Out & About: NC Heat/MN Stars Borowicz

#4 posting 7.28.2008
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

NORTH TARTAN MELTDOWN
Platinum Championship
Bloomington Kennedy
NC HEAT 55, MN STARS BOROWICZ 49

NC Heat, despite not having two recent All tournament selections in Memphis, beat MN Stars Borowicz for the third time this summer 55-49. Again NCH started out with a 17-7 lead and withstood a hard charge by MSB in the second half to take the championship. Tayler Hill again showed why she is considered the best player in the state with 21 first half points as NCH led 32-22.

In the second half Leah Dietel of MSB came out with two straight 3s to cut the deficit and give renewed juice to the MSB chances. MSB closed to 37-36. They held NCH scoreless for four possessions, but failed to take advantage of that down time. Brittany Chambers did tie the game at 39, but then MSB went scoreless for three possessions. Jen Hill, Tayler's cousin, made two free throws to start a 6-0 run. The last four of those points came on second chancers. Tayler Hill ended up with 28 points for the game.

you can see the entire NC Heat vs MN Stars Borowicz photo gallery at kevinanderson.photostockplus.com

key: player, school, points, possessions, pp100, floor %
NC HEAT
STARTERS
Tayler Hill, Mpls South 28, 18, 155.6, .667 21 first half points or 65.6 of the teams total. delivered five 3s, all in the first half. Also went to the line six times.
Tempestt Wilson, Elk River 7, 9, 77.8, .444 guard. uses size to post up smaller guards.
Katya Leick, Park-Cottage Grove 12, 15, 80.0, .400 animal on the boards.
Mandy Poke, Richfield 0, 1, 0.0, .000 guard
Maggie Weiers, New Prague 4, 2, 200.0, 1.000 had to guard bigger posts. initiated contact. came up with key rebounds late. does what she has to do.
BENCH
Michaela Larson, Hutchinson 2, 3, 66.7, .333 perimeter
Jen Hill, St. Paul Central 2, 8, 25.0, .125 Tayler Hill's younger cousin. built more like Ephesia Holmes. strong. wasn't afraid to mix it up on boards.

MN STARS BOROWICZ
STARTERS
Theairra Taylor, St. Paul Central 9, 10, 90.0, .400 led both teams in d wraps. goes up and snatches.
Cassie Rochel, Lakeville North 4, 6, 66.7, .500 post player. more aggressive in going after defensive rebounds.
Brittany Chambers, Jordan 11, 16, 68.8, .313 warrior mentality. unafraid in attacking basket. contorts body in mid air in effort to stay aloft.
Leah Dietel, Jordan 8, 5, 160.0, .600 hot shooting at the start of the second half jump started MSB.
Sarah Hintz, Woodbury 0, 1, 0.0, .000 returning from knee injury.
BENCH
Amber Dvorak, Hinckley-Finlayson 5, 4, 125.0, .500 post. playing at this pace and speed is good for her long term development. is more consistent on offense. now needs to flat out dominate on defense. Every rebound should have her name on it.
Megan Waytashek, Centennial 2, 4, 50.0, .250 another big perimeter player.
Hannah Linz, Eden Valley-Watkins 7, 7, 100.0, .429 playing with more confidence. had a couple of nice freeze moves in transition.
Rachelle Eckmann, St. James 3, 2, 150.0, 1.000 can play in and out.
Kate Thompson, Wayzata 0, 2, 0.0, .000 biggest point guard in the state. guard Hill during portions of the second half.

