IMPORTANT INFORMATION: OUR SITE IS MOVING TO THE HIGH SCHOOL'S NEW WEBSITE. ALL THE SAME INFORMATION WILL BE THERE, AND THAT'S WHERE I'LL UPDATE THINGS IN THE FUTURE, INCLUDE CALENDARS, INFORMATION, ETC. HERE'S THE LINK:
HTTPS://WWW.WACONIAACTIVITIES.ORG/GBASKETBALL
Summer Calendar link and signup for race volunteering
Wildcats' season comes to an end against #3 Minnetonka
Unfortunately, the Wildcats couldn't take advantage of a strong defensive effort for all but a few of the final minutes of the first half, and fell to the #3 in the Section, and State, Minnetonka Skippers. Their length in the post really bothered us, and we got jumpy on some of the finishes that we normally are able to convert; we didn't have a stellar shooting night, shooting 30% as a team, and that hindered our ability to take a lead when we were getting stops on a fairly consistent basis through much of the first half; Another issue was rebounding out of the zone defense, and while that's always tough, we honestly got out-jumped for quite a few rebounds, which also hurt our ability to get more consistent stops. We spent a lot of energy working on Defense (shot clocks can't come soon enough!), and their pressure defense sped us up just enough where we couldn't quite catch the pass, convert the layup, etc. We made a valiant effort of it, though, and I couldn't be prouder of what the girls accomplished this year; In a way, this game was indicative of what we've done - in our first year as a AAAA team, we're in the most loaded section in the state at the highest level (all 4 high seeds won, so # 2 in state will take on #3, and #7 will take on #8 - not in the section, no, but in the state!), and we managed to fight and claw and grit out a close game, but eventually, their height, speed, and D-1 commits got to us in creating separation they needed. But, again, in the first half, it wasn't so much against our defense as it was from turning the ball over off the dribble, missing a short shot and them running out in transition, etc., that were the backbreaking plays. We tried a variety of things offensively to create opportunities - pick and roll, spread, sets that take advantage of not switching, iso's, structured, post-heavy looks - but when it comes down to it, you have to make shots, and they caught fire in the second half, while we struggled to get on track there.
Some words about our seniors: They have seen the most tumultuous of years in their high school careers; Freshman year, they saw us lose in the section finals on a last-second lefty-runner buzzer beater, a possession away from our first state tournament; then, sophomore year, they battle through one of the toughest schedules in MN, peak in March to make a run to our first ever state tournament, win our first ever game in school history at that State tourney in overtime, hear about the NBA and college shutting down the same night, hope they have a game the next day, learn before the game that they have to win or they're done, for it all to be called off anyway! Junior year, in a season shortened by a month-and-a-half and 10 games, hoping they even GET a season, they propel us to winning the conference, and we were 1 clutch time bucket away from a back-to-back state tourney appearance in the most physical basketball game I've ever seen; and then senior year, they have to move from AAA to AAAA, change conferences, and get placed in the section with at least 5 teams that were ranked top 10 in the state at one point or another (one of which we beat when they were #10!). It's legendary stuff from this senior class, and they did it all while having each others' backs, fighting to get better every day, winning the must-win games, stealing 1 more steal than we needed to meet our goal, standing for the right things in life that matter the most, supporting other teams in their times of trial, making sure all our younger players felt seen, and part of the larger story - these are some great humans; Some of the loudest cheers they had were when getting crazy for the 9th grade win over BSM at the last second, or watching the JV make crazy plays; they were one of the best senior groups we've ever had, and we'll miss them immensely. They are: Mackenzie Amundson, Lauren Hanson, Kiley Sazama, Morgan Meyer, Grace Seim, Sarah Cravens, Ava Stier, and Audrey Swanson. We'll miss many things about them, but here are some specifics, just from me:
Kenzie blocking 7 shots against Marshall, and her speed with which she calls out who gets to go first in practice (and her ace in the hole is that she's oldest, so we always have to listen to her);
Lauren "Olgie" "Olga" "Olgis" Hanson - her lightning fast passes, her plethora of nicknames, and the way she knows exactly who is trying to get away with what at all times - her selflessness, kindness, laughter and wit have been a constant for us over the years; she sacrificed for the team every time, was physical, funny, and loved by all. Just a fantastic, wonderful teammate and person.
Kiley "Sizzle" Sazama - she's hit many 3's over the years, and hit many against Kennedy, but no one will forget when she lined up her "white-liner" on senior night, a shot she's been claiming she'll shoot since maybe 8th grade! The look on Luigi's face when she shot it was priceless and unforgettable. I don't know who I'm going to write messages to on the practice plans next year, but I'll miss writing to Sizzle every day in all caps.
Morgan "MO" Meyer - I loved seeing the way she came after people defensively, and hit miracle shots over people seemingly 4x her size; she has so much heart and love for the game, and a cruel hand was dealt in her breaking her hand for most of this year, but she's a great, empathetic soul that I'll miss having around immensely.
Grace "Slick" "Seimy" Seim - I'll miss having someone capable of dropping 13 assists in one game on the team, for sure - no one throws a bounce pass through traffic like her - and I'll always remember trusting her to make the right pass with .9 seconds left in OT by answering "YEAH!" to the question of "who should I pass it to??!!?!" Her defensive intensity, soccer-style vision, rainbow passes, and enthusiasm for her teammates' success are all part of what made her indispensable to us.
Sarah "Poe" Cravens (co-captain)- I'll miss her absolute knowledge of the game that came about reluctantly through torn ACL's, her commitment to this team and her teammates was unparalleled, as she came to every practice, summer session, game, etc. through TWO TORTUROUS YEARS of rehab. Naming her a captain was one of the easiest decisions of my life, because there has been NO ONE more dedicated to this team, without being able to play on it, than her. Unbelievable kid.
Ava Stier (Co-captain) - Has lead the team in rebounding for 3 years in a row, scoring for 2 of her 4 years on varsity, drew the attention of defenses across the state, finished at a high level, took a beating night in and night out without losing her cool - I'll never forget her getting cheap-shotted, two hands square in the back, by a big-time name in girls basketball, and Ava turning around to look at her, and laughing in her face. It showed that Ava fears nothing, and wouldn't be rattled by some posturing. She's been a steady presence for us, and despite gaudy career numbers in points and rebounds, did it all without an extra 10 games from that junior year (covid-shortened). We'll miss Ava's ability to do it all, crack jokes, her infectious laugh, ability to antagonize Luigi, and her drive to win.
Audrey Swanson - Has lead the team in scoring 2 of her 4 varsity years, steals a couple of times, and whenever she steps on the court, it's like a tornado has struck - the speed picks up, bodies fly, and noise fills the air, as she inspires cheers, "ooooohs" and such from the audience as she flies around at top speed. Audrey is a great leader, intense competitor, and inspiring person for the young, and even some 8th graders who think she's the greatest celebrity and person in existence (maybe she is!). I'll always remember her getting an offensive rebound + putback and-1 in the section final to put us up 10 with about 5 minutes left, because it felt like a dagger, and it turned out to be. We'll ALL remember her buzzer-beating Steph Curry 3 to beat Perham with .9 seconds left as well - legendary. We'll miss Audrey immensely, as she does so much on the court for us, but also does so much off of it.
We also had quite a few managers that were seniors that deserve special shoutout -
Nora Bailey got injured this year, but stuck it out for us, and we're so lucky to have her every day; She's so kind, warm, smart, and giving with her time and perspective that just having her around makes everyone feel better and happier;
Natalie Whitehead gifted us with her signature blend of understated wit, basketball IQ, and twinkle-eyed mirth as she managed games for us this year, and we're very lucky for it - one of the best people around.
Tyler Frisinger completed his legendary run as 4-year manager / bookkeper of 9th grade games / bus rider extroardinaire / friend of Coach D; he's been very giving of his time, video skills, wifi-hacking, but was also rewarded by having his own hotel room when we made it to state, so that was pretty sweet for him. He's officially a managing hall-of-famer.
Jordan Grell came back this year as well, and having her around is always great - it's just too bad she gave up basketball so early in her youth, as her athleticism could've proven to be a problem for other teams! Jordan's failure to watch Frequency yet has not gone unnoticed, yet, though, so she still has something to learn in her senior year - You're on notice, JG!!!
Ellie Thomas was living large this year - not only because her favorite restaurant, Taco Bell, came to Waconia, but her antics leveled up as well - her lucky sideline glass made me freak out every time I saw it; her sad/great sideline cup was classy; her willingness to drive to other schools to find water bottles is the stuff epics are made of, but most of all, she's just always got something cooking that everyone wants to be a part of. She still doesn't REALLY understand basketball a ton, but she's still a legend.
Elsa DeMars, while battling significant work hours, is also such a great presence to be around, that we're sorry the season isn't longer! She's always smiling, willing to judge a speedwalking contest, and just an all-time gem.
Bree Talton joined the squadron this year as well, and her signature style and wit were on display every night - she's super smart, knows the game, and calls out the real story about other players, fans, incidents, and crazy stuff that it's like having an intrepid reporter on the sidelines. She's a talented speedwalker with limited experience, and every time we get to talk we coaches feel like we're in on the real story - it's how we stay young, hip and spry. Fantastic addition to the crew.
Finally, thanks go to our excellent coaching staff -
Coach Von Glan came out of retirement to lend her expertise, knowledge of the game, passion, and skills to practices and games every day. She calls a great game, has fantastic insights into offenses and defenses, other teams' tendencies, Taylor Swift lyrics, coffee runs, scouting reports, position time - you name it, she's great at it. It meant the world to coach with her again, and I enjoyed every second of it. She's a legend, and deserves the utmost respect and admiration of her players.
Jeff Bessire was the new addition to the staff, and he fit right in with his kindness, enthusiasm, knowledge, skill, and infectious ability to get players to buy in. While his immense daily step-count puts us all to shame, and is not necessarily appreciated (kidding), he also brings his family members to the table - his wife coached his team to a buzzer-beating win at Eagan while he was down with Covid, and also retired at 1-0; his son was scouting Minnetonka's plays and drew 'em up for our practices and scouting reports! Hiring him was like hiring a whole crew of experts and ringers!
Kaylee Damasin was back in action, and reminded everyone of why she's the best - her jokes, laughter, patience, swagger, knowledge of Michigan, and ability to get the absolute best out of her teams was on display all year, and she battled through some sickness herself to come back. Her dedication to the girls is fantastic and inspiring, even when no one hears her banging on the door in below zero weather coming from the middle school; when KD walks into the gym, everyone smiles, laughs, and yells her name, and that's just really, really great.
I'd also like to thank our Athletic Director Jill Johnson for her support all year, and Murf Schwirtz as well, for setting everything up, making last minute adjustments, and supporting the program as a whole. We couldn't do it without your steadfast dedication to our athletes, doing what's right, and caring immensely about the people, players, employees, trainers, coaches, and teachers that make up our district.
Thanks to all the parents, fans, and supporters we have out there - we couldn't do it without you, and we were very happy to have fans in the stands once again this year.
More to come in the form of stats, end-of-year banquets, and end-of-year player meetings will follow, but I'd like to leave on this note: I'm immensely proud of our players and what they accomplished and stood for this year. Not every program in Minnesota can say that, but we can - they are kind, morally upright, empathetic future leaders and citizens of our society, and getting to coach them every day is a privilege. It gives me confidence in the future, if we have leaders like the girls on our team in charge, and I'm thankful for every day that I got to spend coaching them.
Some words about our seniors: They have seen the most tumultuous of years in their high school careers; Freshman year, they saw us lose in the section finals on a last-second lefty-runner buzzer beater, a possession away from our first state tournament; then, sophomore year, they battle through one of the toughest schedules in MN, peak in March to make a run to our first ever state tournament, win our first ever game in school history at that State tourney in overtime, hear about the NBA and college shutting down the same night, hope they have a game the next day, learn before the game that they have to win or they're done, for it all to be called off anyway! Junior year, in a season shortened by a month-and-a-half and 10 games, hoping they even GET a season, they propel us to winning the conference, and we were 1 clutch time bucket away from a back-to-back state tourney appearance in the most physical basketball game I've ever seen; and then senior year, they have to move from AAA to AAAA, change conferences, and get placed in the section with at least 5 teams that were ranked top 10 in the state at one point or another (one of which we beat when they were #10!). It's legendary stuff from this senior class, and they did it all while having each others' backs, fighting to get better every day, winning the must-win games, stealing 1 more steal than we needed to meet our goal, standing for the right things in life that matter the most, supporting other teams in their times of trial, making sure all our younger players felt seen, and part of the larger story - these are some great humans; Some of the loudest cheers they had were when getting crazy for the 9th grade win over BSM at the last second, or watching the JV make crazy plays; they were one of the best senior groups we've ever had, and we'll miss them immensely. They are: Mackenzie Amundson, Lauren Hanson, Kiley Sazama, Morgan Meyer, Grace Seim, Sarah Cravens, Ava Stier, and Audrey Swanson. We'll miss many things about them, but here are some specifics, just from me:
Kenzie blocking 7 shots against Marshall, and her speed with which she calls out who gets to go first in practice (and her ace in the hole is that she's oldest, so we always have to listen to her);
Lauren "Olgie" "Olga" "Olgis" Hanson - her lightning fast passes, her plethora of nicknames, and the way she knows exactly who is trying to get away with what at all times - her selflessness, kindness, laughter and wit have been a constant for us over the years; she sacrificed for the team every time, was physical, funny, and loved by all. Just a fantastic, wonderful teammate and person.
Kiley "Sizzle" Sazama - she's hit many 3's over the years, and hit many against Kennedy, but no one will forget when she lined up her "white-liner" on senior night, a shot she's been claiming she'll shoot since maybe 8th grade! The look on Luigi's face when she shot it was priceless and unforgettable. I don't know who I'm going to write messages to on the practice plans next year, but I'll miss writing to Sizzle every day in all caps.
Morgan "MO" Meyer - I loved seeing the way she came after people defensively, and hit miracle shots over people seemingly 4x her size; she has so much heart and love for the game, and a cruel hand was dealt in her breaking her hand for most of this year, but she's a great, empathetic soul that I'll miss having around immensely.
Grace "Slick" "Seimy" Seim - I'll miss having someone capable of dropping 13 assists in one game on the team, for sure - no one throws a bounce pass through traffic like her - and I'll always remember trusting her to make the right pass with .9 seconds left in OT by answering "YEAH!" to the question of "who should I pass it to??!!?!" Her defensive intensity, soccer-style vision, rainbow passes, and enthusiasm for her teammates' success are all part of what made her indispensable to us.
Sarah "Poe" Cravens (co-captain)- I'll miss her absolute knowledge of the game that came about reluctantly through torn ACL's, her commitment to this team and her teammates was unparalleled, as she came to every practice, summer session, game, etc. through TWO TORTUROUS YEARS of rehab. Naming her a captain was one of the easiest decisions of my life, because there has been NO ONE more dedicated to this team, without being able to play on it, than her. Unbelievable kid.
Ava Stier (Co-captain) - Has lead the team in rebounding for 3 years in a row, scoring for 2 of her 4 years on varsity, drew the attention of defenses across the state, finished at a high level, took a beating night in and night out without losing her cool - I'll never forget her getting cheap-shotted, two hands square in the back, by a big-time name in girls basketball, and Ava turning around to look at her, and laughing in her face. It showed that Ava fears nothing, and wouldn't be rattled by some posturing. She's been a steady presence for us, and despite gaudy career numbers in points and rebounds, did it all without an extra 10 games from that junior year (covid-shortened). We'll miss Ava's ability to do it all, crack jokes, her infectious laugh, ability to antagonize Luigi, and her drive to win.
Audrey Swanson - Has lead the team in scoring 2 of her 4 varsity years, steals a couple of times, and whenever she steps on the court, it's like a tornado has struck - the speed picks up, bodies fly, and noise fills the air, as she inspires cheers, "ooooohs" and such from the audience as she flies around at top speed. Audrey is a great leader, intense competitor, and inspiring person for the young, and even some 8th graders who think she's the greatest celebrity and person in existence (maybe she is!). I'll always remember her getting an offensive rebound + putback and-1 in the section final to put us up 10 with about 5 minutes left, because it felt like a dagger, and it turned out to be. We'll ALL remember her buzzer-beating Steph Curry 3 to beat Perham with .9 seconds left as well - legendary. We'll miss Audrey immensely, as she does so much on the court for us, but also does so much off of it.
We also had quite a few managers that were seniors that deserve special shoutout -
Nora Bailey got injured this year, but stuck it out for us, and we're so lucky to have her every day; She's so kind, warm, smart, and giving with her time and perspective that just having her around makes everyone feel better and happier;
Natalie Whitehead gifted us with her signature blend of understated wit, basketball IQ, and twinkle-eyed mirth as she managed games for us this year, and we're very lucky for it - one of the best people around.
Tyler Frisinger completed his legendary run as 4-year manager / bookkeper of 9th grade games / bus rider extroardinaire / friend of Coach D; he's been very giving of his time, video skills, wifi-hacking, but was also rewarded by having his own hotel room when we made it to state, so that was pretty sweet for him. He's officially a managing hall-of-famer.
Jordan Grell came back this year as well, and having her around is always great - it's just too bad she gave up basketball so early in her youth, as her athleticism could've proven to be a problem for other teams! Jordan's failure to watch Frequency yet has not gone unnoticed, yet, though, so she still has something to learn in her senior year - You're on notice, JG!!!
Ellie Thomas was living large this year - not only because her favorite restaurant, Taco Bell, came to Waconia, but her antics leveled up as well - her lucky sideline glass made me freak out every time I saw it; her sad/great sideline cup was classy; her willingness to drive to other schools to find water bottles is the stuff epics are made of, but most of all, she's just always got something cooking that everyone wants to be a part of. She still doesn't REALLY understand basketball a ton, but she's still a legend.
Elsa DeMars, while battling significant work hours, is also such a great presence to be around, that we're sorry the season isn't longer! She's always smiling, willing to judge a speedwalking contest, and just an all-time gem.
Bree Talton joined the squadron this year as well, and her signature style and wit were on display every night - she's super smart, knows the game, and calls out the real story about other players, fans, incidents, and crazy stuff that it's like having an intrepid reporter on the sidelines. She's a talented speedwalker with limited experience, and every time we get to talk we coaches feel like we're in on the real story - it's how we stay young, hip and spry. Fantastic addition to the crew.
Finally, thanks go to our excellent coaching staff -
Coach Von Glan came out of retirement to lend her expertise, knowledge of the game, passion, and skills to practices and games every day. She calls a great game, has fantastic insights into offenses and defenses, other teams' tendencies, Taylor Swift lyrics, coffee runs, scouting reports, position time - you name it, she's great at it. It meant the world to coach with her again, and I enjoyed every second of it. She's a legend, and deserves the utmost respect and admiration of her players.
Jeff Bessire was the new addition to the staff, and he fit right in with his kindness, enthusiasm, knowledge, skill, and infectious ability to get players to buy in. While his immense daily step-count puts us all to shame, and is not necessarily appreciated (kidding), he also brings his family members to the table - his wife coached his team to a buzzer-beating win at Eagan while he was down with Covid, and also retired at 1-0; his son was scouting Minnetonka's plays and drew 'em up for our practices and scouting reports! Hiring him was like hiring a whole crew of experts and ringers!
Kaylee Damasin was back in action, and reminded everyone of why she's the best - her jokes, laughter, patience, swagger, knowledge of Michigan, and ability to get the absolute best out of her teams was on display all year, and she battled through some sickness herself to come back. Her dedication to the girls is fantastic and inspiring, even when no one hears her banging on the door in below zero weather coming from the middle school; when KD walks into the gym, everyone smiles, laughs, and yells her name, and that's just really, really great.
I'd also like to thank our Athletic Director Jill Johnson for her support all year, and Murf Schwirtz as well, for setting everything up, making last minute adjustments, and supporting the program as a whole. We couldn't do it without your steadfast dedication to our athletes, doing what's right, and caring immensely about the people, players, employees, trainers, coaches, and teachers that make up our district.
Thanks to all the parents, fans, and supporters we have out there - we couldn't do it without you, and we were very happy to have fans in the stands once again this year.
More to come in the form of stats, end-of-year banquets, and end-of-year player meetings will follow, but I'd like to leave on this note: I'm immensely proud of our players and what they accomplished and stood for this year. Not every program in Minnesota can say that, but we can - they are kind, morally upright, empathetic future leaders and citizens of our society, and getting to coach them every day is a privilege. It gives me confidence in the future, if we have leaders like the girls on our team in charge, and I'm thankful for every day that I got to spend coaching them.
Wildcats earn 6 seed in most ridiculously-loaded section in the state
We knew AAAA would be different, but this section, 2AAAA, is crazy. The Wildcats met a team goal we set for ourselves and finished 16-10 in the regular season, finishing 4th in a very challenging new conference, but in our section, even a top-10 team like Shakopee, who is 21-3 on the year, is a 4 seed!!!!!???!?!! Our section alone is home to these top-ranked teams in the state: #2 EP, #3 Tonka, #7 Chaska, #8 Chaska; Chanhassen was a top 10 team for a long time; etc.! Holy crap. So, even though in many other sections we'd be a top 3-type of team, perhaps, and are top-25 in AAAA, we still earned the 6 seed. Here's how it breaks down: 1. Chaska 2. Eden Prairie 3. Minnetonka 4. Shakopee 5. Chanhassen 6. Waconia 7. Edina 8. (Vacated - bye for Chaska).
This gives us a 1st round matchup vs. Minnetonka, to be played at Minnetonka high school on Wednesday. Despite their recent tumult, they have still prevailed against quality top teams like Wayzata, St. Michael-Albertville, etc., and are rated #3 in AAAA, so obviously they are very good. But, there's no better role in all of sports than the underdog, and we're coming in with quality players, who believe in one another, and have won 7 of 10 and are looking to peak in March! Please come out and support this extraordinary group of kids, with 8 seniors that want to bring the noise to our first year in AAAA sections!
This gives us a 1st round matchup vs. Minnetonka, to be played at Minnetonka high school on Wednesday. Despite their recent tumult, they have still prevailed against quality top teams like Wayzata, St. Michael-Albertville, etc., and are rated #3 in AAAA, so obviously they are very good. But, there's no better role in all of sports than the underdog, and we're coming in with quality players, who believe in one another, and have won 7 of 10 and are looking to peak in March! Please come out and support this extraordinary group of kids, with 8 seniors that want to bring the noise to our first year in AAAA sections!
Wildcats wrap regular season with 59-52 road win, finish 16-10 in regular season
We went on the road to close out the regular season at Cooper, and gutted out a 59-52 road win. This brought us to 16 wins on the year, going for 7 in our last 10, and overachieving a team goal we set for ourselves. We had divided up games, way back in early January, into "must-wins" and "steals", knowing that if we took care of business in our must-win games, and got at least 1 of 5 steals, we'd achieve our team goal, and we went above and beyond, getting 2 steals, and getting all our must-wins! I'm very proud of this team, what they've worked toward, how they focused in on playing communicatively, especially on defense; how they fight through all sorts of pressure situations, great shooting nights, not as great shooting nights, etc., and always trust each other to make the right plays. It's in all teams' best interest to peak in March, and we've put ourselves in the position to do that, and have shown that we have a lot of heart. We've seen a lot this year - overtime thrillers, buzzer beaters, blizzards, joyous things as well as sad things, but a team picks each other up and shoulders the weight for each other, no matter the situation, and that's what this team has been willing to do for each other. It's not always that way in sports, so our coaching staff really wants to express how much our players mean to us; they take on the responsibility of representing our school with class, pride, a competetive spirt, and show why they are student athletes and leaders to be admired.
The game itself tonight was a bit of a battle. We knew that they'd compete hard on senior night, and because they have competed very well against many of the teams in our conference this year. We didn't cover shooters very well like we have in previous nights recently, and it showed up with a couple of runs they made to keep them close. We struggled with our offensive flow a bit this night, and it kept the pace of the game a bit slower, which hindered our ability to get out and run and make a couple of runs ourselves. We had them in position to extend a lead on multiple occasions, but they would hit a 3, or get a big rebound or layup to stymie our attempts at and extended run. Still, we showed a lot of heart, and grit - we attacked the basket well most of the night; we attacked their press well for the most part, and made them pay with some transition buckets there; and when they went 3-2 zone, we handled it well by hitting backside cutters and getting a couple of nice buckets that way. It was a physical game, an emotional game, and part of that was the context of what the Cooper team has been through these past weeks. We came into this game wanting to show how WE, as a team, support and respect not only one another, and the game, but also our opponents (thus, the orange ribbon on shoes and hair) and the fact that we get to play - we've learned these last 2 years that it can all go away at any second, so we have to truly embrace the moment we're in and represent ourselves, our school, and our community well. It's a lot to ask of our players, to shoulder the weight of the world around them and to be unflappable while doing it; our team is made up of fantastic people, and I couldn't be prouder.
