Minnesota Elite Camp: All Star Game

#4 posting 7.25.2008
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

MINNESOTA ELITE CAMP ALL STAR GAME
GOLD 54, MAROON 42

The Gold beat the Maroons in the Minnesota Elite Camp All Star game 54-42. The Golds used an 8-0 run to start the second half to build a 36-25 lead and maintained that advantage the rest of the way. The Golds had five players with five or more points led by Erica Gress with 11. Alyssa Hagen added 10 for the Golds behind three 3s. The Maroons only had two players with more than five points. Maroon Megan Waytashek led both teams with 18 points.

If you look at the numbers down below you will see that the Maroons had the leading scorer (Waytashek), leading D stops (Ashley Allevan) and leading assister (Annessa Hicks). They also had more D stops and assists as a team. So where did it fall apart for the Maroons? Part of the explanation is the offensive boards. The Golds had 18 points on second chancers compared to 12 for the Maroons. Some of the answer is in the turnover totals. The Golds held a five point advantage on that fact. The main culprit was the droughts. After scoring on their first two possessions the Maroons failed to score on the next 8. To start the second half the Maroons were shut out seven times. The Maroons had to endure another 7 drought later in the second half. That was part of a longer 1/13 stretch.

The Golds behind aggressive rebounding took control early 12-4. Erica Gress had the first four points for the Golds. The Maroons weren't the only team to stumble on offense. The Golds had an 8 possession drought in the first half. The Maroons took advantage of that down time with a 10-0 run. The Maroons were scoring at a 7/8 sequence in a 13-2 stretch. If they kept that up the entire game they would be stroking at 162.5 pp100. Without that portion of offense the Maroons would have been checking in with a cold 54.7 pp100. Leading the charge was Megan Waytashek with six points in the burst. The biggest Maroon lead came at 21-16. Four straight Golden scores put them up to stay. Alyssa Kerkhoff scored on a second chancer for a 24-23 lead. By half time Gold led 29-25. Again it was Erica Gress that closed the half with five points including an &1.

The drought at the start of the second half proved to be fatal for the Maroons. Gold scored four straight possessions again. This time Michelle Starkweather delivered five straight Golden points. The Maroons did cut the margin to 41-34 after a pair of free throws by Sam Waletich with 14 minutes left in the game. On the very next Gold possession Alyssa Hagen drilled a trey, her second of three, and the Golds were up 44-34. This is when the next Maroon drought struck. With under four minutes to go Gold led 54-36, again after a Hagen three. That was to be the end of the Gold scoring. Maroon closed the game with six unanswered points which made the score 54-42.

Odd fact: Gold had three pairs of teammates: Apple Valley, Lakeville South and NRHEG (a combo school south of Owatonna). The Maroons only had one pairing--Fairmont.

There was a second all star game going on at the same time. I don't have the numbers on that since I was charting the first all star game. I do have all the photos of the All Stars down below.
Here are the camp winners:
Event, player, school
1 on 1: Erica Gress, Apple Valley
3 point shooting: Rachel Leitz, Champlin Park
3 on 3: Rachel Leitz, Champlin Park; Kendra Harris, Cretin-Derham Hall; Heather Kamps, Stillwater
team champ: FEVER
Jolene Blood, Irondale
Stephanie Comer, Minnetonka
Kelsey Erickson, Mora
Caitlin Gangelhoff, Bemidji
Kayla Gill, New Prague
Mindy Howard, Pequot Lakes
Megan Lueck, Winona
Cara Lutes, New Life
Amaber Mehr, Eastview
Teresa Thour, Wayzata
Jade Geif, Lakeville South

You can see the entire All Star game photo gallery, plus the entire all star rosters, and camp winners at kevinanderson.photostockplus.com

key, player, school, points, possessions, pp100, floor %
GOLD
STARTERS
Alyssa Kerkhoff, NRHEG 6, 4, 150.0, .500 point guard. speedy. has quick hands. made a very nice save with her leaping ability at midcourt.
Erica Gress, Apple Valley 11, 12, 91.7, .417 post player. plays at least two inches bigger than frame. is a warrior especially on the offensive boards. Establishes the tone of the game with her effort.
Abby Busch, GFW 4, 7, 57.1, .286 a perimeter version of Gress. Seems to be in the thick of things.
Kendra Harris, Cretin-Derham Hall 4, 2, 200.0, 1.000 smaller version of Ashley Ellis-Milan. strong and physical inside.
Roz Chromy, Esko 0, 4, 0.0, .000 is a tweener with decent range.
BENCH
Jade Geif, Lakeville South 4, 7, 57.1, .286 very athletic, active and alert player. Can play defense on both inside and outside. long arms, lanky, good feet. gets off the ground.
Shannon Thompson, Apple Valley 2, 4, 50.0, .250 point guard. quick straight line speed.
Alyssa Hagen, NHREG 10, 11, 90.9, .364 perimeter shooter. made three 3s. however also lives life on the edge with four turnovers, mostly on passing--forcing passes and trying to pass to teammates too far away.
Michelle Starkweather, Lakeville South 5, 5, 100.0, .600 an interesting player not on many radars. She is a 6-0 perimeter player that has range, and moves like a guard. Her ball handling is all right. Made aggressive moves to the basket. Stock, unlike Wall Street, is rising.
Cara Lutes, New Life 8, 5, 160.0, .800 strong 4ish player. can play with back to the basket and facing. good touch, nice left hand move. finishes.

