Out & About: Metro Stars Black/NEN Extreme

#4 posting 7.26.2008
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

NORTH TARTAN MELTDOWN
platinum division
Bloomington Kennedy
METRO STARS BLACK 69, NEN EXTREME 56

In game two today Metro Stars Black topped NEN Extreme 69-56. NEN stands for Northeast Nebraska. This was a pendulum game with both teams enjoying periods of dominance. MSB jumped out to an early 7-0 lead. It was then NEN Extreme's turn as they enjoyed a 19-6 run to lead 19-13. MSB finished off the half with a 20-3 run to lead 33-22 at the break. NEN did cut the margin to 49-40 in the second half. MSB responded with a 8-0 run for a 57-40 advantage with 5:50 left. NEN did get the margin back to a nine point deficit with time running out 65-56, but Brianna Tisch scored four points on the last MSB possession for the final margin. Sam Mehr led MSB with 13 points in a balance attack. MSB had seven players with six or more points. Nicole Rauner led all scorers with 17 points thanks in part to five 3s.

One odd fact in the game: MSB went to the free throw line 24 times while NEN took two free throws.

You can see the entire Metro Stars Black vs NEN Extreme photo gallery at kevinanderson.photostockplus.com

I will get back to the details on Sunday (including the trench player)

key: player, school, points, possessions, pp100, floor %
METRO STARS BLACK
STARTERS
Molly Duehn, Burnsville 6, 8, 75.0, .375
Alyssa Marschner, Armstrong 4, 7, 57.2, .286
Brittany Zins, Bloomington Kennedy 9, 5, 180.0, .800
Kirstee Rotty, Farmington 9, 7, 128.6, .714
Brianna Tisch, Chaska 8, 7, 114.3, .429
BENCH
Tina Fisher, Park-Cottage Grove 8, 9, 88.9, .444
Sam Mehr, Eastview 13, 8, 162.5, .625
Lizzi Naumann, Totino-Grace 7, 6, 116.7, .667
Kara Elofson, Hopkins 4, 5, 80.0, .400
Rachael Moen, Burnsville 1, 3, 33.3, .000

NEN EXTREME
STARTERS
Paige Frauendorfer, Humphrey 16, 17, 94.1, .353
Leann Osten, Humphrey 2, 11, 18.2, .091
Brittany Luettel, Boone Central 0, 2, 0.0, .000
Nicole Rauner, Wayne 17, 13, 130.8, .462
Abbey Schueth, Ewing 8, 7, 114.3, .571
BENCH
Madison Borer, Atkinson West Holt 7, 7, 100.0, .429
Alexis Sieh, Stanton 2, 4, 50.0, .250
Britney Birtell, Northeast Lutheran, 4, 4, 100.0, .500

TRENCH PLAYER
Sam Mehr

BY THE NUMBERS
Metro Stars Black 69, 65, 106.2, .492
NEN Extreme 56, 65, 86.2, .354
made 3s/&1s: MSB 4/0, NEN 7/1
ftm/fta-ft%: MSB 13/24-.542; NEN 1/2-.500
bench: MSB 33, NEN 13

DEFENSIVE WRAPS
METRO STARS BLACK
Molly Duehn 5
Tina Fisher 5
Alyssa Marschner 4
Kirstee Rotty 4
Sam Mehr 4
Lizzi Naumann 3
Kara Elofson 2
Brianna Tisch 1
Rachael Moen 1
totals: 29

NEN EXTREME
Paige Frauendorfer 7
Madison Borer 5
Abbey Schueth 5
Nicole Rauner 4
Brittany Luettel 3
Leann Osten 2
Alexis Sieh 1
totals: 27

ASSISTS
METRO STARS BLACK
Alyssa Marschner 5
Rachael Moen 5
Molly Duehn 3
Brittany Zins 3
Kirstee Rotty 3
Lizzi Naumann 3
Tina Fisher 2
Sam Mehr 1
Kara Elofson 1
totals: 26

NEN EXTREME
Leann Osten 5
Paige Frauendorfer 4
Madison Borer 3
Abbey Schueth 3
Nicole Rauner 2
Alexis Sieh 1
totals: 18

Next up: NC Heat vs Indiana Gym Rats

Out & About: CSS Bison/Metro Stars Black

#5 posting 7.2.2008
Your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

this game took place on Saturday, June 28, 2008
DAKOTA SHOWCASE
SEMIFINALS
CSS BISON 53, METRO STARS BLACK 40

The CSS Bison moved on to the championship in the Dakota Showcase with a 53-40 victory over Metro Stars Black. The Bison used their defense to build their lead. MSB scrambled back, but they got their bearings too late to make an effective charge.

In the first half CSS Bison’s defense limited MSB to only four points from the field, and one was a put back. MSB scored a field goal on their third possession and then didn’t score off their initial offense from the floor until the second half. The Bison pressure stifled any offensive flow for MSB. Droughts were the norm. Black’s biggest drought lasted 8 possessions. The Bison led 23-5 at their widest. MSB took time outs but couldn’t solve the Bison roadblock to the basket. At the half it was Bison 30-11. MSB had a pp100 of 37.9 and a floor % of .241. In the first portion of the half it was even frostier than the Augustana air conditioning—20.0 pp100 and floor % of .133.

CSS Bison didn’t use their press as much in the second half, plus they were taking fouls limiting their aggressiveness. MSB actually outscored the Bison 29-23 in the second half. At first the Bison stretched their lead to 43-18 with 11 minutes left. So the last part of the game MSB outscored the Bison 21-10. MSB had a scoring string of four straight as the Bison turned the ball over four straight times. MSB cut the margin to 11 twice late, late in the game (33 seconds left).

Needless to say this was an odd game with an AC/DC flow to it.