TRENCH PLAYER
Tayler Hill

BY THE NUMBERS
NC Heat 55, 56, 98.2, .464
MN Stars Borowicz 49, 57, 86.0, .404
made 3s/&1s: NCH 6/0; MSB 4/1
ftm/fta-ft%: NCH 11/18-.611; MSB 10/19-.526
bench: MSB 17, NCH 4

DEFENSIVE WRAPS
NC HEAT
Katya Leick 6
Jen Hill 6
Tayler Hill 4.5
Mandy Poke 4.5
Maggie Weiers 4
Tempestt Wilson 1
totals: 26

MN STARS BOROWICZ
Theairra Taylor 8
Cassie Rochel 6
Hannah Linz 4
Leah Dietel 3
Rachelle Eckmann 2
Brittany Chambers 1
Kate Thompson 1
Sarah Hintz 1
totals: 26

ASSISTS
NC HEAT
Tayler Hill 6
Katya Leick 3
Tempestt Wilson 2
Jen Hill 2
Mandy Poke 1
totals: 18

MN STARS BOROWICZ
Brittany Chambers 5
Theairra Taylor 4
Megan Waytashke 2
Hannah Linz 2
Kate Thompson 2
Cassie Rochel 1
Leah Dietel 1
Sarah Hintz 1
totals: 18

Next up: Gold Championship

Out & About: MN Stars Borowicz/CSS Regional

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

NORTH TARTAN MELTDOWN
platinum division
Bloomington Kennedy
MN STARS BOROWICZ 66, CSS REGIONAL 17S 37

In the final match up of the day MN Stars Borowicz used their size and reach to beat CSS Regional 17u from Nebraska 66-37. CSS led early 6-1, but the lead was gone at 8-6. CSS had 20 turnovers vs the MSB full court pressure. 6-7 post Amber Dvorak had 16 points for MN Stars Borowicz.

you can see the entire MN Stars Borowicz vs CSS Regional 17s 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 %
MN STARS BOROWICZ
STARTERS
Theairra Taylor, St, Paul Central 9, 10, 90.0, .400
Cassie Rochel, Lakeville North 9, 9, 100.0, .556
Sarah Hintz, Woodbury 1, 1, 100.0, 1.000
Brittany Chambers, Jordan 8, 9, 88.9, .556
Megan Waytashek, Centennial 4, 5, 80.0, .400
BENCH
Amber Dvorak, Hinckley-Finlayson 16, 10, 160.0, .800
Kate Thompson, Wayzata 11, 8, 137.5, .625
Rachelle Eckmann, St. James 2, 2, 100.0, .500
Leah Dietel, Jordan 3, 5, 60.0, .400
Hannah Linz, Eden Valley-Watkins 3, 4, 75.0, .250

CSS REGIONAL 17
STARTERS
Ashley Boman, Clay Center 5, 11, 45.5, .273
Bailey Halbur, Manning, IA 10, 11, 90.9, .455
Jordan Seaman, Seward 5, 4, 125.0, .500
Lindsay Determan, Lincoln Pius X 4, 13, 30.8, .154
Mallory Murdoch, Holdredge 1, 9, 11.1, .111
BENCH
Brittany Singleton, Lincoln Northeast 6, 6, 100.0, .333
Rachel Masikn, Lincoln Southeast 3, 7, 42.9, .286
Alyssa Lake, Lincoln Southeast 3, 3, 100.0, .333

TRENCH PLAYER
Amber Dvorak

BY THE NUMBERS
MN Stars Borowicz 66, 63, 104.8, .540
CSS Regional 17s 37, 64, 57.8, .281
made 3s/&1s: MSB 3/0; CSS 4/0
ftm/fta-ft%: MSB 5/12-.417; CSS 7/10-.700
bench: MSB 35, CSS 12

DEFENSIVE WRAPS
MN STARS BOROWICZ
Brittany Chambers 8
Hannah Linz 8
Amber Dvorak 4.5
Kate Thompson 4.5
Leah Dietel 4
Cassie Rochel 3.5
Megan Waytashek 3.5
Theairra Taylor 2.5
Rachelle Eckmann 2
Sarah Hintz 1
totals: 41

CSS REGIONAL 17
Lindsay Determan 4
Brittany Singleton 4
Bailey Halbur 3
Alyssa Lake 3
Mallory Murdoch 2
Ashley Boman 1
Jordan Seaman 1
totals: 19

ASSISTS
MN STARS BOROWICZ
Hannah Linz 9
Megan Waytashek 4
Brittany Chambers 3
Kate Thompson 3
Amber Dvorak 2
Theairra Taylor 1
Cassie Rochel 1
Sarah Hintz 1
Leah Dietel 1
totals: 25