MAROON
STARTERS
Sarah Bingea, Delano 2, 3, 66.7, .333 a tweener. more 4 than 3.
Kate Warmack, East Grand Forks 2, 7, 28.6, .143 strong post. however needs to get in better shape, needs to jump rope and work on vertical. Also needs to use her strength and maintain position. Can do this by getting lower when posting, holding arms up when defenders try to jostle for position. Warmack has good hands, but also needs to make the offensive moves at a faster pace.
Samantha Zopfi, Providence 4, 7, 57.1, .286 perimeter player. nice shooter. made a 3
Sam Waletich, Fairmont 4, 8, .500, .250 point guard. needs to keep elbow tighter to body on dribble. forced some passes
Ashley Allevan, Fairmont 3, 7, 42.9, .286 another warrior type inside. can face the basket and go.
BENCH
Annessa Hicks, St. Paul Humboldt 0, 3, 0.0, .000 small point guard. delivered the ball. got into jams trying to drive among the trees.
Megan Waytashek, Centennial 18, 14, 128.6, .643 a lanky, lean perimeter. has 3 range, runs the floor and the attacking attitude. went to the line four times. likes baseline corner shots. has very good upside.
Mariah Clarin, Princeton 2, 1, 200.0, 1.000 will fight tooth and nail. gives tremendous energy on both ends.
Jessica Benson, Grand Meadow 2, 5, 40.0, .200 perimeter, three point shooter. needs to get more physical and assert herself on offense.
Taylor Stippel, Stillwater 5, 6, 83.3, .500 active, probably more 3ish. made a pull up. not afraid of contact. can also pass.

TRENCH PLAYER
This was a tough call, but call goes out to Erica Gress among many tough players.

BY THE NUMBERS
Gold 54, 61, 88.5, .410
Maroon 42, 61, 68.8, .361
made 3s/&1s: Gold 4/1; Maroon 1/0
ftm/fta-ft%: Gold 10/13-.769; Maroon 15/21-.714
Turnovers: Gold 14, Maroon 19
bench: Gold 29, Maroon 27

DEFENSIVE WRAPS
GOLD
Jade Geif 7
Alyssa Hagen 5
Alyssa Kerkhoff 4
Kendra Harris 4
Roz Chromy 3
Abby Busch 2
Michelle Starkweather 2
Erica Gress 1
totals: 28

MAROON
Ashley Allevan 8
Sam Waletich 5
Megan Waytashek 5
Mariah Clarin 3
Taylor Stippel 3
Sarah Bingea 2
Annessa Hicks 2
Samantha Zopfi 1
Jessica Benson 1
totals: 30

ASSISTS
GOLD
Abby Busch 3
Alyssa Hagen 3
Kendra Harris 2
Michelle Starkweather 2
Cara Lutes 2
Alyssa Kerkhoff 1
Jade Geif 1
Shannon Thompson 1
Roz Chromy 1
totals: 16

MAROON
Annessa Hicks 5
Taylor Stippel 4
Sam Waletich 3
Ashley Allevan 2
Jessica Benson 2
Kate Warmack 1
Samantha Zopfi 1
Mariah Clarin 1
totals: 19

Next up: the week that was.

Minnesota Elite Camp: Sun/Sparks

#5 posting 7.24.2008
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

MINNESOTA ELITE CAMP
West vs East
SUN 37, SPARKS 32

The Sun scored the last 8 points of the game to beat the Sparks 37-32. The Sparks didn't connect on their last 14 possessions. This was a physical contest with a lot of jostling, bumping, bodies fighting to establish position. This was reflected in the the pp100s with the Sun at 61.6 pp100. Also the Sparks were only able to score five two point field goals all game. The Sun dominated the free throw line with a nine point advantage there. The Sun bench also was stronger than the Sparks with a 10 point differential. The game within the game featured two similar players working against each other most of the game--Abby Busch of the Sun who had 13 points to lead both teams, and Mariah Clarin of the Sparks who ended up with 8. They were in battles royale all game.

The Sparks struck first with a Shawnna Sperber three, her first and only points for the game. The Sparks led 5-1 when the Sun scored on their 9th possession from the floor, and that a second chancer by Busch. The Sun led 9-8 after a put back by Betsy Smith. The Sparks then took over with 8 unanswered points as the Sun set for nine straight possessions, a continuing feature of this camp. Kayla Thom added three free throws to finish up the scoring to make it 16-12 Sparks at the break.

The Sun shook off their slumbering offensive in the second half with five straight scores as they grabbed the lead 21-19 after a 9-3 run. Karlee Erickson had four points in that run. The Sparks reclaimed the lead at 26-23 with a 7-2 run. The intensity of the game spilled over to the sidelines with the ref stopping play to discus issues with Coach Mayclin of the Sun. Meghan Molitor knocked down a three with nine minutes left to give the Sparks a 32-29 lead. That was to be their final points of the game. They didn't have any spark the last 14 possessions, seven of which were turnovers. The Sun finished up with eight unanswered points with Busch scoring four.

Interesting fact ---only 19 assists (and this is a liberal interpretation) is waaaay to small. The passing on display here has not been stellar. That is one reason the pp100s are fairly low. Good passing leads to easy baskets. It comes down to execution and awareness.

You can see the entire Sun vs Sparks photo gallery at kevinanderson.photostockplus.com

key: player, school, points, possessions, pp100, floor %
SUN
STARTERS
Amy Van Hulzen, Park Center 5, 7, 71.4, .429 perimeter. went to the line twice.
Kelsie Ammann, Lakeville North 2, 6, 33.3, .167 3 point shooter. led team with assists
Betsy Smith, East Grand Forks 2, 3, 66.7, .333 guard
Michelle Starkweather, Lakeville South 2, 5, 40.0, .200 a six footer that can play on the perimeter. decent frame
Kayla Thom, Mayer Lutheran 7, 11, 63.4, .364 strong frame, inside player. went to the line four times.
BENCH
Lisa Lymburner, Hinckley-Finlayson 0, 4, 0.0, .000 taller perimeter.
Abby Busch, GFW 13, 14, 92.9, .500 a tweener, each possession was a battle with Clarin. it appeared each relished the contact. The more the contact the harder Busch went after the ball. If there was a turnover, Busch redoubled her efforts and just grabbed the ball away from a Spark to score.
Madeline Johnson, Minnetonka 0, 1, 0.0, .000
Alexandria Love, Bloomington Kennedy 2, 6, 33.3, .167 guard
Karlee Erickson, Mora 4, 3, 133.3, .667 guard

SPARKS
STARTERS
Shawnna Sperber, Stewartville 3, 10, 30.0, .100 3 point shooter that went cold after the first shot.
Tess Lueders, Stillwater 3, 5, 60.0, .200 made a three
Mariah Clarin, Princeton 8, 14, 57.1, .286 physical, athletic forward type. a warrior battle with Busch was the highlight of this game.
Meghan Molitor, PACT 9, 10, 90.0, .400 provided hustle on the perimeter. Floor burns a reward for effort on loose balls.
Catavia Jones, St. Paul Central 0, 2, 0.0, .000 post. needs to work on basic offensive skills.
BENCH
Abby Rothenbuehler, Mankato West 0, 10, 0.0, .000 at 6-2 has the height. built for the perimeter, but needs to gain weight. shots not falling. Passes somewhat forced. needs to make a bigger impact on defense.
Abby Hoganson, Detroit Lakes 2, 3, 66.7, .333 guard.
Micaela Trainor, Winona Cotter 7, 4, 175.0, .750 perimeter. knocked down a three. has speed.
Niambi Mitchell, St. Paul Academy 0, 2, 0.0, .000 guard. can jump.