You can see the 80 photos in the CSS Bison vs Metro Stars Black photo gallery at kevinanderson.photostockplus.com

Key: player, school, points, possessions, pp100, floor %
CSS BISON
STARTERS
Taylor Moore, Milford 8, 11, 72.7, .273, perimeter. Likes the 3. also runs the floor
Alyssa Kamphaus, Seward 10, 7, 142.9, .714 physical post. Effective inside. Picks up too many fouls forcing bench time.
Marissa Kastanek, Lincoln Southeast 21, 16, 131.3, .563 guard, shooting/can also pass well. Can score when hit. Runs the floor. Made two 3s. understands the game.
KK Houser, Lincoln Southeast 6, 11, 54.5, .273 classic point guard. Good crossovers. Hesitations. Picked up five turnovers. Led both teams with 8 assists.
Emily Cady, Seward 0, 1, 0.0, .000 lean, athletic 4, could be 3. wasn’t in the offensive equation this game but impact on defense with 9 d stops.
BENCH
McKenzie Fujan, Bishop Neumann 4, 6, 66.7, .333 slasher
Kelsie Literas, Chadron 2, 2, 100.0, .500 back up post
Meredith Wahl, Crete 2, 1, 200.0, 1.000 shooting guard

METRO STARS BLACK
STARTERS
Kirstee Rotty, Farmington 2, 10, 20.0, .100 point guard. Bison defensive pressure early caused turnovers
Alyssa Marschner, Armstrong 4, 6, 66.7, .333. shooting guard. only player to score from the floor in the first half.
Tina Fisher, Park-Cottage Grove 3, 5, 60.0, .400 strength and power. A bruiser. Is looking to extend her shooting range to 3 territory.
Lizzi Naumann, Totino-Grace 6, 4, 150.0, .750 a face the basket post.
Kara Elofson, Hopkins 3, 5, 60.0, .400 physical perimeter player. Went to the line three times.
BENCH
Sam Mehr, Eastview 3, 7, 42.9, .143 shooting guard. Passes tended to sail high
Rachael Moen, Burnsville 0, 3, 0.0, .000, point guard. Struggled in the first half, relaxed in the second
Brianna Tisch, Chaska 0, 1, 0.0, .000 post.
Brittany Zins, Bloomington Kennedy 14, 7, 200.0, .857 perimeter shooter. Went to the line four times and was a perfect 7/7. is able to score when hit and converted. Made one 3.
Molly Duehn, Burnsville 6, 8, 75.0, .375 rangy perimeter. Lean looks to drive.

TRENCH PLAYER
Marissa Kastanek, again

BY THE NUMBERS
CSS Bison 53, 55, 96.4, .436
Metro Stars Black 40, 56, 71.4, .357
Made 3s/&1s: CSS Bison 3/2; MSB 2/1
Ftm/fta-ft%: MSB 18/22-.818; CSS Bison 13/17-.765
Bench: MSB 23, CSS Bison 8

DEFENSIVE WRAPS
CSS BISON
Emily Cady 9
Alyssa Kamphaus 6
KK Houser 5
Marissa Kastanek 4
McKenzie Fujan 3
Kelsie Lietreas 2
Taylor Moore 1
Totals: 30

METRO STARS BLACK
Tina Fisher 5
Rachael Moen 4
Kara Elofson 4
Kirstee Rotty 3.5
Alyssa Marschner 2.5
Sam Mehr 2
Brianna Tisch 2
Brittany Zins 2
Molly Duehn 2
Totals: 27

ASSISTS
CSS BISON
KK Houser 8
Emily Cady 5
Marissa Kastanek 4
McKenzie Fujan 4
Taylor Moore 1
Alyssa Kamphaus 1
Totals: 23

METRO STARS BLACK
Rachael Moen 5
Kirstee Rotty 3
Alyssa Marschner 2
Sam Mehr 2
Lizzi Naumann 2
Kara Elofson 1
Brittany Zins 1
Totals: 16

Next up: Dakota Showcase championship: IBCA Select Red vs CSS Bison

Out & About: Metro Stars Black/Dakota Thunder Elite

#5 posting 6.30.2008
Your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

this game took place on Friday, June 27, 2008
DAKOTA SHOWCASE
POOL PLAY
METRO STARS BLACK 81, DAKOTA THUNDER ELITE 47

The Dakota Thunder Elite is from South Dakota, and they are young. Only two 2009s were on the roster. DTE had four 2011s and one 2012 on the roster.

The Dakota Thunder Elite had one lead at 4-3. After that it seemed Metro Stars Black scored at will. When DTE scored four times straight, they couldn’t catch up as MSB matched them point by point. MSB scored 14 times in 16 possessions. That was a 30-12 run. At half time it was 43-24 for the Stars. Tina Fisher had 10 points for MSB.

MSB led 70-34 with over 7:30 to go. There really was no mystery. Since the Dakota Showcase has so many games back to back half times are only two minutes, and warm ups are three minutes, if things get behind schedule. That doesn’t leave a lot of time for writers to take a break, so during a time out I left and didn’t chart for two minutes (roughly) late as the outcome was clearly in the bag.

MSB lit it up from behind the 3 point line with 8 on the game. MSB also stacked up points at the free throw line with 21 points. The differential with DTE combined in these two facets added up to 25 points. Not enough points to overtake MSB, but the contest would have been more competitive.

You can see the photo gallery of the Metro Stars Black vs Dakota Thunder Elite game at kevinanderson.photostockplus.com.

