ELEVA-STRUM 64, ELMWOOD-PLUM CITY 51

I was back in Badgerland in the countdown to Friday’s Minnesota

games. Just like last week I charted another game where the home team took it on the chin. This was a D5 non conference match up (similar to A in Minnesota). The Dunn-St. Croix conference downed the Dairlyand Large. The twist in this game was the younger team beat the older team. Not only that Eleva-Strum started the season with a loss; EPC started with a win.

The story of the game was sophomore point guard Brianna Nelson for Eleva-Strum. She just missed a kjasr triple double with 25 points, 11 d stops and 9 distributions (she tried to deliver 21 times). Nelson last year played at Augusta, WI. She has the ability to get to the lane and then find open players on the midrange perimeter or weakside. The Cardinals are an oddity in that they didn’t score one three. It wasn’t that important to their system. EPC, on the other hand, attempted 40% of their shots beyond the arc. It was essential for the Wolves to do so and they climbed back in the game with the long ball.

Right from the start Nelson controlled the game, grabbing the tip and scoring a lay up. ES never trailed after that. With ES up 14-5, EPC took the first time out with 11:15 remaining in the first half. ES led by 10 in the first half, but the home town team sliced it to six at half (22-16). Some of the comeback came with Nelson sitting with a couple fouls. ES stretched the lead to 35-20 early in the second half. Nelson sat. EPC rallied. It was bombs away for the Wolves. Three consecutive 3s has a way of tightening the game. Rowan Rupakus started the onslaught and Alyssa Peterson added the next two. With over ten minutes to go in the game, we had a game again with ES up 38-35. Free throws and second chancers killed the Wolves. With nine minutes left it was back to a ten point margin. In their 24-9 run six points came on second chances, four came on free throws, but the real killer was Nelson with ten of her game high 25 points. Her night was through with five minutes to go in the game.

This was my first journey to Plum City. Back in the olden days, when they were alone, they were known as the Blue Devils. This also was an oddity in that I wasn’t charting a Big Rivers Conference team.

 

Team	PP100	scorer	PP100	Distributor	D Stops	31 Club
Eleva-Strum	79.3	Brianna Nelson 25	Brianna Nelson 113.6	Brianna Nelson 9	Brianna Nelson 11	Brianna Nelson 45
Elmwood-Plum City	63.0	Alyssa Peterson 15	Alyssa Peterson 100	Ellie Funk 6	Lexi Diesing 11	Lexi Diesing 25

TRENCH PLAYER: Brianna Nelson