CSS REGIONAL 17
Mallroy Murdoch 5
Ashley Boman 4
Alyssa Lake 2
Jordan Seaman 1
Lindsay Determan 1
Brittany Singleton 1
totals: 14

Next up: tomorrow morning

Out & About: North Tartan Larson/MN Stars Borowicz

#5 posting 6.19.2008
Your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

This game took place on Sunday, June 15, 2008
SUMMER JAM 16u Championship
Bloomington Jefferson
NORTH TARTAN LARSON 70, MN STARS BOROWICZ 48

In a rather anticlimactic final it was North Tartan Larson beating MN Stars Borowicz 70-48. NTL did to MSB what the Celtics were to do to the Lakers in game 6 of the NBA Finals. Both of these teams survived cliff hangers in the semis by the slim margin of one point. Both these teams had players that already verballed. I wrote about the NTL players in the first game posting today. MSB players Amber Dvorak (Minnesota) and Rachelle Eckmann (North Dakota State) have made college decisions. The main difference today however was the number of bodies available. MSB did not have Brittany Chambers, Leah Dietel and Dani Mangen. (Also Tyisha Smith, but she has moved to MN Stars Jihad for the majority of the summer time). On top of that MSB lost Cassie Rochel to injury in the first half and Rachelle Eckmann also had to stay out of the contest a great deal of time due to injuries. That meant only six bodies were available for the third game of the day. MSB’s tank was on empty. There simply wasn’t enough gas at $4 a gallon for any offensive or defensive energy. NTL was missing Carly Rothfusz.

Amanda Zimmerman must be an early riser because for the second straight game she dominated the first half. She blew the game open with 11 straight points in a seven possession stretch for NTL That put the score at 15-1 and MSB was reeling. The Stars did not score a field goal until their 14th possession and that was a three by Eckmann. MSB didn’t score their first two point field goal until their 16th possession. Any MSB comeback chance took a hit when Rochel went down with an ankle injury. MSB finished the half with an 0/7 sequence as NTL led 39-21. Zimmerman was only one point behind MSB with 20 points.

To be honest there wasn’t a lot of drama in the second half. NTL scored on 10/11 possessions during the middle of the second half on a 19-11 run. Everyone for NTL got into the scoring act and contributed. All NTL players looked relaxed and in flow. That should come in handy in the upcoming battles across the nation. In the end it was 70-48. Katie Loberg had 9 points in the second half for NTL.

Photos: #1 Theairra Taylor takes a shot in the lane. Kelsey Florian has her back to the camera. #2. Katie Loberg shoots over Amber Dvorak and Kate Thompson. photos by kja

Key: player, school, points, possessions, pp100, floor %
NORTH TARTAN LARSON
STARTERS
Shakila Boler, Bloomington Kennedy 8, 6, 133.3, .667 point guard. Another solid performance
Jennifer Dowd, Rogers 5, 6, 83.3, .333 guard. Does her part with poise
Chelsea Poppens, Aplington-Parkersburg, IA 4, 7, 57.1, .429 a dynamic force out there. Her pp100s wasn’t high, but they didn’t have to be. A total worker. Determined, energetic. Dominated the boards, a whirlwind of energy. Another impressive facet was the 8 assists. Not too often will you find a post leading in that category. Parkersburg had the tornado. Poppens was a tornado in this game.
Amanda Zimmerman, Ballard, IA 20, 14, 142.9, .643 smooth stroke, another outstanding start. Showed her range in this game with a couple of the 3s. match ups with her are hard due to her size and versatility.
Katie Loberg, Princeton 11, 12, 91.7, .500 strong performance again inside.
BENCH
Megan Lauck, Mounds View 5, 4, 125.0, .750 looking more relaxed and confident
Taylor Young, Edina 10, 4, 250.0, 1.000 extremely high pp100. two 3s in the mix.
Suriya McGuire, Mpls Roosevelt 2, 4, 50.0, .250 point guard. Got players involved. Active and aggressive (with long wing span) on defense.
Kelsey Florian, Roseville 5, 8, 62.5, .375 another player that is starting to play with more confidence.