Key: player, school, points, possessions, pp100, floor %
METRO STARS BLACK
STARTERS
Kara Elofson, Hopkins 6, 5, 120.0, .400 hard nosed, gritty defender. Likes baseline drives
Molly Duehn, Burnsville 9, 8, 112.5, .625 taller perimeter. Went to the line four times in the first half
Brianna Tisch, Chaska 14, 11, 127.3, .636 making an impact inside. Runs the floor. Crashes the offensive boards
Alyssa Marschner, Armstrong 6, 7, 85.7, .286 3 point shooter
Kirstee Rotty, Farmington 4, 4, 100.0, .500 point guard
BENCH
Tina Fisher, Park-Cottage Grove 12, 8, 150.0, .750 solid, brick wall, physical performer. Starting to show some range on shot.
Brittany Zins, Bloomington Kennedy 13, 6, 216.7, .667 3 point shooter. Made 3 on the day. Another physical player
Lizzi Naumann, Totino-Grace 2, 3, 66.7, .333 post player (4)
Rachael Moen, Burnsville 7, 4, 175.0, .750 point guard.
Sam Mehr, Eastview 8, 6, 133.3, .500 shooter. All her points came in the second half

DAKOTA THUNDER ELITE
STARTERS
Abby Meyers, Sioux Falls O’Gorman 9, 10, 90.0, .400 post, passing needs to be sharper
Kattie Ranta, Rapid City Central 7, 11, 63.6, .273 lean, taller perimeter
Emily Schulte, Sioux Falls O’Gorman 7, 10, 70.0, .300 shooting guard
Betsy Moler, Rapid City Central 2, 4, 50.0, .250 shooting guard
Amanda Hart, Hanson 5, 8, 62.5, .250 three point shooter
BENCH
Jaicee Ulmer, Canton 8, 7, 114.3, .429 point guard
Lexie Christensen, Stickney-Mt. Vernon 3, 6, 50.0, .333 point guard
Cassie Potter, Howard 4, 4, 100.0, .500 forward
Whitney Miller, Sioux Valley 3, 3, 100.0, .333 guard

TRENCH PLAYER
Brittany Zins, one of many worthies (this photo is actually from the CSS Bison vs Metro Stars Black semifinal. In this game there were only back shots of Zins as she launched 3s--you can check out the photo gallery at kevinanderson.photostockplus.com).

BY THE NUMBERS
Metro Stars Black 81, 62, 130.6, .565
Dakota Thunder Elite 48, 63, 76.2, .333
Made 3s/&1s: MSB 8/0; DTE 4/1
Ftm/fta-ft%: MSB 21/24-.875; DTE 8/11-.727
Bench: MSB 42, DTE 19

DEFENSIVE WRAPS
METRO STARS BLACK
Molly Duehn 6
Brittany Zins 6
Brianna Tisch 5
Rachael Moen 5
Kara Elofson 4
Kirstee Rotty 4
Alyssa Marschner 3
Lizzi Naumann 3
Tina Fisher 2
Totals: 38

DAKOTA THUNDER ELITE
Abby Meyers 6
Kattie Ranta 4
Emily Schulte 2
Jaicee Ulmer 2
Amanda Hart 2
Whitney Miller 2
Betsy Moler 1
Lexie Christensen 1
Cassie Potter 1
Totals: 21

ASSISTS
METRO STARS BLACK
Sam Mehr 6
Kirstee Rotty 5
Molly Duehn 4
Lizzi Naumann 4
Alyssa Marschner 3
Tina Fisher 2
Brittany Zins 2
Rachael Moen 2
Kara Elofson 1
Brianna Tisch 1
Totals: 30

DAKOTA THUNDER ELITE
Kattie Ranta 5
Lexie Christensen 3
Emily Schulte 2
Amanda Hart 2
Whitney Miller 2
Betsy Moler 1
Cassie Potter 1
Totals: 16

Next up: South Dakota Warriors vs North Tartan Crosby

Out & About: MN Stars Borowicz/Metro Stars Black

#4 posting 6.18.2008
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

this game took place Sunday, June 15, 2008
SUMMER JAM
16u Quarterfinals
Bloomington Jefferson
MN STARS BOROWICZ 58, METRO STARS BLACK 35

In the battle of the MSBs it was Borowicz controlling the second half in a 58-35 win over Black. Three Borowicz players reached double figures and those three combined outscored Black 39-35 (Dvorak, Taylor, Linz). This was the first time these teams faced each other, but both were not at full strength. Missing for Borowicz was Brittany Chambers, and Leah Dietel. Missing for Black was Kara Elofson.

Borowicz scored early with Theairra Taylor garnering six of the first eight points to lead Black 8-2. Black closed to 8-7 with Borowicz pushing out again 12-7. Four straight scores by Black including back to back 3s by Sam Mehr put Black out in front 17-12. After that Black cooled off with a 2/11 offensive finish for the half. Amber Dvorak broke a 22 all tie with a put back to put Borowicz up at the break 42-22. Dvorak had 10 points at half time while Taylor had 9.

After tying the game at 24 all Black went into a massive 11 possession drought. Borowicz scored four straight at the start of this drought to go up in front 32-24. Borowicz had a 17-0 run before Black scored again. After closing to 43-30, Black suffered another offensive relapse with a 1/9 sequence. Borowicz closed with a 14-3 run. Hannah Linz came to life in the second half with all 12 of her points.

photos #1 Theairra Taylor elevates along the left baseline. #2. Kate Thompson drives with Kirstee Rotty defending. photos by kja

key: player, school, points, possessions, pp100, floor %
MN STARS BOROWICZ
STARTERS
Amber Dvorak, Hinckley-Finlayson 14, 11, 127.3, .727 6-7, big presence inside. keeps the ball high. gets offensive rebounds. is getting used to playing at a quicker rate. defensively, after helping needs to recover quickly.
Megan Waytashek, Centennial 4, 4, 100.0, .500 "3" played a lot of quality minutes due to the short bench. had a nice snake drive. needs to keep feet moving on defense.
Theairra Taylor, St. Paul Central 13, 11, 118.2, .455. most explosive player on Borowicz roster. very nice pull up jumper. passing needs to be sharper
Rachelle Eckmann, St. James 4, 8, 50.0, .250 "4" strong, and moves well. very eager to do well. forces passes. showed frustration by slapping the floor after a missed shot.
Kate Thompson, Wayzata 7, 7, 100.0, .429 6-2 point guard. has poise and confidence. is wiry. has 3 range.
BENCH
Hannah Linz, Eden Valley-Watkins 12, 14, 85.7, .429. shooting guard got on track in the second half. went to the line three times, all in the second half.
Dani Mangen, Osseo 0, 2, 0.0, .000 handled some point duties, but is more "2" than "1". needs to watch her stops.
Cassie Rochel, Lakeville North 4, 3, 150.0, .667 post. runs the floor very nicely. has great hands. was a bit dinged up.