Stats are of course unofficial, but here's a tentative breakdown of scoring, at least:
Keaveny - 3 pts, 4 boards, and 4 assists, with 0 turnovers and a team-high +14 on the night - a complete performance with a big and-1 in clutch time!
Lauwagie - 6 pts, 2 boards, and good defensive pressure; she speeds up the game when she's in, which is good!
Seim - 2 pts, 5 boards, 2 assists
Cravens - 1 pt, 1 stl
Swanson - 15 pts, 4 boards, 2 assists and 2 steals
Stier - 25 pts, 9 boards, 3 assists, and 2 steals, in a pretty dominant performance!
Amundson - 7 pts, 4 boards, and 2 assists, both in clutch time bombing passes in the pressbreak!
JV - Coach Von Glan says:
Our JV lost a tough one tonight against Cooper, 33-38. Cooper shot well throughout and gave us a challenge of handling their 3-2 zone and full court press. However, we did some great battling of our own - including long term pressing and simply handling the intensity of the game.
It is hard to comprehend that this was our last JV game of the season (I think I’m still mentally in the single digits of January, however that works). Even though we are never getting back together for another game, I couldn’t be happier for my time spent with this group of incredible young ladies. I look forward to both Varsity section play starting next week, as well as a future banquet to celebrate each of them and their accomplishments.
Thank you for reading. These recaps were brought to you by “All Too Well” 10 Minute Version (Taylor’s Version).
B got to travel to Wayzata today to take on the Trojans in game 3 in 3 days! Coach Bessire says: "We had 5 minutes to warm up, and played good defense for at least 12 of the first minutes of the game, but only were able to manage 5 points on some cold shooting in the first half. The girls played extremely hard, and I'm extremely proud of them. Here are a couple of photos from our final team meeting (see below). All the girls wrote notes to Ellenora since she will not be back next year, off loving an exotic life of adventure overseas! We'll miss her, and her antics, immensely!"
9th grade - They fell to a tough Cooper team, who wanted revenge for us beating them earlier this year. Still, I saw great things out of this group, who has shown immense improvement throughout the year, especially on the defensive end. I saw a lot of blocked shots, attempted charges taken, steals, crazy plays, falling-down passes, finger rolls, you name it, they did it! It's been really fun to watch this team the last couple of months do their thing, and coach D says she's very proud of the way they've come together!
Wildcats fall down the stretch to BSM
A fantastic defensive first half helped us to a 24-20 halftime lead as we took on the #5AAA BSM Red Knights, and we did a good job containing their two talented scorers, Olson and McGee, using a mix of W-W and zone. In the 2nd half, we hit some shots early as the game sped up and had a nice lead through the first part of the 2nd, but as the game tightened and a couple of costly turnovers and missed shots for us happened, they made some extremely contested shots inside and a couple of 3's, and eventually took a lead down the stretch, and we fell for the first time in 6 games, 56-62. The girls played a great game, a physical game (bodies were flying all around the court, as late-season basketball and playoff basketball always brings out that physical play) and great defense throughout - they just got some shots to fall that we didn't get to fall down the stretch at the wrong time. I'm proud of our effort, I'm proud of the way we competed and didn't quit, and if we had made a couple of more shots that we've been hitting as of late...well, we were right there! We've been competing and playing physically and defending well as of late, and it's powered us to winning 7 of our last 10, and it's a good thing to be striving to peak at the right time - not January, but March! Stat-line:
Stier - 24, 7 boards, an assist and 2 steals
Swanson - 7 pts, 10 boards, 2 assists
Roitenberg - 7 pts, 1 assist
Lauwagie - 5 pts, 1 board and steal
Seim - 5 pts, 4 boards, 4 assists, 2 steals
Amundson - 4 pts, 9 boards, 3 steals and a block
Keaveny - 3 pts, 3 boards, 2 assists
Cravens - 1 pt, 1 steal
JV looked fantastic in stretches vs. BSM tonight, and despite a run by BSM where we kind of took our collective feet off the gas in the 2nd half, we emerged with the win. Our press looked great, our active defense, when we were really engaged and in attack mode, was great, and lead to many fastbreak opportunities, layups, open looks, and such things. The JV squadron is really bringing the fire lately, and it's really fun to watch!
B - couldn't make enough shots on this night, but still worked really hard the whole game. Lost 25-34 in the end, but now B will end with 3 games in 3 days, with them going to Chan tomorrow night and to Wayzata on Friday night!
Stier - 24, 7 boards, an assist and 2 steals
Swanson - 7 pts, 10 boards, 2 assists
Roitenberg - 7 pts, 1 assist
Lauwagie - 5 pts, 1 board and steal
Seim - 5 pts, 4 boards, 4 assists, 2 steals
Amundson - 4 pts, 9 boards, 3 steals and a block
Keaveny - 3 pts, 3 boards, 2 assists
Cravens - 1 pt, 1 steal
JV looked fantastic in stretches vs. BSM tonight, and despite a run by BSM where we kind of took our collective feet off the gas in the 2nd half, we emerged with the win. Our press looked great, our active defense, when we were really engaged and in attack mode, was great, and lead to many fastbreak opportunities, layups, open looks, and such things. The JV squadron is really bringing the fire lately, and it's really fun to watch!
B - couldn't make enough shots on this night, but still worked really hard the whole game. Lost 25-34 in the end, but now B will end with 3 games in 3 days, with them going to Chan tomorrow night and to Wayzata on Friday night!
6th in a row for Wildcats, as well as a program sweep, vs. SLP
Our Wildcats battled through many of the injuries, fatigue, and such things present this time of year by showing mental toughness, physicality, and a collective will to win to push the winning streak to 6 against a tough St. Louis Park team that had just beaten conference power Benilde-St. Margaret's on Tuesday night. The win pushes the Wildcats to one of our goals for the year, to win at least 15 games, and I couldn't be prouder of how we've battled, gelled, and shown extreme toughness, both physically and mentally, to push the record to 15-9, and 11-5 so far in our first year in the Metro West Conference. We are currently in a battle, QRF-wise, with a couple teams in our extremely, absurdly loaded section, so a win over a quality AAAA team tonight meant the world.
To do it tonight, we had to get out to SLP's extremely flammable outside shooters, who've powered them to some great wins so far this year, and whether we were in a zone or W-W, we covered enough ground and communicated well enough out there to get the stops that we needed and disrupt their rhythm. Offensively, they were fighting to front the post and double touches, like some teams have this year, so we had to try and find ways to move the ball first to get some good inside looks, and we did a better job of it in the 2nd half. Despite some missed layups and shots inside, we still took a 3-point lead into the 2nd half. We battled throughout much of the 2nd half, got some big shots to fall, had some great cuts from outside in, and just kind of gutted it out. When we got some nice separation down the stretch, it was because we attacked their pressure. We always talk about how we have to make teams pay for pressing us, and because we've got some bigs who can really pass and see over the defense, we were able to make some plays down the stretch, finish some fast break layups, and maintain the lead against a very tough SLP team. Maybe the sweetest version of this stretch was: inbounded against the press, quick reverse pass to Cravens cutting in the middle, who took it down in a 3-on-1, who then threw a no-look bounce pass to her teammate (Swanson? not sure right now) cutting down the left for a layup to add to the lead down the stretch - it was sweet, and a huge play. I'm very proud of another total team effort, where we got so many contributions from so many players.
Stats will be added later, but here are the points:
Keaveny - 4 pts, 1 board, 1 assist
Lauwagie - 3 pts, 2 boards, 2 steals
Seim - 2 pts, 8 boards and an assist
Cravens - 10 pts, 2 boards, 2 assists, and a block
Swanson - 20 pts, and a monster 16 boards (!!), 2 steals
Roitenberg - 4 pts, 3 boards and an assist
Stier - 17 pts, 12 boards (!!!), an assist, and 2 blocks
Amundson - 5 pts, 8 boards, 5 assists, and 2 blocks, filling up the stat sheet again!
Sazama - 4 boards and an assist
JV Wildcats had a dominant win on this night, showing extreme defensive intensity, great finishing, some nice shots and cuts, another bloody nose (that trashcan by the door is now known as the "bloody bucket"), and another great team-oriented win. This team has been competing at a high level for weeks now, and we're really seeing these players come into their own as a team, working together in the best ways. More to come on them soon.
9th grade had one of the wildest finishes of their year, and perhaps their HS careers, in beating SLP at the buzzer! Check our twitter feed to see the final .47 seconds, which were crazy, and included our varsity / jv storming the court. We were down 2 with I believe 36 seconds left, and coach D slapped on a press. We got a tip into a steal, scrapped a loose ball from the ground, kicked to an open shooter for a baseline jumper to tie the game with about 17 seconds left; We stayed in the press during the tie game, and SLP threw a long-ball! We sprinted back at it, got a tip, and then chaos ensued: 3 different scrums for the ball, one girl falling to her knees and dribbling to prevent the travel, another scrum or two, and the ball popped back to an open shooter on the left side, who then made the layup with around 1 second left! The buzzer went off! The celebration ensued! The JV/Varsity stormed the 9th grade players! It was really, really great, and fun, and a fantastic win for the team who just gutted out a comeback at the buzzer! Seriously, watch our twitter feed and check it out (I can't put video on here, as I'd have to pay for the upgrade...lame).
Next week we play BSM at home on Tuesday, and it'll be parents night that night! Be there! Then, we'll finish the regular season at Cooper on Friday.
To do it tonight, we had to get out to SLP's extremely flammable outside shooters, who've powered them to some great wins so far this year, and whether we were in a zone or W-W, we covered enough ground and communicated well enough out there to get the stops that we needed and disrupt their rhythm. Offensively, they were fighting to front the post and double touches, like some teams have this year, so we had to try and find ways to move the ball first to get some good inside looks, and we did a better job of it in the 2nd half. Despite some missed layups and shots inside, we still took a 3-point lead into the 2nd half. We battled throughout much of the 2nd half, got some big shots to fall, had some great cuts from outside in, and just kind of gutted it out. When we got some nice separation down the stretch, it was because we attacked their pressure. We always talk about how we have to make teams pay for pressing us, and because we've got some bigs who can really pass and see over the defense, we were able to make some plays down the stretch, finish some fast break layups, and maintain the lead against a very tough SLP team. Maybe the sweetest version of this stretch was: inbounded against the press, quick reverse pass to Cravens cutting in the middle, who took it down in a 3-on-1, who then threw a no-look bounce pass to her teammate (Swanson? not sure right now) cutting down the left for a layup to add to the lead down the stretch - it was sweet, and a huge play. I'm very proud of another total team effort, where we got so many contributions from so many players.
Stats will be added later, but here are the points:
Keaveny - 4 pts, 1 board, 1 assist
Lauwagie - 3 pts, 2 boards, 2 steals
Seim - 2 pts, 8 boards and an assist
Cravens - 10 pts, 2 boards, 2 assists, and a block
Swanson - 20 pts, and a monster 16 boards (!!), 2 steals
Roitenberg - 4 pts, 3 boards and an assist
Stier - 17 pts, 12 boards (!!!), an assist, and 2 blocks
Amundson - 5 pts, 8 boards, 5 assists, and 2 blocks, filling up the stat sheet again!
Sazama - 4 boards and an assist
JV Wildcats had a dominant win on this night, showing extreme defensive intensity, great finishing, some nice shots and cuts, another bloody nose (that trashcan by the door is now known as the "bloody bucket"), and another great team-oriented win. This team has been competing at a high level for weeks now, and we're really seeing these players come into their own as a team, working together in the best ways. More to come on them soon.
9th grade had one of the wildest finishes of their year, and perhaps their HS careers, in beating SLP at the buzzer! Check our twitter feed to see the final .47 seconds, which were crazy, and included our varsity / jv storming the court. We were down 2 with I believe 36 seconds left, and coach D slapped on a press. We got a tip into a steal, scrapped a loose ball from the ground, kicked to an open shooter for a baseline jumper to tie the game with about 17 seconds left; We stayed in the press during the tie game, and SLP threw a long-ball! We sprinted back at it, got a tip, and then chaos ensued: 3 different scrums for the ball, one girl falling to her knees and dribbling to prevent the travel, another scrum or two, and the ball popped back to an open shooter on the left side, who then made the layup with around 1 second left! The buzzer went off! The celebration ensued! The JV/Varsity stormed the 9th grade players! It was really, really great, and fun, and a fantastic win for the team who just gutted out a comeback at the buzzer! Seriously, watch our twitter feed and check it out (I can't put video on here, as I'd have to pay for the upgrade...lame).
Next week we play BSM at home on Tuesday, and it'll be parents night that night! Be there! Then, we'll finish the regular season at Cooper on Friday.
Wildcats win fifth in a row in a tough battle at orono
We've been working all year to become better defenders, move better on offense, and handle the pressure that teams will throw at us, and while we had a tougher first half with a couple of those issues, another aspect of our team really shone through on this night: mental toughness. It's very hard to beat a good team twice, and Orono is a very good team - they took Wayzata to OT, only lost to Chaska by 10, and myriad other wins and battles, and to play them 2x in 5 games is really tough, especially when coming onto their home floor. We battled through a couple of things in the first half: some tough calls that didn't go our way, containing penetration, and a buzzer-beating bank 3. But, when we don't have everything go exactly the way we'd like it, it's important to double down on competing physically, getting stops, and not blaming things that we can't control, and we showed that ability in the 2nd half. It didn't matter how many calls did or didn't go our way, because we fought, were physical, communicated well on defense, and got out and ran at key moments to stay in the game, take a lead here and there, and eventually stretch that lead down through crunch time. By the time it was time to clock it, Orono only had 1 foul as a team, so it took a lot of time and out of bounds plays to get to the bonus, finally, and we showed some good composure against all that pressure, even getting a bucket and a couple of free throws during that stretch. They hit a really deep 3 and a quick 2 in the comeback attempt, but we held them off as a team by remaining calm, cutting purposefully, and being physical with the ball. It was a great team effort, and had many players stepping up at key moments.
Kenzie Amundson got a bunch of blocks early; Sazama, Roitenberg, and Keaveny hit key 3's at big moments; despite being double-teamed pretty much all game long, both Swanson and Stier found ways to get the ball and be aggressive - cutting from the backside, running the floor, and just kind of powering through in big moments when we needed them to create their own shot. Also, Gabby Lauwagie brought some great intensity, a couple of steals, some great defensive pressure, and definitely didn't travel when she made a fastbreak layup in the 2nd half. Seim and Cravens kept us calm all game long and picked her spots well, and hit a huge jumper in the 2nd half; In any tough win, it's a total team effort, and this was a great example of that to keep the winning streak alive!
Stats are incomplete, but scoring was like this:
Stier: 16 points, 8 boards, 1 assist and block
Swanson: 16 points, 5 boards and a block
Keaveny with a huge 11 points, 4 assists, an assist and a steal
Sazama with 6 pts, 2 boards and a steal, and some deflections to disrupt their offense
Seim 2 points, 3 boards, and 2 assists
Cravens 4 points and 1 each of a steal, assist and block
Amundson - 4 points, 7 boards, 4 assists, a steal and 3 blocks - filled up the stat sheet!
Lauwagie with 4 points, 5 boards, 3 assists, a steal, and a lot of hustle and speed and running the floor and disruptiveness on the floor - this was a fantastic game for her, and she brought a ton to our team in this game that helped us will the win
Roitenberg 3 pts, 2 boards, 3 assists and a steal - another dynamic couple of stretches from Hallie!
Vonny says: "JV earned a 55-49 win on the road against an impressive Orono. It was an intense buzzer to buzzer game, with an especially incredible first half for Waconia! We executed sets, knocked down shots and made plays on the defensive end. We were certainly in a rhythm and let me tell you now, I’m the lucky one to have the opportunity to coach these gals. Tonight, we had individuals step up to make plays and step into different roles that led us to this dub. Everyone contributed in one way or another on the floor and it’s especially fun to see everyone in the scorebook. Other highlights include playing random children’s games while waiting for Varsity to complete warm ups."
-Amber, 13 points
-Kayla, 9 points
-Gabby, 7 points
-Clara & Tori, 6 points
B had a dominating defensive performance on this night, keeping the other team to only 12 points! We won the game 36-12, and showed great hustle not only defensively but on the offensive boards as well. It was a great win!
Kenzie Amundson got a bunch of blocks early; Sazama, Roitenberg, and Keaveny hit key 3's at big moments; despite being double-teamed pretty much all game long, both Swanson and Stier found ways to get the ball and be aggressive - cutting from the backside, running the floor, and just kind of powering through in big moments when we needed them to create their own shot. Also, Gabby Lauwagie brought some great intensity, a couple of steals, some great defensive pressure, and definitely didn't travel when she made a fastbreak layup in the 2nd half. Seim and Cravens kept us calm all game long and picked her spots well, and hit a huge jumper in the 2nd half; In any tough win, it's a total team effort, and this was a great example of that to keep the winning streak alive!
Stats are incomplete, but scoring was like this:
Stier: 16 points, 8 boards, 1 assist and block
Swanson: 16 points, 5 boards and a block
Keaveny with a huge 11 points, 4 assists, an assist and a steal
Sazama with 6 pts, 2 boards and a steal, and some deflections to disrupt their offense
Seim 2 points, 3 boards, and 2 assists
Cravens 4 points and 1 each of a steal, assist and block
Amundson - 4 points, 7 boards, 4 assists, a steal and 3 blocks - filled up the stat sheet!
Lauwagie with 4 points, 5 boards, 3 assists, a steal, and a lot of hustle and speed and running the floor and disruptiveness on the floor - this was a fantastic game for her, and she brought a ton to our team in this game that helped us will the win
Roitenberg 3 pts, 2 boards, 3 assists and a steal - another dynamic couple of stretches from Hallie!
Vonny says: "JV earned a 55-49 win on the road against an impressive Orono. It was an intense buzzer to buzzer game, with an especially incredible first half for Waconia! We executed sets, knocked down shots and made plays on the defensive end. We were certainly in a rhythm and let me tell you now, I’m the lucky one to have the opportunity to coach these gals. Tonight, we had individuals step up to make plays and step into different roles that led us to this dub. Everyone contributed in one way or another on the floor and it’s especially fun to see everyone in the scorebook. Other highlights include playing random children’s games while waiting for Varsity to complete warm ups."
-Amber, 13 points
-Kayla, 9 points
-Gabby, 7 points
-Clara & Tori, 6 points
B had a dominating defensive performance on this night, keeping the other team to only 12 points! We won the game 36-12, and showed great hustle not only defensively but on the offensive boards as well. It was a great win!
senior night a success as wildcats beat new prague
It was a great night to honor our 8 senior players, and 6 senior managers (!!!), as we came out with great fire, played fantastic defense, and shot the ball well from 3 to emerge with the win against New Prague! Here's what I said pre-game about seniors:
We have 8 seniors this year, and 6 senior managers that have shown immense dedication and commitment to our team and program throughout the years, and it’s not surprising, because ever since they were in middle school, this team, together, has shown their commitment to each other on the basketball court, as well as off of it. They were always the group that was most loudly supportive of one another, playing basketball with joy and vigor. So, we’ve been very lucky to have them together this year, and all of the past few years of high school, where they’ve seen State tournaments, and playoff heartbreakers, and made countless memories that are all enhanced by the great vibes they have for each other. So, here are some underclasswomen with great things to say about them!
Some of our managers have been with us for 4 years, 3 years, 2, and 1, and are just fantastic people, which is why we love having them with us. Tyler Frysinger, Jordan Grell, Ellie Thomas, Nora Bailey, Natalie Whitehead, and Elsa DeMars are legends, charismatic, funny, and great in every way, and I'm so thankful that they've been there for us for this and other years.
Back to the game: we played great defense against New Prague's cutting offense, and mixed in some zone as well to disrupt cuts and fly around to shooters. We did a great job running them off the line, communicating, and locking in defensively, which has been a huge reason for a lot of our recent success. We held them to only 16 points in the first half, which allowed us to overcome some early turnover trouble and missed shots to get a rhythm offensively, get some easy buckets inside, and take some of the pressure off so we could knock down some shots. When Sazama came in and knocked down a couple of 3's in a row, others could feel the shift in the game, and we made some others from distance as well - Cravens hit a couple of 3's in the first half, Stier hit a couple, and we were off! We didn't let up in the 2nd, and stayed solid defensively, got some more inside buckets, and took care of business. It was a great effort by our seniors, by our underclasswomen, and everyone involved on this unselfish team.
Scoring (stats still being tabulated):
Kiley Sazama lead the way with 12 points, hitting 4 3's on the night (and almost made the white-liner she's been promising to shoot) and 3 boards;
Sarah Cravens also shot the ball very well, hitting 3 3's herself, and scoring 13, pts, 2 boards and 3 assists
Stier continued her hot shooting with 15 pts, 6 boards, and 4 assists;
Swanson had a tough 10 (they were doubling post-ups, so our posts did a great job kicking to shooters), 5 boards, 2 assists, a steal and a block
Lauwagie with 4 pts, 4 boards, a steal, assist, block, and killed it on her speeches pre-game.
Amundson with 4 pts, 4 boards, 2 steals, 2 assists, and 2 blocks
Roitenberg with 3 pts and an assist
Seim with 2 pts, 4 boards and 5 assists
Hanson with 1 pt, good defense and solid passes
JV had another great performance, earning a hard-fought win, but did it in somewhat dominant fashion, especially defensively! More on that write-up soon.
9 unfortunately fell to the Trojans this night, but are still showing some immense improvement in how far they've come on the year! More on that as well, soon.
We have 8 seniors this year, and 6 senior managers that have shown immense dedication and commitment to our team and program throughout the years, and it’s not surprising, because ever since they were in middle school, this team, together, has shown their commitment to each other on the basketball court, as well as off of it. They were always the group that was most loudly supportive of one another, playing basketball with joy and vigor. So, we’ve been very lucky to have them together this year, and all of the past few years of high school, where they’ve seen State tournaments, and playoff heartbreakers, and made countless memories that are all enhanced by the great vibes they have for each other. So, here are some underclasswomen with great things to say about them!
Some of our managers have been with us for 4 years, 3 years, 2, and 1, and are just fantastic people, which is why we love having them with us. Tyler Frysinger, Jordan Grell, Ellie Thomas, Nora Bailey, Natalie Whitehead, and Elsa DeMars are legends, charismatic, funny, and great in every way, and I'm so thankful that they've been there for us for this and other years.
Back to the game: we played great defense against New Prague's cutting offense, and mixed in some zone as well to disrupt cuts and fly around to shooters. We did a great job running them off the line, communicating, and locking in defensively, which has been a huge reason for a lot of our recent success. We held them to only 16 points in the first half, which allowed us to overcome some early turnover trouble and missed shots to get a rhythm offensively, get some easy buckets inside, and take some of the pressure off so we could knock down some shots. When Sazama came in and knocked down a couple of 3's in a row, others could feel the shift in the game, and we made some others from distance as well - Cravens hit a couple of 3's in the first half, Stier hit a couple, and we were off! We didn't let up in the 2nd, and stayed solid defensively, got some more inside buckets, and took care of business. It was a great effort by our seniors, by our underclasswomen, and everyone involved on this unselfish team.
Scoring (stats still being tabulated):
Kiley Sazama lead the way with 12 points, hitting 4 3's on the night (and almost made the white-liner she's been promising to shoot) and 3 boards;
Sarah Cravens also shot the ball very well, hitting 3 3's herself, and scoring 13, pts, 2 boards and 3 assists
Stier continued her hot shooting with 15 pts, 6 boards, and 4 assists;
Swanson had a tough 10 (they were doubling post-ups, so our posts did a great job kicking to shooters), 5 boards, 2 assists, a steal and a block
Lauwagie with 4 pts, 4 boards, a steal, assist, block, and killed it on her speeches pre-game.
Amundson with 4 pts, 4 boards, 2 steals, 2 assists, and 2 blocks
Roitenberg with 3 pts and an assist
Seim with 2 pts, 4 boards and 5 assists
Hanson with 1 pt, good defense and solid passes
JV had another great performance, earning a hard-fought win, but did it in somewhat dominant fashion, especially defensively! More on that write-up soon.
9 unfortunately fell to the Trojans this night, but are still showing some immense improvement in how far they've come on the year! More on that as well, soon.
Wildcats play dominant defense, get win at Kennedy
While Bloomington Kennedy was missing a couple of starters, the Wildcats came out ready to play intense defense, and did a fantastic job in the first half, holding Kennedy to 19 points at the half, which allowed us to use the strength of our inside game and running in transition to jump out to a nice lead by halftime, 39-19. From there, we opened the 2nd half with another 3 kills to start, took care of business to build the lead up, and were able to get all players in throughout the final 11 minutes to get the team victory! Great team play, ball movement, rebounding, and defense lead to a good win in February, bringing the winning streak to 3, and 5 of the last 7. It was a good night, and we took care of business on the road!