MN STARS BOROWICZ
STARTERS
Cassie Rochel, Lakeville North 1, 1, 100.0, 1.000 game was cut short due to ankle injury
Theairra Taylor, St. Paul Central 17, 20, 85.0, .400 the main scoring threat for MSB. Jarts, jabs, connected on three 3s.
Hannah Linz, Eden Valley-Watkins 1, 8, 12.5, .125 perimeter shooter that didn’t connect from behind the arc.
Kate Thompson, Wayzata 10, 9, 111.1, .556 at 6-2 the states biggest point guard. Made decent choices, runs the floor. Was strong with the ball.
Amber Dvorak, Hinckley-Finlayson 8, 6, 133.3, .667 continues to make strides. Doesn’t mind contact. Is getting used to the quicker pace and speed of the AAU games. Still needs to work on feet, position and stance on defense.
BENCH
Megan Waytashek, Centennial 6, 17, 35.3, .177 plenty of playing time today. A 6-0 perimeter player. Scored on drives.
Rachelle Eckmann, St. James 5, 4, 125.0, .500 another big perimeter with range. Made the first field goal. Very high energy, but after the injury was noticeably more low key.

TRENCH PLAYER
Chelsea Poppens

BY THE NUMBERS
North Tartan Larson 70, 65, 107.7, .538
MN Stars Borowicz 48, 65, .73.8, .369
Made 3s/&1s: NTL 5/0; MSB 4/0
Ftm/fta-ft%: NTL 6/11-.455
Bench: NTL 22, MSB 11

DEFENSIVE WRAPS
NORTH TARTAN LARSON
Chelsea Poppens 11
Suriya McGuire 7
Megan Lauck 4
Katie Loberg 3.5
Amanda Zimmerman 3
Jennifer Dowd 2.5
Shakila Boler 2
Kelsey Florian 2
Taylor Young 1
Totals: 36

MN STARS BOROWICZ
Amber Dvorak 8
Theairra Taylor 5
Kate Thompson 4
Hannah Linz 3
Megan Waytashek 3
Rachelle Eckmann 3
Cassie Rochel 1
Totals: 27

ASSISTS
NORTH TARTAN LARSON
Chelsea Poppens 8
Suriya McGuire 7
Shakila Boler 3
Jennifer Dowd 3
Megan Lauck 3
Taylor Young 2
Kelsey Florian 1
Totals: 27

MN STARS BOROWICZ
Kate Thompson 8
Megan Waytashek 5
Theairra Taylor 4
Hannah Linz 3
Amber Dvorak 1
Rachelle Eckmann 1
Totals: 22

Next up: tomorrow morning

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: NC Heat/MN Stars Borowicz

#8 posting 6.3.2008
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

This game took place on Sunday, June 1, 2008
Battle of the Hardwood
Woodbury High School
17u semifinals
NC HEAT 48, MN STARS BOROWICZ 41

For the third time this season NC Heat beat MN Stars Borowicz. This was a defensive struggle that broke NCH's way in the second half with a 14-3 run. The atmosphere in this game was intense with many of the top 08s plus the egos involved. This game meant something.

Like the Minnesota State AAU championship NCH took an early lead at 4-0. This time MSB got on the board much faster stopping the scoreless streak at six. MSB pulled in front at 14-13 on a transition lay up by Cassie Rochel. Another transition lay up by Brittany Chambers put MSB up 16-13, for their biggest margin. NCH finished the half with a 7-4 run to tie the contest at 20. Annie Berner scored on a reverse lay up to tie the game.

Another slow start by MSB put NCH up 24-20. MSB's drought was only four possessions however and they scraped and scrapped back into the contest with a lay up by Theairra Taylor to make the score 31-30. Then MSB's offense hit a road block with a 2/15 sequence---a 13.3 pp100. Eight of those possessions ended in turnovers. NCH made use of six points off second chancers as they stretched their lead out to 45-33. An 8-3 run by MSB, with two 3s by Taylor cut the margin down at the end to 48-41.