METRO STARS BLACK
STARTERS
Sam Mehr, Eastview 10, 11, 90.9, .364 shooting guard. provided early lift with two consecutive 3s
Tina Fisher, Park-Cottage Grove 7, 7, 100.0, .571 muscle inside. went to the line three times. can score when hit.
Kirstee Rotty, Farmington 2, 5, 40.0, .200 point guard.
Lizzi Naumann, Totino-Grace 5, 9, 55.6, .222 potential "3", scored a three, had four assists. ball handling needs to improve to move full time to the 3 point line.
Molly Duehn, Burnsville 2, 5, 40.0, .200 taller perimeter. needs to be more aware of clock and spacing.
BENCH
Brianna Tisch, Chaska 3, 6, 50.0, .333 post. can draw fouls. went to the line four times. needs to convert at the line (1/7)
Brittany Zins, Bloomington Kennedy 4, 8, 50.0, .250. perimeter shooter. needs to avoid reach in fouls 85 feet from the basket.
Alyssa Marschner, Armstrong 2, 5, 40.0, .200 shooting guard. can score off the drive, didn't convert from behind the arc today.
Rachael Moen, Burnsville 0, 4, 0.0, .000 point guard. needs to provide more communication for team.

TRENCH PLAYER
Amber Dvorak

BY THE NUMBERS
Borowicz 58, 60, 96.7, .467
Black 35, 60, 58.3, .283
made 3s/&1s: Borowicz 4/0; Black 3/1
ftm/fta-ft%: Borowicz 12/15-.800; Black 8/19-.421
bench: Borowicz 16, Black 9

DEFENSIVE WRAPS
MN STARS BOROWICZ
Amber Dvorak 6.5
Hannah Linz 6.5
Cassie Rochel 6.5
Theairra Taylor 5
Rachelle Eckman 5
Kate Thompson 5
Megan Waytashek 2.5
Dani Mangen 1
totals: 38

METRO STARS BLACK
Tina Fisher 4
Lizzi Naumann 4
Brianna Tisch 4
Brittany Zins 4
Kirstee Rotty 3
Molly Duehn 3
Sam Mehr 2
totals: 24

ASSISTS
MN STARS BOROWICZ
Kate Thompson 8
Theairra Taylor 4
Megan Waytashek 3
Dani Mangen 3
Hannah Linz 2
totals: 20

METRO STARS BLACK
Lizzi Naumann 4
Rachael Moen 4
Kirstee Rotty 2
Brianna Tisch 2
Alyssa Marschner 2
Tina Fisher 1
Brittany Zins 1
totals: 16

next up: North Tartan 15u vs Metro Stars 19u

Out & About: Metro Stars Black/Team WI Select Samuels

#3 posting 6.17.2008
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

this game took place on Saturday, June 14, 2008
SUMMER JAM
16u Sweet 16 round
Bloomington Jefferson
METRO STARS BLACK 43, TEAM WISCONSIN SELECT SAMUELS 40

Metro Stars Black rallied from 10 down with five minutes left to beat Team Wisconsin Select Samuels 43-40 in a battle of heavyweights. TWSS was without the services of Sam Hoyt who was at Central Michigan's camp and Heather Kessler who was at UW Green Bay's camp. TWSS added a few players from Team WI Select Doucette's team--Anna Cole and Brittany Gregorich. A key part of the win was the ability of MSB to neutralize the twin towers of Nicole Griffin and Cole. Combined they had six points.

TWSS broke free from a seven all tie with a 13-2 run in the first half to go up 20-9. They scored on five straight possessions in the run with Whitney Rawdon leading the way with four points. During the stretch MSB was only 1/9 on their offensive possessions. It turned around quickly with TWSS's offense going into snooze mode with a 1/11 finish to the half. MSB didn't really light it up either only adding five to their column. MSB was only 2/10 to finish the half. At the half it was 22-14. TWSS pp100 and floor % for the first half was 81.4 and .370; MSB was 53.8, and .269.

MSB opened with a 10-3 run to start the second half to close to 27-24. Lizzi Naumann had six of those points, four on second chancers. TWSS had their surge with a 8-1 run to get their biggest lead of the second half 35-25. MSB was 1/8 during that stretch with the last four trips all turnovers. Sam Price and Laura Petersen each had four in the run. Six of those TWSS points came at the line. So TWSS was not scoring from the floor with ease. Tina Fisher opened the 18-5 run for MSB with a drive. MSB would score on 8 of the next 10 possessions. Brittany Zins, Kirstee Rotty and Sam Mehr all added points from beyond the arc. Alyssa Marschner gave MSB their first lead of the second half with two free throws 40-39. Price made one free throw, missed the second, but TWSS maintained possession of the ball. Brea Tinney took a shot and Naumann rebounded for MSB. That set up what proved to be the game winning. Naumann found Fisher on the block and Fisher put a hook over the outstretched hands of Griffin for a 42-40 lead. TWSS took a time out and on the next possession Petersen drove and missed, but TWSS got the ball back under the basket. TWSS ran the same three point shot play that worked in their comeback vs. Team WI Select Doucette. This time the Petersen 3 attempt missed and Naumann gathered the board. She was fouled and made one free throw with 24.3 seconds left. TWSS had another crack at a tie, but Brittany Gregorich's shot missed the mark. Sam Mehr rebounded with 2.3 seconds ending a tightly contested game.