Stats are going to be a bit, but here's tentative, unofficial scoring:
Swanson 24 pts., 10 boards, and 2 assists - very efficient double double!
Stier 13 pts, 6 boards, 2 assists - dominant inside!
Roitenberg 12 pts, 1 board, 1 assist - Hallie really shot the ball well, and had some nice passes as well
Keaveny 5 pts, 4 boards, and 4 assists - nice, tough effort on this night, with no turnovers as well!
Hanson 2 points, 1 board and 3 assists - she throws very crisp passes that I love.
Lauwagie 4 pts, 2 boards, and assist and a steal
Parpart 2 pts and a board
Seim 4 points, 4 boards, 2 assists and a steal
Amundson 2 pts, 7 boards, and an assist and a block
Stock 1 pt, 2 boards
Sazama - 2 boards, and assist and 2 steals
JV got the big win on the road, 48-10! Vonny says: "One for the money, two for the show - this was JV's second 30+ point win over Kennedy this season! The game seemed to progress slowly as it continued to grow from the 20-point lead at the half. A tip of the hat to our hustlers up and down the floor - it's always great to watch you do your thing! Tori 10, Kayla 10, Clara 7!"
B took to the road to Eagan, and were coached by the indomitable Terri Bessire, since Jeff was out today, and Bessire (the former) is an early candidate for coach of the year, since she guided the B team to a walkoff buzzer-beating win in her first attempt! Faith knocked down the buzzer beater, and is now almost as legendary as her coach! Dang! I can't wait to hear more about this one!
9 unfortunately fell this night - 15-32. No energy, passion, or helpside D was a recipe for the L tonight, which was a bummer! But, gotta rally and see if we can get one vs. New Prague on Friday, at Senior Night!
Stats are going to be a bit, but here's tentative, unofficial scoring:
Swanson 24 pts., 10 boards, and 2 assists - very efficient double double!
Stier 13 pts, 6 boards, 2 assists - dominant inside!
Roitenberg 12 pts, 1 board, 1 assist - Hallie really shot the ball well, and had some nice passes as well
Keaveny 5 pts, 4 boards, and 4 assists - nice, tough effort on this night, with no turnovers as well!
Hanson 2 points, 1 board and 3 assists - she throws very crisp passes that I love.
Lauwagie 4 pts, 2 boards, and assist and a steal
Parpart 2 pts and a board
Seim 4 points, 4 boards, 2 assists and a steal
Amundson 2 pts, 7 boards, and an assist and a block
Stock 1 pt, 2 boards
Sazama - 2 boards, and assist and 2 steals
JV got the big win on the road, 48-10! Vonny says: "One for the money, two for the show - this was JV's second 30+ point win over Kennedy this season! The game seemed to progress slowly as it continued to grow from the 20-point lead at the half. A tip of the hat to our hustlers up and down the floor - it's always great to watch you do your thing! Tori 10, Kayla 10, Clara 7!"
B took to the road to Eagan, and were coached by the indomitable Terri Bessire, since Jeff was out today, and Bessire (the former) is an early candidate for coach of the year, since she guided the B team to a walkoff buzzer-beating win in her first attempt! Faith knocked down the buzzer beater, and is now almost as legendary as her coach! Dang! I can't wait to hear more about this one!
9 unfortunately fell this night - 15-32. No energy, passion, or helpside D was a recipe for the L tonight, which was a bummer! But, gotta rally and see if we can get one vs. New Prague on Friday, at Senior Night!
Wildcats achieve sweep vs jaguars
Back-to-back games are tough, for conditioning reasons, for preparation reasons, and it's tough to go out there and lay it all on the line one time after another. So, it was great to see our Wildcats not only win them both at the varsity level, but also to earn a program-wide sweep two nights in a row! It was a tough matchup against a very physical Bloomington Jefferson team, especially in the middle, where many battles ensued against their varied zones and W-W defenses. We had to battle for everything we got in there, but were really bevied by outside shooting on this night - we hit 12 3's as a team, and that really helped us maintain separation down the stretch of both halves on a night where we were perhaps a step slower on defense than the previous night. At least 5 players hit 3's, but Lauren Hanson hit 2 herself coming in hot, and Ava Stier seemed to be shooting into different rims than the rest, as they looked gigantic, as she hit 7 3's on the game! She was on fire, and her teammates hooked her up with perfect pass after perfect pass, in the offense as well as in transition, and she shot them confidently and in rhythm. It was fun to see us hit 3's as a team like this, as early in the season it was other teams hitting them on us. We also met all 4 team goals on this night, for FT's, rebounding, kills, and steals, so it was a successful team night at the back end of our grueling 6-game in 10-day stretch. But it's not all over, because we signed autographs on team posters for youth night after the game, and will work the WBA tournament tomorrow and Sunday to support the younger Wildcats among us! We love youth night, and we really liked how the young players were leading cheers on the other side of the gym as we closed out the game!
Stats for the game:
Keaveny - 5 pts, 6 boards, 3 assists and a steal, in a great effort, especially rebounding the ball today, down Amundson
Lauwagie - 4 pts, 6 boards (see comment above!), an assist and a steal
Seim - 2 pts, 4 boards, 9 assists (!!!), and 2 steals - Seim doing what she does best all over the court, hooking people up with easy shots!
Cravens - 3 pts, 6 boards, 2 assists and a block!
Swanson - 21 pts, 10 boards, 2 steals and a block - a hard-fought double double on this night!
Roitenberg - 5 pts, 2 boards, an assist and 2 steals - Hallie continues to step up in ways that we need!
Hanson - 6 pts on 2/3 shooting from 3 - she continues to shoot the ball well from the outside!
Stier - 37 monster points (7/8 from 3! Holy cow!), 8 boards, 3 assists and a steal - this was Ava's best game of the year, just killing it from inside and out. She came close to a couple of team records - 9 3's made in a game is the record (Zieske) and 44 is the pts record (Schmitt). Dang!
JV came out on top as well, and really showed grit and an attacking mentality on defense, getting multiple steals for layups and fastbreak opportunities. They have really shown over the past games that when they attack and get really aggressive on defense, it spurs on their offense and allows them to play faster, freer, and get open shots for each other. This team is playing great, and it's fun to watch! Here's what Von Glan says: "Our JV squad secured another home win tonight against Jefferson, 70-28. Back-to-back games aren't easy, especially in February and when your team is down two players. Knowing that, our squad didn't focus on the obstacles; they simply played basketball. Jefferson's packed-in switching defense kept the score low and the game close initially, until our 2-2-1 press allowed our key defenders to shine. Insert deflections-steals-layups-and eventually a cushy lead. Long live all the mountains this team has moved this year. We continue to focus on our growth - as individuals, and as a team - as we continue through the back half of our long season. Keep viewing each day as an opportunity to improve, ladies! Ashley had 16, Kayla 15, Gabby 11, and Tori 10!
B has earned a 2-game winning streak! Another great performance out of this team, who is starting to come around with some great defense, is playing faster and with more fluidity, and is getting quite united and having fun. Special shoutout to coach Becca on the sidelines, stepping into player-coach territory by analyzing the game, drawing up plays for others, and just generally killing it in every way.
Stats for the game:
Keaveny - 5 pts, 6 boards, 3 assists and a steal, in a great effort, especially rebounding the ball today, down Amundson
Lauwagie - 4 pts, 6 boards (see comment above!), an assist and a steal
Seim - 2 pts, 4 boards, 9 assists (!!!), and 2 steals - Seim doing what she does best all over the court, hooking people up with easy shots!
Cravens - 3 pts, 6 boards, 2 assists and a block!
Swanson - 21 pts, 10 boards, 2 steals and a block - a hard-fought double double on this night!
Roitenberg - 5 pts, 2 boards, an assist and 2 steals - Hallie continues to step up in ways that we need!
Hanson - 6 pts on 2/3 shooting from 3 - she continues to shoot the ball well from the outside!
Stier - 37 monster points (7/8 from 3! Holy cow!), 8 boards, 3 assists and a steal - this was Ava's best game of the year, just killing it from inside and out. She came close to a couple of team records - 9 3's made in a game is the record (Zieske) and 44 is the pts record (Schmitt). Dang!
JV came out on top as well, and really showed grit and an attacking mentality on defense, getting multiple steals for layups and fastbreak opportunities. They have really shown over the past games that when they attack and get really aggressive on defense, it spurs on their offense and allows them to play faster, freer, and get open shots for each other. This team is playing great, and it's fun to watch! Here's what Von Glan says: "Our JV squad secured another home win tonight against Jefferson, 70-28. Back-to-back games aren't easy, especially in February and when your team is down two players. Knowing that, our squad didn't focus on the obstacles; they simply played basketball. Jefferson's packed-in switching defense kept the score low and the game close initially, until our 2-2-1 press allowed our key defenders to shine. Insert deflections-steals-layups-and eventually a cushy lead. Long live all the mountains this team has moved this year. We continue to focus on our growth - as individuals, and as a team - as we continue through the back half of our long season. Keep viewing each day as an opportunity to improve, ladies! Ashley had 16, Kayla 15, Gabby 11, and Tori 10!
B has earned a 2-game winning streak! Another great performance out of this team, who is starting to come around with some great defense, is playing faster and with more fluidity, and is getting quite united and having fun. Special shoutout to coach Becca on the sidelines, stepping into player-coach territory by analyzing the game, drawing up plays for others, and just generally killing it in every way.
Waconia earns sweep over conference rival Orono
6On a night that was re-scheduled from a snowpocalypse, and down a starter, the Wildcats brought defensive fire to the proceedings on this night against a very good Orono team, holding them to 19 first half points. We shot the ball well as well, and were aggressive in the halfcourt, with good spacing, room for cutters, and nice patience. We made the extra pass and looked for one another, and had many players step up not only to take them, but to make them. Again, I couldn't be prouder of our team and what we can do when we believe in each other. This was a huge win in our quest, and it was great to see the girls pick each other up and play as hard as they did. I said pre-game that we, and I especially, owed the coaching staff of coach Damasin, Bessire, and Von Glan for picking me up this week, as I was out with a huge cold (not Covid! Tested multiple times!), and coach Von Glan especially ran Varsity/JV practices for two days, prepping plays, scout team, and running the show, and she clearly got the girls ready to play against such a tough opponennt on this night, and that's what good teams do: pick each other up, and it just reminds me how lucky I am to be able to coach with such great people, with such knowledge and experience and drive, as Coaches Vonny, Bess and KD!
Stats are in process, but here's the scoring breakdown:
Swanson 26 pts, 8 boards, 2 steals, 2 blocks
Stier 20 pts, 13 boards, 6 assists - getting close to triple double territory!
Hanson 8 pts, 1 board and assist
Lauwagie 6 pts, 4 boards and an assist
Cravens 5 pts, 2 boards and an assist
Keaveny 3 pts, 3 boards and an assist
Sazama 3 pts, 3 boards an assist and a block
Roitenberg 2 pts, 3 assists!
JV won their matchup as well, playing great team defense and coming back from a slight first half deficit. What really killed in the first half was giving up too many offensive boards, and in the 2nd half they rallied to do better on that particular stat. We also got some nice jumpstarts and steals for layups that helped get the ball rolling offensively as well. Coach Vonny says: "Any win against Orono is always a great one! The JV squad worked hard all game to come back from an early 9-point deficit, only to tie up the game in the 2nd to go up by 4, to be tied again, and finally win by 9! The final score was 47-39. Incredibly proud of this team and their ability to acknowledge their obstacles and to simply shake it off. We played through the memory of our tough Monday loss and the early deficit, in particular, grabbing energy from our 2-2-1 press and 2-3 zone once again. Ashley had 26 (!!!), Kayla 9, and Amber 5!
B took on Orono as well, and coach Bessire says: "Our team played their best game in the season today. We played great defense and made a lot of key shots. Every single girl on the team scored points today, which is an amazing feat! Great win, 57-32!" This was a great game to watch, very fun, fast-paced, and was really great to see them come out with the W! Now, they get a chance to make it two-in-a-row tomorrow night! Be there as they take on Bloomington Jefferson!
Stats are in process, but here's the scoring breakdown:
Swanson 26 pts, 8 boards, 2 steals, 2 blocks
Stier 20 pts, 13 boards, 6 assists - getting close to triple double territory!
Hanson 8 pts, 1 board and assist
Lauwagie 6 pts, 4 boards and an assist
Cravens 5 pts, 2 boards and an assist
Keaveny 3 pts, 3 boards and an assist
Sazama 3 pts, 3 boards an assist and a block
Roitenberg 2 pts, 3 assists!
JV won their matchup as well, playing great team defense and coming back from a slight first half deficit. What really killed in the first half was giving up too many offensive boards, and in the 2nd half they rallied to do better on that particular stat. We also got some nice jumpstarts and steals for layups that helped get the ball rolling offensively as well. Coach Vonny says: "Any win against Orono is always a great one! The JV squad worked hard all game to come back from an early 9-point deficit, only to tie up the game in the 2nd to go up by 4, to be tied again, and finally win by 9! The final score was 47-39. Incredibly proud of this team and their ability to acknowledge their obstacles and to simply shake it off. We played through the memory of our tough Monday loss and the early deficit, in particular, grabbing energy from our 2-2-1 press and 2-3 zone once again. Ashley had 26 (!!!), Kayla 9, and Amber 5!
B took on Orono as well, and coach Bessire says: "Our team played their best game in the season today. We played great defense and made a lot of key shots. Every single girl on the team scored points today, which is an amazing feat! Great win, 57-32!" This was a great game to watch, very fun, fast-paced, and was really great to see them come out with the W! Now, they get a chance to make it two-in-a-row tomorrow night! Be there as they take on Bloomington Jefferson!
Wildcats fall to #2AAA Becker
After the previous night's huge win against a conference and section rival, that went down the wire, we started off the next game in the same manner, handling Becker's full court W-W press as well as zone press, taking advantage of our size advantage and finishing well under control. However, the pace of the game picked up even more in the 1/2 court, as Becker upped their defensive intensity without pressing, and that ended up causing sped-up turnovers and missed opportunities. Add that up and we looked pretty exhausted on this back-to-back and 3rd game in 6 days, and as shots fell short and theirs rolled in, the proverbial wheels came off. When we think of the last week, we'll think of the huge plays and effort against Chan, and use this loss as motivation, knowing it's not a true reflection of who our team is. It was just a tough way to end a furious week, but the hits will keep on coming with defending AAAA State champion on Monday, conference rival Orono and Jefferson this Thursday and Friday to complete a 6-game in 10-day stretch of craziness. We will have to rest, but fight and show immense resolve!
Scoring was a struggle, as the pressure disrupted our ability to operate well. Here are the stats:
Stier - 20 pts, 3 boards and a block
Swanson - 15 points, 9 boards, an assist and a steal
Roitenberg - 3 pts, 1 board and 2 assists
Lauwagie - 3 pts, 1 board
Keaveny - 2 pts, 1 board 1 steal
Hoxie - 2 pts, 1 board
Amundson - 2 pts, 3 boards, an assist and steal
Sazama - 1 board and steal
Cravens - 3 boards
Seim - 6 boards, 4 assists, a steal and a block
JV had to play Chaska, and will now have a chance for revenge on Monday after losing 44-42. Coach Von Glan says: lost in a last second heartbreaker to Chaska. Basketball can be a ruthless game until you play it good and right - and our matchup today was just that. Our team continues to thrive on intensity created from the defensive end of the floor. Our W-W defense never loked better than this morning and we also transitioned well into our 2-3 zone. Chaska has aggressive guards and impressive height at tis level but we managed each effectively. Another key to the game was competing the entire 32 minutes of the game; something we have challenged ourselves to do after the recent Cooper and Chan games. Though perhaps not visible in the scorebook, every singje JV player was a contributor to the game today, which I consider far more of a success for our team than a mere loss. Ashley had 18, Amber 5, and Gabby and Kayla each had 4.
Scoring was a struggle, as the pressure disrupted our ability to operate well. Here are the stats:
Stier - 20 pts, 3 boards and a block
Swanson - 15 points, 9 boards, an assist and a steal
Roitenberg - 3 pts, 1 board and 2 assists
Lauwagie - 3 pts, 1 board
Keaveny - 2 pts, 1 board 1 steal
Hoxie - 2 pts, 1 board
Amundson - 2 pts, 3 boards, an assist and steal
Sazama - 1 board and steal
Cravens - 3 boards
Seim - 6 boards, 4 assists, a steal and a block
JV had to play Chaska, and will now have a chance for revenge on Monday after losing 44-42. Coach Von Glan says: lost in a last second heartbreaker to Chaska. Basketball can be a ruthless game until you play it good and right - and our matchup today was just that. Our team continues to thrive on intensity created from the defensive end of the floor. Our W-W defense never loked better than this morning and we also transitioned well into our 2-3 zone. Chaska has aggressive guards and impressive height at tis level but we managed each effectively. Another key to the game was competing the entire 32 minutes of the game; something we have challenged ourselves to do after the recent Cooper and Chan games. Though perhaps not visible in the scorebook, every singje JV player was a contributor to the game today, which I consider far more of a success for our team than a mere loss. Ashley had 18, Amber 5, and Gabby and Kayla each had 4.
Wildcats withstand furious run to emerge with huge win vs. #13 AAAA Chanhassen Storm
We played probably our best, most complete half of basketball of the season in the first half of our game vs. conference and section opponent Chanhassen Storm, hitting shots, attacking the rim, and running the floor at strategic times. We had multiple players making shots: Sazama hit a couple big 3's, Keaveny hit a 3 and a tough finish inside, and Swanson started the game with some nice finshes and jumpers on the inside-she needed 11 points to 1000, and when she did in the first half, the gym and bench exploded in joy. Everything about Audrey's 1000 points is great, just like it was for Ava who get 1000 at BSM, so go back and read some of those comments about how much they have achieved and how their teammates over the years have helped them achieve something truly great, in addition to their countless hours in the gym. Ava and Audrey are the 9th and 10th Wildcats all-time to score 1000 points, and that's a great achievement, especially since they both played in a Covid-shortened season, and missed out on a State 3rd place game two years ago when Covid struck.
But, back to this game in particular, the biggest factor was holding Chan to 24 first half points, as we contested shooters and got rebounds so we could get out and run. It was a great defensive effort as a team! At halftime, we talked about how Chan is a great team with explosive shooters, and that they're too good to not make a run-it's what we do, how we respond, when they make a run that will matter the most, and sure enough, Hake caught fire in the 2nd half, hitting step-back 3's (one was from the logo, where in the morning basketball sessions it's worth 4 points) one after the other. That combined with them switching from one zone to another every other possession was enough to swing the momentum through much of the second half their way.
But, we got huge plays out of our seniors when it mattered most. First was, they felt confident that they could get some stops in the zone, and they were right; as a coach, I always want to listen to the voices of our players and leaders, and so when they were confident in it, it was a great call by our senior leaders! We were able to disrupt SOME of the fire from completely scorching the nets off by Hake, but that, combined with big plays in crunch time ended up being just enough to get a huge conference and section win; Some of the plays were gigantic: Amundson hit a huge jumper to get us back the lead (I think...gotta watch the video still) when they had regained it down the stretch; A great pass and cut from Seim to Swanson against their zone got us a huge bucket; Ava Stier keeping us steady all night with good patience inside, tough finishes, and a couple of 3's; Sarah Cravens is back, and dove on the floor multiple times for HUGE plays and stops, hit big free throws, and in probably the biggest play of the game, this series of plays happened: Swanson dug the ball out of a drive on their end with about 35 seconds left in the game, and took off to the other end, when we were up by 4. Swanson could've slowed it down, but saw Cravens streaking down the other end with her, and must have thought that it was dagger time, so she threw a perfect pass, in stride, to Cravens for the left handed layup to go up 6. It was gutsy, and huge, and we talk a lot about having to rip games from the arms of teams if you want to win, and that was a prime example of it.
I'm missing a couple of points on the official stats, so I'm going to wait to put the stats up until I have them all tomorrow when I can do the Hudl stats officially. But, there's no rest for the Wildcats - they take on defending State Champion Becker tomorrow at 3:45 at STMA high school for the community clash, so come out and support if you can!
Stats for Chan game:
Stier - 26 pts, 6 boards, 1 assist, 2 steals
Swanson - 18 pts, 7 boards, 2 assists, 1 steal
Cravens - 9 pts, 2 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks (!!!)
Sazama - 6 points, 1 steal
Amundson - 5 pts, 13 boards (!!!), 1 assist, 2 steals, and 2 blocks - fillin' up the stat sheet!
Seim - 5 pts, 5 boards, 5 assists and a steal
Keaveny - 5 pts, 1 board, 3 assists, 1 steal
Lauwagie - 2 pts, 4 boards, 1 assist and steal
JV - A slow start combined with some easy points left of the board from missed layups and inside buckets lead to a bit of a slow start for our JV Cats, who've been playing very well lately, but this slow start dug us a bit of a hole that, when we made our move in the 2nd half of the first got us within 10. But, a struggle against the 1-3-1 zone, combined with some missed shots were too much to overcome. We made a move late, and had some shots at it, but a pretty significant bloody nose from a nice hard take disrupted the momentum we had on the comeback attempt that had us within I believe 4. Coach Von Glan says: We lost a competetive game against Chan 40-34. Based on ability, we matched up with them well in what became a largely zone vs. zone challenge. Chanhassen kept an extended 1-3-1 going most of the game which we managed, though never felt entirely comfortable with in the halfcourt. Tonight's lesson - as with Cooper - was the importance of starting the game FAST and finishing it STRONG. To have competed in all 16 minutes of the first half would've been important and et us up for more success throughout. Aside from that, all players were key in our 2-2-1 press success in the 2nd to allow us to make our comeback and make the game competetive unti lthe end! Had a few more shots dropped, and a different set been drawn up, who knows - maybe it would've come out differently! Reflection around mid-season is key and all I can say for certain is that everything has changed with this team since winter break. I continue to remind them of that growing only more proud of their individual development and dedication to each other. I've never had a group of girls more committed to playing as a team, to each other's strengths. - Ashley had 4 steals and 6 points; Clara 2 steals; Morgan, 5 points!
B - coach Bessire says: "We lost 64-16; Slow start again was a killer. Chan has a tough defense which got a lot of transition points. We got better in the second half. Stella Limoges' defense has become a great asset for our team, as she's showing some real heart and desire to compete. That's the fire that we need to compete at a high level, and if our girls commit to it, they will get better every game." Being down some players doesn't help, certainly, but those that remain can compete at a high level if they crank up the motor.
9 - Chan was really tough this night at the 9th level, and were too much for our Cats, though a marked improvement to our performance from the first time we them! Again, another shorthanded team, but those that are here can really show some heart!
Wildcats Sweep Hawks!
The Wildcats battled at all levels and got the sweep against the Cooper Hawks on this night! I say night, because the game was delayed at the begging for a little past the normal start time, but just like any game these last two years, we're just thankful that we got to play it. At the varsity level, we played fantastic defense all night and moved our feet well, closed up the gaps, and were defensively connected all night long, and that was really the difference in the game for us. We had a somewhat slow offensive start, and lead at the half 23-14, but again, defensive intensity was the key to our success. In the second half, we opened it up a little bit more offensively, attacking the pressure better and, quite frankly, just seeing the ball go through the hoop a couple of times helped to ease a bit of the tightness we were playing with offensively. We still need more movement and spacing at times, but we're getting better and playing off of each other better as well. We took our first step toward one of our team goals on this night, and we need to keep it going through an extremely tough section of our schedule in the coming days: Chanhassen, Becker, and Chaska are all coming up!
Stats are still being tallied, but here is the book:
Stier - 24
Swanson - 15 (Swanny is now only 11 points away from 1000 for her career!)
Amundson - 10
Seim - 8
Bryfczynski - 3
Lauwagie - 2
JV - JV battled to a win! I will update the story soon! Needless to say, though, it was great.
B - Coach Bessire says: "We lost 11-57 against Chaska's team (no Cooper B level); They played solid zone defense against us, but we didn't quit. When we were able to get in our 2-2-1, it allowed us to create some turnovers. Turner and Mair both had 4 points, and Hendricks had 3.
9 - It was a wild one when the 9th battled Cooper, but we emerged victorious! Not sure of the scoring at the moment, but we put up a big 47, which I think is the most of the year! We were stopping and popping from all angles: layups on the fastbreak, 3's, pull-up jumpers, and scrapping through physicality and a competetively-natured Cooper team. The defense was impressive, as we got many stops that lead to some fastbreak action. The Varsity players were jacked up and thrilled to cheer on this offensive output, and the loud exclamations of all in the gym during this matchup was really fun to hear. It was a really fun, wild game, with multiple lead changes, and all sorts of players stepped up, made jumpers and plays, and it was great to watch!