MSB had a few players missing. The biggest was Amber Dvorak at 6-7. they also had Tyisha Smith and Danielle Mangen missing (both sub 5-5). Sarah Hintz of Woodbury was on the bench in street clothes. She will be returning to the court in about three weeks.

Earlier in the day I caught the end of the NC Heat vs Minne Southern Magic quarterfinals. When I came in NCH led 50-40. Then Tayler Hill took over. NCH won the game 66-48. NCH had eight straight scoring possessions with Hill scoring eight straight points and 10 total in the 16-8 run.

photos: #1 Cassie Rochel peers around Annie Berner looking for an angle for her shot. #2 Brittany Chambers wrestles with Berner and Tayler Hill for a ball. photos by Teas.

key: player, schools, points, possessions, pp100, floor %
NC HEAT
STARTERS
Tayler Hill, Minneapolis South 19, 19, 100.0, .526 went to the line six times.
Annie Berner, Forest Lake 8, 9, 88.9, .444 post player was a force on the boards and played with determination. Again made nice moves inside with the reverse lay up. came up with key rebounds. Now needs to perform with this passion and intensity consistently.
Mandy Poke, Richfield 0, 3, 0.0, .000 guard
Megan Nipe, Centennial 6, 12, 50.0, .333 perimeter. struggled at the line leaving six potential points there.
Katya Leick, Park-Cottage Grove 6, 5, 120.0, .600 consistently delivers on the work areas. strong perimeter type. runs the floor. hit a shot in the right corner.
BENCH
Brittany Dyshaw, Eagan 2, 6, 33.3, .167 perimeter
Tempestt Wilson, Elk River 4, 5, 80.0, .400 guard
Jamelia Hudnell, DeLaSalle 2, 2, 100.0, .500 guard
Maggie Weiers, New Prague 1, 1, 100.0, 1.000 post. was short on the free throw
Kayla Larson, Hutchinson 0, 1, 0.0, .000 perimeter
Sarah Bingea, Delano 0, 1, 0.0, .000 perimeter

MN STARS BOROWICZ
STARTERS
Theairra Taylor, St. Paul Central 10, 19, 52.6, .211 perimeter. her 3 shot wasn't dropping early, did knock down a couple late in the game.
Brittany Chambers, Jordan 9, 11, 81.8, .364 point guard that plays with a lot of energy
Rachelle Eckmann, St. James 3, 8, 37.5, .125 forward.
Leah Dietel, Jordan 2, 5, 40.0, .200 forward
Cassie Rochel, Lakeville North 8, 5, 160.0, .800 post player. went to the line three times. runs the floor and has great hands.
BENCH
Kate Thompson, Wayzata 4, 7, 57.1, .429 6-2 with point guard
Hannah Linz, Eden Valley-Watkins 5, 9, 55.6, .222 3 shooter. hasn't erupted yet. ball handling against pressure needs polishing.
Megan Waytashek, Centennial 0, 1, 0.0, .000 taller perimeter

TRENCH PLAYER
Annie Berner big impact inside

BY THE NUMBERS
NC Heat 48, 64, 75.0, .406
MN Stars Borowicz 41, 65, 63.1, .292
made 3s/&1s: MSB 4/2; NCH 2/0
ftm/fta-ft%: MSB 12/17-.706; NCH 14/27-.519
bench: NCH 9, MSB 9
NCH was a cool .519 at the line. However with the fouls MSB had to sit some of their players.