TRENCH PLAYER
Abby Busch, the will to win

BY THE NUMBERS
Sun 37, 60, 61.6, .333
Sparks 32, 60, 53.3, .233
made 3s/&1s: Sparks 6/0; Sun 0/0
ftm/fta-ft%: Sun 13/20-.650; Sparks 4/5-.800
bench: Sun 19, Sparks 9

DEFENSIVE WRAPS
SUN
Abby Busch 8
Amy Van Hulzen 5
Betsy Smith 3
Michelle Starkweather 3
Kayla Thom 3
Kelsie Ammann 2
Madeline Johnson 2
Alexandria Love 2
Karlee Erickson 2
Lisa Lymburner 1
totals: 31

SPARKS
Mariah Clarin 7.5
Meghan Molitor 7
Abby Rothenbuehler 4
Micaela Trainor 4
Tess Lueders 3.5
Catavia Jones 1.5
Niambi Mitchell 1.5
Shawnna Sperber 1
totals: 30

ASSISTS
SUN
Kelsie Ammann 3
Lisa Lymburner 3
Amy Van Hulzen 2
Abby Busch 1
Michelle Starkweather 1
totals: 10

SPARKS
Abby Hoganson 3
Tess Lueders 2
Abby Rothenbuehler 1
Meghan Molitor 1
Micaela Trainor 1
Niambi Mitchell 1
totals: 9

next up: tomorrow morning, unless news breaks

Minnesota Elite Camp: Lynx/Storm

#4 posting 7.24.2008
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

MINNESOTA ELITE CAMP
East vs West
LYNX 63, STORM 50

The Lynx held the Storm scoreless for 21 possessions in the first half breaking free from a 14 all tie to calm the Storm 63-50. The Lynx scored 21 unanswered points and had their biggest lead at 35-14. Carly Rothstein had 15 points to lead the Lynx. She was matched by Alexa Clausen of the Storm.

The Lynx led early at 5-0, but the Storm did have an early lead at 9-8. That Storm lead lasted two possessions before the Lynx regained the lead on a pair of free throws by Ellen Edison. The Storm tied the game at 14 on a three by Amy Waterman. Then the Storm disappeared for 21 straight possessions. It may have been due to the morning start time and the players had too much sleep in their eyes to see the basket. There were five turnovers in that stretch, some of the quick, bang bang turnovers where the teams looked like they were playing pinball instead of basketball. On some of their possessions the Storm had multiple clangs at the rim. With no clouds in the sky the Lynx enjoyed a 21 point run. The only reason the drought ended was because Julia Dysthe made a steal, lay up &1. Late in the half the Lynx scored four points in about five seconds as the Storm couldn't get the ball in cleanly against a two person press. At half time it was 39-17 for the Lynx.

The biggest lead for the Lynx in the second half came at 21 points a couple of times, the last time 43-22. Then it was the Lynx turn to go dry. It wasn't as massive as the 21 possession drought, but the 9 possession drought was severe enough to let the Storm think they had a chance to come back. The Storm cut 11 points off the deficit to 43-33 with 11 minutes remaining. The Lynx regained their balance enough to maintain that spread the rest of the way. The Storm was charged up with seven scores in nine possessions. Sam Walletich led the charge with six straight points for the Storm. Sarah Bingea then scored the next four points for the Storm. The score keepers missed a three pointer, only counting it as a deuce so the real final should be 63-50. With that bonus Storm point the margin did drop below double digits with 7 minutes to go after a three by Alexa Clausen. The Lynx had one final push to stretch their margin (on the official scoreboard) 60-45.

At this point of the schedule the remaining four teams were not playing each other, so the Lynx had the benefit of being charted again.

You can see the entire Lynx vs Storm photo gallery at kevinanderson.photostockplus.com

key: player, school, points, possessions, pp100, floor %
LYNX
STARTERS
Bridget Schuneman, Centennial 9, 12, 75.0, .333 rugged battler inside. nose for the ball.
Carly Jensen, White Bear Lake 5, 10, 50.0, .200 3 shooter. again canned an early shot, but then only had one more the rest of the way.
Carly Rothstein, St. Michael-Albertville 15, 13, 115.4, .538 taller perimeter. quick aggressive. has 3 shot, strong calves.
Ellen Edison, Maple Grove 4, 6, 66.7, .333 handled the point guard.
Kayla Dallmann, ACGC 0, 5, 0.0, .000 the "4"
BENCH
Brooke Karst, Princeton 4, 5, 80.0, .400 scored all her points on second chancers.
Laura Bruce, Hopkins 11, 9, 122.2, .556 can go in and out. put her body on the floor for loose balls. good energy. was able to convert an &1.
Alyssa Kerkhoff, NRHEG 7, 9, 77.8, .333 quick guard.
Stormy Nesbit, Roseville 8, 11, 72.7, .364 very high athletic ability. worth tracking progress during the season. played with abandon. Needs to channel, and polish her fundamental offensive game, keep her balance. needs to focus on her inside game.