If you look at just the last 7 minutes combined of both halves MSB outscored TWSS 24-11. MSB needs to avoid the cold spells on their offensive performances. Take away the last 10 possessions of the game and MSB's floor % is .295 with a pp100 of 56.8.

photos: #1. Sam Price drives the lane in the first half with Tina Fisher in the way. #2 Fisher with the game winning shot over 6-6 Nicole Griffin. photos by kja

key: player, school, points, possessions, pp100, floor %
METRO STARS BLACK
STARTERS
Lizzi Naumann, Totino-Grace 11, 11, 100.0, .545 much more active and assertive on both ends of the floor. crashed the offensive glass. went to the line four times. scored when hit. key defensive rebounds late and key assist to Fisher.
Alyssa Marschner, Armstrong 6, 7, 85.7, .429 a scrappy 3 point shooter.
Brianna Tisch, Chaska 5, 7, 71.4, .429 works the glass at both ends of the floor.
Rachael Moen, Burnsville 0, 3, 0.0, .000 point guard
Molly Duehn, Burnsville 0, 5, 0.0, .000 "3"
BENCH
Kirstee Rotty, Farmington 3, 6, 50.0, .167 point guard.
Tina Fisher, Park-Cottage Grove 10, 7, 142.9, .714 locked up Griffin by being physical. leaned and didn't let her move around freely. made the game winner by attacking
Sam Mehr, Eastivew 3, 4, 75.0, .250 3 point shooter.
Brittany Zins, Bloomington Kennedy 5, 4, 125.0, .500 another perimeter shooter.

TEAM WI SELECT SAMUELS
STARTERS
Nicole Griffin, Milwaukee Vincent 4, 4, 100.0, .500 was neutralized in the post. needs to play with a wider stance so as not to get knocked off her spot. needs to keep the ball up, under her chin after defensive rebounds. free throw shot was off the back rim indicating her hand is dropping on her shot.
Brittany Gregorich, Altoona 2, 5, 40.0, .200 taller guard
Hannah Betz, Woodbury, MN 3, 4, 75.0, .250 guard. ball is exposed on offense. solid defender
Kayla Windt, Hurley 2, 2, 100.0, .500 guard.
Whitney Rowdon, Eau Claire North 6, 9, 66.7, .333 taller swing player. runs the floor and goes after offensive rebounds. exposes the ball. needs to smooth out free throw shot.
BENCH
Brea Tinney, Osceola 0, 5, 0.0, .000 guard.
Anna Cole, Mondovi 2, 5, 40.0, .200 6-6 post. picked up a pair of offensive fouls. needs to play like the incredible hulk creating mayhem in her wake.
Sam Price, Eau Claire North 12, 11, 109.1, .455 was the main point guard during the game. went to the line four times. made one three. oddly enough no assists. was called for carrying
Heather Byl, Osceola 3, 3, 100.0, .333 knocked down a corner 3.
Laura Petersen, Osseo-Fairchild 6, 8, 75.0, .375 was shut out in the first half. scored off the drive today.

TRENCH PLAYER
Lizzi Naumann, led her team in points, d stops and assists

BY THE NUMBERS
Metro Stars Black 43, 54, 79.6, .389
Team WI Select Samuels 40, 56, 71.4, .321
made 3s/&1s: MSB 3/0; TWSS 3/0
ftm/fta-ft%: TWSS 11/16-.688; MSB 10/17-.588
bench: TWSS 23, MSB 21

DEFENSIVE WRAPS
METRO STARS BLACK
Lizzi Naumann 6
Brianna Tisch 6
Alyssa Marschner 4
Kirstee Rotty 4
Sam Mehr 4
Tina Fisher 1
Rachael Moen 1
Molly Duehn 1
Brittany Zins 1
totals: 28

TEAM WI SELECT SAMUELS
Laura Petersen 4
Sam Price 3.5
Nicole Griffin 3
Brea Tinney 3
Brittany Gregorich 3
Hannah Betz 3
Whitney Rawdon 3
Anna Cole 1.5
Heather Byl 1
totals: 25

ASSISTS
METRO STARS BLACK
Lizzi Naumann 3
Molly Duehn 3
Kirstee Rotty 2
Sam Mehr 2
Rachael Moen 2
Tina Fisher 1
Totals: 13

TEAM WI SELECT SAMUELS
Laura Petersen 4
Brittany Gregorich 3
Nicole Griffin 2
Brea Tinney 2
Hannah Betz 1
Kayla Windt 1
Whitney Rawdon 1
totals: 14

next up: later tonight with an out & about from the summer leagues

Out & About: Metro Stars 19s/Metro Stars Black

#3 posting 6.4.2008
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

This game took place on Sunday, June 1, 2008
Battle of the Hardwood
Woodbury High School
16u semifinals
METRO STARS 19s 59, METRO STARS BLACK 51

In a civil war game it was the older Metro Stars sisters beating the younger sisters 59-51. These two have had some serious battles over the years and, usually a 19 team doesn't have much to play for. They don't practice as often as the younger teams. They are already headed to school. The youngsters are still pursuing their collegiate dreams. Metro Stars 19s did have something to play for. They were out for a little revenge. Last year MSB (then the 15s) beat MS 19s (then MSB) in the Summer Jam.

If you look at the pp100 numbers you might be surprised to see neither team was that effective at the start of the game. MS19 wanted to play a more deliberate style since their bench was thin. In the first 12 possessions combined both teams scored just once for an extremely chilly .167 floor % and a pp100 of 33.3. The Veterans warmed up quicker with a three by Kayla Blom starting them off on a 13-5 run. At the half it was the vets up 22-14. To give you an idea of the pace of the game both teams only had 22 possessions to open the game compared with 37 in earlier contests (top side) or 30 (average).

Someone must have increased the diameter of the hoops at halftime because everyone was scoring fast and frequently. As icy as the first half start was the second was scintillating. Combined there were nine scores in the first 10 possessions. MSB scored the first five times. At one point they cut the margin to 26-25. Three of their scores were 3 point plays of one sort or another. After the initial flurry it was 30-26 vets. They stayed hot, the pups cooled off. The 19s went on a 15-4 run to lead 45-30. They provided their own three 3 point possessions run. The youngsters did outscore the vets the rest of the way 21-14, but the time ran out on their rally.

