SIX SUNDAY GAMES FROM MILL CITY
Mill City closed up shot on Sunday and I was on hand for five championships, and one semi. The Fury and affiliates took home four of the eleven trophies including two open titles. North Tartan, with their limited teams, won twice including the top prize in the Open Gold. Minnesota teams won seven of the events, South Dakota won twice, and Iowa and Wisconsin were the other two champions. Championship Sunday saw a vigorous rise in the pp100 which is what one would hope for in title games. The pp100 skyrocketed to 86.05 from Saturday’s 75.43, a one day increase of 10.62. This was also better than the Sunday five game results I charted at the Summer Jam, but the tournament was under their overall mark. When teams reach 100 pp100 and lose, you are watching some pretty serious basketball. That was the case when a pair of Gauntlets faced off for the grand prize of the Platinum title, in fact they were the co-hosts. Beyond the two centurions, there were three other teams that got to the 90s. There were two redemption stories in the wins, plus there was a break in recent trends.
GAME 1: 2020 GOLD SEMIFINAL
NORTH TARTAN 10 ELITE 50, ND PRO 2020 PORTER 42
NT had to rally to stop ND Pro. The Fargo based team led at the break 25-20. An 11-4 start to the second half paved the way for NT. The key differential in this game came on 2fg shooting: NT was 20 percentage points higher at 52.78 to 32.43.
GAME 2: 2020 GOLD CHAMPIONSHIP
IA ELITE 50, NORTH TARTAN 10 ELITE 42
In an ironic twist of fate NT was on the receiving end of the championship game with the exact score as the semi. NT did have a better pp100 in this game by 7.6 points. Elite took advantage at the free throw line making 11 shots. NT only attempted eight.
GAME 3: OPEN GOLD CHAMPIONSHIP
NORTH TARTAN 9 SINN 53, MN FURY 2021 GAUNTLET 48
The pattern for this division, and with the Fury specifically, was to have a lead vanish at the end. Both these teams were nicked in pool play but made their way out due to their opponents unable to maintain that momentum with a win. These two programs have an intense rivalry. NT took down Fury in the State AAU semis. In that game NT saw a lead disappear in that championship to MN Stars 9 Hersch. Then in semis at the Suns and Summer Jam tournaments the same thing happened. This time NT withstood the challenge and survived to hoist the championship. NT held a slim 27-25 at the break. They created separation after Fury tied it at 27 with a 9-2 surge started by Mara Braun’s 3. The Fury regrouped with 12:30 left and down 36-29. With 3:55 left Fury inched in front 45-44 on Miah Monahan’s basket. But the weekend trend did not hold. NT on their next possession methodically worked the ball around and regained the lead on a chip shot by Jenna Johnson on the left side. Fury turned the ball over two straight possessions. NT banished the ghosts with an & 1 by Cassidy Carson with 38 seconds 51-46. It was the NT Depth that provided the difference with the bench winning 27-8 (& the pp100 battle 117.4 to 66.7).
I do need to point out that Erin Lamb for Fury was out the last two days. She was a Trench Player on Friday.
GAME 4: OPEN PLATINUM CHAMPIONSHIP
MN FURY 2019 GAUNTLET 78, WI FLIGHT ELITE 11 GAUNTLET 75
This was the game of the day. The Fury had recently stubbed their toe by not making it to the title game of the MN State AAU Tournament and then faltering out of the gates of the Summer Jam. Today was redemption Sunday. It was a battle of Frenemies as both the Fury and Flight Elite were co-hosts. It was a battle of Nicks (Storm and Levy); it was a battle of McKennas (Hofschild and Warnock). The McKennas each had 23 points and both made the 31 Club, but diminutive guard Hofschild came up big all around. The 5-3 (listed) guard led her team in defensive rebounds with eight—-that was 39% of the entire Fury d board totals. No one else could garner more than two. Besides providing a cleaning of the boards Windex style, Hofschild was a sniper from 3s with 4/5 marksmanship. The final piece of the Hofschild tour de force was the nine distributions out of 17 set ups. Her most effective target was Carly Krusl at ¾. Hofschild also had 70 touches with only one turnover, the best of the game and miles ahead of the Fury’s 19.06 mark. But Warnock & FE wouldn’t go down without a fight. Flight Elite was on life support at half staring at a dozen point deficit (42-30). Apparently, the alarm went off at halftime and FE woke up. FE would get tantalizingly close but could not crack the Fury. You can credit Hofschild’s leadership directing her teammates around the court and making strong decisions. It didn’t hurt that the Fury cashed in at the free throw line 25/32 (78%). They also cashed in from 3s converting on seven. By contrast the FE only made one. These two can meet again in Kansas City at the Adidas event.
