Out & About: MN Stars Borowicz/North Tartan Larson

#2 posting 5.16.2008
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 SEMIFINALS
MN STARS BOROWICZ 68, NORTH TARTAN LARSON 56

This game featured seven players that have already made commitments to D1 schools including three future Gophers and two bound for Iowa State. The game also showcased size, speed, and strength. This contest was a battle of the titans and it was only the semis. The history of these two teams interwined in a variety of ways. Last year MSB beat NTL in the seeding tournament at Forest Lake. Many on that NTL team are gone, and MSB is a resconstituted group. Hannah Linz was a member of NTL last year and moved over to MSB this season. The game also featured a near dunk by Chelsea Poppens.

MN Stars Borowicz got out to an early 4-0 lead and maintained that advantage out to 21-11 at the largest. Already the free throws were starting to pile up for MSB. They had 8 points at the line by this time. For the game NTL only made 9. NTL mounted their comeback and had a 13-3 run to tie it at 24. It was the NTL D1 commitments that scored all their points in that sequence. Future Gopher Katie Loberg had 6 in the run. MSB had an 8 possession drought that slowed them down. NTL led 20-26 after a Poppens put back. MSB inched ahead 31-30 with a &1 by Tyisha Smith. Another future Gopher, Shakila Boler, knocked down two free throws for a 32-31 NTL lead at the half.

Brittany Chambers started off the second half with a put back and then a steal and jumper to put MSB back in front 35-32. MSB never trailed after that. Boler cut the margin to 35-34 on a put back. After that MSB had a 14-6 run to go up 49-40. NTL had a 1/8 sequence that didn't help their cause. MSB had a four point play in one possession. Smith had an &1 chance, but missed the free throw, Megan Waytashek scored the put back for the completion of four points in one possession. It was during the standoff around 10 points that Poppens elevated to within inches of the rim on a breakaway, what we thought was a dunk attempt. The ball didn't drop. The last 2:39 of the game MSB added 11 points at the line.

photos: #1 The famous dunk attempt by Chelsea Poppens that was just fractions off. #2. Amber Dvorak (45 white) and Cassie Rochel (44 white) surround Poppens late in the game. photos by Teas.

key: player, school, points, possessions, pp100, floor %
MN STARS BOROWICZ
STARTERS
Leah Dietel, Jordan 8, 9, 88.9, .444 perimeter, went to the line four times.
Brittany Chambers, Jordan 8, 14, 57.1, .286 point guard. feisty and a scrapper. willing to go into the heat of battle. Plays with grit and determination.
Rachelle Eckmann, St. James 3, 7, 42.9, .143 hard hat, lunch bucket worker that does a fine job on the d boards
Theairra Taylor, St. Paul Central 17, 12, 141.7, .583 really starting to play with authority. has range, speed, looks effortless, smooth. went to the line four times.
Amber Dvorak, Hinckley-Finlayson 9, 8, 125.0, .500 6-7 post player headed to Gophers. has good hands and keeps the ball up. this experience is essential for working at a quicker pace.
BENCH
Tyisha Smith, Mpls South 10, 9, 111.1, .444 speed racer. point guard. went to the line four times. is a tough kid to knock down. can score when hit.
Hannah Linz, Eden Valley-Watkins 4, 4, 100.0, .500 has not been able yet to launch her 3s or perimeter shots.
Megan Waytashek, Centennial 2, 3, 66.7, .333 long lean perimeter "3" type.
Cassie Rochel, Lakeville North 5, 4, 125.0, .750 fluid post player. athletic and long
Kate Thompson, Wayzata 2, 5, 40.0, .200 another long player but built for the perimeter.

NORTH TARTAN LARSON
STARTERS
Katie Loberg, Princeton 12, 11, 109.1, .545 future Gopher matched up against future teammate. is athletic and has a good energy and flow to her game. smooth operator. More finesse than power
Chelsea Poppens, Aplington-Parkersburg, IA 9, 15, 60.0, .267. a warrior. every tournament has one jaw dropping moment and Poppens dunk attempt was this tournament's jaw dropper. She didn't make it, but that was the buzz of the event. I haven't seen a high school girl in a contest get up as close. Not only can she jump, but she is a fierce competitor who relishes contact.
Suriya McGuire, Mpls Roosevelt 2, 8, 25.0, .125 long limbed guard. likes to score on the dribble. likes to be in the air
Kelsey Florian, Roseville 0, 1, 0.0, .000 Florian is a smaller version of Poppens on the perimeter, but she needs to assert herself more and not ride in the back seat.
Shakila Boler, Bloomington Kennedy 13, 12, 108.3, .500 point guard. has a good pull up and understands the game.
BENCH
Amanda Zimmerman, Ballard, IA 10, 13, 76.9, .385 lefty post type body that prefers the perimeter.
Megan Lauck, Mounds View 3, 5, 60.0, .600 another along the lines of Florian. has ability but needs to let it happen.
Jennifer Dowd, Rogers 4, 9, 44.4, .222 guard. better off the dribble.
Rey Robinson, Becker 3, 1, 300.0, 1.000 lefty guard.
Carly Rothfusz, Eden Prairie 0, 0, 0.0, .000 lefty guard. limited minutes

TRENCH PLAYER
Theairra Taylor

BY THE NUMBERS
MN Stars Borowicz 68, 75, 90.7, .413
North Tartan Larson 56, 75, 74.7, .360
made 3s/&1s: MSB: 3/1; NTL 1/1
ftm/fta-ft%: MSB 24/34-.706; NTL 9/13-.692
bench: MSB 23, NTL 20
NTL had 17 second chance points on the game with MSB tallying 13. It is when they had their second chances that is interesting. NTL had 10 in the first half, MSB 10 in the second.

DEFENSIVE WRAPS
MN STARS BOROWICZ
Rachelle Eckmann 8
Amber Dvorak 7
Cassie Rochel 5
Leah Dietel 3
Brittany Chambers 3
Hannah Linz 2
Kate Thompson 2
Theairra Taylor 2
Totals: 32

NORTH TARTAN LARSON
Chelsea Poppens 12
Katie Loberg 6
Shakila Boler 6
Jennifer Dowd 4
Suriya McGuire 3
Kelsey Florian 2
Amanda Zimmerman 1
Megan Lauck 1
Rey Robinson 1
totals: 36

ASSISTS
MN STARS BOROWICZ
Brittany Chambers 8
Leah Dietel 3
Theairra Taylor 3
Rachelle Eckmann 2
Megan Waytashek 2
Tyisha Smith 1
Hannah Linz 1
Cassie Rochel 1
Kate Thompson 1
totals: 22

NORTH TARTAN LARSON
Megan Lauck 4
Suriya McGuire 3
Katie Loberg 2
Chelsea Poppens 2
Shakila Boler 2
Amanda Zimmerman 1
Kelsey Florian 1
totals: 15

next up: the Junior Eligible Championship later (much later)