STORM
STARTERS
Julia Dysthe, White Bear Lake 6, 17, 35.3, .118 made two & 1s with her steals. needs to be stronger in the half court game.
Sarah Bingea, Delano 8, 13, 61.5, .308 played post. has speed, and looks to drive.
Rachael Moen, Burnsville 2, 6, 33.3, .167 point guard. needs to improve acceleration and speed.
Amy Waterman, Anoka 9, 6, 150.0, .667 more post. deadly at the line.
Alexa Clausen, Wayzata 15, 10, 150.0, .600 3 point shooter. made three on the day. was strong with the ball.
BENCH
Jenna Brekke, NRHEG 0, 8, 0.0, .000 guard
Emily Youngstrom, Cook 0, 7, 0.0, .000 guard
Sam Waletich, Fairmont 11, 11, 100.0, .364 point guard. sparked the rally in the second half. speed and grit. made two 3s.

TRENCH PLAYER
Carly Rothstein

BY THE NUMBERS
Lynx 63, 80, 78.8, .363
Storm 51, 78, 65.4, .269
made 3s/&1s: Storm 6/2; Lynx 3/1
ftm/fta-ft%: Storm 11/Lynx 4/8-.500
bench: Lynx 30, Storm 11

DEFENSIVE WRAPS
LYNX
Bridget Schuneman 9
Stormy Nesbit 8
Carly Jensen 6
Laura Bruce 6
Alyssa Kerkhoff 6
Carly Rothstein 4
Kayla Dallmann 3
Brooke Karst 1
Ellen Edison 1
totals: 44

STORM
Julia Dysthe 12
Sarah Bingea 12
Jenna Brekke 5
Sam Waletich 4
Rachael Moen 4
Amy Waterman 2
Alexa Clausen 2
Emily Youngstrom 1
totals: 42

ASSISTS
LYNX
Carly Rothstein 5
Carly Jensen 4
Ellen Edison 4
Laura Bruce 4
Alyssa Kerkhoff 3
Bridget Schuneman 1
Brooke Karst 1
Stormy Nesbit 1
Kayla Dallmann 1
totals: 24

STORM
Rachael Moen 3
Alexa Clausen 3
Emily Youngstrom 3
Sam Waletich 2
Julia Dysthe 1
Sarah Bingea 1
Jenna Brekke 1
totals: 14

next up: Sun vs Sparks

Minnesota Elite Camp: Sparks/Monarchs

#5 posting 7.23.2008
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

MINNESOTA ELITE CAMP
West Division
SPARKS 47, MONARCHS 36

The Sparks ruled the Monarchs 47-36 in a west division match up in the Minnesota Elite Camp Wednesday morning. The Sparks took care of the ball better, and had more chances to score. Sparking the Sparks was Mariah Clarin of Princeton with 10 points. Matching her point total on the Monarchs side was Ashley Alleven.

Both teams had 11 players so the sub patterns made it hard to get into rhythm.

Oddly enough the Monarchs started off with the 10-2 lead as the Sparks started off with a 1/13 sequence. They didn't find the bottom of the basket until their sixth possession. That gave them a bone chilling 15.4 pp100. After that, for the rest of the game, the Sparks were at a much more comfortable 86.8 pp100. The Sparks didn't take their first lead until a put back by Mariah Clarin at 17-16. At the half the Sparks led 21-17 after scoring on their last four possessions.

Both teams needed a GPS device to find the basket at the start of the half. They both combined for 12 empty trips. It lasted quite a bit longer for the Monarchs however. They misfired on their first 10 possessions. The Sparks scored on four straight possessions before the Monarchs found the bottom of the basket. The Sparks led 29-17 at that point. Stretching back to the first half it was a 12-0 run. The Sparks maintained that margin the rest of the way. The biggest lead was 11 at a variety of times.

You can see the entire Sparks vs Monarchs photo gallery at kevinanderson.photostockplus.com.

key: player, school, points, possessions, pp100, floor %
SPARKS
STARTERS
Micaela Trainor, Winona Cotter 0, 5, 0.0, .000
Abby Rothenbuehler, Mankato West 4, 8, 50.0, .250 intriguing player. has good instincts. quick movements. has perimeter mentality in a 6-2 frame. teammates weren't ready for the ball at times. needs to get stronger and add weight to the frame if she is to compete at the more physical levels of college ball. needs to keep the ball tighter to the body when going up for a shot.
Faith Berg, Fall Creek, WI 6, 10, 60.0, .300 post player, strong frame.
Shawnna Sperber, Stewartville 8, 5, 160.0, .600 point guard. nice 3 point shot.
Tess Lueders, Stillwater 0, 2, 0.0, .000
BENCH
Catavia Jones, St. Paul Central 4, 10, 40.0, .200 raw post. is active defensively. needs to polish offense
Mariah Clarin, Princeton 10, 8, 125.0, .625 flying all over. strong, persistent on the boards. runs the floor with energy. needs to keep vision up when handling the ball.
Meghan Molitor, PACT 7, 6, 116.7, .500 guard
Niambi Mitchell, St. Paul Academy 6, 6, 100.0, .500 guard. deep range
Abby Hoganson, Detroit Lakes 0, 1, 0.0, .000 guard, shot some 3s.
Megan Waytashek, Centennial 2, 5, 40.0, .200 lanky perimeter player. is stronger than Rothenbuehler. needs to take better care of the ball.

MONARCHS
STARTERS
Ashley Alleven, Fairmont 10, 9, 111.1, .556 strong, aggressive player. Listed as post, but may have to be more 3ish post high school. takes the ball hard to the basket.
Hannah Hogenson, Roseau 0, 3, 0.0, .000
Capreice Ogris, Cooper 1, 4, 25.0, .250 point guard. went down with an ankle in the second half.
Alyssa Niss, Fairmont 0, 3, 0.0, .000
Kyli Van Klei, Stillwater 7, 7, 100.0, .571 long frame on the perimeter.
BENCH
Kahla Becken, Centennial 2, 7, 28.6, .143 guard
Hanna Iaizzo, White Bear Lake 2, 5, 40.0, .200 post more 4ish. good feet. active on defense.
Alyssa Hagen, NRHEG 8, 10, 80.0, .400 guard. made a 3, and will also go inside to board.
Whitney Tinjum, Chisago Lakes 4, 5, 80.0, .600 another lanky perimeter
Angela Euerle, Litchfield 2, 8, 25.0, .125
Ashley McAlpine, Princeton 0, 5, 0.0, .000

