Vikings top MACCRAY
After missing her second straight game due to an ankle injury, point guard Grace Hennen returned to the starting lineup and led Minneota with 15 points in a 55-37 win over MACCRAY Friday night in Minneota.
Following a 24-24 halftime knot, the Vikings (9-4) surged in the second half behind an aggressive defense that limited MACCRAY's Brielle Janssen to only a three-pointer after she poured in 15 first-half points and held Sydney Thein scoreless after she dropped in nine points in the first half.
"We were playing man in the first half and we switched a few things up at halftime and went zone to see if that would help," said Minneota coach Al Panka. "They scored right away anyway (a three-pointer by Janssen that would prove to be her only points in the second half) but we kept the zone on and it was going well."
MACCRAY coach Shaun Condon then called a timeout and Panka figured they would draw something up to go against the Vikings' zone. So, Panka switched back to man for a little while before going back to zone for the rest of the game. That strategy worked as the Wolverines made only five field goals in the second half.
Ireland Stassen completed her seventh double-double of the season with 11 points and 13 rebounds to go along with a team-high five assists and six steals. Faith Myhre played a solid game with 12 points and seven rebounds, and Kenadi Arndt notched nine points and seven rebounds.
MACCRAY (10-5) scored the first five points of the game as Janssen scored on a reverse layup and Thein drained a three-pointer. The Vikings quickly tied the game when Kenadi Arndt scored on a feed from Stassen, Faith Myhre scored on a putback, and Arndt added a free throw.
From there, the remainder of the first half was back and forth with neither team able to mount a comfortable lead.
After Kiersyn Hulzebos scored on a drive to the basket to give Minneota an 18-17, MACCRAY scored six unanswered points, all by Janssen on spin moves to the basket, and led 23-18.
Grace Hennen then scored on a drive to the basket and completed the three-point play, and Myhre hit a triple to give the Vikings a 24-23 with 12 seconds left in the first half. Janssen hit one of two free throws with two seconds left to send the teams into the locker room tied.
"Grace hadn't practiced other than shooting since her injury two and half games ago," Panka said. "I took her out after three minutes and she said 'I'm okay'. She played very well."
Leading 39-37, Minneota scored the last 16 points of the game over the final seven minutes. Hennen had a three-pointer, a steal turned into a layup and two free throws during that stretch. Stassen also hit a trey, scored on a drive and hit the final basket of the game. Arndt scored the other basket during the 16-0 run.
Despite the physical nature of the game, officials called few fouls. The teams combined for only 12 total free throws. MACCRAY did not have a foul called on them over the first 16:30 of the second half.
MINNEOTA 55, MACCRAY 37
MACCRAY..................24 13 - 37
Minneota....................24 31 - 55
Team Statistics
Field-goal shooting (good-attempt-pct.): MACCRAY 15-for-48, 31 percent; Minneota 23-for-69, 33 percent ... 3-point shooting (good-attempts-pct.): MACCRAY 4-for-19, 21 percent; Minneota 5-for-21, 24 percent ... Free-throw shooting: MACCRAY 3-for-5, 60 percent; Minneota 4-for-7, 57 percent ... Rebounds: MACCRAY 35, Minneota 40
MACCRAY Individual Statistics
Scoring (total points): Ella Kienitz 3, Annie Bourne 0, Sydney Thein 9, Emma Thein 3, Brielle Janssen 18, Alexia Noble 4 ... 3-pointers: Kienitz 1, S.Thein 1, Janssen 1, E.Thein 1 ... Rebound leaders: Janssen 10, E.Thein 8, S.Thein 6 ... Assist leader: not available .... Steal leader: not available
Minneota Individual Statistics
Scoring (fg-att, ft-att, pts): Kenadi Arndt 4-12 1-4 9, Emma Bottelberghe 0-2 0-0 0, Grace Hennen 5-14 3-3 15, Dakoda Hennen 1-9 0-0 2, Kiersyn Hulzebos 2-4 0-0 4, Megan Krog 1-2 0-0 2, Faith Myhre 5-12 0-0 12, Ireland Stassen 5-15 0-0 11 ... 3-pointers: G.Hennen 2, Myhre 2, Stassen 1 ... Rebounds: Stassen 13, Arndt 7, Myhre 7, Krog 5, G.Hennen 4, D.Hennen 2, Bottelberghe 1, Hulzebos 1 ... Assists: Stassen 5, Arndt 1, D.Hennen 1, G.Hennen 1, Myhre 1 .... Steals: Stassen 6, D.Hennen 3, Arndt 2, G.Hennen 2
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Eagles hit 8 treys in win
LQPV 55, Minneota 44
(Result Tuesday, Jan. 17)
Lac qui Parle Valley (5-1 in the Camden Conference, 11-2 overall) sniped for eight 3-pointers en route to topping the Vikings (5-2, 8-4).