Stats are still being tallied, but here is the book:
Stier - 24
Swanson - 15 (Swanny is now only 11 points away from 1000 for her career!)
Amundson - 10
Seim - 8
Bryfczynski - 3
Lauwagie - 2
JV - JV battled to a win! I will update the story soon! Needless to say, though, it was great.
B - Coach Bessire says: "We lost 11-57 against Chaska's team (no Cooper B level); They played solid zone defense against us, but we didn't quit. When we were able to get in our 2-2-1, it allowed us to create some turnovers. Turner and Mair both had 4 points, and Hendricks had 3.
9 - It was a wild one when the 9th battled Cooper, but we emerged victorious! Not sure of the scoring at the moment, but we put up a big 47, which I think is the most of the year! We were stopping and popping from all angles: layups on the fastbreak, 3's, pull-up jumpers, and scrapping through physicality and a competetively-natured Cooper team. The defense was impressive, as we got many stops that lead to some fastbreak action. The Varsity players were jacked up and thrilled to cheer on this offensive output, and the loud exclamations of all in the gym during this matchup was really fun to hear. It was a really fun, wild game, with multiple lead changes, and all sorts of players stepped up, made jumpers and plays, and it was great to watch!
Wildcats Battle at BSM
We battled our way to 36-32 about 1/3 through the 2nd half, but transition 3's, a couple of turnovers for layups, and going dry at the wrong time lead to a loss at BSM, 61-45. We battled well, playing great defense for most of the game and limiting pick and roll production from BSM, who excels at it. We battled physically as well, fighting for loose balls and rebounds and scrapping away. It wasn't the fight that we were lacking in this game, but some timely turnovers, shots not falling for us and falling for them, that allowed them to stretch a lead and keep the pressure on. Still, though, I like the fight that we showed through most of the game against a tough team near the top of the conference. There were many things to like as well, including physical toughness; While we are shorthanded at PG, Grace Seim has been filling in well there, and attacked pressure well; we've gotten great toughness and physicality from Lauren Hanson; Ellana Keaveny had some nice finishes; Hallie Roitenberg gave us 8 off the bench; Swanson had 12 attacking points, many of them through much contact; and finally, Ava Stier surpassed 1000 points on her career (and also had 13 points total)!
When these great individual goals are met, it's always a testament to multiple factors: that player's unwavering dedication to her craft, the hours and hours and shots and shots she has put up, the miles driven by parents to and from events, and of course, the willingness to teammates to work at getting her shots, putting themselves and her in a position to win and compete, and that's a wonderful tribute to generations of Wildcats, reaching all the way back to the Courtney Freeburg Era (SCSU), taking a young and fresh Ava under her wing at the post; The Seniors of the State team of '19-'20, hooking her up with easy buckets through traffic; Last year's section final seniors, who'd been to the mountaintop and persevered through the most insane, short, weird season of high school sports possible; and this year's group of seniors, always there for each other, tightly knit as far back as I can remember them; Coaches past come to mind as well: Carl Pierson saw the potential in her, Anna Bell guided her along, Nelia Von Glan, Ashley Westphal, Anna Schmitt, Kaylee Damasin, Murf Schwirtz, and Jeff Bessire: all have gotten the chance to help, and be around her and the teams, and enjoyed the times. Milestones are great, and for reminding ourselves about the greatness of what we get to do with great people, and we can all be proud of those players, teams, and things accomplished.
As a team, it was a struggle shooting the ball this night - we shot 26%, and let BSM go on a big run after we had clawed back to within 4 in the 2nd half, but because we couldn't make a shot consistently (many were open or at the rim), the game got away.
Ava Stier - 13, 12 boards, and 2 steals;
Audrey Swanson - 12 points, 9 boards, 3 assists, 2 steals and a block
Ellana Keaveny - 9 points, 1 board
Hallie Roitenberg - 5 points, 2 boards, 2 assists
Kenzie Amundson - 4 points, 2 boards, 1 assist, 2 steals, 1 block
Morgan Stock - 2 points
JV -
JV won another one! They jumped out to an early lead, but didn't stomp that lead up as much as they could've, and BSM fought back. It was a tight game, and a very good battle, but the JV's defensive fortitude held them with the slightest lead (though I think they were down 2 at one point late), but they got some key steals and clocked the ball for a bit, and then it got crazy. We were up 2, missed the front end of a 1 and 1, but were able to get a key steal on the other end, clocked it again, and got fouled. Made 1 FT, then missed the 2nd, but Ashley "Ace" Bryfczynski got the offensive rebound and got fouled! Then, Ashley made the first FT, then missed the 2nd, but jumped the outlet pass! Got a steal! Made the layup to put it away! It was crazy and great, and a testament to our toughness! The JV team continues to win tight and close games, and it's great!
B
B fell 26-50. We came out flat, but gave it everything we had in the 2nd half. Brooke Siegle had her best game all around defensively and got to run some pg as well, which is a great thing to do!
9 traveled to Wayzata for a true battle against a giant school, but unfortunately fell 9-48. We DID look very good defensively in the first half, though!!!!!!!
When these great individual goals are met, it's always a testament to multiple factors: that player's unwavering dedication to her craft, the hours and hours and shots and shots she has put up, the miles driven by parents to and from events, and of course, the willingness to teammates to work at getting her shots, putting themselves and her in a position to win and compete, and that's a wonderful tribute to generations of Wildcats, reaching all the way back to the Courtney Freeburg Era (SCSU), taking a young and fresh Ava under her wing at the post; The Seniors of the State team of '19-'20, hooking her up with easy buckets through traffic; Last year's section final seniors, who'd been to the mountaintop and persevered through the most insane, short, weird season of high school sports possible; and this year's group of seniors, always there for each other, tightly knit as far back as I can remember them; Coaches past come to mind as well: Carl Pierson saw the potential in her, Anna Bell guided her along, Nelia Von Glan, Ashley Westphal, Anna Schmitt, Kaylee Damasin, Murf Schwirtz, and Jeff Bessire: all have gotten the chance to help, and be around her and the teams, and enjoyed the times. Milestones are great, and for reminding ourselves about the greatness of what we get to do with great people, and we can all be proud of those players, teams, and things accomplished.
As a team, it was a struggle shooting the ball this night - we shot 26%, and let BSM go on a big run after we had clawed back to within 4 in the 2nd half, but because we couldn't make a shot consistently (many were open or at the rim), the game got away.
Ava Stier - 13, 12 boards, and 2 steals;
Audrey Swanson - 12 points, 9 boards, 3 assists, 2 steals and a block
Ellana Keaveny - 9 points, 1 board
Hallie Roitenberg - 5 points, 2 boards, 2 assists
Kenzie Amundson - 4 points, 2 boards, 1 assist, 2 steals, 1 block
Morgan Stock - 2 points
JV -
JV won another one! They jumped out to an early lead, but didn't stomp that lead up as much as they could've, and BSM fought back. It was a tight game, and a very good battle, but the JV's defensive fortitude held them with the slightest lead (though I think they were down 2 at one point late), but they got some key steals and clocked the ball for a bit, and then it got crazy. We were up 2, missed the front end of a 1 and 1, but were able to get a key steal on the other end, clocked it again, and got fouled. Made 1 FT, then missed the 2nd, but Ashley "Ace" Bryfczynski got the offensive rebound and got fouled! Then, Ashley made the first FT, then missed the 2nd, but jumped the outlet pass! Got a steal! Made the layup to put it away! It was crazy and great, and a testament to our toughness! The JV team continues to win tight and close games, and it's great!
B
B fell 26-50. We came out flat, but gave it everything we had in the 2nd half. Brooke Siegle had her best game all around defensively and got to run some pg as well, which is a great thing to do!
9 traveled to Wayzata for a true battle against a giant school, but unfortunately fell 9-48. We DID look very good defensively in the first half, though!!!!!!!
Wildcats let one get away at St. Louis Park
Turnovers and giving up offensive rebounds is a bad recipe for getting W's, and it lead to us dropping one at St. Louis Park. While we had plenty of chances, those two factors, plus not getting crucial stops down the stretch, made it a game of changing leads down the stretch. We've been able to come out on top of quite a few of those types of games so far this year, but didn't have it for this one, unfortunately. Missing two point guards currently also hurt us through the course of the game, but we had players step up and do some good things when we needed them. Hallie Roitenberg hit a nice 3, played solid D, and got a nice rebound or two; Lauren Hanson hit a big 3 in the 2nd half, had a nice assist for a 3, and brought toughness that we needed as well; When we started spacing out and cutting as hard as we could, we got some good looks, but every time we made a run, St. Louis Park, who's had many close games so far this year themselves, had an answer, and we couldn't get the stops we needed.
Stat lines:
Ava Stier - 20 pts, 10 boards, 3 assists and a steal; Ava is now 3 points away from 1000! Come support at BSM!
Audrey Swanson - 18 pts, 9 boards, 3 assists
Grace Seim - 5 points, 4 boards, 6 assists, 4 steals
Lauren Hanson - 5 points, 3 boards, 2 assists
Kenzie Amundson - 4 points, 4 boards, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 3 blocks
Hallie Roitenberg - 4 points, 1 board
Kiley Sazama - 3 points, 3 boards
Ellana Keaveny - 3 points, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block
Gabrielle Lauwagie - 2 points, 2 steals
JV -
Coach Von Glan says: "earned another W tonight! 44-17 at SLP. Though the game started slow for Waconia, something about SLP's gym felt like home somehow. A 9-point lead at the half quickly accelerated to a 20+ lead with the move to a different basket (and a normally-spaced backdrop). Increasing our defensive intensity then helped us with our offensive focus. Though it wasn't the most rhythmic Wildcat win, it was great to have the whole team together and healthy again! Other hightlights include: comical calls (specifically for Gabby) and Jenna & Ashley both receiving their first offensive charge fouls of the season. #intensity #nonotondefense
Ashley - 13, Hallie 11, Kayla 8, Tori 6;
9 - Dropped a gettable win, unfortunately, but competed well. There were some wild times in the gym, and we shot fairly well from 3-point land, but we couldn't quite put it all together down the stretch.
Stat lines:
Ava Stier - 20 pts, 10 boards, 3 assists and a steal; Ava is now 3 points away from 1000! Come support at BSM!
Audrey Swanson - 18 pts, 9 boards, 3 assists
Grace Seim - 5 points, 4 boards, 6 assists, 4 steals
Lauren Hanson - 5 points, 3 boards, 2 assists
Kenzie Amundson - 4 points, 4 boards, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 3 blocks
Hallie Roitenberg - 4 points, 1 board
Kiley Sazama - 3 points, 3 boards
Ellana Keaveny - 3 points, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block
Gabrielle Lauwagie - 2 points, 2 steals
JV -
Coach Von Glan says: "earned another W tonight! 44-17 at SLP. Though the game started slow for Waconia, something about SLP's gym felt like home somehow. A 9-point lead at the half quickly accelerated to a 20+ lead with the move to a different basket (and a normally-spaced backdrop). Increasing our defensive intensity then helped us with our offensive focus. Though it wasn't the most rhythmic Wildcat win, it was great to have the whole team together and healthy again! Other hightlights include: comical calls (specifically for Gabby) and Jenna & Ashley both receiving their first offensive charge fouls of the season. #intensity #nonotondefense
Ashley - 13, Hallie 11, Kayla 8, Tori 6;
9 - Dropped a gettable win, unfortunately, but competed well. There were some wild times in the gym, and we shot fairly well from 3-point land, but we couldn't quite put it all together down the stretch.
Waconia falls to #10AAAA Shakopee in defensive, physical matchup
In probably the most physical game of the year so far, the Wildcats fell to Shakopee, who just made more shots while gumming up the works of our offense with very physical play, as the Wildcats fell 58-36. We shot 28% on the game, despite getting good looks at the hoop and some open 3's that didn't fall as well. We also turned the ball over at a higher clip than normal with 14 on the game, and that is a result of Shakopee's defense. They are doing that to many of the teams they face, and the pressure got us to force some things that resulted in turnovers where we normally get buckets. However, there were many good things about this effort; we played MUCH better defense, ourselves, through 17 of 18 minutes in the first half (they have a 7-0 run in the last minute off a couple of jump shots in transition), as we were up 21-20 with just a couple of minutes left. We were bumping cutters, challenging shots at the rim fairly well, and fought our way back to take a lead, but we just couldn't get enough shots to fall to maintain it, as every cut, drive, and post up was bumped, doubleteamed, etc. Another good thing was going 14-15 from the FT line, which is a great sign after we've missed some points there lately.
Statistical breakdown:
Stier - 11 pts, 6 boards, and 7-7 from the FT line!
Swanson - 10 points, 7 boards, 1 assist, and 4/4 at FT line!
Sazama - 6 pts, 2 boards
Amundson - 2 pts, 5 boards, 3 blocks
Seim - 2 pts, 5 boards, 6 assists, 1 steal
Lauwagie - 2 pts
Bryfczynski - 2 pts
Keaveny - 1 pt, 3 boards, 3 assists
JV won a thriller vs Shakopee, in by far their best, toughest, and most connected performance of the year. They won 30-26, but it was reflective of the defensive intensity brought by both teams. Von Glan: "Waconia thrived while playing 2-3 zone and battled on offense against Shakopee's physical pressure and woman to woman defense. In a game where every layup, free throw and possession mattered, Waconia persevered with intensity and mental toughness. We shall remember this game all too well! Ashley lead with 13, but there were so many key plays and stops and shots made that every single score felt like a game winner." Truly, this was a fantastic game to watch, and it is really great to see the JV coming together and making a name for itself as a tough, physical, connected group. They are really starting to play some great basketball, and it's fun to watch!
B - Came out flat this night, but picked up the defense as the game went on. We lost 36-18, but it felt a lot closer due to some late minute buckets. This team is still learning how to go and get buckets and bring the pressure early to start games, and when it learns to light the fire under itself from the start, will be in great shape!
9 - 9 Succumbed to the pressure of Shakopee's defense early, and struggled to find a foothold this night.
Due to the snow situation, our games Friday vs. Orono are postponed for the time being, and I'll update you all on when next it'll happen!
Statistical breakdown:
Stier - 11 pts, 6 boards, and 7-7 from the FT line!
Swanson - 10 points, 7 boards, 1 assist, and 4/4 at FT line!
Sazama - 6 pts, 2 boards
Amundson - 2 pts, 5 boards, 3 blocks
Seim - 2 pts, 5 boards, 6 assists, 1 steal
Lauwagie - 2 pts
Bryfczynski - 2 pts
Keaveny - 1 pt, 3 boards, 3 assists
JV won a thriller vs Shakopee, in by far their best, toughest, and most connected performance of the year. They won 30-26, but it was reflective of the defensive intensity brought by both teams. Von Glan: "Waconia thrived while playing 2-3 zone and battled on offense against Shakopee's physical pressure and woman to woman defense. In a game where every layup, free throw and possession mattered, Waconia persevered with intensity and mental toughness. We shall remember this game all too well! Ashley lead with 13, but there were so many key plays and stops and shots made that every single score felt like a game winner." Truly, this was a fantastic game to watch, and it is really great to see the JV coming together and making a name for itself as a tough, physical, connected group. They are really starting to play some great basketball, and it's fun to watch!
B - Came out flat this night, but picked up the defense as the game went on. We lost 36-18, but it felt a lot closer due to some late minute buckets. This team is still learning how to go and get buckets and bring the pressure early to start games, and when it learns to light the fire under itself from the start, will be in great shape!
9 - 9 Succumbed to the pressure of Shakopee's defense early, and struggled to find a foothold this night.
Due to the snow situation, our games Friday vs. Orono are postponed for the time being, and I'll update you all on when next it'll happen!
Wildcats win 2 of 3 at New Prague
Every game is exciting for different reasons. This one, we were efficient offensively, and got great performances there, but defensively, were not ready to play. I didn't have the team ready to play defensively, so we'll again double down over the next few days on what we are trying to do there. Nevertheless, when we really needed it, we got some big offensive rebounds and putbacks, worked the post and showed patience well there, got some big assists down the stretch, and used a couple of stops strung together down the stretch to get a tiny bit of separation and pull out the victory. It was a struggle, but again, it really is a testament to our girls that they keep playing close games and finding ways to gut it out, different ways on each night. Having a will to make it happen, through all the sludge and struggle, is a great trait to have, and crucial to our success. Here's how the stats break down:
Keaveny - 3 pts, 1 board, 4 assists
Lauwagie - 2 pts, 1 board, 1 assist
Seim - 3 pts, 2 boards, 8 assists - 4 or 5 of those were in a key stretch run to keep the lead.
Cravens - 2 pts, 1 board, 1 steal
Swanson - 30 pts, 13 boards (!!), 2 assists, 3 steals - Her teammates set her up very well all night, and she went and got 8 offensive boards as well!
Stier - 27 pts, 8 boards, 1 assist - Also had a strong inside game aided by her teammates, and had strong moves against pressure.
Amundson - 6 pts, 1 board, 3 assists and 2 steals
Sazama - 9 points, 3 boards, 1 assist and 1 steal
JV - Vonny says: "Incredible JV win against new Prague tonight, 70-39! The team continues to work together, share the ball and make each other better. We pulled ahead early in the first half and kept at least a 12-point lead throughout the game. Highlights: seeing the chemistry of new lineups of players, all players scoring, handling an irregular switching defense, seeing our 2-3 zone shine. A big tip of the hat to the JV players we had tonight and we look forward to the return of our whole team next week. Hallie - 19, Ashley 13, Tori 8. "
9 - Had a tough night, struggled against the press a bit too much to stay in the game. A better defensive 2nd half, though, to build on for the next two challenging games!
Keaveny - 3 pts, 1 board, 4 assists
Lauwagie - 2 pts, 1 board, 1 assist
Seim - 3 pts, 2 boards, 8 assists - 4 or 5 of those were in a key stretch run to keep the lead.
Cravens - 2 pts, 1 board, 1 steal
Swanson - 30 pts, 13 boards (!!), 2 assists, 3 steals - Her teammates set her up very well all night, and she went and got 8 offensive boards as well!
Stier - 27 pts, 8 boards, 1 assist - Also had a strong inside game aided by her teammates, and had strong moves against pressure.
Amundson - 6 pts, 1 board, 3 assists and 2 steals
Sazama - 9 points, 3 boards, 1 assist and 1 steal
JV - Vonny says: "Incredible JV win against new Prague tonight, 70-39! The team continues to work together, share the ball and make each other better. We pulled ahead early in the first half and kept at least a 12-point lead throughout the game. Highlights: seeing the chemistry of new lineups of players, all players scoring, handling an irregular switching defense, seeing our 2-3 zone shine. A big tip of the hat to the JV players we had tonight and we look forward to the return of our whole team next week. Hallie - 19, Ashley 13, Tori 8. "
9 - Had a tough night, struggled against the press a bit too much to stay in the game. A better defensive 2nd half, though, to build on for the next two challenging games!
1st program sweep of the year at home vs. bloomington kennedy!
Again, this team makes it exciting, every single time. They fight, and when teams fight back, as all good teams do in this game of runs, our team doesn't just succumb, or hang heads, or give up. Whether they are down a point, withstanding a run, or not getting a call, they have a next-play mentality that is benefitting them in all of these close games. We've found ways to make runs of our own - twice this game, by my count, we had a 10-point lead - we just have to find ways to extend those runs, get stops when we have a lead, and to find ways to play good defense while not fouling. It's been the story in 3 of the 4 last games: we're playing a physical brand of basketball, but at the ends of plays, we're committing fouls too often, so it's our coaching staff's #1 priority to teach the whole defensive possession. That being said, late in the game and in OT, we found ways to contest without fouling, and were a big enough presence on the inside that we could alter just enough shots to get some key stops and rebounds, which is what allowed us to seal the deal in OT against a very good Bloomington Kennedy team, who is now 8-3 on the year.
There were many great plays and stretches of runs made by many players, so here are a couple that stand out in my mind at the moment, without watching the film yet: Kiley Sazama had a huge 14 points, knocking down shots to build up a lead twice in the game; Kenzie Amundson played great defense on the interior, showing discipline down the stretch to alter shots without fouling, and holding her matchup to only 2 points; Grace Seim played the most defense she's had to this year on their dynamic point guard, who creates for everyone on their team, and was a defensive leader out there, being isolated on an island quite often; Swanny hit a gigantic corner 3, got a huge bucket in OT, made FT's (was 5/5 from the FT line) and found ways down the stretch to find holes in their 3-2 zone; Ava Stier was solid all night, with some great finishes, and REALLY battled in the post, made FT's in huge moments again, handled the ball, and also altered some shots in the paint down the stretch. Our team defense is getting better every game, and while we're still getting it to be ingrained in our muscle memory at full speed, we're working as a team to keep getting better. Gabby Lauwagie injected some fantastic defensive and offensive energy for us, guarded their best player, and in the 2nd half especially stretched the floor and made some things happen when we needed it most. Ellana Keaveny made some big ft's; Sarah Cravens continues to build confidence oout there, coming off two years of injuries to be a steady presence out there for us, and knocked down a big 3. All in all, as is evident with this team, everything depends on teammates playing off of each other, and looking for each other, and stepping up in big moments. I couldn't be more proud of this team, as they continue to work, and communicate, and look out for one another. We are now 6-4 on the year, 2-2 in our new conference, and have 3 tough games next week: New Prague, Shakopee, and Orono.
Stats are now complete:
Keaveny - 4 pts, 2 boards, 4 assists and a steal - Ellana had a couple of great offensive rebounds at big times, and continues to step into her role in the absence of Meyer after her injury;
Lauwagie - 2 pts, 3 boards and an assist - stats don't show how much she changed up the pace of the game when she came in, and how much she battles with people much bigger than her;
Seim - 2 pts, 8 boards, 6 assists, and a steal - can't say enough about how much Seim means to this team. She does so many things, played good defense on their best player all night (who is a fantastic driver, so it was a lot of work), and pushed the ball creating for others before their zone could set up;
Cravens - 3 pts, 4 boards, and 3 assists - one of which was during a gigantic stretch in OT where she found Swanson for a bucket that put us up 6.
Swanson - 23 points, 5 boards, and 2 steals; talking with her after, she and I both were surprised at her 23, she went about it all game long and hit some big shots down the stretch, in OT, and made crucial ft's.
Sazama - 14 pts, 1 board, 2 assists and a block - huge game for Sazama shooting 50% from 3, a great performance!
Stier - Huge game all-around - 18 pts, 12 boards, 3 assists and 2 blocks - created for others, made big ft's, and controlled the ball during clocking time;
Amundson - 6 pts, 7 boards and 2 assists; She altered key shots down the stretch without fouling, and also hit a huge shot down the stretch in regulation!
JV
Waconia JV earned a great 56-22 win over Bloomington Kennedy. Though we were missing two team members, all those present had great contributions! Early foul trouble gave our squad the opportunity to play more 2-3 zone and continue to improve on those defensive rotations. It was great to see chemistry build and everyone earn some points in the book! Lead scorers were: Hallie Roitenberg, 14; Ashley Bryfczynski, 13; Amber Brueggemeier, 11;
9th - Coach D says: "We DID IT!!!!! 28-19!!!! First W of the season! Amara played really well and got 6; Ella played tough defense and O, and got 7. We ran our set pieces well and played for each other!" I can attest that it was a glorious affair, and the players on the side were very hyped to support this team who's been steadily getting better and better as they learn to play with and for each other. Coach D is pouring her heart and soul into this team, and you can tell that the players are buying in. The more they do, the better they'll be!
There were many great plays and stretches of runs made by many players, so here are a couple that stand out in my mind at the moment, without watching the film yet: Kiley Sazama had a huge 14 points, knocking down shots to build up a lead twice in the game; Kenzie Amundson played great defense on the interior, showing discipline down the stretch to alter shots without fouling, and holding her matchup to only 2 points; Grace Seim played the most defense she's had to this year on their dynamic point guard, who creates for everyone on their team, and was a defensive leader out there, being isolated on an island quite often; Swanny hit a gigantic corner 3, got a huge bucket in OT, made FT's (was 5/5 from the FT line) and found ways down the stretch to find holes in their 3-2 zone; Ava Stier was solid all night, with some great finishes, and REALLY battled in the post, made FT's in huge moments again, handled the ball, and also altered some shots in the paint down the stretch. Our team defense is getting better every game, and while we're still getting it to be ingrained in our muscle memory at full speed, we're working as a team to keep getting better. Gabby Lauwagie injected some fantastic defensive and offensive energy for us, guarded their best player, and in the 2nd half especially stretched the floor and made some things happen when we needed it most. Ellana Keaveny made some big ft's; Sarah Cravens continues to build confidence oout there, coming off two years of injuries to be a steady presence out there for us, and knocked down a big 3. All in all, as is evident with this team, everything depends on teammates playing off of each other, and looking for each other, and stepping up in big moments. I couldn't be more proud of this team, as they continue to work, and communicate, and look out for one another. We are now 6-4 on the year, 2-2 in our new conference, and have 3 tough games next week: New Prague, Shakopee, and Orono.