A couple of notes: MS19 coach Brian Frye was the best dressed coach in the tournament with his tie. Tina Fisher last year played with the MS19 (then Metro Stars Black). She is playing with the current edition MSB because the MS19 will be finished with their season soon.
Sam Mehr faced high school teammate DaNae Moore (Eastview) as did Stefanie Sension vs Kara Elofson (Hopkins).

photos: #1 Laura Weber drives around Lizzi Naumann. #2 Brianna Tisch rises above the rest in the lane. photos by Teas.

key: player, school, points, possessions, pp100, floor %
METRO STARS 19s
STARTERS
Laura Weber, Eden Prairie 12, 9, 133.3, .667 post. looking strong. good feet.
Courtney Boylan, Chaska 12, 10, 120.0, .600 point guard. very good awareness. plays both ends. led both teams with assists and d wraps.
Frances Wehrwein, DeLaSalle 3, 4, 75.0, .500 guard. hit a jumper
Adrea Holler, Eagan 7, 7, 100.0, .429 perimeter. good size. has 3 range. can mix it up inside.
Carolyn Dienhart, Cretin-Derham Hall 3, 5, 60.0, .200 guard. made a 3.
BENCH
Stefanie Sension, Hopkins 7, 8, 87.5, .375 post with guard tendencies.
Kayla Blom, Centennial 8, 4, 200.0, .750 guard. knocked down two 3s.
DaNae Moore, Eastview 7, 4, 175.0, .750 perimeter. runs the floor. drives the baseline well.

METRO STARS BLACK
STARTERS
Brittany Zins, Bloomington Kennedy 5, 11, 45.5, .182 perimeter. one three dropped, six didn't.
Tina Fisher, Park-Cottage Grove 4, 5, 80.0, .400 inside muscle.
Rachael Moen, Burnsville 2, 4, 50.0, .250 point guard.
Lizzi Naumann, Totino-Grace 2, 3, 66.7, .333 post. needs to be more aggressive on offense
Sam Mehr, Eastview 8, 4, 200.0, .750 perimeter. 3 range. developing pull up. runs the floor.
BENCH
Alyssa Marschner, Armstrong 9, 7, 128.6, .429 cashed in three 3s. delivered late in the game.
Brianna Tisch, Chaska 6, 6, 100.0, .500 post. all her points came in the second half.
Kara Elofson, Hopkins 6, 4, 150.0, .750 perimeter. all her points came in the second half. Drove the lane hard and scored when hit.
Molly Duehn, Burnsville 7, 7, 100.0, .429 taller perimeter. made a three.
Kirstee Rotty, Farmington 2, 1, 200.0, 1.000 point guard.

TRENCH PLAYER
Courtney Boylan

BY THE NUMBERS
Metro Stars 19 59, 51, 115.7, .529
Metro Stars Black 51, 52, 98.1, .423
made 3s/&1s: MS19 4/1; MSB 6/2
ftm/fta-ft%: MS19 9/13-.692; MSB 5/10-.500
bench: MSB 30, MS19 22
This was the first time that the assist totals were higher than the D Wraps numbers for both teams.

DEFENSIVE WRAPS
METRO STARS 19s
Courtney Boylan 6.5
Laura Weber 4
Adrea Holler 3
DaNae Moore 2.5
Stefanie Sension 2
Kayla Blom 2
Frances Wehrwein 1
totals: 21

METRO STARS BLACK
Lizzi Naumann 4
Brittany Zins 3
Sam Mehr 3
Molly Duehn 2
Rachael Moen 2
Tina Fisher 1
Alyssa Marschner 1
Brianna Tisch 1
Kirstee Rotty 1
totals: 18

ASSISTS
METRO STARS 19s
Courtney Boylan 6
Adrea Holler 5
Kayla Blom 4
Carolyn Dienhart 3
Laura Weber 2
DaNae Moore 2
Frances Wehrwein 1
totals: 23

METRO STARS BLACK
Kara Elofson 4
Alyssa Marschner 3
Rachael Moen 3
Sam Mehr 3
Molly Duehn 2
Kirstee Rotty 2
Brittany Zins 1
Tina Fisher 1
Lizzi Naumann 1
totals: 20

Next up: later tonight with an out & about from the Concordia St. Paul Summer League

Quick Report: Metro Stars 19/Metro Stars Black

#5 posting 6.1.2008
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

METRO STARS 19S 63, METRO STARS BLACK 51

In a civil war game in the 17u semifinals the older Metro Stars 19s beat their younger sisters 63-51. MSB closed early in the second half to 26-25, but the older veterans had a 19-5 run to break the game open.

more later

Out & About: North Tartan Larson/Metro Stars Black

#5 posting 5.14.2008
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

This game took place on Sunday, May 11, 2008
Cooper High School
Minnesota State AAU Tournament
Junior Eligible Quarterfinals
NORTH TARTAN LARSON 61, METRO STARS BLACK 60

North Tartan Larson survived a furious Metro Stars Black rally to advance to the semifinals. NTL led 55-42 with 8:05 left. MSB had a 18-6 run to close the game. MSB had the ball with nine seconds left and Shakila Boler jumped up to block a shot from the right corner to preserve the win.

NTL opened scoring with a drive by Amanda Zimmerman. MSB answered right away with a pair of free throws by Brianna Tisch. NTL did hold four point leads early. MSB battled back to tie the contest at 14. However most of the half for MSB was spent in the wilderness. MSB led 17-16 after a Kirstee Rotty basket. After that MSB was 1/12 with their opportunities. In the meantime NTL went on a 14-1 run to take a 30-18 lead. At half time NTL had a 38-27 lead. Jennifer Dowd had 9 points at half time for NTL. That total was matched by Brianna Tisch of MSB.