GAME 5: 2019 GOLD CHAMPIONSHIP
MN PREP SCOTT 17U 56, MN ENERGY 2019 45
These metro teams could not duplicate the performance of the previous game, but they did play with energy and pep or is it prep. PREP held a ten point lead at half time (29-19). All you need to know about this game came at the free throw line. PREP was 17/25, Energy’s power at the line was nil or close to it with 3/13. Guard Kalena Myers joined the 31 Club for PREP but did it without being a centurion. Her pp100 checked in only at 76.9. She did lead all with five steals.
GAME 6: 2022 PLATINUM GOLD CHAMPIONSHIP
MN FURY 2022 BLUE 64, NORTH TARTAN 8 CONTRERAS 47
This was the second redemption game. You could see it in the approach of the game. The Fury wanted to prove something. Maybe to themselves, but they also proved it to NT and the public at large. In the state tournament NT took the prize with 56-40 statement win. Today the Fury put running time on NT. What is different? NT was missing Tessa Johnson and her 11 points. What really turned the game was the early lead by Fury preventing any delay game and foul fest. In the State championship NT attempted 36 free throws. Fury only got off 10 at the line. Without the lead NT could only get to the line only 15 times. Today Fury doubled their 3 totals from 3 to 6, shot 11 percentage points better (40 to 51). Another factor in the turnaround was the touches per turnover. Fury improved both their ball handling and ramped up their D. They improved from 14 touches to 19.4, while slicing NT’s touches from 28.9 to 15.86. Depth was vital for Fury as well as they won that war 30-7.
| TEAM | POINTS | PP100 | SCORER |
| North Tartan 10 Elite | 50 | 75.8 | Sarah Kuma 12 |
| ND Pro 2020 Potter | 42 | 64.6 | Taylor Frye 11 |
| IA Elite | 50 | 98.0 | Sami Martin 19 |
| North Tartan 10 Elite | 42 | 82.4 | Ivane Tensaie 9 |
| North Tartan 9 Sinn | 53 | 94.4 | Haleigh Timmer 12 |
| MN Fury 2021 Gauntlet | 48 | 81.5 | 2 with 13 |
| MN Fury 2019 Gauntlet | 78 | 111.4 | McKenna Hofschild 23 |
| WI Flight Elite 11 Gauntlet | 75 | 102.8 | McKenna Warnock 23 |
| MN PREP Scott 17U | 56 | 81.7 | Kalena Myers 20 |
| MN Energy 2019 | 45 | 64.2 | Clara Fernandez 13 |
| MN Fury 2022 Blue | 64 | 96.8 | Callin Hake 14 |
| North Tartan 8 Contreras | 47 | 79.0 | 2 with 12 |
TRENCH PLAYERS:
GAME 1: Sarah Kuma of NT10E, 12 points, 109.1 pp100 and 19 in the 31 Club
GAME 2: Sami Martin of IE, 19 points, 146.2 pp100, and 27 in the 31 Club
GAME 3: Haleigh Timmer of NT9S with 12 points, 150.0 pp100 and 22 score in the 31 Club
GAME 4: McKenna Hofschild of MF19G with 23 points, 153.3 pp100 and 42 score in the 31 Club
GAME 5: Kalena Myers of MPS17U with 20 points, 76.9 pp100, and 33 score in the 31 Club
GAME 6: Callin Hake makes it two days in a row with MF22B with 14 points, 200 pp100 and 16 score in the 31 Club
PLAYER OF THE DAY: MCKENNA HOFSCHILD, the only member of the 41 Club