Stats are now complete:
Keaveny - 4 pts, 2 boards, 4 assists and a steal - Ellana had a couple of great offensive rebounds at big times, and continues to step into her role in the absence of Meyer after her injury;
Lauwagie - 2 pts, 3 boards and an assist - stats don't show how much she changed up the pace of the game when she came in, and how much she battles with people much bigger than her;
Seim - 2 pts, 8 boards, 6 assists, and a steal - can't say enough about how much Seim means to this team. She does so many things, played good defense on their best player all night (who is a fantastic driver, so it was a lot of work), and pushed the ball creating for others before their zone could set up;
Cravens - 3 pts, 4 boards, and 3 assists - one of which was during a gigantic stretch in OT where she found Swanson for a bucket that put us up 6.
Swanson - 23 points, 5 boards, and 2 steals; talking with her after, she and I both were surprised at her 23, she went about it all game long and hit some big shots down the stretch, in OT, and made crucial ft's.
Sazama - 14 pts, 1 board, 2 assists and a block - huge game for Sazama shooting 50% from 3, a great performance!
Stier - Huge game all-around - 18 pts, 12 boards, 3 assists and 2 blocks - created for others, made big ft's, and controlled the ball during clocking time;
Amundson - 6 pts, 7 boards and 2 assists; She altered key shots down the stretch without fouling, and also hit a huge shot down the stretch in regulation!
JV
Waconia JV earned a great 56-22 win over Bloomington Kennedy. Though we were missing two team members, all those present had great contributions! Early foul trouble gave our squad the opportunity to play more 2-3 zone and continue to improve on those defensive rotations. It was great to see chemistry build and everyone earn some points in the book! Lead scorers were: Hallie Roitenberg, 14; Ashley Bryfczynski, 13; Amber Brueggemeier, 11;
9th - Coach D says: "We DID IT!!!!! 28-19!!!! First W of the season! Amara played really well and got 6; Ella played tough defense and O, and got 7. We ran our set pieces well and played for each other!" I can attest that it was a glorious affair, and the players on the side were very hyped to support this team who's been steadily getting better and better as they learn to play with and for each other. Coach D is pouring her heart and soul into this team, and you can tell that the players are buying in. The more they do, the better they'll be!
Wildcats win 2 of 3 at Bloomington Jefferson
The Varsity and JV got wins on the road against a Bloomington Jefferson team coming off a nice win against Rochester JM, who has a couple of D-1 commits on this slippery, icy night, as the cold winds started blowing in. It was a battle to the end, and despite missing ft's down the stretch, when the varsity dug in and committed to the defensive end, we were able to create some separation and finish with a 65-57 win. I saw "when" we committed and dug in defensively, because the Jaguars had 49 points with around 12 minutes left in the half; but then we got after it, and held them to only 8 more through that final stretch, and made just enough plays to keep separation and hold them off with a lead. It seems as if we can't help but toy with the possibility that we need to nickname ourselves the "cardiac kids" the way these last 3 games have gone. It's been a little too exciting at times, but, down our starting point guard to injury these last two games, I'm proud of the way other players are stepping up and making plays. When other teams have dared us to beat them by making outside shots, we've responded and shot it with confidence out there; Keaveny, Lauwagie, Cravens, and Sazama have all hit outside shots in the last two games when teams tried to pack the paint, so it's a great thing to see from our players: they trust each other to make the right plays. Also notable was a better defensive rotation on the backside on kickouts, which was leading to too many open looks - when we committed to it and communicated, we played better down the stretch and, like I said before, held them to 8 points down the stretch, which is a credit to our players. We have won 3 in a row!
The scoring and #'s here are unofficial at best, so there'll be corrections coming, but initial #'s look thusly:
Swanson 10 points, 12 boards, 3 assists and 3 steals - double double!
Amundson 13 pts, 6 boards, 2 assists, 1 steal and 2 blocks, in her third straight game stepping up her scoring and aggressiveness!
Sazama 10 points, 5 boards, 2 assists and a block, in her best performance of the season so far!
Keaveny 11 points, 1 board, 2 assists and a block, stepping up her game in the absence of Morgan M
Stier 5 points, 7 boards, 1 assist and 2 steals
Lauwagie 5 points and 2 assists
Cravens 10 points
Seim 1 point, 5 boards and 6 assists in another all-around performance!
JV had their best performance of the season so far tonight, running the floor, getting stops on D, hitting outside shots, making nice cuts and reads, and playing all-around great! Won 61-25. "Great team effort in the victory, showing energy and defensive intensity. We jumped passing lanes for deflections and steals, and then successfully found the open teammate in transition. Hallie had 13, Kayla had 13, and Ashley (Ace) had 14. It was a dominant performance, and they should be proud about how they are getting better and better over the last 2 weeks. JV is now streaking, winning 3 in a row!
B fought valiantly, and had a couple of nice runs to get back in the game and make it dicey for Jefferson, but ultimately fell short. I'll update the JV and B games tomorrow when the stats and quotes are in! "Our short handed team came out slow but picked up the intensity in the 2nd half, almost erasing a 15-point deficit. Unfortunately, we lost by 4, but we were lead by 16 point by Faith and everyone running hard."
The scoring and #'s here are unofficial at best, so there'll be corrections coming, but initial #'s look thusly:
Swanson 10 points, 12 boards, 3 assists and 3 steals - double double!
Amundson 13 pts, 6 boards, 2 assists, 1 steal and 2 blocks, in her third straight game stepping up her scoring and aggressiveness!
Sazama 10 points, 5 boards, 2 assists and a block, in her best performance of the season so far!
Keaveny 11 points, 1 board, 2 assists and a block, stepping up her game in the absence of Morgan M
Stier 5 points, 7 boards, 1 assist and 2 steals
Lauwagie 5 points and 2 assists
Cravens 10 points
Seim 1 point, 5 boards and 6 assists in another all-around performance!
JV had their best performance of the season so far tonight, running the floor, getting stops on D, hitting outside shots, making nice cuts and reads, and playing all-around great! Won 61-25. "Great team effort in the victory, showing energy and defensive intensity. We jumped passing lanes for deflections and steals, and then successfully found the open teammate in transition. Hallie had 13, Kayla had 13, and Ashley (Ace) had 14. It was a dominant performance, and they should be proud about how they are getting better and better over the last 2 weeks. JV is now streaking, winning 3 in a row!
B fought valiantly, and had a couple of nice runs to get back in the game and make it dicey for Jefferson, but ultimately fell short. I'll update the JV and B games tomorrow when the stats and quotes are in! "Our short handed team came out slow but picked up the intensity in the 2nd half, almost erasing a 15-point deficit. Unfortunately, we lost by 4, but we were lead by 16 point by Faith and everyone running hard."
Wildcats win 2 in the hive at Grand 8 Holiday tournament in Perham
It was all crazy. Getting there through icy roads, immense snowfall (they had appx. 24 inches in 2 days), having our bus break down on day 2, introducing the team to Zorbaz, and debating the virtues of Cars 2 were all just precursors and window dressing to the crazy things seen on the court in this holiday tournament in the nicest gym in Minnesota (my opinion), the Hive, in Perham, MN.
On the court, we knew that our game vs. Perham would be crazy for many reasons - they are an incredible 3-point shooting team, which has been what has killed us in all four losses so far this year, so we knew we'd have to try and run them off the line and get them to try and beat us in other ways, and they just about did. But they know our team very well for a couple of reasons: TJ Super, their head coach, is my best friend; our dads played together in high school and two different colleges, and lead the amateur Mentor Marauders to glory back in the day; We played against each other in high school; we played together in college, were roommates, were co-coaches of traveling teams, and have been watching each others' teams for the 16 years we've been coaching at the high school level; when we made our state run two years ago, coach Super was scouting teams for us, talking strategy, and after our first round win against Red Wing in the State Tournament, was on the phone and computer with myself, coaches Westphal and Damasin and Schmitt, writing the Becker scouting report until 1:30 in the morning. I've seen his team hit 20+ 3's multiple times, seen him unleash his crazy and unique defenses to beat teams with D-1 guards, posts, Gophers, and pull upset after upset through the years, and so this was going to be a game where we tried to take away each others' best options. And it came right down to it in the end, and we had .9 seconds more, and hit an incredible buzzer beater to win in the most memorable game of the year, and for many of our players, perhaps their lives. t.co/VqK4sAuOmq
Their defense was primarily focused on taking away our ability to operate in the post, and they did it by both packing the paint, bringing constant double teams, but also daring players to shoot shots that they might not normally take, trusting that all the space will make them nervous, as players aren't used to that much space shooting; it sounds counterintuitive in a way, but the idea is it makes players take on more responsibility than they might normally be used to; Perham has pulled upsets on state championship-caliber teams with that type of defense, and I knew there might be a chance we'd see it, and we did. We told our girls that they don't have to take the first shot available, because they'd be able to shoot it with the space they had as much as they'd need to whenever they could, but if they were comfortable, they should shoot it like they mean it. Down the stretch, our players hit enough shots cumulatively to put us in the position to win and close out the game multiple times, but a couple of factors bled into it; fouling / And-1's down the stretch, a couple of timely turnovers / missed FT's, and the momentum Perham carried into the comeback. We had built a lead in the 2nd half by getting 7 straight stops (4 of which involved Kenzie Amundson either blocking or stealing it on D) in a row, but didn't convert all the layups / fast break opportunities that we could, and those are the types that can come back to haunt you, if paired with a bucket on their end (and so did their halfcourt buzzer beater right before halftime! 3 buzzer beaters in the game!!!???!?). Also in the mix was an injury to our starting PG, Morgan Meyer, so without her confidence and assuredness, that was another adjustment we had to make. So, they slowly chipped away on the strength of two standout performances by their guard Greta Hillica and post Willow Thielen, and some of the fouls called on their finishes spooked us into playing less physically than we are used to (a theme of the weekend); We are used to the AAAA teams pushing, shoving, riding you down the court and in the paint, and we didn't adjust as much as we could've to a more tightly-called game in both games, and that allowed them to chip away, and make a 3 point shot in transition after a missed FT late to tie the game in regulation. Yet, we battled on.
OT was a lead-changing affair, with both teams taking a 1- or 2-point lead multiple times; Huge for us was Kenzie Amundson stepping up when we needed buckets, scoring 6 points in OT alone, and them doubling Stier and Swanson every time they touched the ball.
Perham earned yet another foul call on Thiel in the post, with 14 seconds left, and she made both Ft's to take a 1 point lead, and we used our last timeout to draw up a play to get Swanson in space, with Ava ready to cut from the backside or rebound a potential miss, and a shooter in the corner. We got a shot off, but it missed, and the rebound went off of us with about 2.4 left, but we DIDN'T GIVE UP. Credit to our developing mental toughness and experience - we know that every second and possession matters to this team, and we defended the first inbound attempt, tried to foul, but a phantom buzzer from the scoreboard made everyone stop and re-set, which turned out to be a gigantic event. On the next inbound attempt, we denied and switched, and Seim switched onto a guard cutting to the sideline, got a hand on the ball, it deflected off of Perham's player, and it was our ball on the side with .9 seconds left and no timeouts. The next 15 seconds will live in infamy.
Seim was inbounding, because she can throw all sorts of crazy passes as a soccer player with vision and height and such things; We tried to get Ava on the block and Amundson near her on the backside for a potential lob, and hoping to see if they'd double Ava or Swanny, who was near the top of the key. I was yelling "gotta catch and shoot, no dribbles!" and we had just done a game-winning shot drill last week, so they knew what it felt like to be in that situation. Seim asked me frantically on the sideline who to look for, and my reply we'll keep as a team secret, but it made her realize that she had to make a read, we'll say. Swanny was casually lingering near the top of the key, knowing that she could V-cut and catch and shoot where she had to, since they weren't doubling her and wouldn't want to foul, since we were in the bonus and they were only up 1, so she V-cut hard, caught it in Steph Curry range, and let it fly. Coaches were leaning it in; players were on their feet, fingers were on temples (Sizzle), and no thoughts were present as the ball arced midair toward an already-ringing buzzer, and as the ball banked in, the celebration was on. It was crazy, and exhilarating, and what every kid dreams about. I said this before: I was overjoyed for our kids, they'll remember it forever, as will I; yet, I was pained at seeing my friend and Perham's players lose like that. But, that's what's great about High School sports - incredible performances, players stepping up, and 3 buzzer beaters - it was March Madness in December.
And then we feasted at Zorbaz. I recommend the Thai Pizza.
Stats vs. Perham:
Swanson had 15 (with a game-winning 3!) pts, 7 boards, and 2 steals;
Stier had 13 points, 14 boards (!!!), 4 assists, 2 blocks and a steal - a great all-around game, especially since she and Swanny saw constant doubleteams!
Amundson had 12 huge points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks, and was fantastic all game long, especially on the defensive end;
Lauwagie had 10 huge points, hitting 2 huge 3's, 2 boards, an assist and 2 steals;
Seim had 4 points boards and assists, and 3 steals;
Sazama had 5 points and a board;
Keaveney stepped up once Meyer got injured and hit 6 points, one of them a huge 3 in the second half, to go with 2 boards, 4 assists and 0 turnovers!
Cravens had 3 points (another huge 3 down the stretch), 3 assists and 2 steals;
And Meyer had 4 points before she got injured, which is a huge blow to our team. Her confidence, communication, and steady hand will be missed immensely in the immediate future.
Barnesville
Barnesville is another high-quality, talented team in a loaded section, so we knew that this game mattered to them a ton, so they fought to the end as well, but we made just enough plays down the stretch to hold them off, at one point a one-point game, and win by 7 in the end, making just enough plays, knocking down clutch ft's, and getting enough stops. These two games showed one thing in particular - this team is fighting, will not give up, and are becoming more and more mentally tough as the days go on, which will serve us well as we get back into conference, section play, and a very tough schedule in January and February.
The story of this game is us trying out a couple of things defensively we have been working on, and we had both good stretches of it, to go with some areas we can now shore up now that we've seen it. But, the play of Grace Seim has to be mentioned along with our high scorers of this game - she was the ultimate facilitator, and had 12 assists (!!!!!!!!!!!) setting up our posts for easy buckets in the offense and in transition. The fouling problem came with us this game though, and we didn't adjust well to a more tightly-called game, and in some cases it lead to frustration, and allowed Barnesville to hang around and make a run that we eventually held off, so we know that we have to adjust to the nature of each game; But, some big performances again helped us overcome; Ava Stier showed why Perham chose to doubleteam her the night before, scoring 25 points on 9/16 shooting (1/2 from 3), 9 boards, 3 assists, a steal and a block, in another fantastic all-around game - dang! Mackenzie Amundson also showed what she can do when she is aggressive offensively, and was dominant: 17 points on 8/11 shooting, 1/2 from 3, 4 boards, 2 assists, 2 steals and 4 blocks - that was pure domination by Amundson. Wow. I mentioned Seim's 12 assists already, but she also had 5 points, hit a HUGE 3, 2 rebounds and 3 steals; Swanson had 14 points, 4 boards, 2 assists and 3 steals, in another great all-around game; Sarah Cravens had 5 points, 2 assists, 2 steals and a block; Lauwagie had 5 points, a board and a steal; Keaveny had 2 points, 3 assists, 2 boards and a block (she really wanted that block - first of her varsity career, in her first career varsity start), stepping up in the absence of Meyer, taking on a heavier role, and managing the game well.
The two wins bring us to 4-4 on the year so far.
JV
Vs. Perham: Jv battled well through a slow start in the first half, and blew the game open in the second, showing their developing team chemistry, ability to knock down shots, play defense, and work together. They extended the lead in the second half and secured the win! (more on these two games in the coming days)
Vs. Barnesville: Domination. They put up 46 points in the first half, ran the floor well, played good defense, made shots, and worked on things they needed to work on. It was quite a performance, and great to see as they got 2 wins in a row - time to start a winning streak! 2 so far!
On the court, we knew that our game vs. Perham would be crazy for many reasons - they are an incredible 3-point shooting team, which has been what has killed us in all four losses so far this year, so we knew we'd have to try and run them off the line and get them to try and beat us in other ways, and they just about did. But they know our team very well for a couple of reasons: TJ Super, their head coach, is my best friend; our dads played together in high school and two different colleges, and lead the amateur Mentor Marauders to glory back in the day; We played against each other in high school; we played together in college, were roommates, were co-coaches of traveling teams, and have been watching each others' teams for the 16 years we've been coaching at the high school level; when we made our state run two years ago, coach Super was scouting teams for us, talking strategy, and after our first round win against Red Wing in the State Tournament, was on the phone and computer with myself, coaches Westphal and Damasin and Schmitt, writing the Becker scouting report until 1:30 in the morning. I've seen his team hit 20+ 3's multiple times, seen him unleash his crazy and unique defenses to beat teams with D-1 guards, posts, Gophers, and pull upset after upset through the years, and so this was going to be a game where we tried to take away each others' best options. And it came right down to it in the end, and we had .9 seconds more, and hit an incredible buzzer beater to win in the most memorable game of the year, and for many of our players, perhaps their lives. t.co/VqK4sAuOmq
Their defense was primarily focused on taking away our ability to operate in the post, and they did it by both packing the paint, bringing constant double teams, but also daring players to shoot shots that they might not normally take, trusting that all the space will make them nervous, as players aren't used to that much space shooting; it sounds counterintuitive in a way, but the idea is it makes players take on more responsibility than they might normally be used to; Perham has pulled upsets on state championship-caliber teams with that type of defense, and I knew there might be a chance we'd see it, and we did. We told our girls that they don't have to take the first shot available, because they'd be able to shoot it with the space they had as much as they'd need to whenever they could, but if they were comfortable, they should shoot it like they mean it. Down the stretch, our players hit enough shots cumulatively to put us in the position to win and close out the game multiple times, but a couple of factors bled into it; fouling / And-1's down the stretch, a couple of timely turnovers / missed FT's, and the momentum Perham carried into the comeback. We had built a lead in the 2nd half by getting 7 straight stops (4 of which involved Kenzie Amundson either blocking or stealing it on D) in a row, but didn't convert all the layups / fast break opportunities that we could, and those are the types that can come back to haunt you, if paired with a bucket on their end (and so did their halfcourt buzzer beater right before halftime! 3 buzzer beaters in the game!!!???!?). Also in the mix was an injury to our starting PG, Morgan Meyer, so without her confidence and assuredness, that was another adjustment we had to make. So, they slowly chipped away on the strength of two standout performances by their guard Greta Hillica and post Willow Thielen, and some of the fouls called on their finishes spooked us into playing less physically than we are used to (a theme of the weekend); We are used to the AAAA teams pushing, shoving, riding you down the court and in the paint, and we didn't adjust as much as we could've to a more tightly-called game in both games, and that allowed them to chip away, and make a 3 point shot in transition after a missed FT late to tie the game in regulation. Yet, we battled on.
OT was a lead-changing affair, with both teams taking a 1- or 2-point lead multiple times; Huge for us was Kenzie Amundson stepping up when we needed buckets, scoring 6 points in OT alone, and them doubling Stier and Swanson every time they touched the ball.
Perham earned yet another foul call on Thiel in the post, with 14 seconds left, and she made both Ft's to take a 1 point lead, and we used our last timeout to draw up a play to get Swanson in space, with Ava ready to cut from the backside or rebound a potential miss, and a shooter in the corner. We got a shot off, but it missed, and the rebound went off of us with about 2.4 left, but we DIDN'T GIVE UP. Credit to our developing mental toughness and experience - we know that every second and possession matters to this team, and we defended the first inbound attempt, tried to foul, but a phantom buzzer from the scoreboard made everyone stop and re-set, which turned out to be a gigantic event. On the next inbound attempt, we denied and switched, and Seim switched onto a guard cutting to the sideline, got a hand on the ball, it deflected off of Perham's player, and it was our ball on the side with .9 seconds left and no timeouts. The next 15 seconds will live in infamy.
Seim was inbounding, because she can throw all sorts of crazy passes as a soccer player with vision and height and such things; We tried to get Ava on the block and Amundson near her on the backside for a potential lob, and hoping to see if they'd double Ava or Swanny, who was near the top of the key. I was yelling "gotta catch and shoot, no dribbles!" and we had just done a game-winning shot drill last week, so they knew what it felt like to be in that situation. Seim asked me frantically on the sideline who to look for, and my reply we'll keep as a team secret, but it made her realize that she had to make a read, we'll say. Swanny was casually lingering near the top of the key, knowing that she could V-cut and catch and shoot where she had to, since they weren't doubling her and wouldn't want to foul, since we were in the bonus and they were only up 1, so she V-cut hard, caught it in Steph Curry range, and let it fly. Coaches were leaning it in; players were on their feet, fingers were on temples (Sizzle), and no thoughts were present as the ball arced midair toward an already-ringing buzzer, and as the ball banked in, the celebration was on. It was crazy, and exhilarating, and what every kid dreams about. I said this before: I was overjoyed for our kids, they'll remember it forever, as will I; yet, I was pained at seeing my friend and Perham's players lose like that. But, that's what's great about High School sports - incredible performances, players stepping up, and 3 buzzer beaters - it was March Madness in December.
And then we feasted at Zorbaz. I recommend the Thai Pizza.
Stats vs. Perham:
Swanson had 15 (with a game-winning 3!) pts, 7 boards, and 2 steals;
Stier had 13 points, 14 boards (!!!), 4 assists, 2 blocks and a steal - a great all-around game, especially since she and Swanny saw constant doubleteams!
Amundson had 12 huge points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks, and was fantastic all game long, especially on the defensive end;
Lauwagie had 10 huge points, hitting 2 huge 3's, 2 boards, an assist and 2 steals;
Seim had 4 points boards and assists, and 3 steals;
Sazama had 5 points and a board;
Keaveney stepped up once Meyer got injured and hit 6 points, one of them a huge 3 in the second half, to go with 2 boards, 4 assists and 0 turnovers!
Cravens had 3 points (another huge 3 down the stretch), 3 assists and 2 steals;
And Meyer had 4 points before she got injured, which is a huge blow to our team. Her confidence, communication, and steady hand will be missed immensely in the immediate future.
Barnesville
Barnesville is another high-quality, talented team in a loaded section, so we knew that this game mattered to them a ton, so they fought to the end as well, but we made just enough plays down the stretch to hold them off, at one point a one-point game, and win by 7 in the end, making just enough plays, knocking down clutch ft's, and getting enough stops. These two games showed one thing in particular - this team is fighting, will not give up, and are becoming more and more mentally tough as the days go on, which will serve us well as we get back into conference, section play, and a very tough schedule in January and February.
The story of this game is us trying out a couple of things defensively we have been working on, and we had both good stretches of it, to go with some areas we can now shore up now that we've seen it. But, the play of Grace Seim has to be mentioned along with our high scorers of this game - she was the ultimate facilitator, and had 12 assists (!!!!!!!!!!!) setting up our posts for easy buckets in the offense and in transition. The fouling problem came with us this game though, and we didn't adjust well to a more tightly-called game, and in some cases it lead to frustration, and allowed Barnesville to hang around and make a run that we eventually held off, so we know that we have to adjust to the nature of each game; But, some big performances again helped us overcome; Ava Stier showed why Perham chose to doubleteam her the night before, scoring 25 points on 9/16 shooting (1/2 from 3), 9 boards, 3 assists, a steal and a block, in another fantastic all-around game - dang! Mackenzie Amundson also showed what she can do when she is aggressive offensively, and was dominant: 17 points on 8/11 shooting, 1/2 from 3, 4 boards, 2 assists, 2 steals and 4 blocks - that was pure domination by Amundson. Wow. I mentioned Seim's 12 assists already, but she also had 5 points, hit a HUGE 3, 2 rebounds and 3 steals; Swanson had 14 points, 4 boards, 2 assists and 3 steals, in another great all-around game; Sarah Cravens had 5 points, 2 assists, 2 steals and a block; Lauwagie had 5 points, a board and a steal; Keaveny had 2 points, 3 assists, 2 boards and a block (she really wanted that block - first of her varsity career, in her first career varsity start), stepping up in the absence of Meyer, taking on a heavier role, and managing the game well.
The two wins bring us to 4-4 on the year so far.
JV
Vs. Perham: Jv battled well through a slow start in the first half, and blew the game open in the second, showing their developing team chemistry, ability to knock down shots, play defense, and work together. They extended the lead in the second half and secured the win! (more on these two games in the coming days)
Vs. Barnesville: Domination. They put up 46 points in the first half, ran the floor well, played good defense, made shots, and worked on things they needed to work on. It was quite a performance, and great to see as they got 2 wins in a row - time to start a winning streak! 2 so far!