TRENCH PLAYER
Mariah Clarin

BY THE NUMBERS
Sparks 47, 66, 71.2, .333
Monarchs 36, 66, 54.5, .303
made 3s/&1s: Sparks 3/0; Monarchs 1/0
ftm/fta-ft%: Monarchs 7/12-.583; Sparks 0/0-.000
bench: Sparks 29, Monarchs 18

DEFENSIVE WRAPS
SPARKS
Catavia Jones 6
Mariah Clarin 5.5
Abby Rothenbuehler 4
Tess Lueders 4
Abby Hoganson 3.5
Shawnna Sperber 3
Faith Berg 2
Meghan Molitor 2
Niambi Mitchell 2
Micaela Trainor 1
Megan Waytashek 1
totals: 34

MONARCHS
Hanna Iaizzo 6
Ashley Alleven 3
Alyssa Niss 3
Alyssa Hagen 3
Ashley McAlpine 3
Capreice Ogris 2
Kyli Van Klei 2
Angela Euerle 2
Kahla Becken 1
Whitney Tinjum 1
totals: 26

ASSISTS
SPARKS
Abby Rothenbuehler 3
Shawnna Sperber 3
Tess Lueders 3
Meghan Molitor 2
Abby Hoganson 2
Megan Waytashek 2
Catavia Jones 1
Mariah Clarin 1
totals: 17

MONARCHS
Ashley Allevan 3
Capreice Ogris 3
Ashley McAlpine 3
Alyssa Niss 2
Alyssa Hagen 2
Hannah Hoganson 1
Kahla Becken 1
totals: 15

The action has been updated.

Next up: tomorrow morning

Minnesota Elite Camp: Fever vs Fire

#4 posting 7.23.2008
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

MINNESOTA ELITE CAMP
East Division
FEVER 42, FIRE 41

Day two of the Minnesota Elite Camp started this morning with a down to the wire contest with the Fever edging the Fire 42-41. Stephanie Comer, fresh off Minnetonka's championship win in the Champlin Park Summer League last night, led the balanced Fever with 8. Reaching double digits for the Fire was Megan Larson of Bemidji who connected for 10.

Despite their names neither team was on fire or had a high fever. As the first game of the day there may have been some cobwebs in the game. The Fire didn't connect until their 7th possession when they trailed 5-0. The pendulum switched over to the Fire's direction with a 9-3 run. The inevitable switch put the Fever back up with a 18-8 run of their own. The Fever was hot during this stretch with a 8/9 scoring sequence. Comer connected on two 3s in this burst of activity. Without that run the Fever's pp100 would have only been 52.2 for the game. The Fire regained momentum with a 8-2 run to close the half, but the Fever reigned 28-25 at the break.

The Fire continued their hot streak by scoring the first three times out in the second half to lead 32-28. The combined run was 15-2 over two halves. Yet another momentum shift occured in favor of the fever with a 13-5 run as they staked out a 41-37 lead. Neither team budged off their numbers for 10 straight possessions. Morgan Mathison edged the Fire closer with a three 41-40. On the next Fever possession Cara Lutes made one free throw with 3:34 to go to make it 42-40. With under 2:30 to go Chelsey Frydenlund made one more free throw for the Fire for the final margin. That wasn't the end of the possessions as each team had one more crack. The Fever milked the clock, in that stretch they had three one and one front ends, three times they missed, twice they got their own rebound. Three on a match is never a good idea. Lauren Graham broke the cycle with a Fire rebound. eventually the ball came back to her and her 3 didn't fall at the buzzer.

You can see the entire Fever vs Fire photo gallery at kevinanderson.photostockplus.com

key: player, school, points, possessions, pp100, floor %
FEVER
STARTERS
Kayla Gill, New Prague 4, 8, 50.0, .250 perimeter
Stephanie Comer, Minnetonka 8, 7, 114.3, .429 point guard. made a couple 3s in the key push early. needs to convert at the line late in the game. needs to keep hand up, hold follow through
Cara Lutes, New Life 7, 8, 87.5, .500 strong frame, post--more 4ish. scored four points off second chancers
Amber Mehr, Eastview 2, 2, 100.0. .500 youngster. tall perimeter.
Mindy Howard, Pequot Lakes 0, 4, 0.0, .000
BENCH
Megan Lueck, Winona 3, 4, 75.0, .250 perimeter
Jade Geif, Lakeville South 3, 3, 100.0, .667 fast post. active and quick
Jolene Blood, Irondale 7, 7, 100.0, .429 lanky perimeter, looks to drive, quick passer. has 3 range. moves without the ball.
Caitlin Gangelhoff, Bemidji 6, 6, 100.0, .500 did score four points on second chancers.
Kelsey Erickson, Mora 2, 6, 33.3, .167 point guard

FIRE
STARTERS
Chelsey Frydenlund, East Grand Forks 6, 6, 100.0, .500 point guard. will look to shoot 3.
Megan Larson, Bemidji 10, 10, 100.0, .500 jumped center on the opening tip. is more perimeter oriented. has 3 range.
Kirsten Goodroad, Blaine 5, 9, 55.6, .222 lanky perimeter. moves without the ball.
Lauren Graham, Crookston 0, 2, 0.0, .000 post, needs to keep balance when nudged and bumped.
Morgan Mathison, Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton 3, 2, 150.0, .500 made a three
BENCH
Jaime Birr, Holy Angels 0, 5, 0.0, .000 post, needs to improve quickness. foot speed.
Jessica Benson, Grand Meadow 9, 7, 128.6, .571 lanky perimeter player with nice scoring touch. has 3 range.
Cheyenne Briese, GFW 3, 4, 75.0, .500 guard
Morgan Zabel, Northfield 3, 7, 42.9, .286 active perimeter with a strong frame.
Alison McArthur, Minnetonka 2, 3, 66.7, .333 perimeter