NTL continued to hold their lead out to 55-42 with 8:05 left. Up to that point their pp100 was 89.5. Then things turned frosty while MSB stoked their engines. NTL's pp100 plummeted to 40 pp100. Things were a bit different for MSB. The first half of the last frame they were checking in with 76.5 pp100. The last portion was 117.6. A five possession scoring sequence cut the margin to 55-50. Instigating the comeback was Rotty with six points. NTL moved further ahead at 59-50 with over 3 minutes remaining. Then it was Rachael Moen's turn to shine. She nailed a three from the top of the key and then on the next possession she scored on a drive to cut the margin to 59-55. Katie Loberg scored what proved to be the game winner on a transition lay up. Sam Mehr hit a three with less than a minute to go. Moen made a steal and Kara Elofson scored for the final points. That wasn't the end of the drama however. Both teams combined for three straight turnovers as the defense was in overdrive. That set up the last second heroics with the block by Boler.

Photos: #1 Suriya McGuire blocks Sam Mehr. #2. Rachael Moen gets ready to take a last second shot with Boler five feet away. #3 Boler makes the block. photos by kja

key: player, school, points, possessions, pp100, floor %
NORTH TARTAN LARSON
STARTERS
Katie Loberg, Princeton 15, 16, 93.8, .500 fluid, athletic post. went to the line four times.
Amanda Zimmerman, Ballard, IA 6, 5, 120.0, .600 swing player. lefty. fouls hampered her numbers. needs to get lower on defense.
Kelsey Florian, Roseville 5, 4, 125.0, .500 lefty. made a 3 early in the game. passing deceptive
Shakila Boler, Bloomington Kennedy 5, 10, 50.0, .200 steady hand on the wheel. tough defender, distributes the ball. looks to score off the drive. didn't have a stellar scoring game, but was indespensible to the win.
Megan Lauck, Mounds View 0, 4, 0.0, .000
BENCH
Jennifer Dowd, Rogers 11, 9, 122.2, .556 guard, alert, makes good decisions, has 3 range, scores off her defense.
Suriya McGuire, Mpls Roosevelt 6, 6, 100.0, .333 lean long guard. a firecracker performer, gets up in the air. needs to keep her hand up on the free throw.
Chlesea Poppens, Aplington-Parkersburg, IA 13, 15, 86.7, .467 rugged, sharp aggressive post. went to the line four times. workhorse on the boards.
Rey Robinson, Becker 0, 3, 0.0, .000 left handed perimeter
Carly Rothfusz, Eden Prairie 0, 0, 0.0, .000 left handed perimeter

METRO STARS BLACK
STARTERS
Kara Elofson, Hopkins 9, 9, 100.0, .444 went to the glass hard with expolsion. likes baseline drives.
Lizzi Naumann, Totino-Grace 5, 8, 62.5, .250 rangy post, more 4 than 5.
Brianna Tisch, Chaska 11, 8, 137.5, .750 post. has a nice short corner shot. went to the line three times. needs to assert herself on defense more
Kirstee Rotty, Farmington 10, 9, 111.1, .556 helped spark the MSB resurgence. point guard. boards well.
Sam Mehr, Eastview 12, 10, 120.0, .500 perimeter shooter. 3 range. also can find open players.
BENCH
Brittany Zins, Bloomington Kennedy 3, 4, 75.0, .250 perimeter shooter. likes the corner.
Molly Duehn, Burnsville 2, 10, 20.0, .100 long lean "3". needs to eliminate turnovers. needs to keep the ball lower on the dribble, keep the elbow in.
Rachael Moen, Burnsville 8, 9, 88.9, .333 point guard. cool, calm. injected life in MSB late in the game with clutch 3. also had a 3 the old fashioned way. needs to keep working on vision and speed. needs to stay low on defense.
Tina Fisher, Park-Cottage Grove 0, 4, 0.0, .000 rugged post. the second coming of Kara Pearson. did step out for a 3 attempt.

TRENCH PLAYER
Despite low pp100, Shakila Boler for her head game, and key block

BY THE NUMBERS
North Tartan Larson 61, 72, 84.7, .403
Metro Stars Black 60, 71, 84.5, .380
made 3s/&1s: MSB 4/2, NTL 1/2
ftm/fta-ft%: MSB 14/17-.824; NTL 17/23-.739;
bench: NTL 30, MSB 13

DEFENSIVE WRAPS
NORTH TARTAN LARSON
Shakila Boler 8
Jennifer Dowd 6
Suriya McGuire 5.5
Katie Loberg 5
Amanda Zimmerman 3.5
Chelsea Poppens 3
Megan Lauck 1
Carly Rothfusz 1
totals: 33

METRO STARS BLACK
Kirstee Rotty 6
Lizzi Naumann 5
Molly Duehn 5
Rachael Moen 5
Kara Elofson 4
Sam Mehr 4
Brittany Zins 3
Tina Fisher 2
totals: 34

ASSISTS
NORTH TARTAN LARSON
Shakila Boler 7
Suriya McGuire 5
Amanda Zimmerman 1
Kelsey Florian 1
Chelsea Poppens 1
Jennifer Dowd 1
Megan Lauck 1
Carly Rothfusz 1
totals: 18

METRO STARS BLACK
Sam Mehr 5
Rachael Moen 5
Kirstee Rotty 3
Tina Fisher 3
Lizzi Naumann 2
Brianna Tisch 2
Brittany Zins 2
Molly Duehn 2
Kara Elofson 1
totals: 25

more to come

Out & About: Metro Stars Black/Metro Stars White

#6 posting 4.14.2008
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

This game took place on Saturday, April 12
MYAS 43 Hoops tournament
17/19u pool play
METRO STARS BLACK 38, METRO STARS WHITE 31

Civil War games have the energy that is usually reserved for playoff action. Both want to out shine the other side. Add that two players used to play for the other side last year and the game gets very interesting very quickly. Brittany Zins moved from White to Black, while Julie Kruse moved from Black to White. Also Tina Fisher played with the Black last year under coach Brian Frye. Most of her team last year is now the 19s. Sam Mehr has moved from the MN Stars program to the Blacks this year.
On the White side they may have to get rid of the title Metro as Jodi Batzel of Dover-Eyota is now on the roster. Also new for the Whites is Hanna Iaizzo of White Bear Lake and Lauren Wittman of Eden Prairie. Wittman played with the MN Stars last year.