We battled and competed, yet ultimately fell to talented STMA team
The Wildcats really battled a very talented #7 in AAAA STMA team this night, down only 3 at halftime and in the game, never stopping competing as hard as we could. It took a monumental effort out of Tessa Johnson, scoring not only her 1000th, career point after breaking her leg last year, but also hitting 31 on the night. She's really, really good, and it's more that than us playing bad defense - I'll cite one example: Kenzie Amundson had a fantastic closeout and contest, getting in her space, challenging the shot high, and not fouling her on a 3, and she just shot a rainbow shot that fell right in - it was a perfect contest, and she just made the shot. That sort of play, and a run we couldn't quite answer despite having nice shots, trying to finish through their very tough, physical defense, and we couldn't quite stick with them, but I'm very proud of our team's intensity, our fight, and that we didn't quit all game long. We told them after the game - we are showing glimpses of the team that we hope to be soon, and when we put it together, we're going to be great! I have faith in this team, and we're working as hard as any team I've coached to become what want to be!
As per usual, stats are still being tabulated, but here's the scoring breakdown:
Audrey Swanson - 30
Ava Stier - 20
Mackenzie Amundson - 5
Ellana Keaveney - 5
Morgan Meyer - 5
Gabrielle Lauwagie - 2
JV
B
9th - 19-39 - Coach D says: "We lost, but, girl, did it feel like a win! Defensively we "clicked" today. Maddie Snow played with intensity and had 4. Amara Dobbins with 7 and Savannah Sams with 6. Anna Brueggemeier was an animal on defense, showing hustle and getting her hands in many passing lanes!" I also agree with those assessments - this was a good STMA team, and we were in the game, we just needed some layups to fall, some turnovers cleaned up, and we'd have been right there! If players on this team really commit to each other, their chemistry, and their skillbuilding, they'll get there, but they've GOT to be all-in with the kind of effort that they started to show today! If they're willing to fight for each other, they'll get there!
As per usual, stats are still being tabulated, but here's the scoring breakdown:
Audrey Swanson - 30
Ava Stier - 20
Mackenzie Amundson - 5
Ellana Keaveney - 5
Morgan Meyer - 5
Gabrielle Lauwagie - 2
JV
B
9th - 19-39 - Coach D says: "We lost, but, girl, did it feel like a win! Defensively we "clicked" today. Maddie Snow played with intensity and had 4. Amara Dobbins with 7 and Savannah Sams with 6. Anna Brueggemeier was an animal on defense, showing hustle and getting her hands in many passing lanes!" I also agree with those assessments - this was a good STMA team, and we were in the game, we just needed some layups to fall, some turnovers cleaned up, and we'd have been right there! If players on this team really commit to each other, their chemistry, and their skillbuilding, they'll get there, but they've GOT to be all-in with the kind of effort that they started to show today! If they're willing to fight for each other, they'll get there!
Wildcats succomb to storm
, We knew that in our transition to a new conference, and a new section, both of which Chanhassen are in, it would be a challenge, and tonight proved to be one, namely on the defensive end. Chanhassen's aggressive driving broke us down too many times, and a lack of communication hurt our backside transition and positioning. We've got to be better defensively - we won't beat anyone giving up 80, especially teams that are as good of shooters as Chanhassen. We are going to redouble our efforts on that end of the floor, and continue to build chemistry. We need to take more pride in making defensive intensity our identity, so that's what the next days, weeks, and months are going to be about. We are still learning to play together on that end, but we need to enhance the speed at which we do so. We've got a couple of changes in mind that we've been working on, so look for those in the coming days, and games. That really was the story of this game: too many open shots for anyone that wanted one on Chan's end of the floor. Offensively, we got some good looks, and were at times patient, and have some ideas in mind to help on that end as well. We're getting good looks out of certain sets and offenses, we just have to give ourselves more opportunity to move the ball, so you'll see some changes in the coming days as well! But here's the MAIN thing: I know that this is a good team, and we are going to get there. We are going to double down on each other, and continue to have each others' backs as we go on this journey, because that's what this group wants to do. We know we can get there, so we're going to keep the faith, make a couple of changes here and there, and go right at the next team! It is a top-tier team, no doubt, in STMA, who's very good at what they do: Intense defense, great skill players, etc., but I know we can compete if we can get more stops!
Stats are of course incomplete and unofficial at this time, but here's the estimate for scoring:
Audrey Swanson - 25, 9 boards, 1 of each: steal, block, assist
Mackenzie Amundson - 12 pts, 3 boards, 2 stl
Ava Stier - 9 pts, 7 boards, 1 steals, 1 assists
Morgan Meyer - 5 pts, 3 boards, 3 steals
Grace Seim - 4 pts, 3 boards, 6 assists, 2 steals
Ellana Keaveny - 3 pts, 1 board, assist, and steal
Kiley Sazama - 3 pts, 1 board and assist
Gabby Lauwagie - 1 board and steal
JV game
The JV battled until the end, but ended up short, having a couple of shots not go down down the stretch. But they fought, and competed, and they continue to develop team chemistry and strive to get better, attack, score, and get key stops. They are close to a breakthrough, and are going to become a great team by the end of this thing! Lost 38-45; Coach Von Glan: "We matched up well against Chan's JV but struggled to consistently execute on the offensive end. Our girls forced some turnovers from a brief 1-3-1 change up in the 2nd, and had great focus / energy in FC man press late in the game. We are looking forward to the re-match (as are all levels)! Ashley with 8, Kayla with 6, and Hallie with 6."
B
The B team battled and surged at the end to give themselves a way back into the game, but ended up short. However, they fought back, and really started to play with some urgency at times down the stretch - if they can work that kind of urgency, aggressiveness, and passion into a whole game's-worth of play, watch out - they'll be on their way! 38-42 loss; Coach Bessire: "Great 2nd half to fight and come back. Faith Turner with 10 strong points and great defense by all to make it a game late."
9
9 also fell to a touch Chanhassen team. As this team works to establish its identity, if they double down hard on improving their skills and learn to play with that passion that I know burns in there, they can keep improving under the watchful guidance of Coach D! "Amara played some tough defense and Izzy had 4 points and played tough!"
Stats are of course incomplete and unofficial at this time, but here's the estimate for scoring:
Audrey Swanson - 25, 9 boards, 1 of each: steal, block, assist
Mackenzie Amundson - 12 pts, 3 boards, 2 stl
Ava Stier - 9 pts, 7 boards, 1 steals, 1 assists
Morgan Meyer - 5 pts, 3 boards, 3 steals
Grace Seim - 4 pts, 3 boards, 6 assists, 2 steals
Ellana Keaveny - 3 pts, 1 board, assist, and steal
Kiley Sazama - 3 pts, 1 board and assist
Gabby Lauwagie - 1 board and steal
JV game
The JV battled until the end, but ended up short, having a couple of shots not go down down the stretch. But they fought, and competed, and they continue to develop team chemistry and strive to get better, attack, score, and get key stops. They are close to a breakthrough, and are going to become a great team by the end of this thing! Lost 38-45; Coach Von Glan: "We matched up well against Chan's JV but struggled to consistently execute on the offensive end. Our girls forced some turnovers from a brief 1-3-1 change up in the 2nd, and had great focus / energy in FC man press late in the game. We are looking forward to the re-match (as are all levels)! Ashley with 8, Kayla with 6, and Hallie with 6."
B
The B team battled and surged at the end to give themselves a way back into the game, but ended up short. However, they fought back, and really started to play with some urgency at times down the stretch - if they can work that kind of urgency, aggressiveness, and passion into a whole game's-worth of play, watch out - they'll be on their way! 38-42 loss; Coach Bessire: "Great 2nd half to fight and come back. Faith Turner with 10 strong points and great defense by all to make it a game late."
9
9 also fell to a touch Chanhassen team. As this team works to establish its identity, if they double down hard on improving their skills and learn to play with that passion that I know burns in there, they can keep improving under the watchful guidance of Coach D! "Amara played some tough defense and Izzy had 4 points and played tough!"
Wildcats fall to Chaska
An aggressive start and early lead couldn't be maintained, in the end, and Chaska's lead ballooned in the second half to unmanageable levels for our Wildcats on this night, and we fell 45-80. A tough night around the basket is to be expected against the tall, physical Chaska team, and we at times struggled there, and at the FT line, shooting 10 for 21. We also struggled to run what we wanted to run, as they, a physical defensive team, took us out of what we were going for, but that's only half the equation. We have to be better defensively, no matter how good the opponent, and that's what we'll be working on throughout the next few days as we prep for another best-in-the-state type opponent in STMA. We learned a lot tonight, but it's up to us in the coaching staff to put our players in the position to apply the lesson, to get better, and that's what we'll strive to do over the next days and weeks as the season goes on. Make no mistake: Chaska is a fantastic team, a state champion-ship caliber team in AAAA as evidenced by their undefeated State Championship season last year, but at times, we looked good against them. Early in the first half, we crashed the boards fairly well; we attacked well at times; when we focused in and ran the plays we called out, focused on executing them, we got some good things from them. The only way to get better is to attack it with all we have, and that's what we'll do.
Obviously, stats are still being tabulated, but some of the scoring numbers look thusly:
Ava Stier - 20
Audrey Swanson - 6
Morgan Meyer - 5
Hallie Roitenberg - 5
Kenzie Amundson - 4
Gabrielle Lauwagie - 2
Kayla Estling - 2 (first varsity points!!!)
Lauren Hanson - 1
JV competed throughout the game, and was in a touch-and-go competetive affair with a tough and, again, very tall and physical Chaska team. Chaska made one mini-run in the 2nd half to separate, and other wise the game was very even. Some of our players took some pretty big wipeouts and hits, but I'm proud that they battled through. This team has a lot of potential, and, once they embrace the swagger they should be brandishing, will surge to new heights!
B had their first game of the year today, and battled, but fell 21-42. Coach Bessire says: "Ella Hendricks led the way with 7 points, Brooke Siegle and Stella Limoges each had 4. While it was good first game, this team is confident they have more fire and intensity, and will play better when they bring it right away." Well-said from coach Bessire, and I agree - once they bring the intensity more consistently, they'll keep getting better and better!
9th grade, in their second outing of the year, struggled against a tough Chaska team, and ended up falling to them. Still, there are signs of improvement, and as they learn to work together, develop their skills, and knock down some shots, they'll be in good shape!
Obviously, stats are still being tabulated, but some of the scoring numbers look thusly:
Ava Stier - 20
Audrey Swanson - 6
Morgan Meyer - 5
Hallie Roitenberg - 5
Kenzie Amundson - 4
Gabrielle Lauwagie - 2
Kayla Estling - 2 (first varsity points!!!)
Lauren Hanson - 1
JV competed throughout the game, and was in a touch-and-go competetive affair with a tough and, again, very tall and physical Chaska team. Chaska made one mini-run in the 2nd half to separate, and other wise the game was very even. Some of our players took some pretty big wipeouts and hits, but I'm proud that they battled through. This team has a lot of potential, and, once they embrace the swagger they should be brandishing, will surge to new heights!
B had their first game of the year today, and battled, but fell 21-42. Coach Bessire says: "Ella Hendricks led the way with 7 points, Brooke Siegle and Stella Limoges each had 4. While it was good first game, this team is confident they have more fire and intensity, and will play better when they bring it right away." Well-said from coach Bessire, and I agree - once they bring the intensity more consistently, they'll keep getting better and better!
9th grade, in their second outing of the year, struggled against a tough Chaska team, and ended up falling to them. Still, there are signs of improvement, and as they learn to work together, develop their skills, and knock down some shots, they'll be in good shape!
Wildcats fall in first loss of season to Marshall
In our second win of the year at the Varsity level, our defense shone - tough, physical, closing out to shooters and rebounding well. Against Marshall, we let their shooters have too much space; that, combined with some foul trouble making us tentative at times, lead to their shooters being able to catch fire from outside, and hurt us in the long run, with a result of us falling to Marshall for the first loss of the season. We weren't able to get enough stops in a row to really string together a lasting run down the stretch, with deflections we couldn't quite track down, steals that we didn't quite make, etc. However, we know that we can be a good defensive team, and with each game we're going to be learning more and more about ourselves as we develop chemistry and improve from week to week. One thing that also has to be a plus for us is rebounding, and while I don't have the stats right now, we didn't give ourselves opportunities to offensively rebound at times down the stretch when we were pressing to score down the stretch, and that hurt us a little as well. Nevertheless - we know what we have to do to keep getting better, and we're going to get after it!
Stats-wise, I'll update later on, but here's how the scoring broke down:
Ava Stier - 24
Audrey Swanson - 16
Gabby Lauwagie - 9
Sarah Cravens - 6
Kenzie Amundson - 6
Morgan Meyer - 5
Ellana Keaveny - 3
Kiley Sazama - 3
Grace Seim - 2
JV wins with authority
I will update these following stories soon!
9th struggles a bit in first game of season
Stats-wise, I'll update later on, but here's how the scoring broke down:
Ava Stier - 24
Audrey Swanson - 16
Gabby Lauwagie - 9
Sarah Cravens - 6
Kenzie Amundson - 6
Morgan Meyer - 5
Ellana Keaveny - 3
Kiley Sazama - 3
Grace Seim - 2
JV wins with authority
I will update these following stories soon!
9th struggles a bit in first game of season
Wildcats win with a great team effort over tall, tough, and physical Lakeville South squadron
We knew going in that Lakeville South is a tough, talented, tall team who's highly thought of coming into the year in AAAA (Breakdown, one of the pre-season prognosticators had them at #13 pre-season, I believe), and they have great players, lots of height, and stingy defense. They came back and beat a tough Orono team the day before, then celebrated their football team's State Championship that night. We knew coming in it'd have to be a total team effort, and that we'd have to play physically, play tough communicative defense, and be aggressive in pushing the pace. We started out down 11-4 at first with a couple of good looks not going down, but then we started attacking with more vigor, with Ava Stier and Audrey Swanson re-setting a tone that we'd be able to maintain throughout the rest of the first half and all but 2 of the second: attack. They started driving aggressively, finishing under control at the rim, and really locked in on defense. This was a great all-around game on defense, getting aggressive with pressuring their best players, and rebounding extremely well - to hold a team with that many 6-footers to 1 offensive rebound in the first half (by our calculations, anyway) is fantastic, and a great effort from our bigs especially, and a lot should also be said about Audrey Swanson and Gabby Lauwagie's efforts on South's best player, limiting her and pressuring all night. We built a nice lead through the second half by staying aggressive and hitting timely shots - big ones from all players: Stier hit a 3 early, Swanson got to the hoop here, Lauwagie hit a DEEP 3 there, Sazama hit a timely 3, Seim hit a big jumper, etc. It was a true team effort, and when Lakeville South made a run in the 2nd half to get it within 9, we responded by getting a couple of stops, getting a couple of points at the rim, and weathering the storm, which is the sign of a good team, as all good teams make runs.
Swanson - 25 pts., 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals, and a crossover that was worthy of the And-1 mixtape.
Stier - 17 pts, 6 boards, 2 assists - she changed the game in the first half especially with her attacking the hoop in transition
Meyer - 6 pts, 2 boards, 2 assists and a steal - really played great defense throughout, had a couple great finishes in traffic
Keaveney 4 pts, 3 rebs, 1 steal and assist - hit a couple big shots early to get us coming back from quick deficit
Sazama - 3 pts, 2 boards, and a steal - hit a huge 3 in 2nd half to help with separation
Lauwagie - 3 pts (on a deep, huge 3), 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 steals - she was everywhere, and played fantastic defense
Amundson - 2 pts, 5 boards, 2 assists, 3 steals and a block - that's all-defensive team numbers right there!
Seim - 2 pts, 4 boards and 2 assists - battled through foul trouble to make a couple of key assists down the stretch
JV recap:
We lost a very competitive game, where we just never quite could break the seal on the hoop, while playing slightly on the back foot, with South as the aggressor. For example: we had a 1 point lead at halftime, and our players had no idea, because it didn't seem that way! Coach Von Glan says: "Against a high-intensity opponent that liked to push the ball and make plays in transition, Waconia matched up well on both ends of the court and worked to handle their full court pressure throughout the game. The Wildcats came up short in the second half, struggling to get shots to fall while at the same time running out of steam from having a short bench. Had a few more shots fallen for us, this would've been an entirely different game! Scoring leaders: Ashley Bryfczynski with 7, Gabby Lauwagie with 8, Morgan Stock with 7.
Swanson - 25 pts., 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals, and a crossover that was worthy of the And-1 mixtape.
Stier - 17 pts, 6 boards, 2 assists - she changed the game in the first half especially with her attacking the hoop in transition
Meyer - 6 pts, 2 boards, 2 assists and a steal - really played great defense throughout, had a couple great finishes in traffic
Keaveney 4 pts, 3 rebs, 1 steal and assist - hit a couple big shots early to get us coming back from quick deficit
Sazama - 3 pts, 2 boards, and a steal - hit a huge 3 in 2nd half to help with separation
Lauwagie - 3 pts (on a deep, huge 3), 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 steals - she was everywhere, and played fantastic defense
Amundson - 2 pts, 5 boards, 2 assists, 3 steals and a block - that's all-defensive team numbers right there!
Seim - 2 pts, 4 boards and 2 assists - battled through foul trouble to make a couple of key assists down the stretch
JV recap:
We lost a very competitive game, where we just never quite could break the seal on the hoop, while playing slightly on the back foot, with South as the aggressor. For example: we had a 1 point lead at halftime, and our players had no idea, because it didn't seem that way! Coach Von Glan says: "Against a high-intensity opponent that liked to push the ball and make plays in transition, Waconia matched up well on both ends of the court and worked to handle their full court pressure throughout the game. The Wildcats came up short in the second half, struggling to get shots to fall while at the same time running out of steam from having a short bench. Had a few more shots fallen for us, this would've been an entirely different game! Scoring leaders: Ashley Bryfczynski with 7, Gabby Lauwagie with 8, Morgan Stock with 7.
Wildcats open season with win over Apple Valley at Hamline tournament
Fans in the stands! Non-conference tournaments! Able to see our players' faces, family in the stands, and playing in an historic venue, it was a new beginning for our '21-'22 Wildcats in many ways, not least of all as a AAAA team, the top level of basketball in a state that's getting a significant national reputation for excellence in basketball. We started the year off taking on Apple Valley, and emerged victorious 89-24 at the Varsity level and ________ at JV level.
Varsity (stats are still being tabulated and will be added in here when they are in!)
The first games of the year are always a bit of an adventure, as you're scouting teams more on reputation than actuality, at times, but we had a feeling that they'd play a lot of 2-3 zone, and that was the case, so we really tried to emphasize patience, attacking the rim despite it being a zone, and still pushing the pace to speed up the game. We rebounded well, especially at the offensive end, and spread the ball around to each other, playing good team basketball and making the extra pass all night long. Stats are still being tabulated, but points-wise, we had a nice even scoring night all around, and also were able to see many players get their first ever varsity points! Scoring-wise, Audrey Swanson lead with 16 points (on 7 of 10 shooting), 4 boards, a steal and a block; Ava Stier had 12 (4 for 7 shooting) with 3 boards, 3 assists, and 2 steals; Gabby Lauwagie had 10 (running the floor very well all night), with 5 boards, 3 assists, and 3 steals; Sarah Cravens also had 10 points, 1 steal and 1 block-and I pause here to say, Sarah, a co-captain, being out there hitting 3's, running the floor, and showing her court vision was one of the best things I've seen in a long time. She's battled back through injuries the last TWO years, and stayed connected to the team the entire time. Seeing her get out there and play means so much to our program, and our coaching staff, and most of all, Sarah, that it fills us with immense joy. Kiley Sazama had 8 points, 1 assist and steal;, hitting a couple of nice 3's; Mackenzie Amundson also had 8 efficient and smooth points, with 5 boards and 3 steals; Grace Seim rebounded incredibly well, attacked well, and started the scoring off on the night for us, and had 6 points, 7 rebounds, and an 3 assists - a great floor game! Fresh off a season as the leader of an excellent soccer team, Seim is really playing well with a great all-around floor game, reminiscent of her soccer performances; Ellana Keaveney made her varsity debut, scoring 5 points with 2 rebounds 2 assists and 3 steals; Ashley Bryfczynski also got her first 4 varsity points (and got fouled on a 3 on her first attempt - welcome to the show!) to go with 2 boards and a block; Morgan Meyer ran the show well for us with some sweet passes and 2 points and 3 assists; Hallie Roitenberg also scored 2 points to go with 2 rebounds 2 assists, a block and a steal; and finally, other players making their first varsity points were Clara Smith, Morgan Stock, and Bella Hoxie! It was a great morning, and we now look forward to an afternoon contest against the very consistently large Lakeville South squad, who seem to have mostly 6-footers??!!?!
JV
The JV wildcats also had a dominant performance, and shook off some of the rust, as well as awkwardness of the back gym, to get the win, 63-5. Coach Von Glan says: "We worked on our defense and 2-3 zone offenses and got some great looks." Ashley Bryfczynski scored 11, Tori "Busta" Parpart scored 11, and Bella Hoxie scored 16!
Varsity (stats are still being tabulated and will be added in here when they are in!)
The first games of the year are always a bit of an adventure, as you're scouting teams more on reputation than actuality, at times, but we had a feeling that they'd play a lot of 2-3 zone, and that was the case, so we really tried to emphasize patience, attacking the rim despite it being a zone, and still pushing the pace to speed up the game. We rebounded well, especially at the offensive end, and spread the ball around to each other, playing good team basketball and making the extra pass all night long. Stats are still being tabulated, but points-wise, we had a nice even scoring night all around, and also were able to see many players get their first ever varsity points! Scoring-wise, Audrey Swanson lead with 16 points (on 7 of 10 shooting), 4 boards, a steal and a block; Ava Stier had 12 (4 for 7 shooting) with 3 boards, 3 assists, and 2 steals; Gabby Lauwagie had 10 (running the floor very well all night), with 5 boards, 3 assists, and 3 steals; Sarah Cravens also had 10 points, 1 steal and 1 block-and I pause here to say, Sarah, a co-captain, being out there hitting 3's, running the floor, and showing her court vision was one of the best things I've seen in a long time. She's battled back through injuries the last TWO years, and stayed connected to the team the entire time. Seeing her get out there and play means so much to our program, and our coaching staff, and most of all, Sarah, that it fills us with immense joy. Kiley Sazama had 8 points, 1 assist and steal;, hitting a couple of nice 3's; Mackenzie Amundson also had 8 efficient and smooth points, with 5 boards and 3 steals; Grace Seim rebounded incredibly well, attacked well, and started the scoring off on the night for us, and had 6 points, 7 rebounds, and an 3 assists - a great floor game! Fresh off a season as the leader of an excellent soccer team, Seim is really playing well with a great all-around floor game, reminiscent of her soccer performances; Ellana Keaveney made her varsity debut, scoring 5 points with 2 rebounds 2 assists and 3 steals; Ashley Bryfczynski also got her first 4 varsity points (and got fouled on a 3 on her first attempt - welcome to the show!) to go with 2 boards and a block; Morgan Meyer ran the show well for us with some sweet passes and 2 points and 3 assists; Hallie Roitenberg also scored 2 points to go with 2 rebounds 2 assists, a block and a steal; and finally, other players making their first varsity points were Clara Smith, Morgan Stock, and Bella Hoxie! It was a great morning, and we now look forward to an afternoon contest against the very consistently large Lakeville South squad, who seem to have mostly 6-footers??!!?!
JV
The JV wildcats also had a dominant performance, and shook off some of the rust, as well as awkwardness of the back gym, to get the win, 63-5. Coach Von Glan says: "We worked on our defense and 2-3 zone offenses and got some great looks." Ashley Bryfczynski scored 11, Tori "Busta" Parpart scored 11, and Bella Hoxie scored 16!
Wildcats fall in Section final to marshall
An old saying: In sports, there's winning and then there's despair," and I feel that as I write, as our Wildcats fell in the section final go Marshall, 54-47, wrapping up a Covid-shortened season for the second year in a row, and a 3-year run of section final games. It always hurts when the season ends, and only one team in the state gets to end on a win, but it's no secret that I thought that this team, this year, had a shot to perhaps, if we peaked at the right time, be that team. Unfortunately, we couldn't will it into being on Marshall's home court, and they were able to make enough plays down the stretch to win. We did have our chances, as we got steals late, had shots from 3 and at the rim, but we just couldn't get enough to go in on this night. The game was story of halves.
In the first half, we were the more aggressive team, and were able to get some clean looks and dictate the pace of the game. Hitting from the outside against their press helped us spread them out a bit, and we packed the paint defensively to get many stops through much of the first half, though they did hit some really tough shots, get to the FT line, and kept the game within striking distance. During the first half, we had some shots miss that normally wouldn't, but the physical nature of the game took its toll at times, and we had too many turnovers against their immense pressure. While we had many looks at pressbreaks, and options to run, and handled it well at times, we lost a bit of aggressiveness when we'd bust the 3/4 court press, and didn't make them pay a high enough price for staying in it. We had to attack the basket more after breaking it, and I as a coach need to make sure I get girls in position to attack it best. We did do that at times, but it had to be more consistent, and ready for contact.