TRENCH PLAYER
Stephanie Comer

BY THE NUMBERS
Fever 42, 55, 76.4, .364
Fire 41, 55, 74.5, .364
made 3s/&1s: Fever 4/0; Fire 4/0
ftm/fta-ft%: Fever 4/11-.364; Fire 7/12-.583
bench: Fever 22, Fire 17

DEFENSIVE WRAPS
FEVER
Kayla Gill 5
Mindy Howard 4
Megan Lueck 3
Jade Geif 3
Cara Lutes 2.5
Caitlin Gangelhoff 2.5
Stephanie Comer 2
Jolene Blood 1.5
Kelsey Erickson 1
Amber Mehr 0.5
totals: 25

FIRE
Morgan Zabel 4
Chelsey Frydenlund 3
Jaime Birr 3
Jessica Benson 3
Alison McArthur 3
Megan Larson 2
Kirsten Goodroad 2
Lauren Graham 2
Morgan Mathison 2
Cheyenne Briese 1
totals: 25

ASSISTS
FEVER
Kelsey Erickson 3
Mindy Howard 2
Jade Geif 2
Kayla Gill 1
Stephanie Comer 1
Cara Lutes 1
Megan Lueck 1
Jolene Blood 1
Amber Mehr 1
totals: 13

FIRE
Chelsey Frydenlund 5
Morgan Zabel 4
Morgan Mathison 3
Jaime Birr 2
Kirsten Goodroad 1
Jessica Benson 1
Cheyenne Briese 1
Alison McArthur 1
totals: 18

next up: Sparks vs Monarchs

Minnesota Elite Camp: Lynx/Comets

#4 posting 7.22.2008
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

MN ELITE CAMP
West Division
LYNX 49, COMETS 42

The Lynx beat the Comets 49-42 after trailing at halftime. Bridget Schuneman (Centennial) and Stormy Nesbitt (Roseville) combined for 12 points to lead the Lynx. For the second game in a row the scoring table missed out on three points, all in the first half for the Comets. I had the final 49-45.

Both teams struggled with droughts prevailing. The Lynx went empty for 8 possessions. As a result of the lack of offensive flow, the Comets led 8-5. The Comets stretched it out to 18-10 as they scored 9 points in five possessions. The Lynx didn't get their rhythm going until a bit later. They scored five times in six possessions on a 10-3 run to cut the margin to 23-20. Bridget Schuneman had four of those points on the way to 8 first half points. The Comets led 25-22 at the break.

The hot hands continued unabated at the start of the second half. The Lynx scored the first five times they had the ball with Nesbitt scoring 7 of the first 9 Lynx points, including the basket that put the Lynx up for good. The Comets had a 7 possession drought to halt their momentum. The Lynx stretched their lead out to 37-30 before the Comets regained their form. They did cut the margin to 41-38 after a bucket Kendra Harris with 7:54 left. That was as close as the Comets would get. The Lynx scored on five of their last six possessions to hold off any rally.

More story, photos, stats to follow

You can see the entire Lynx vs Comets photo gallery at kevinanderson.photostockplus.com

key: player, school, points, possessions, pp100, floor %
LYNX
STARTERS
Brooke Karst, Princeton 0, 2, 0.0, .000
Bridget Schuneman, Centennial 12, 12, 100.0, .500 force inside. got boards on both ends.
Carly Jensen, White Bear Lake 3, 2, 150.0, .500 three point shooter. Made her first shot early, but only had one more possession the rest of the night.
Laura Bruce, Hopkins 7, 8, 87.5, .500 big perimeter. warmed up in the second half.
Kayla Dallmann, ACGC 6, 6, 100.0, .500
BENCH
Stormy Nesbit, Roseville 12, 11, 109.1, .545 active, athletic forward. runs the floor. anticipates on defense
Alyssa Kerkhoff, NRHEG 0, 3, 0.0, .000 guard
Ellen Edison, Maple Grove 6, 7, 85.7, .429 handled point
Carly Rothstein, St. Michael-Albertville 3, 6, 50.0, .333
Whitney Novak, Stillwater 0, 1, 0.0, .000 guard that involves others

COMETS
STARTERS
Courtney Lynch, St. Cloud Apollo 10, 10, 100.0, .500 speed guard. needs to keep vision up even when going full speed ahead.
Kendra Harris, Cretin-Derham Hall 6, 11, 54.5, .273 post player that is extending her range.
Megan Bakken, Waterville-E-M 0, 2, 0.0, .000
Rachel Leitz, Champlin Park 4, 6, 66.7, .333 guard
Kylie Hanzlik, Northfield 9, 8, 112.5, .625 left handed guard
BENCH
Heather Kamps, Stillwater 2, 2, 100.0, .500
Samantha Zopfi, Providence 6, 7, 85.7, .429 more 3ish.
Lindsey Fix, Coon Rapids 2, 7, 28.6, .143 post player. needs to get stronger with the ball and initiate action
Kara Poirier, Eau Claire Regis 4, 3, 133.3, .500 point guard
Ellie Zeller, St. Anthony 2, 1, 200.0, 1.000 point guard. needs to take the ball further down in the half court game to the three point line.

TRENCH PLAYER
Stormy Nesbit, in a close call

BY THE NUMBERS
Lynx 49, 58, 84.5, .431
Comets 45, 58, 77.6, .397
made 3s/&1s: Comets 2/1; Lynx 1/0
ftm/fta-ft%: Comets 11/17-.647, Lynx 6/16-.375
bench: Lynx 21, Comets 16

DEFENSIVE WRAPS
LYNX
Bridget Schuneman 6
Stormy Nesbit 6
Laura Bruce 4
Ellen Edison 4
Kayla Dallmann 2
Brooke Karst 1
Carly Jensen 1
Alyssa Kerkhoff 1
Whitney Novak 1
totals: 26

COMETS
Kendra Harris 6
Courtney Lynch 4
Rachel Leitz 3
Lindsey Fix 3
Heather Kamps 2
Samantha Zopfi 2
Kara Poirer 2
Megan Bakken 1
Kylie Hanzlik 1
Ellie Zeller 1
totals: 25

ASSISTS
LYNX
Bridget Schuneman 4
Ellen Edison 4
Whitney Novak 4
Carly Jensen 2
Carly Rothstein 2
Brooke Karst 1
Laura Bruce 1
Alyssa Kerkhoff 1
totals: 19

