SATURDAY TRIO
Thankfully the weather was not an issue (except maybe cold) and
that did not slow down options on Saturday. I made my way again up the mother road to the northwest. This time the stops included Alexandria for two games in the Breakdown Winter Classic and then a sprint to Concordia Moorhead for a round of a potential 6A final. Games started on time and ended close to on time in Alex. I needed to leave Cardinal Country at the latest 4:15 to get to Cobber Country for an alleged 6 pm start. Apparently, schedules do not mean anything there. Even though I was 15 minutes early, I was 15 minutes late. I was not the only one in this pickle. I spoke to fans after the game from Ada who arrived right at the start of half time. DO NOT advertise a game at a certain time and then pull a switcheroo. Therefore, the stats below only are from the time I was able to chart in the AB/PP game. The Alex games are complete.
The themes for the day were a good dose of ranked teams in the AA and A divisions. The second game featured two unbeaten teams; the third was a section preview (maybe).
I am down to a dozen top 100 teams to see. The calendar and weather isn’t doing me any favors. My back is against the wall.
SAUK CENTRE 69, ROCKFORD 47
#1AA Sauk Centre used the long ball (with 11 3s) and controlled the boards (+14) in a match up with Rockford at 10 am. The Mainstreeters preferred the 3 highway as they shot a blistering 44% from long distance against the 2/3 Rockford zone. The SC starters combined for a 107 pp100. McKenna Westby unleashed five 3s. Tori Peschel made the 31 Club by one for SC. No one from Rockford got to the 21 Club.
SC clung to a 22-21 lead in a tight first half but finished with a 10-3 kick in the last 1:13 to pull out to a 32-24 half time lead. The Rockets could not make up the lost ground in the second half.
| SAUK CENTRE | ROCKFORD | |
| POINTS | 69 | 47 |
| REBOUNDS/OFF | 53/17 | 39/14 |
| TURNOVERS | 19 | 17 |
| FTA/% | 25/56.00 | 15/40.00 |
| 2FG%/3FG% | 32.35/44.00 | 33.33/21.42 |
| PP100 | 90.8 | 63.5 |
| TOP SCORER | McKenna Westby 19 | Two with 10 |
TRENCH PLAYER: McKenna Westby with 19 points, 211.1 pp100 thanks to 5/7 on 3s; and a 25 in the 31 Club
EDEN VALLEY-WATKINS 53, MENAHGA 42
There is one less unbeaten team today. #3AA Eden Valley-Watkins handed #2A Menahga there first regular season loss in two years 53-42. The banged up Eagles, now without Olivia Kuechle, took the shots they wanted, when they wanted and how they wanted with 51% from 2s and a perfect 3/3 from 3. Menahga struggled from the 2s shooting below freezing. The Braves stayed in the contest with seven 3s with the supporting cast going a perfect 4/4 on 3s. EVW was hot right at the start scoring on their first three possessions (7-2). It got to 17-6 and Menahga was forced to call time with 9:45 left. That helped spur a 12-4 finish for Menahga to make it 21-18 at the break. Menahga kept it close trailing 40-36 with 9:14 left in the contest. But the Braves were only to muster two more points the rest of the distance as EVW worked the clock and the possession to get prime opportunities. They finished with a 13-2 kick in the last 11 possessions.
| EDEN VALLEY-WATKINS | MENAHGA | |
| POINTS | 53 | 42 |
| REBOUNDS/OFF | 36/8 | 29/16 |
| TURNOVERS | 18 | 10 |
| FTA/% | 10/60.00 | 14/64.28 |
| 2FG%/3FG% | 51.35/100.00 | 24.00/24.13 |
| PP100 | 96.4 | 76.4 |
| TOP SCORER | Emma Schultz 16 | Alyssa Peterson 12 |
TRENCH PLAYER: EVW’s Halle Jansen with 15 points, 115.4 pp100 and a 30 in the 31 Club
ADA-BORUP/NORMAN COUNTY WEST 54, PARKERS PRAIRIE 49
When I arrived, the Panthers were enjoying a 19-13 lead. Perhaps they wished I would have stayed away. The moment I started charting was when Mariah McKeever converted two free throws. She would continue to be the inspiration for the comeback and maintenance of the lead for the Cougars. It was a 9-3 finish to the half and ABNCW was up 22-21 at the break. The game ebbed and flowed with each possession critical. The contest was tied at 42 and 44. ABNCW pushed out to a 48-44 lead with four minutes left, but PP responded with two straight scores to make it interesting 48-47. PP’s Megan Blake scored a mid-range jumper to make it 50-49 Cougars with 1:34 left. AB went to a delay but missed a pair of free throws with 50.9 seconds left. PP had a chance to regain the lead. McKeever inserted herself into a PP dribble hand off and was promptly fouled. She converted both for a three point AB lead with 37 seconds left. PP missed a front end free throw with 16.7 seconds left, got the rebound but was tied up. Possession arrow AB. Ivy Johnson added two more free throws with 11.7 left to end the scoring.
Notice both teams shot 50 % from the floor. They both knew their systems, their ranges, their timing.
| ADA-BORUP/NCW | PARKERS PRAIRIE | |
| POINTS | 54 | 49 |
| REBOUNDS/OFF | 19/6 | 13/2 |
| TURNOVERS | 5 | 9 |
| FTA/% | 16/62.50 | 8/50.00 |
| 2FG%/3FG% | 57.89/42.85 | 50.00/30.76 |
| PP100 | 113.9 | 83.3 |
| TOP SCORER | Mariah McKeever 21 | Two with 15 |
TRENCH PLAYER: Mariah McKeever with 21 points, 121.4 pp100 and a 31 Club score of 33 and that is in only 22 minutes of charting. McKeever was a perfect 8/8 when I charted at the line. She had 10 d stops in that time and 6 distributions.