This was probably the most physical game of the year (outside of the first battle of Marshall), and we did match their effort physically. We had great efforts on the defensive end, clogging the middle, stealing drives, blocking shots (Kenzie Amundson was simply outstanding, getting 7 blocks on the night, many of them authoritative and great), but we couldn't score on enough of them to really open up a wider margin of lead. However, our team goal is always to hold the other team to 50 points or under, hoping it's enough to get us to victory. 53 was a good effort, against a team as tough and talented as Marshall, and fouling at the end never helps, but offensively we just couldn't get enough flow or comfort out there when they really came out and attacked us in their Woman-to-woman defense. We had good looks at times, and attacked their pressure well at times, but just not consistently enough. When they brought all that pressure, we didn't attack it as well as we should've, and again, as a coach I have to make sure our players are put in a position to attack and deal with that pressure. Finally, turnovers were again a factor - 23 as a team. We did a better job of not making them break-away layups for them, but 23 obviously was the factor in the game, especially since we had shots to both go ahead with about 2:38 left, tie with 1:58 left, etc. This game was desperately-played by both teams, in an absolute slugfest re-match from last year's section finals and this year's regular season matchup, and one could feel the intensity and physical nature of this game from everywhere on the floor - we had girls riding our backs to the ground, bodies taking each other out at the knees, and crazy charges taken. I'd love to see another team in AAA that is as physically intense and imposing as Marshall, and that's what playoff basketball is all about - we definitely matched them defensively, though, on this night, and played fantastic defense, taking away much of what they were trying to do offensively, except for the same play they ran 3 times in a row in the 2nd half that we got caught up on, and those 3's turned out to be huge.
Still, our Wildcats didn't give up, and battled like crazy. We had 11 steals on the night, 8 blocks, and a bunch of jump balls, tips, and tie-ups - it was enough to keep us in a game where we should 29% from the field (32% from 2, 25% from 3), only had 7 team assists, and still won the rebounding battle 43-39, though they had 3 more offensive rebounds in the 2nd half than the first, and most lead to FT's and 1 layup.
Stats for the Wildcats: Sydni Olson continued her shooting streak and aggressive offensive mentality, scoring 17 on the night, to go with 7 boards, an assist and 2 steals. She was a major momentum-swinger in the first half, and helped us pull them out of their FC press for a time. She was aggressive and cut to the hoop well to get them to commit fouls in the 2nd half when we were struggling to make things happen offensively. Allie Zimmer had 9 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 steals, and she attacked well against immense pressure all night. A couple of times she got hit pretty well going to the hoop, but wasn't rewarded with FT's, which was unfortunate. Ava Stier also had 9 points, to go with 4 rebounds, a steal, and a block. She had another block that was called late that was pretty authoritative as well, and she helped to shore up the interior defense all night long. Addy Salzer had 6 points and 7 rebounds, and handled the ball a ton against their tough presses. The 3 she had that, if it would've gone down given us a 1-point lead with 2:38 or so left, was 1/2 way through the freaking hoop, and I just couldn't believe it didn't go in, but it was a good look in a pressure moment, and she showed guts and leadership in taking the shot that in the past has gone down. I believed in it, and I'm glad she and her teammates did as well. Dani Dykstra had 4 points, hitting some big late FT's as well, to go with 2 rebounds and an assist. She battled in there, and also really helped to shore up the middle against their constantly-attacking pressure on the rim. Audrey Swanson had 2 points, 7 rebounds, and an assist, got tackled once or twice, had a really tough travel called on one of her buckets, and did a great job pressuring Hilgemann for the majority of the game, though our team defense was great as well, as we were switching up some of those plays. Mel Honnold had 3 boards, 2 assists, and 4 steals, and was extremely effective defensively as well, getting some early steals that lead to our initial run in the first half. Grace Seim had 2 assists, one of which was a beautiful pass backdoor to Dykstra, and she showed that she was willing to attack and draw against the toughest pressure. And finally, Kenzie Amundson dominated the inside defensively, getting 4 rebounds and 7 blocks, and was an intimidating presence that also allowed us to maintain a lead in the first half.
Coaches are always haunted by losses, and we've seen some heartbreaking ones throughout the years - losing in the section final 2 years ago by 1 to Cooper was one of them, and last year, we made it to the mountaintop, only to have it all thwarted by Covid before we could wrap it up. This one will hurt forever, no doubt, as we all wanted it so badly, and were right there, on the cusp, of not only achieving history again as a program, but doing it for two years in a row, which is a huge rarity in HS basketball for all but a few elite programs. Still, I'd be remiss to let this loss define our team's effort in this strangest of 2-years. Not having an off-season last year to experiment, train, get better and gel as a team was a huge loss, as we usually play at least 20-26 games in the offseason together. Not being able to have crazy team meals and gatherings, normal fan sections, ticketing snafus and uncertainty, a shifting schedule, being in school, all of those things were trying and tough and could derail many a team; however, this team had focus on what they wanted to do in the end, and it lead them to an 18-2 year, and undefeated conference season, which hasn't happened for a decade, I think, and what we were able to do despite all of that uncertainty was impressive, great, and hopefully never having to be repeated again. In our moving to the Metro West conference next year, it'll be a new challenge, with an even tougher schedule with bigger schools, so winning a conference title on our way out of the WCC East was a big deal. While we were hoping for at least another game or two, in the end, I'm thankful that we got to make it through this season with no Covid infections, cancelled games on our end, and we at least got our shot in the playoffs, unlike other unfortunate programs that made it to their section championships or 1 seeds and got quarantined out of them. We got to leave it all on the floor, which is the opportunity every competitor hopes for.
I want to thank our players for their dedication to the sport, the program, and to each other. They've seen more in the last couple of years than many a sports fan has in their lifetimes, as far as varying conditions, ups and downs, and craziness goes, and they've battled through it all. This group of 7 seniors is a special one, and I know they'll find immense success in the next parts and stages of their lives, no matter what form they take. They were a huge part of us making our first ever state tournament as a program last year, and will be legendary for that. I'd also like to thank our talented and dedicated coaching staff - Murf, Westo, and Coach D (who had to travel separate from us due to Covid-era rules, but still went to bat for her team) for their moxie, knowledge of the game, humor, intensity, ability to teach what seems like a million sets from the opposition, and ability to make every player feel seen and valued. No season is possible without their dedication and willingness to take on risk in this era, and I thank them for that. I'd like to thank our administration and Athletic department, Murf and Jill Johnson, for all the support and making this year possible at all - it was truly insane, about 100x the normal workload of a normal year, making schedules and adjustments and changes and ticketing and livestreaming possible in the most insane circumstances, and we as a program have felt extremely lucky to have your support over the last years, through the most trying of times. And finally, I'd like to thank the dedicated parents, fans, and supporters that put so much into our program over the years, from youth basketball to driving to tournaments to reading the scouting reports to watching film to all the things you do to help our student athletes have a valuable, memorable, experience.
Details on a banquet will be worked on immediately, as there are a lot of awards to be voted on and given out, so look for that information very soon.
In the first half, we were the more aggressive team, and were able to get some clean looks and dictate the pace of the game. Hitting from the outside against their press helped us spread them out a bit, and we packed the paint defensively to get many stops through much of the first half, though they did hit some really tough shots, get to the FT line, and kept the game within striking distance. During the first half, we had some shots miss that normally wouldn't, but the physical nature of the game took its toll at times, and we had too many turnovers against their immense pressure. While we had many looks at pressbreaks, and options to run, and handled it well at times, we lost a bit of aggressiveness when we'd bust the 3/4 court press, and didn't make them pay a high enough price for staying in it. We had to attack the basket more after breaking it, and I as a coach need to make sure I get girls in position to attack it best. We did do that at times, but it had to be more consistent, and ready for contact.
This was probably the most physical game of the year (outside of the first battle of Marshall), and we did match their effort physically. We had great efforts on the defensive end, clogging the middle, stealing drives, blocking shots (Kenzie Amundson was simply outstanding, getting 7 blocks on the night, many of them authoritative and great), but we couldn't score on enough of them to really open up a wider margin of lead. However, our team goal is always to hold the other team to 50 points or under, hoping it's enough to get us to victory. 53 was a good effort, against a team as tough and talented as Marshall, and fouling at the end never helps, but offensively we just couldn't get enough flow or comfort out there when they really came out and attacked us in their Woman-to-woman defense. We had good looks at times, and attacked their pressure well at times, but just not consistently enough. When they brought all that pressure, we didn't attack it as well as we should've, and again, as a coach I have to make sure our players are put in a position to attack and deal with that pressure. Finally, turnovers were again a factor - 23 as a team. We did a better job of not making them break-away layups for them, but 23 obviously was the factor in the game, especially since we had shots to both go ahead with about 2:38 left, tie with 1:58 left, etc. This game was desperately-played by both teams, in an absolute slugfest re-match from last year's section finals and this year's regular season matchup, and one could feel the intensity and physical nature of this game from everywhere on the floor - we had girls riding our backs to the ground, bodies taking each other out at the knees, and crazy charges taken. I'd love to see another team in AAA that is as physically intense and imposing as Marshall, and that's what playoff basketball is all about - we definitely matched them defensively, though, on this night, and played fantastic defense, taking away much of what they were trying to do offensively, except for the same play they ran 3 times in a row in the 2nd half that we got caught up on, and those 3's turned out to be huge.
Still, our Wildcats didn't give up, and battled like crazy. We had 11 steals on the night, 8 blocks, and a bunch of jump balls, tips, and tie-ups - it was enough to keep us in a game where we should 29% from the field (32% from 2, 25% from 3), only had 7 team assists, and still won the rebounding battle 43-39, though they had 3 more offensive rebounds in the 2nd half than the first, and most lead to FT's and 1 layup.
Stats for the Wildcats: Sydni Olson continued her shooting streak and aggressive offensive mentality, scoring 17 on the night, to go with 7 boards, an assist and 2 steals. She was a major momentum-swinger in the first half, and helped us pull them out of their FC press for a time. She was aggressive and cut to the hoop well to get them to commit fouls in the 2nd half when we were struggling to make things happen offensively. Allie Zimmer had 9 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 steals, and she attacked well against immense pressure all night. A couple of times she got hit pretty well going to the hoop, but wasn't rewarded with FT's, which was unfortunate. Ava Stier also had 9 points, to go with 4 rebounds, a steal, and a block. She had another block that was called late that was pretty authoritative as well, and she helped to shore up the interior defense all night long. Addy Salzer had 6 points and 7 rebounds, and handled the ball a ton against their tough presses. The 3 she had that, if it would've gone down given us a 1-point lead with 2:38 or so left, was 1/2 way through the freaking hoop, and I just couldn't believe it didn't go in, but it was a good look in a pressure moment, and she showed guts and leadership in taking the shot that in the past has gone down. I believed in it, and I'm glad she and her teammates did as well. Dani Dykstra had 4 points, hitting some big late FT's as well, to go with 2 rebounds and an assist. She battled in there, and also really helped to shore up the middle against their constantly-attacking pressure on the rim. Audrey Swanson had 2 points, 7 rebounds, and an assist, got tackled once or twice, had a really tough travel called on one of her buckets, and did a great job pressuring Hilgemann for the majority of the game, though our team defense was great as well, as we were switching up some of those plays. Mel Honnold had 3 boards, 2 assists, and 4 steals, and was extremely effective defensively as well, getting some early steals that lead to our initial run in the first half. Grace Seim had 2 assists, one of which was a beautiful pass backdoor to Dykstra, and she showed that she was willing to attack and draw against the toughest pressure. And finally, Kenzie Amundson dominated the inside defensively, getting 4 rebounds and 7 blocks, and was an intimidating presence that also allowed us to maintain a lead in the first half.
Coaches are always haunted by losses, and we've seen some heartbreaking ones throughout the years - losing in the section final 2 years ago by 1 to Cooper was one of them, and last year, we made it to the mountaintop, only to have it all thwarted by Covid before we could wrap it up. This one will hurt forever, no doubt, as we all wanted it so badly, and were right there, on the cusp, of not only achieving history again as a program, but doing it for two years in a row, which is a huge rarity in HS basketball for all but a few elite programs. Still, I'd be remiss to let this loss define our team's effort in this strangest of 2-years. Not having an off-season last year to experiment, train, get better and gel as a team was a huge loss, as we usually play at least 20-26 games in the offseason together. Not being able to have crazy team meals and gatherings, normal fan sections, ticketing snafus and uncertainty, a shifting schedule, being in school, all of those things were trying and tough and could derail many a team; however, this team had focus on what they wanted to do in the end, and it lead them to an 18-2 year, and undefeated conference season, which hasn't happened for a decade, I think, and what we were able to do despite all of that uncertainty was impressive, great, and hopefully never having to be repeated again. In our moving to the Metro West conference next year, it'll be a new challenge, with an even tougher schedule with bigger schools, so winning a conference title on our way out of the WCC East was a big deal. While we were hoping for at least another game or two, in the end, I'm thankful that we got to make it through this season with no Covid infections, cancelled games on our end, and we at least got our shot in the playoffs, unlike other unfortunate programs that made it to their section championships or 1 seeds and got quarantined out of them. We got to leave it all on the floor, which is the opportunity every competitor hopes for.
I want to thank our players for their dedication to the sport, the program, and to each other. They've seen more in the last couple of years than many a sports fan has in their lifetimes, as far as varying conditions, ups and downs, and craziness goes, and they've battled through it all. This group of 7 seniors is a special one, and I know they'll find immense success in the next parts and stages of their lives, no matter what form they take. They were a huge part of us making our first ever state tournament as a program last year, and will be legendary for that. I'd also like to thank our talented and dedicated coaching staff - Murf, Westo, and Coach D (who had to travel separate from us due to Covid-era rules, but still went to bat for her team) for their moxie, knowledge of the game, humor, intensity, ability to teach what seems like a million sets from the opposition, and ability to make every player feel seen and valued. No season is possible without their dedication and willingness to take on risk in this era, and I thank them for that. I'd like to thank our administration and Athletic department, Murf and Jill Johnson, for all the support and making this year possible at all - it was truly insane, about 100x the normal workload of a normal year, making schedules and adjustments and changes and ticketing and livestreaming possible in the most insane circumstances, and we as a program have felt extremely lucky to have your support over the last years, through the most trying of times. And finally, I'd like to thank the dedicated parents, fans, and supporters that put so much into our program over the years, from youth basketball to driving to tournaments to reading the scouting reports to watching film to all the things you do to help our student athletes have a valuable, memorable, experience.
Details on a banquet will be worked on immediately, as there are a lot of awards to be voted on and given out, so look for that information very soon.
Wildcats win against tough Mankato West team 87-75, advance to section final for re-match at marshall on Friday night
While the section semifinal against Mankato West certainly had its ups and downs, its highs and lows, it's an old playoff maxim, and perhaps even cliche, but the saying holds true: "Survive and advance." At times Tuesday night, we looked like a championship-caliber fiery team, but like is always the case, if you take your foot off the gas, so to speak, you can let great teams back in, and we almost did that. However, we got our minds straight in time to take better care of the ball down the stretch, made enough free throws and steals to keep our lead, and we eventually emerged with a gigantic victory, 87-75, for a re-match against Marshall, at Marshall, Friday night. Mankato West is a very tough team - they have size, can shoot it from 3, have great scorers, and never give up. But, in keeping them at bay, we showed that we can bend and not break when it matters most.
You can't tell the story of this game without noting that Sydni Olson was absolutely on fire. She hit 7 3's in the first half, and when they attacked her hard on closeouts, she drove, got to the free-throw line, and attacked the pressure when she needed to. She ended up with 33 points, which is a season high (not sure of career, but dang, that's a number), and she really showed the value of seniors being ready to step up as well. She was open because her teammates looked for her, screened well for her, and we went inside-out to look for the hot hand. That's what makes our team dangerous when we're at our best - take one player away, and we have others ready to step up and make plays! I said this a lot last year, and it's true now too - you NEVER KNOW which players are going to be keyed in on by other teams, which sets they'll take away, and you need everyone to be involved, confident, and ready to do what they've trained their whole life to do at any time. Mankato West was making it really tough to get the ball inside, so we hit from outside! Orono did something similar when we last played them, and we were ready tonight to knock down shots from distance if they were there. Sydni also had 3 boards and a steal, and importantly was 8/8 from the FT line.
Addy Salzer also had a great night shooting the ball, hitting 3/4 on 3's on the night, in addition to some good attacks, scoring 19 - she came out aggressive, and kept picking her spots well throughout the night, which was huge. She also contributed 5 boards, 3 assists, a steal, and 2 blocks. Ava Stier had 9 points, and had to battle for them all, because of how West's tough D on the inside was keyed in on clogging the middle, to go with 8 boards, 2 assists and 2 steals. Audrey Swanson had 8, in similar fashion - when she's in attack mode, she's tough to stop, and had some aggressive drives in the second half, especially; She also had 10 boards, 2 assists, and 3 steals! Allie Zimmer had 7 points, 6 assists, 1 board, and a steal , and handled a variety of pressure looks and ran the show well throughout the night. Kenzie Amundson hit some great, significant shots down the stretch of the 2nd half, and again, it's so fun to watch her and Grace Seim, who also had 2 points, work together - their years of chemistry really shines through as they drive and dish to one another, and they both bring so much to our team, and what makes us great. They had 3 possessions in a row in the second half that they hit each other for buckets and assists! Kenzie had 4 points, 3 boards, 2 assists and 2 blocks, and Grace had 2 points and 3 assists. Mel Honnold also had 4 points and 3 assists, handling a variety of pressure defensive looks, and had a fantastic, controlled drive for a layup when we needed someone to step up and make a tough play to stymie a West run. And while Dani Dykstra didn't score, she played her tough defense, had 3 boards (got a couple of huge offensive rebounds that were tossups), scrapped, clawed, and brought her toughness to the equation, which we always need. Other stats will be put in when they are done!
Last time we headed to Marshall, it was an odd situation - a covid-related cancellation brought us to that game with only 1 day to prepare, and we weren't ready for the absolute battle that we went into - they wanted revenge for last year's section final, and they showed it. Still, we battled and adjusted to the physical battle that game was, and now we've had more time to prepare. But, as we know, when the season is on the line, no team bows out, no team takes it lightly, no team will give you anything - you have to TAKE IT. We now need to look at ourselves, and our teammates, and find that extra spark, that extra effort, and that extra mental toughness to go back into that gym, which promises to be loud, crazy, and probably hostile (in an intense way, not a dirty way - Marshall are tough competitors!) to see if we can do what we set out to do, and make it where our program has only been once before, last year: The State Tournament. We've been preparing all our lives for this moment, and now it's time to see if we have what it takes.
You can't tell the story of this game without noting that Sydni Olson was absolutely on fire. She hit 7 3's in the first half, and when they attacked her hard on closeouts, she drove, got to the free-throw line, and attacked the pressure when she needed to. She ended up with 33 points, which is a season high (not sure of career, but dang, that's a number), and she really showed the value of seniors being ready to step up as well. She was open because her teammates looked for her, screened well for her, and we went inside-out to look for the hot hand. That's what makes our team dangerous when we're at our best - take one player away, and we have others ready to step up and make plays! I said this a lot last year, and it's true now too - you NEVER KNOW which players are going to be keyed in on by other teams, which sets they'll take away, and you need everyone to be involved, confident, and ready to do what they've trained their whole life to do at any time. Mankato West was making it really tough to get the ball inside, so we hit from outside! Orono did something similar when we last played them, and we were ready tonight to knock down shots from distance if they were there. Sydni also had 3 boards and a steal, and importantly was 8/8 from the FT line.
Addy Salzer also had a great night shooting the ball, hitting 3/4 on 3's on the night, in addition to some good attacks, scoring 19 - she came out aggressive, and kept picking her spots well throughout the night, which was huge. She also contributed 5 boards, 3 assists, a steal, and 2 blocks. Ava Stier had 9 points, and had to battle for them all, because of how West's tough D on the inside was keyed in on clogging the middle, to go with 8 boards, 2 assists and 2 steals. Audrey Swanson had 8, in similar fashion - when she's in attack mode, she's tough to stop, and had some aggressive drives in the second half, especially; She also had 10 boards, 2 assists, and 3 steals! Allie Zimmer had 7 points, 6 assists, 1 board, and a steal , and handled a variety of pressure looks and ran the show well throughout the night. Kenzie Amundson hit some great, significant shots down the stretch of the 2nd half, and again, it's so fun to watch her and Grace Seim, who also had 2 points, work together - their years of chemistry really shines through as they drive and dish to one another, and they both bring so much to our team, and what makes us great. They had 3 possessions in a row in the second half that they hit each other for buckets and assists! Kenzie had 4 points, 3 boards, 2 assists and 2 blocks, and Grace had 2 points and 3 assists. Mel Honnold also had 4 points and 3 assists, handling a variety of pressure defensive looks, and had a fantastic, controlled drive for a layup when we needed someone to step up and make a tough play to stymie a West run. And while Dani Dykstra didn't score, she played her tough defense, had 3 boards (got a couple of huge offensive rebounds that were tossups), scrapped, clawed, and brought her toughness to the equation, which we always need. Other stats will be put in when they are done!
Last time we headed to Marshall, it was an odd situation - a covid-related cancellation brought us to that game with only 1 day to prepare, and we weren't ready for the absolute battle that we went into - they wanted revenge for last year's section final, and they showed it. Still, we battled and adjusted to the physical battle that game was, and now we've had more time to prepare. But, as we know, when the season is on the line, no team bows out, no team takes it lightly, no team will give you anything - you have to TAKE IT. We now need to look at ourselves, and our teammates, and find that extra spark, that extra effort, and that extra mental toughness to go back into that gym, which promises to be loud, crazy, and probably hostile (in an intense way, not a dirty way - Marshall are tough competitors!) to see if we can do what we set out to do, and make it where our program has only been once before, last year: The State Tournament. We've been preparing all our lives for this moment, and now it's time to see if we have what it takes.
#2 seeded Wildcats win vs. #7 seed St. Peter, advance to section semifinals
Playoffs are finally here, and it feels as if it's a continuation of where our journey left off last year - having the uncertainty of not knowing whether we'd be able to play our final game in the State tourney, even heading into the semifinal game against Becker, having the epidemic hanging over our heads, and we entered into our playoffs after a whole year of that sort of uncertainty hanging over our heads. Yet, here we are, ready to start the process again, and our team showed by the opening minutes that they were mentally ready to overcome any of that adversity and uncertainty to try and make history again, winning the quarterfinal game 70-38, and advancing to the semifinals for the third year in a row. We jumped out to an early lead through great defense, physical play, a couple of legitimately fantastic highlight plays, and sharing the ball in the open floor. St. Peter must be the best #7 seed in the state, coming into the game with a winning record in a ridiculously-tough section, but our girls showed that they weren't going to underestimate a team with many players that upset Hutch on their home floor last year by communicating very well and limiting the Saints to 18 first half points, in one of the best defensive halves of our year so far. We were communicating well, helping each other out, and pressuring well to try and disrupt what they were trying to do offensively, which lead to some great transition opportunities as well. Our posts battled for position all night, limiting their inside game and scorers; our guards pressured, and held their leading scorer to 9 points on the night, only 2 coming in the first half.
As is the case when we play our best, we had great possessions where we spaced it, moved it quickly, looking for each other, and it lead to some open shots and post up opportunities. We also had many contributors in many statistical categories, and that's what makes us dangerous. Here are those stats: Ava Stier had a spectacular night on both ends of the floor, really disrupting things in the post for St. Peter, and scoring in different ways, one of which was a sweet fast break where a guard lunged for a steal, she went behind the back and finished through contact with the left hand....it was awesome, and she had 17 points on 8/9 shooting (!!!!!), 7 boards, 2 assists, 2 steals, and a block. Mel Honnold made plays all over the floor as well, and the craziest was when she blocked a layup from behind, maintained possession, took one dribble into a full-court pass for a layup to Swanny - it was spectacular, and she had 14 points, 7 boards, 3 assists, 2 steals, and a block - that's a crazy stat-line! Audrey Swanson had 10 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals and a block, and created a lot of opportunities for others by drawing a lot of attention in the post. Addy Salzer had another great all-around game, with 8 points, 5 rebounds, an assist, a steal, and 2 blocks, playing great team defense, digging on drives, and keeping the offense moving. Sydni Olson also had 8 points and facilitated for others in a great all-around game, also getting 4 boards, 3 assists and 3 steals, and when they flew out at her at the 3-point line, showed her skill in driving the ball and creating for others. Allie Zimmer had 6 points on 3/3 shooting, 4 assists, 2 steals, and a block, and a FANTASTIC buzzer-beating acrobatic shot to end the first half that was really awesome to see. Dani Dykstra had 4 points and 3 rebounds, and created steals for others through 5 deflections; more than that though, she showed incredible toughness, staying with plays, ripping the ball from other people, kicking it out, and probably lead to at least 8 points for others through plays like that - she was fantastic. Kenzie Amundson also had a great impact on the game, with 2 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 deflections, a steal and a block. Our posts really battled and created well for others, and were a huge factor in the outcome. Grace Seim had 1 point, 1 board, 3 assists, and a steal, and also affected the game immensely - she sped things up, drove and kicked for others so well, showed control, intensity, poise, and really changed the game when she came in.
