-MURRAY
Bethany Doolittle 9, 10, 90.0, .500 post. thin, good feet. long wing span. scored in the paint. Dominated the defensive end with 9 d rebounds.
Boyd 0, 5, 0.0, .000 guard. needs to get stronger with the ball.
Booker 5, 8, 62.5, .375 perimeter. moves with out the ball. went to the line twice.
Gale 2, 5, 40.0, .200 guard. made a pull up.
Hangi 6, 10, 60.0, .300 perimeter. aggressive runs the floor. scored in transition.
BENCH
Warner 5, 9, 55.6, .333 perimeter. took a long 2. moves without the ball.
Johnson 5, 6, 83.3, .333. perimeter. took 3.
Simmet 1, 1, 100.0, 1.000
#21 0, 2, 0.0, .000
#25 1, 2, 50.0, .500
#30 0, 0, 0.0, .000

TRENCH PLAYER
Natalie Kapphahn

BY THE NUMBERS
MN Heat Red 37, 56, 66.1, .304
Hill-Murray 34, 58, 58.6, .327
made 3s: MHR 1, HM 1
ftm/fta-ft%: HM 7/12-.583; MHR 3/6-.500
turnovers: MHR 17, HM 13
bench: MHR 18, HM 12

DEFENSIVE WRAPS
MN HEAT RED
Keziah Ojika 7
Natalie Kapphahn 6
Libby Johnson 6
Kumari Daniels 5
Gurinder Sidhu 4
Jordan Sammons 3
Natalie Roundtree 3
totals 34

HILL-MURRAY
Bethany Doolittle 10.5
Johnson 5
Hangi 4
Boyd 3
Booker 3
Warner 2
Gale 1.5
Simmet 1
#21 1
#30 1
totals: 32

ASSISTS
MN HEAT RED
Jordan Sammons 4
Keziah Ojika 3
Libby Johnson 2
Kumari Daniels 2
Natalie Kapphahn 1
totals: 12

HILL-MUURAY
Hangi 3
Johnson 3
Boyd 2
Booker 2
Simmet 1
#30 1
totals: 12

next up: the second quarterfinal game