DEFENSIVE WRAPS
NC HEAT
Annie Berner 9
Katya Leick 8
Tayler Hill 6.5
Megan Nipe 5
Mandy Poke 4
Brittany Dyshaw 2
Tempestt Wilson 2
Sarah Bingea 1
Kayla Larson 0.5
totals: 38

MN STARS BOROWICZ
Cassie Rochel 8
Brittany Chambers 7
Theairra Taylor 6
Rachelle Eckmann 4
Kate Thompson 3
Hannah Linz 3
Megan Waytashek 2
Leah Dietel 1
totals: 34

ASSISTS
NC HEAT
Tayler Hill 4
Brittany Dyshaw 4
Annie Berner 3
Megan Nipe 3
Katya Leick 3
Mandy Poke 1
Jamelia Hudnell 1
Kayla Larson 1
totals: 20

MN STARS BOROWICZ
Brittany Chambers 6
Kate Thompson 3
Hannah Linz 2
Rachelle Eckmann 1
Leah Dietel 1
Cassie Rochel 1
Megan Waytashek 1
totals: 15

Next up: tomorrow morning

Quick Report: NC Heat/MN Stars Borowicz

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

NC HEAT 48, MN STARS BOROWICZ 41

In the 17U Semifinals it was NC Heat beating MN Stars Borowicz for the third time this season 48-41. The game was tied at 20 at half. The key break point came with a 12-3 run by NCH in the second half after MSB closed to 31-30. Anne Berner of Forest Lake had a strong post game for NCH

more later

Out & About: NC Heat/MN Stars Borowicz

#3 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 CHAMPIONSHIP
NC HEAT 82, MN STARS BOROWICZ 72

NC Heat won their 6th straight Minnesota State AAU girls basketball title with an 82-72 win over MN Stars Borowicz. Tayler Hill put on a clinic with 34 points, 12 assists, and 9 defensive stops---all leaders with an exclamation point. Hill had 20 points at half time.

NC Heat took advantage of a slow starting MSB squad with a 16-2 lead with about 13 minutes to go in the first half. Hill started the fireworks early with a spin move in the paint followed in short order by two triples. She had 8 of the first 16. After two free throw by Leah Dietel on the second MSB possession, MSB went eight possessions without scoring. That gap held up most of the game. When playing top level competition it is hard to climb out of the hole. NCH's biggest lead in the first half was 33-15. Hill & company continued to hold that advantage at half time 42-27. MSB only had two three point field goals in the first half, one on a put back.

The second half saw a flurry of activity early. NCH scored on five of their first six possessions while MSB got hot a little later with a 6/7 sequence. The pattern, however, was set. MSB would creep up to the 12 margin and NCH would extend the lead back to 17. With 5:27 NCH led 71-52. For a brief time Hill had her first break in the game, but MSB kept scoring and cut the margin to 8 (78-66) with 2:35 left. Hill's break was over. Both teams at the end were sizzling. NCH had a 7/8 scoring sequence while MSB shook off their frigid start with nine straight scores. The icy MSB start combined with the wizardry of Hill gave NCH their 6th title in as many years.

For those that are history buffs here are the two other Minnesota State AAU tournaments I charted:
2006 when NCH beat Total Package 51-46. Hill had 28 in that contest. Current NCH players Jamelia Hudnell, and Brittany Dyshaw played with TP back then. Theairra Taylor also played for TP and is now with MSB.
2007 when NCH beat North Tartan Larson 77-61. Hill had a eerily similar 34 points then too.

Photos: #1 Megan Nipe soars through the lane with Rachelle Eckmann, Theairra Taylor and Kate Thompson observing. #2 Theairra Taylor grabbing a rebound away from Mandy Poke as Cassie Rochel is in the background. photos by Teas.