COMETS
Ellie Zeller 4
Kendra Harris 3
Rachel Leitz 3
Kara Poirer 3
Kylie Hanzlik 2
Heather Kamps 1
Lindsey Fix 1
totals: 17

next up: Champlin Park Summer League Semifinals

Minnesota Elite Camp: Liberty/Shock

#3 posting 7.22.2008
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

MN ELITE CAMP
East Division game
LIBERTY 48, SHOCK 46 OT

The Minnesota Elite camp opened today with an overtime game as the Liberty rallied to beat the Shock 48-46 in sudden death overtime. Brit Rynda (New Prague) hit the game winner for the Liberty. This game also featured a coaching battle between Willie Taylor, two time defending AAAA State champ from St. Paul Central, and recent Osseo hire, and former St. Paul Central assistant Joey Waters. The Teacher edged the pupil.

However this game should not have gone to overtime. There was scoring issues and the Shock actually had 52 for the game. As it was it goes in the books as a win for the Liberty. Erica Gress (Apple Valley) led both teams with 17 points. It was an inside kind of game with two more posts hitting for double figures--Katie Warmack (East Grand Forks) had 10 for the Liberty and Roz Chromy (Esko) had 12 for the Shock.

As is true in all camp situations, especially at the beginning of camp, the players are still trying to learn their teammates names. Players that have been on summer teams with each other have a slight advantage knowing each others moves.

The Shock jumped out to an early 11-2 lead. Teresa Larocque finished the run with five straight points. The Liberty scored on five straight possessions to cut the margin to 13-12. The Liberty edged in front 17-15 to complete a 15-4 run. The Shock pulled back in front at the half 21-20 on a basket by Adele Simerson-Wallfred. However the first mistakes in the scoring took place in this half. The Shock actually led 24-20 at the break.

The second half saw six ties, and 8 lead changes. At crunch time both teams stepped up with the Liberty scoring on their last three possessions and the Shock matching them. The Shock had the advantage with a Simerson-Wallfred basket. Erica Gress scored the last five points for the Liberty in regulation, including the last four points on second chancers at the buzzer.

In the sudeen death overtime the Shock won the tip, but Jenna Henry stole the ball Summer Young drove the lane and found Brit Rynda on the right side to end the suspense quickly.

If you want to see the entire Liberty vs Shock photo gallery go to kevinanderson.photostockplus.com.

more stats, story photos later

key: player, school, points, possessions, pp100, floor %
LIBERTY
STARTERS
Brit Rynda, New Prague 4, 4, 100.0, .500 finished the contest with the chip shot
Summer Young, Chisago Lakes 7, 10, 70.0, .300 guard, quick release on shot
Kate Warmack, East Grand Forks 10, 9, 111.1, .556 post, good size, strong, good hands, keeps the ball high, gets after offensive boards. had six points on second chancers. Needs to get into better shape. needs to get quicker on defense.
Casey Ginter, St. Anthony 4, 5, 80.0, .400 thin perimeter
Jenna Henry, Faribault 1, 4, 25.0, .250 point guard
BENCH
Erica Gress, Apple Valley 17, 15, 113.3, .667 bulldog inside. attacks and has no fear. went to the line four times. key offensive boards late in the game provided Liberty a chance to win in OT.
Skyla Robertson, Proctor 2, 2, 100.0, .500
Rachael Ellering, Melrose 1, 3, 33.3, .333 guard
Amie Tunheim, Orono 2, 4, 50.0, .250 slasher to the basket
Brianna McDonough, St. Paul Humboldt 0, 1, 0.0, .000

SHOCK
STARTERS
Roz Chromy, Esko 12, 10, 120.0, .600 post, 10 second half points. runs the floor. has 3 range (almost)
Shannon O'Toole, Wayzata 7, 6, 116.7, .500
Keelie Sorensen, Park Center 4, 5, 80.0, .400 perimeter
Teresa Larocque, St. Paul Humboldt 7, 7, 100.0, .429 small guard
Carly Chell, Apple Valley 4, 8, 50.0, .250 strong inside player.
BENCH
Adele Simerson-Wallfred, St. Paul Highland Park 7, 9, 77.8, .444
Renee Pecarina, Winona Cotter 7, 5, 140.0, .800 guard with speed
Heather Schumacher, Crookston 2, 3, 66.7, .333
Kim Campbell, Bloomington Kennedy 2, 3, 66.7, .333

TRENCH PLAYER
Erica Gress

BY THE NUMBERS
Liberty 48, 57, 84.2, .456
Shock 52, 56, 92.8, .464
made 3s/&1s: Liberty 1/0; Shock 1/1
ftm/fta-ft%: Liberty 7/16-.438; Shock 3/6-.500
bench: Liberty 22, Shock 18

DEFENSIVE WRAPS
LIBERTY
Erica Gress 7
Brit Rynda 4
Jenna Henry 3
Amie Tunheim 2.5
Kate Warmack 2
Brianna McDonough 1.5
Summer Young 1
Rachael Ellering 1
totals: 22

SHOCK
Shannon O'Toole 6
Roz Chromy 5
Adele Simerson-Wallfred 4
Teresa Larocque 2
Carly Chell 2
Heather Schumacher 2
Keelie Sorenson 1
Renee Pecarina 1
totals: 23

ASSISTS
LIBERTY
Summer Young 4
Skyla Robertson 4
Brianna McDonough 3
Kate Warmack 2
Jenna Henry 2
Amie Tunheim 2
Erica Gress 1
totals: 18

SHOCK
Renee Pecarina 5
Keelie Sorenson 4
Carly Chell 3
Adele Simerson-Wallfred 3
Shannon O'Toole 2
Roz Chromy 1
Teresa Larocque 1
totals: 19

Next up: another Elite camp game

Out & About: MN Elite All Stars #1-20

#4 posting 7.27.2006
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

This is the MN Elite All Star game with players #1-20

GOLD 49, MAROON 43 OT

Gold outscored the Maroons 6-0 in overtime to claim the All Star win.
Gold got off to a fast start with Katie Coughenour's 3 on the first possession and 5/6 scoring in their first six possessions. Gold led at that point 10-4. As has been the case, what once was hot, became cold and the same thing happened to Gold when they endured a five possession drought. Maroon seized advantage of that misfortune with a 9-0 run. Of course by now you know that Maroon had to have their drought and they had a doozy of a drought--12 straight no scores. 7 of those possessions ended up on missed shots, on five they never had a chance. Gold enjoyed a 14-0 run to go up 24-13. Gold led at the half 25-15.

