'Waska 55, Tigers 36
The home court didn't help the MACA girls basketball Tigers Thursday (3/6). Not only did the Tigers have the home court in their favor (theoretically), they were seeded slightly higher.
The on-paper advantages faded for coach Dale Henrich's crew. The fourth-seeded Tigers were toppled by the fifth-seeded Lakers of Minnewaska Area. Ouch! Not only did the Tigers lose, they didn't put up much of a contest.
Was it scouting? Was it tactics? Was it mental focus? Whatever the explanation, MACA tumbled to a forgettable 55-36 loss. It was the first-round tournament game.
Alas, neither the boys nor girls in MACA basketball lasted past the opening round. The boys fell to Eden Valley-Watkins. I editorialized in my boys coverage that there ought to be a double-elimination format. One game doesn't seem enough to test a team after the long regular season.
MACA student-athletes will now have a long time to start preparing for the spring season. But how can any of us think about spring, given the horribly harsh conditions of late? I'm writing this on Friday. It's best to not even try to leave the house. Why do we live here?
The Morris Area Chokio Alberta girls lost to 'Waska in the Section 6AA-South quarters. 'Waska edged closer to .500 with its season record, and now faces the big challenge of playing the top seed, New London-Spicer. The Lakers and Wildcats will square-off at 1 p.m. Saturday at St. John's. I think I know where the smart money will be.
Minnewaska owns the modest won-lost numbers of 13-14, quite inferior to how the Tigers had fared. The Tigers end the 2013-14 season with a 16-10 record - not much consolation when you consider the disappointment at the end.
It was somewhat stunning to see the Tigers falter, because we had beaten Minnewaska Area twice during the regular season by a combined 34 points! The Tigers lost three of their last four games.
'Waska led the Tigers 27-14 at halftime. The Lakers kept the momentum, outscoring the Tigers 28-22 the rest of the way.
The Tigers sure didn't look comfortable shooting at their home gym. They were bricklayers with 14 of 66 total field goal stats, and one of nine in 3's. In one stretch they were eight for 52! Correy Hickman made the one MACA '3'. The team's freethrow stats were seven of 20.
Becca Holland led in rebounds with nine. Lauren Reimers dished out three assists. Becca was tops in steals with four.
The individual scoring totals were anemic with Beth Holland leading with her eleven points. Abbie Olson and Kaitlin Vogel each scored six. Lacee Maanum put in five, Rebekah Aanerud four, Hickman three and Reimers one.
The Lakers were really humming with three-point shooting. In contrast to the mere one make by MACA, the Lakers made nine 3's! Madison Phillips sank three of these. Bayley Pooler and Carley Stewart each made two 3's. Ashlyn Guggisberg and Taylor Amundson each made one long-ranger. Quite an onslaught.
The Lakers were also sharp at the freethrow line with 12 of 14 numbers. Ariel Ostrander was the top Laker scorer with eleven points followed closely by five of her mates: Pooler (10), Stewart (10), Phillips (9), Taylor Amundson (9) and Guggisberg (8).
MACA basketball has come to an all-too abrupt end for 2013-14. Surely there were highlights in regular season play.
- Brian Williams - morris mn Minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com
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