White scored on the first possession with Bridget Schuneman scoring inside on a pass from Laura Bruce. Mehr answered for Black two possessions later from the left corner. Both teams failed to score on the next combined seven possessions. The offensive pace ramped up with five straight combined scores and 9/13. Black led at this point 12-11. They then came up empty for seven possessions. The Whites took the lead on a Tess Komarek three 14-12. Both teams finished the half 3/18 for a bone chilling .167 floor %. The defense would not allow any thing easy. Two possessions for White lasted two lines in the notebook with only two shots between them. When Black had their two lines in the notebook, they had four cracks at a basket. White led 16-14 at half time.

White added to their lead in the second half with a put back by Batzel to make it 18-14. Zins made one free throw, and then hit a three on two straight possessions to tie the game at 18. That was the first of five ties. The last tie came at 26 all. White suffered through one six possession drought in that time, but Black didn't seize the advantage. Black scored on three straight possessions. Kirstee Rotty started it off with a drive. Tina Fisher added a basket after a pass by Duehn. Batzel nailed a three to slice the Black lead to 30-29. Lizzi Naumann made two free throws at 3:25 for a 32-29 Black lead. The Blacks would finish the game with six more points at the line. White down the stretch was frost bitten with a 1/7 offensive sequence. They did score on a drive by Bruce to make it 32-31. Molly Duehn hit two free throws with 40.4 left. Brianna Tisch blocked a Batzel shot and picked up the rebound. She was fouled and drained two more for Black with 20.5 left. Duehn finished the scoring with two more free throws.

The tale of this game was at the line. Black outscored White 14-0 and all of those points came at the second half.

photos: #1. Carissa Wolyniec drives around Alyssa Marschner. #2. Brittany Zins reaches out for a rebound. photos by kja

METRO STARS BLACK
STARTERS
Tina Fisher, Park-Cottage Grove 6, 6, 100.0, .500 strong post scored inside.
Sam Mehr, Eastview 4, 2, 200.0, .1.000 perimeter shooter
Kirstee Rotty, Farmington 2, 6, 33.3, .167 point guard
Kara Elofson, Hopkins 0, 1, 0.0, .000 making transition to perimeter. grunt player
Lizzi Naumann, Totino-Grace 3, 7, 42.9, .143 post, more high post. likes to face the basket. persistent on the boards.
BENCH
Brittany Zins, Bloomington Kennedy 7, 9, 77.8, .444 can score in and out.
Brianna Tisch, Chaska 4, 2, 200.0, 1.000 post. steady and reliable on offense. Defensively is a stopper.
Molly Duehn, Burnsville 8, 6, 133.3, .667 a perimeter with size. led Black with 6 defensive wraps. finished at the line.
Alyssa Marschner, Armstrong 2, 5, 40.0, .200 perimeter. is a rough and tumble scrapper.
Rachael Moen, Burnsville 2, 2, 100.0, .500 point guard.

METRO STARS WHITE
STARTERS
Bridget Schuneman, Centennial 6, 6, 100.0, .500 post player. needs to finish at the line (0/4)
Laura Bruce, Hopkins 2, 7, 28.6, .143 big perimeter.
Jodi Batzel, Dover-Eyota 9, 7, 128.6, .571 post player. big (6-1) body. moves well. can step out and hit a three. Led white with 6 D wraps.
Kyana Johnson, St. Paul Central 2, 2, 100.0, .500 point guard. scored on her defense.
Karin Gibson, Eden Prairie 3, 4, 75.0, .250 perimeter.
BENCH
Julie Kruse, Maple Grove 2, 6, 33.3, .167 post. needs to finish inside.
Lauren Wittman, Eden Prairie 0, 6, 0.0, .000 left handed perimeter
Tess Komarek, Hopkins 3, 4, 75.0, .250 perimeter
Hanna Iaizzo, White Bear Lake 2, 2, 100.0, .500 post
Carissa Wolyniec, DeLaSalle 2, 3, 66.7, .333 perimeter
Jennifer Field, Maple Grove 0, 0, 0.0, .000 perimeter. left the game after a hard foul by Marschner.

TRENCH PLAYER
Molly Duehn

BY THE NUMBERS
MS Black 38, 46, 82.6, .413
MS White 31, 47, 66.0, .299
made 3s: MSW 3, MSB 1
ftm/fta-ft%: MSB 14/18-.778, MSW 0/6-.000
turnovers: MSW 15, MSB 10
steals: MSB 7, MSW 6
bench: MSB 23, MSW 9

DEFENSIVE WRAPS
BLACK
Molly Duehn 6
Brianna Tisch 5
Sam Mehr 4
Kirstee Rotty 3.5
Brittany Zins 3
Lizzi Naumann 2
Alyssa Marschner 1
Rachael Moen 0.5
totals: 25

WHITE
Jodi Batzel 6
Bridget Schuneman 4
Tess Komarek 3
Carissa Wolyniec 3
Jennifer Field 3
Kyana Johnson 2
Hanna Iaizzo 2
Laura Bruce 1
Julie Kruse 1
Totals: 25

ASSISTS
BLACK
Kirstee Rotty 3
Alyssa Marschner 3
Rachael Moen 3
Molly Duehn 2
Brianna Tisch 1
Lizzi Naumann 1
totals: 13

WHITE
Laura Bruce 3
Bridget Schuneman 1
Lauren Wittman 1
Karin Gibson 1
Jodi Batzel 1
Kyana Johnson 1
Tess Komarek 1
Hanna Iaizzo 1
totals: 10

Former White coach Robert Grace helped out with spotting in this game. Coach Teas was gone all weekend watching the Masters.

As stated earlier today MS Black won the 43 Hoops event with a win over 43-31 win over MS 15s.

Next up: tomorrow morning