Maroon started their comeback slowly in the second half. Nicole Christianson provided four points on a 6-2 run to cut the margin to 27-21. Maroon later put together five straight scoring possessions with Camille Stenhaug and Jenny Gilbertson providing four points each. That cut the margin to 34-31. Maroon then had a six possession nothing as Gold built their lead back up to 41-31. Then it was Gold's turn to tank as they had 9 straight blanks. Maroon took the lead on Hallie Hoganson's two free throws with 1:17 to go. Angel Robinson gave Gold a one point margin after her two free throws with 58 seconds left. Maroon milked the clock for 44 seconds before Cassie Rochel was fouled. She made one, but missed the second. Jess Peterson grabbed the rebound and Gold worked in for the final shot. Robinson had the call, but her fade away missed the mark and we were off to extra sessions.

OT is a two minute session. Gold won the tap an with 1:22 to go Alex Montgomery hit a shot in the lane. Kaiya Sygulla missed her 3 for Maroon. Bri Zabel had the board and was fouled. She converted both for a 47-43 lead. Sygulla missed again, Gold had the rebound and worked their way down to the end. Laura Canton was fouled, but she missed the front end. But everything Maroon tossed up in overtime missed the mark. Montgomery scored again in transition for the final points.

NUMBERS EXPLAINED
player, points, possessions, pp100, floor %

GOLD
STARTERS
Katie Coughenour, Wayzata 5, 7, 71.4, .286 3 point shooter. RF: passing execution
Leah Dietel, Jordan 6, 6, 100.0, .667 knows how to get fouled. decent size, decent frame.
Alex Montgomery, Cannon Falls 10, 6, 166.7, .833 lefty delivered in the paint today. can run the floor. RF: quickness
Bri Zabel, Northfield 5, 6, 83.3, .500 drew a charging foul. big and strong. RF: attempted circus shot.
Laura Canton, Pine Island 0, 4, 0.0, .000
BENCH
Kiara Buford, St. Paul Central 2, 8, 25.0, .125 RF: exposed the ball. needs to get stronger physically. hesitated on taking a shot that she would never have passed on in HS.
Jess Peterson, Chisago Lakes 5, 13, .385, .231 No fear about taking shots when outsized. RF: hesitated on a clear shot once. needs to be ready for Robinson's passes. Peterson was open, but didn't know it.
Kellie Schuneman, Centennial 3, 3, 100.0, .667
Angel Robinson, St. Paul Central 10, 11, 90.9, .455 can get up & down the court. elevated out of nowhere for a transition block that surprised Hoganson. looked more liker herself after yesterday's tired performance. change of pace/hesitation dribble befuddles defense. RF: I would like more from the left hand on the dribble. Shot was not falling. There are those that surprised when they make it and those that are surprised when they miss. With Robinson we are surprised when she misses.
Kayla Blom, Centennial 3, 1, 300.0, 1.000

MAROON
STARTERS
Abby Busch, GFW 2, 6, 33.3, .167 has energy, RF: but against bigger kids guarding her (Montgomery) had a tougher time getting clean looks, and getting the shot off. needs to work on perimeter game more including spot shooting off the pass. also needs to work on foot work--traveling too often
Camille Stenhaug, Rochester JM 7, 8, 87.5, .500 did score off a spin move in the lane.
Jenny Ostrom, St. Anthony 2, 5, 40.0, .200 scored on a drive early. RF: still needs to square up on shot
Kaiya Sygulla, Lakeville North 5, 8, 63.5, .375 Nails, has the innate drive for success. good anticipation on defense. RF on a charge knocked down Zabel, and that is hard to do, needs to finish transitions. size may be a factor
Emily Davis, Litchfield 0, 2, 0.0, .000
BENCH
Nicole Christianson, Chetek, WI 9, 11, 81.2, .455 very active. got many boards. RF: passing decisions. needs to work more on 3 shot for consistency
Devin Bowlin, Winona Cotter 3, 7, 42.9, .143 point guard moves well, delivers the ball where and when needed. RF: size
Jenny Gilbertson, Winona Cotter 6, 6, 100.0, .500 nice hook in the paint. good frame. RF: needs more polish with ball handling and passing execution if she is going to be out.
Cassie Rochel, Lakeville North 5, 6, 83.3, .500 If Sygulla is Nails, then Rochel is the Rail. She is also an eraser wiping shots, and changing shots. great hands quite a few accomplishments already for one so young.
Hallie Hoganson, Detroit Lakes 4, 5, 80.0, .400 steady. another point guard. RF: can probably be a little more greedy on offense.

TRENCH PLAYER
Angel Robinson

BY THE NUMBERS
Gold 49, 65, 75.4, .400
Maroon 43, 64, 67.2, .359

Gold scored 20 free throws on the night compared to 10 for Maroon. That indicates to me they had the more aggressive offensive players and better feet on defense. Both games were entertaining this year. Usually there is a blow out, but both games kept folks in their seats. There were a few players that hid in the games, but that is the all star experience. It seems the top of the line is about 86 pp100 or .400 floor % when throwing players together in these all star situations.

OTHER AWARDS
The MN Elite camp also had a couple of other winners.
In the team portion the Comets, coached by Willie Taylor won. Devin Bowlin was a key to success on that squad according to coach Taylor.
In the 3 point contest Sam Stanfield, Crosby-Ironton was the victor
In the 3 on 3 competition the winning team included
Aaryn Booker, DeLaSalle
Amanda Degnan, St. Charles
Sarah Luse, Orono
Kellie Schueneman, Centennial

Next up: tomorrow morning with the general news of the day.