Camryn Lee, who recently went over 1,0000 points in her career, had 10 points and 18 rebounds to lead the Eagles. Rylee Lee had 11 points, Ayanna Gipson 10, Isabel Gerdes 9, Jalyn Lee 8 and Taylor Shelstad 7 in a balanced attack.
Ireland Stassen paced the Vikings with 19 points, 12 rebounds and six assists.
Minneota shot out of the gate and took a 9-0 lead, The Eagles slowly whittled away at the deficit and took their first lead when Gipson scored inside for an 18-17 lead. Jalyn Lee then connected on a three-pointer for a 21-17 advantage, capping a 21-8 run.
A three-pointer by Faith Myhre with 33 seconds left in the first half pulled the Vikings within 21-20 and ended the Eagles' run. After a missed shot by the Eagles, the Vikings regain the lead 22-21 on a basket by Dakoda Hennen in the paint.
Jalyn Lee then sank a three-pointer at the buzzer to give the Eagles a 24-22 halftime lead that they would not relinquish the remainder of the game.
Gerdes and Kiersyn Hulzebos exchanged three-pointers to start the second half before the Eagles went on an 8-0 run and led 35-25. Minneota got the deficit down to five points a couple of times, but could get no closer.
Dakoda Hennen finished with nine points, Huzelbos had six points and eight rebounds, and Kenadi Arndt had five points and 10 rebounds.
LQPV 55, MINNEOTA 44
LQPV.........................24 31 - 55
MiNNEOTA................22 22 - 44
Team Statistics
Field-goal shooting (good-attempt-pct.): Lac qui Parle Valley 17-for-71, 24 percent; Minneota 16-for-51, 31 percent ... 3-point shooting (good-attempts-pct.): Lac qui Parle Valley 8-for-29, 28 percent; Minneota 6-for-18, 33 percent ... Rebounds: Lac qui Parle Valley 43, Minneota 37
LQPV Statistics
Scoring (total points): Isabel Gerdes 9, Ayanna Gipson 10, Kayla Jahn 0, Camryn Lee 10, Jalyn Lee 8, Rylee Lund 11, Taylor Shelstad 7 ... 3-pointers: Lund 3, J.Lee 2, Gerdes 1, Gipson 1, Shelstad 1 ... Rebound leaders: C.Lee 18, Shelstad 9, Gipson 8 ... Assist leader: not available .... Steal leader: Gerdes 5, Gipson 4, Lund 2
Minneota Statistics
Scoring (fg-att, ft-att, pts): Kenadi Arndt 2-10 1-1 5, Emma Bottelberghe 0-1 0-0 0, Dakoda Hennen 3-5 2-2 9, Nevaeh Hennen 0-2 0- 0, Kiersyn Hulzebos 2-6 0-0 6, Megan Krog 0-4 2-2 2, Faith Myhre 1-5 0-0 3, Ireland Stassen 8-18 1-1 19 ... 3-pointers: Hulzebos 2, Stassen 2, D.Hennen 1, Myhre 1 ... Rebounds: Stassen 12, Arndt 10, Hulzebos 8, Krog 3, D.Hennen 2, Myhre 2 ... Assists: Stassen 6, Arndt 2, Hulzebos 2, D.Hennen 1 .... Steals: Bottelberghe 2, Stassen 1