key: player, school, points, possession, pp100, floor %
NC HEAT
STARTERS
Tayler Hill, Mpls South 34, 20, 170.0, .750 the glue, the indispensable. It didn't matter who was guarding Hill for MSB she was unstoppable. They threw the kitchen sink at her and she washed her hands and threw it back. A tour de force performance. Hit three 3s, scored on drives, pull ups and went to the line seven times. A healthy 13/14 at the line. 12 assists too. That means 58 points (.707) had Hill's finger prints on them. Her undervalued defense led both teams. She understands the game and can read your mind. What a night.
Anne Berner, Forest Lake 7, 6, 116.7, .667 post player. Her size matched up well against the MSB posts. Still has that nagging wrist injury.
Mandy Poke, Richfield 10, 9, 111.1, .556 point guard. also delivered a couple of trey bombs.
Megan Nipe, Centennial 15, 15, 100.0, .533 another solid performer. went to the line six times including two &1 chances.
Katya Leick, Park-Cottage Grove 4, 5, 80.0, .400 rugged perimeter player with length and strength
BENCH
Kayla Larson, Hutchinson 2, 4, 50.0, .250 perimeter
Jamelia Hudnell, DeLaSalle 2, 2, 100.0, .500 guard
Tempestt Wilson, Elk River 6, 6, 100.0, .500 guard. used her size to post up on Tyisha Smith.
Sarah Bingea, Delano 2, 1, 200.0, 1.000 forward
Maggie Weiers, New Prague 0, 1, 0.0, .000 forward/post
Brittany Dyshaw, Eagan 0, 0, 0.0, .000 forward

MN STARS BOROWICZ
STARTERS
Rachelle Eckmann, St. James 5, 6, 83.3, .333 hard hat worker. has good length for the perimeter. Strong frame. did hit a 3.
Leah Dietel, Jordan 7, 5, 140.0, .600 another perimeter with good length.
Theairra Taylor, St. Paul Central 21, 16, 131.3, .563 has stepped up and ramped up her game this spring. Is taking over and giving her imprint on the game. has 3 range with two,. likes to drive and pull up. glides
Brittany Chambers, Jordan 19, 13, 146.2, .615 firecracker point guard. hustles, loves the thrill of battle. willing to mix it up. went to the line five times.
Cassie Rochel, Lakeville North 4, 3, 133.3, .667 long lean post. runs the floor. led team with 7 assists, some off rebound/outlet
BENCH
Amber Dvorak, Hinckley-Finlayson 3, 6, 50.0, .333 6-7 post. getting the feel for high intensity competition
Megan Waytashek, Centennial 2, 3, 66.7, .333 lean lanky perimeter. coming off a cold
Hannah Linz, Eden Valley-Watkins 2, 5, 40.0, .200 shooting guard. has not erupted...yet
Kate Thompson, Wayzata 3, 4, 75.0, .500 the leanest and lankiest of the perimeter players. giant wing span.
Tyisha Smith, Mpls South 6, 8, 75.0, .250 smallest of the perimeters. is another fighter, willing to challenge bigger players.

TRENCH PLAYER
You had to ask? Tayler Hill

BY THE NUMBERS
NC Heat 82, 69, 118.8, .580
MN Stars Borowicz 72, 70, 102.9, .457
made 3s/&1s: MSB 7/0; NCH 5/1
ftm/fta-ft%: NCH 27/35-.771; MSB 25/28-.893;
bench: MSB 16, NCH 12
Both teams had great nights at the line--a combined 52/63-.825

DEFENSIVE WRAPS
NC HEAT
Tayler Hill 9
Anne Berner 5
Mandy Poke 5
Megan Nipe 4
Maggie Weiers 3
Katya Leick 2
Jamelia Hudnell 1
totals: 29

MN STARS BOROWICZ
Theairra Taylor 6
Amber Dvorak 3
Megan Waytashek 3
Brittany Chambers 3
Cassie Rochel 3
Rachelle Eckmann 2.5
Kate Thompson 1
Leah Dietel 0.5
totals: 21

ASSISTS
NC HEAT
Tayler Hill 12
Mandy Poke 7
Katya Leick 4
Kayla Larson 3
Megan Nipe 2
Jamelia Hudnell 2
Tempsett Wilson 1
Sarah Bingea 1
Maggie Weiers 1
Brittany Dyshaw 1
totals: 34

MN STARS BOROWICZ
Cassie Rochel 7
Theairra Taylor 4
Leah Dietel 3
Mandy Waytashek 3
Brittany Chambers 3
Tyisha Smith 2
Hannah Linz 1
Kate Thompson 1

Next up: tomorrow morning. Also tomorrow morning---a late week that was.

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)