Next up, we have Mankato West in a re-match of last year's Section semifinals. Just like Marshall was in the regular season, they'll be out for revenge, and will be playing their most intense, physical basketball. We MUST be ready to compete, and attack that game just like we did this one. Nothing is ever easy or given in the post season, so we have to make things happen through trust in each other, sheer will, intensity, ball movement, and belief in our teammates!
As is the case when we play our best, we had great possessions where we spaced it, moved it quickly, looking for each other, and it lead to some open shots and post up opportunities. We also had many contributors in many statistical categories, and that's what makes us dangerous. Here are those stats: Ava Stier had a spectacular night on both ends of the floor, really disrupting things in the post for St. Peter, and scoring in different ways, one of which was a sweet fast break where a guard lunged for a steal, she went behind the back and finished through contact with the left hand....it was awesome, and she had 17 points on 8/9 shooting (!!!!!), 7 boards, 2 assists, 2 steals, and a block. Mel Honnold made plays all over the floor as well, and the craziest was when she blocked a layup from behind, maintained possession, took one dribble into a full-court pass for a layup to Swanny - it was spectacular, and she had 14 points, 7 boards, 3 assists, 2 steals, and a block - that's a crazy stat-line! Audrey Swanson had 10 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals and a block, and created a lot of opportunities for others by drawing a lot of attention in the post. Addy Salzer had another great all-around game, with 8 points, 5 rebounds, an assist, a steal, and 2 blocks, playing great team defense, digging on drives, and keeping the offense moving. Sydni Olson also had 8 points and facilitated for others in a great all-around game, also getting 4 boards, 3 assists and 3 steals, and when they flew out at her at the 3-point line, showed her skill in driving the ball and creating for others. Allie Zimmer had 6 points on 3/3 shooting, 4 assists, 2 steals, and a block, and a FANTASTIC buzzer-beating acrobatic shot to end the first half that was really awesome to see. Dani Dykstra had 4 points and 3 rebounds, and created steals for others through 5 deflections; more than that though, she showed incredible toughness, staying with plays, ripping the ball from other people, kicking it out, and probably lead to at least 8 points for others through plays like that - she was fantastic. Kenzie Amundson also had a great impact on the game, with 2 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 deflections, a steal and a block. Our posts really battled and created well for others, and were a huge factor in the outcome. Grace Seim had 1 point, 1 board, 3 assists, and a steal, and also affected the game immensely - she sped things up, drove and kicked for others so well, showed control, intensity, poise, and really changed the game when she came in.
Next up, we have Mankato West in a re-match of last year's Section semifinals. Just like Marshall was in the regular season, they'll be out for revenge, and will be playing their most intense, physical basketball. We MUST be ready to compete, and attack that game just like we did this one. Nothing is ever easy or given in the post season, so we have to make things happen through trust in each other, sheer will, intensity, ball movement, and belief in our teammates!
Wildcats win vs orono on senior night, finish regular season 16-1, undefeated in conference play for the conference title!
Two seasons ago, the conference title was split in 3 by a last-second buzzer-beater dagger by Nat "Sauce" Meath; before that, we won a conference title in 2012, but I'm not sure if it was shared or solo. It's TOUGH to win the conference, but that's what we were able to pull off this year, the most crazy, shifting, weird seasons of basketball there's been in the state in recent memory. We were undefeated in the conference, and that is a major accomplishment with the level of competition we face from one game to another, but it's really a testament to this team choosing to believe in each other, trust each other, and play team basketball. There were some close calls, as there always, always are in high school basketball, but that's what makes it even better: fighting for what you want, for each other, and for the team. I'm so proud of this team on completing the first part of our journey this year, on our way out of this conference and into another, with a big win over another quality team in Orono, whose only conference loss was to us last month. While both of our teams shot better the first time around, we were able to make enough shots, and had a fantastic defensive 1st half, to propel us to victory on this Senior Night 2021.
Orono was determined to pack the paint and make life tough on the inside for us, oftentimes daring our players to shoot from the outside. In the first half we shot it more readily, and had players knocking it down with some good frequency. Dani Dykstra hit a couple of long distance shots, Sydney Olson got some great looks in transition and off some sets, but they kept daring our bigs to hit from the outside. We made some shots, but our defense is what was really impressive - great communication, great job containing the ball and penetration, and holding a team like Orono to 17 is a great accomplishment. In the second half, we were questioning ourselves shooting the ball a little bit, and because they had so many in the paint, offensive rebounds were tougher to come by, and Orono scored some in transition off shots we normally put down. But, we had players that were willing to trust themselves to shoot the ball with confidence and make shots down the stretch, and that's how we were able to maintain our lead and bring it home!
Stats are being compiled as we speak, but here's the statistical breakdown: Audrey Swanson 20 pts, 1 reb, 3 assists and a steal; Sydney Olson 14 pts, 4 rebs, 1 steal, block, and assist; Ava Stier 13 pts, 9 rebs, 2 assists; Allie Zimmer 9 pts, 7 rebs, 5 steals, 2 steals (another stat-stuffer of a game for Zim!); Dani Dykstra 5 pts, 4 rebs, 1 assist; Addy Salzer 4 pts, 5 boards, 3 assists and a steal; and Mel Honnold 3 pts, 6 assists, 2 rebs and steals; Grace Seim with 3 rebs and a block; Kenzie Amundson with 1 board, assist, and steal.
In Section news: We found out our section seeding today, and it goes like this (records at time I type this):
1. Marshall (16-0)
2. Waconia (16-1)
3. Mankato West (13-3)
4. Mankato East (13-4)
5. Hutchinson (14-4)
6. Worthington (13-4)
7. St. Peter (8-5)
8. New Ulm (3-12)
Look at this section! There's not a top-to-bottom tougher section in the state, in my opinion - when you've got 14-4 and 13-4 teams as the 5!! and 6!!! seeds, and an 8-5 team as the 7????? Come on, people, that's crazy, and it was like this last year too! All this to say: our team is one with aspirations of making another postseason run, but it's tough, and they will need everything they have to make our run through this loaded section! But, I believe in us. I believe in what we can do, how we can come together, how we can get stops, how we can move the ball and make the extra pass, looking for each other, and how much we want to make this run. So now, the true work begins, and it's win-or-go-home time, and just like last year, nothing is ever given. We will have to step up our intensity, our defense, and our confidence in each other. So LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! Postseason is here!!!
Orono was determined to pack the paint and make life tough on the inside for us, oftentimes daring our players to shoot from the outside. In the first half we shot it more readily, and had players knocking it down with some good frequency. Dani Dykstra hit a couple of long distance shots, Sydney Olson got some great looks in transition and off some sets, but they kept daring our bigs to hit from the outside. We made some shots, but our defense is what was really impressive - great communication, great job containing the ball and penetration, and holding a team like Orono to 17 is a great accomplishment. In the second half, we were questioning ourselves shooting the ball a little bit, and because they had so many in the paint, offensive rebounds were tougher to come by, and Orono scored some in transition off shots we normally put down. But, we had players that were willing to trust themselves to shoot the ball with confidence and make shots down the stretch, and that's how we were able to maintain our lead and bring it home!
Stats are being compiled as we speak, but here's the statistical breakdown: Audrey Swanson 20 pts, 1 reb, 3 assists and a steal; Sydney Olson 14 pts, 4 rebs, 1 steal, block, and assist; Ava Stier 13 pts, 9 rebs, 2 assists; Allie Zimmer 9 pts, 7 rebs, 5 steals, 2 steals (another stat-stuffer of a game for Zim!); Dani Dykstra 5 pts, 4 rebs, 1 assist; Addy Salzer 4 pts, 5 boards, 3 assists and a steal; and Mel Honnold 3 pts, 6 assists, 2 rebs and steals; Grace Seim with 3 rebs and a block; Kenzie Amundson with 1 board, assist, and steal.
In Section news: We found out our section seeding today, and it goes like this (records at time I type this):
1. Marshall (16-0)
2. Waconia (16-1)
3. Mankato West (13-3)
4. Mankato East (13-4)
5. Hutchinson (14-4)
6. Worthington (13-4)
7. St. Peter (8-5)
8. New Ulm (3-12)
Look at this section! There's not a top-to-bottom tougher section in the state, in my opinion - when you've got 14-4 and 13-4 teams as the 5!! and 6!!! seeds, and an 8-5 team as the 7????? Come on, people, that's crazy, and it was like this last year too! All this to say: our team is one with aspirations of making another postseason run, but it's tough, and they will need everything they have to make our run through this loaded section! But, I believe in us. I believe in what we can do, how we can come together, how we can get stops, how we can move the ball and make the extra pass, looking for each other, and how much we want to make this run. So now, the true work begins, and it's win-or-go-home time, and just like last year, nothing is ever given. We will have to step up our intensity, our defense, and our confidence in each other. So LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! Postseason is here!!!
Wildcats beat Mound-Westonka
We moved up the time to start to 6:00, since the JV and C seasons got called early due to the continued spread of the Covid variants, and it was a bit of a slow start for our Wildcats on Monday. But, once we played more intense defense, figured out some of their switching defensive schemes, and worked the ball around more quickly, we went on a (I think...) 26-2 run to end the first half to take a 39-15 lead into the half. We were able to continue the defensive momentum into most of the 2nd half, only giving up 4 points through the first 9 minutes. We finished strong, and ended up with the win, 66-25. With this win, our Waconia Wildcats capture a guaranteed share of the Wright County Conference championship! To win it outright, we'll have to beat a tough, hungry Orono team on Friday, and that game is currently scheduled for 7:00 PM.
Stats are being tabulated! But, scoring-wise, we made the extra pass effectively through much of the game (sometimes...it may have been one too many, but that's a good problem to have! Players that are too unselfish!), and that lead to these stats:
Scoring: Addy Salzer 19 pts, 2 rebs, 2 assists, 2 steals, and listen to this fg% - 8/9 from 2, 2/2 from 3, 1/1 from FT = 100% effective fg % for the game! Dang! Audrey Swanson 16 pts, 2 boards, 3 assists and a steal; Ava Stier 7 pts, 8 rebs, 3 assists and a steal; Dani Dykstra 5 pts, 5 boards, and and assist; Kenzie Amundson 4 pts, 2 boards, 2 assists, and 2 blocks; Mel Honnold 3 pts, 4 boards, an assist, 2 steals and a block; Sydni Olson 3 pts, 4 boards, an assist and steal; Hallie Roitenberg 3 pts (from really deep) and a board; Allie Zimmer 2 pts, 5 assists, and 2 steals; Carli Cebulla 2 pts and 2 boards; Nora Bailey 2!
I won't deny that these are odd times, and the players are going through another uncertain situation with regard to the state of the season, with teams cancelling games, playoffs approaching, Covid around, and all the other crazy things that make this season seem to have an odd flow to it. But, we have to remember: we have to make sure we're present, in the moment, and worried about where we are at the moment. We have 3 practices this week to get ready for a tough Orono team. We found out today that our game against St. Michael-Albertville has been cancelled, which isn't too surprising, since it's a non-conference game close to the playoffs. So, the game against Orono will wrap up our regular season; for that reason, we will work to focus in, keep getting better at team defense, offense, moving the ball, and boxing out so that we can give the post season the best possible shot!
Stats are being tabulated! But, scoring-wise, we made the extra pass effectively through much of the game (sometimes...it may have been one too many, but that's a good problem to have! Players that are too unselfish!), and that lead to these stats:
Scoring: Addy Salzer 19 pts, 2 rebs, 2 assists, 2 steals, and listen to this fg% - 8/9 from 2, 2/2 from 3, 1/1 from FT = 100% effective fg % for the game! Dang! Audrey Swanson 16 pts, 2 boards, 3 assists and a steal; Ava Stier 7 pts, 8 rebs, 3 assists and a steal; Dani Dykstra 5 pts, 5 boards, and and assist; Kenzie Amundson 4 pts, 2 boards, 2 assists, and 2 blocks; Mel Honnold 3 pts, 4 boards, an assist, 2 steals and a block; Sydni Olson 3 pts, 4 boards, an assist and steal; Hallie Roitenberg 3 pts (from really deep) and a board; Allie Zimmer 2 pts, 5 assists, and 2 steals; Carli Cebulla 2 pts and 2 boards; Nora Bailey 2!
I won't deny that these are odd times, and the players are going through another uncertain situation with regard to the state of the season, with teams cancelling games, playoffs approaching, Covid around, and all the other crazy things that make this season seem to have an odd flow to it. But, we have to remember: we have to make sure we're present, in the moment, and worried about where we are at the moment. We have 3 practices this week to get ready for a tough Orono team. We found out today that our game against St. Michael-Albertville has been cancelled, which isn't too surprising, since it's a non-conference game close to the playoffs. So, the game against Orono will wrap up our regular season; for that reason, we will work to focus in, keep getting better at team defense, offense, moving the ball, and boxing out so that we can give the post season the best possible shot!
Wildcats go 1-1 on abrupt back-to-back craziness
We always knew the possibility for this sort of craziness existed this year, but it hadn't really gotten to us throughout the majority of it; but, with Chaska cancelling their game with us on Tuesday morning, we had to scramble to find an opponent, and one opponent that had an opening was one that few other teams are interested in playing: Section 2 opponent Marshall, who had a gym, a night, and refs for a game after another school cancelled on them that same day. So, on short notice, the day we played a tough Jordan team, we scheduled the game that fate seemed to be pushing us toward. Now, last year we lost a close one to Marshall in the regular season, but with much preparation were able to overcome in the section final and earn our first trip in program history to state; At our first round game, many Marshall players were in the stands, watching, studying, and wanting to get back there themselves, having made the trip the previous year. All this to say, they wanted to beat us very, very badly to avenge last year's section final loss, and it showed. Marshall is a team that is very, very good at what they do - play physically, finish at the rim, and press all game long. We were clearly not ready for that amount of pressure with only 1 day to prepare, and it showed - we were rattled by it, and sped up by it, and weren't able to see all the passing angles that we normally would. We handled it at times, but had way too many turnovers for layups to overcome. Still, though, we had our shots - we were down 1, down 2, and down 3 at various times down the stretch of the second half, and it's because we adjusted to the physical nature of play. Quite frankly, it was pretty crazy out there - normally in the playoffs, more physical play is allowed to take place, and that's good, but this was...well, it was crazy out there. I had sent a clip of a Russian sport that's a cross between rugby and basketball to our team before the game, saying that this is what they had to prepare for, BUT I WAS KIDDING WHEN I SENT IT. I didn't want it to be true! But, when two teams that really, really want to beat each other go at it, that's what it feels like, and the atmosphere in the gym with a rowdy crowd and student section was the first time we'd had that environment all year, so that part of it was fantastic. While we couldn't pull it off in the end, due to some heroics by Marshall's best player, especially, we are confident in our ability to adjust to Marshall's style of play. We got to get a look at a fantastic opponent, and if we earn an opportunity to get back there, which will be very, very hard in this, maybe the toughest section in AAA, we are pumped to take our next shot.
Stats against Marshall: Salzer with 14 pts, 5 boards, 5 assists, 4 steals and 2 blocks; Swanson with 12 pts, 4 rebs, 2 steals; Stier with 12 pts, 13 boards, 2 assists, and a block; Olson with 11 pts, 2 boards, 2 assists; Honnold with 7 pts, 2 boards, 2 assists, and a steal; Zimmer with 4 pts, 2 rebs, 4 assists and a steal; and Dykstra with 2 pts, 3 rebounds, 2 blocks, and a steal; Kenzie Amundson had 7 boards and 2 blocks, and brought some good swagger to the fight, and Grace Seim also had an assist. I will update later with stats on this and our game against Holy Family, once things slow down a bit and I can take a breath!
JV against Marshall: W, 56-48 in a physical battle royale (notice the trend?)
Coach Westphal says: "We broke their press well by making the extra pass. Kiley hit FTs to seal the game and Jojo once again got a huge board off of a free throw to give us another possession at the end. We didn't panic and handled the end game pressure really well. Super balanced attack: Gabby with 12, Nora with 10, Lauren and Hallie both with 8, Kiley with 7, Mo with 6, Jojo with 2; CeCe and Lauren with huge minutes off the bench that allowed us to close the game!" This was Marshall JV's first loss of the season, and it shows how much better we've gotten on the JV that they, too, had no preparation time to get ready for this level of press, so this was a great win!
C: W, 43-22 -
Coach D says: "We battled hard and worked hard for our points. We played fantastic defensively, but offensively looked a bit like individuals. I don't have points because, well, we didn't have a manager and the other team missed a lot of the baskets we scored, but looked awesome on the backside!"
Holy Family - varsity only played - W, 80-42
We kind of knew it'd be a different energy here, on a back-to-back after the battle of Marshall, and the danger of coming out flat was definitely there. And, well, we did come out flat. We didn't have the same intensity or energy right away, but did have good spark once we got going through the 2nd half. We really had great minutes from Dani Dykstra, Kenzi Amundson, and Grace Seim, who brought a level of intensity off the bench that we lacked at times, and that was really welcome and great. And another thing: part of our only having 32 points at halftime is because their player, Hall, the leading shot blocker in the WCC, blocked what felt like at least 7 shots. That is a lot of blocks. We didn't pump fake her well, it's true, but we stuck with it and still got some easy ones on the inside. Once we picked up the defensive intensity in the 2nd half, and hit a couple of shots, we gained back a little of our mojo and were able to create some separation, winning 80-42. Now that stats are here, here's the box score: Stier 18 pts, 9 rebs, 2 ast, 1 block; Swanson 13 pts, 6 rebs, 5 ast; Olson 12 pts, 7 rebs, 2 ast, 1 steal; Salzer 12 pts, 3 rebs, 1 ast; Dykstra 8 (some great finishes here) 2 rebs, 1 ast, 3 stl; Amundson 6 1 ast, 1 stl, 3 blocks; Honnold 6 pts, 3 rebs, 2 assists; and Zimmer 5 pts, 5 rebs, 7 assists, and a steal! Grace Seim had another great game, with 12 boards (!!!) 2 assists and a steal! Holy moly, she was all over the place, and it was great!
Stats against Marshall: Salzer with 14 pts, 5 boards, 5 assists, 4 steals and 2 blocks; Swanson with 12 pts, 4 rebs, 2 steals; Stier with 12 pts, 13 boards, 2 assists, and a block; Olson with 11 pts, 2 boards, 2 assists; Honnold with 7 pts, 2 boards, 2 assists, and a steal; Zimmer with 4 pts, 2 rebs, 4 assists and a steal; and Dykstra with 2 pts, 3 rebounds, 2 blocks, and a steal; Kenzie Amundson had 7 boards and 2 blocks, and brought some good swagger to the fight, and Grace Seim also had an assist. I will update later with stats on this and our game against Holy Family, once things slow down a bit and I can take a breath!
JV against Marshall: W, 56-48 in a physical battle royale (notice the trend?)
Coach Westphal says: "We broke their press well by making the extra pass. Kiley hit FTs to seal the game and Jojo once again got a huge board off of a free throw to give us another possession at the end. We didn't panic and handled the end game pressure really well. Super balanced attack: Gabby with 12, Nora with 10, Lauren and Hallie both with 8, Kiley with 7, Mo with 6, Jojo with 2; CeCe and Lauren with huge minutes off the bench that allowed us to close the game!" This was Marshall JV's first loss of the season, and it shows how much better we've gotten on the JV that they, too, had no preparation time to get ready for this level of press, so this was a great win!
C: W, 43-22 -
Coach D says: "We battled hard and worked hard for our points. We played fantastic defensively, but offensively looked a bit like individuals. I don't have points because, well, we didn't have a manager and the other team missed a lot of the baskets we scored, but looked awesome on the backside!"
Holy Family - varsity only played - W, 80-42
We kind of knew it'd be a different energy here, on a back-to-back after the battle of Marshall, and the danger of coming out flat was definitely there. And, well, we did come out flat. We didn't have the same intensity or energy right away, but did have good spark once we got going through the 2nd half. We really had great minutes from Dani Dykstra, Kenzi Amundson, and Grace Seim, who brought a level of intensity off the bench that we lacked at times, and that was really welcome and great. And another thing: part of our only having 32 points at halftime is because their player, Hall, the leading shot blocker in the WCC, blocked what felt like at least 7 shots. That is a lot of blocks. We didn't pump fake her well, it's true, but we stuck with it and still got some easy ones on the inside. Once we picked up the defensive intensity in the 2nd half, and hit a couple of shots, we gained back a little of our mojo and were able to create some separation, winning 80-42. Now that stats are here, here's the box score: Stier 18 pts, 9 rebs, 2 ast, 1 block; Swanson 13 pts, 6 rebs, 5 ast; Olson 12 pts, 7 rebs, 2 ast, 1 steal; Salzer 12 pts, 3 rebs, 1 ast; Dykstra 8 (some great finishes here) 2 rebs, 1 ast, 3 stl; Amundson 6 1 ast, 1 stl, 3 blocks; Honnold 6 pts, 3 rebs, 2 assists; and Zimmer 5 pts, 5 rebs, 7 assists, and a steal! Grace Seim had another great game, with 12 boards (!!!) 2 assists and a steal! Holy moly, she was all over the place, and it was great!
Wildcats win tough ones against Jordan
Waconia won 3 very tough games this Tuesday against a very tough Jordan program, on a night of extreme uncertainty on our end as well, due to the cancellation of one game later in the week due to Covid, and the scheduling of another against a powerhouse at Marshall on Thursday. So, the uncertainty was in the air a bit, and it showed through in our efforts at times on this night. If you take any game for granted, anyone can beat you on a given night; if you don't bring your maximum effort against a good team like Jordan, they'll get you! We made enough plays down the stretch, however, to emerge victorious on this night, and as usual it was a team effort.
Audrey Swanson lead with 18, finishing well inside through multiple efforts, and great backside help by Jordan. Ava Stier also stepped up, especially at the FT line, hitting gigantic FT's down the stretch (and 6-6 on the night) to keep the game just out of reach. Addy Salzer also scored 14 in different ways, hitting a couple of 3's and jumpers at timely moments. Mel Honnold hit for 8, with a couple of huge 2nd half 3's; Allie Zimmer had 7 in attack mode; Sydney Olson had 5, and they were really working to not let her have much space out there. And Dani Dykstra had 6 on some nice jumpers, hitting from mid-range at a nice clip.
Defensively, we gave up too much to a talented Jordan team. They were able to move the ball around the perimeter with ease, and our backside help was not at its best this game. Defensive intensity and communication are absolutely key to success, and we didn't bring our best effort, and Jordan really attacked well all night, hit timely 3's, and finished well at the hoop as well. Our defense has to be better to get where we want to be, so that's the main focus. However, there's not much time, as we have to prep for a now gigantic game against Marshall on Thursday night, so go to bed and get some rest!
JV - W 58-54
This was a revenge game for the JV, who lost by 10 at Jordan earlier this year, and we were able to pull it out this time around! Everybody got in the book on this night, and we broke their press well and improved immensely from the last time out. Kiley hit some big FT's down the stretch. Jojo also got HUGE offensive rebounds, one of them on a FT miss in the final seconds. We missed a lot of layups and bunnies early, and were still able to avenge the earlier loss. Super balanced scoring. Nora was TOUGH with 13, Kiley with 12, Hallie 11, Gabby 10, Morgan 6, Lauren 2, Jojo 2, CeCe 2 on a huge bucket down the stretch as well! Great win!
C - W!
We got a win! Need the info from coach D, but I will get it soon and type it up!
Audrey Swanson lead with 18, finishing well inside through multiple efforts, and great backside help by Jordan. Ava Stier also stepped up, especially at the FT line, hitting gigantic FT's down the stretch (and 6-6 on the night) to keep the game just out of reach. Addy Salzer also scored 14 in different ways, hitting a couple of 3's and jumpers at timely moments. Mel Honnold hit for 8, with a couple of huge 2nd half 3's; Allie Zimmer had 7 in attack mode; Sydney Olson had 5, and they were really working to not let her have much space out there. And Dani Dykstra had 6 on some nice jumpers, hitting from mid-range at a nice clip.
Defensively, we gave up too much to a talented Jordan team. They were able to move the ball around the perimeter with ease, and our backside help was not at its best this game. Defensive intensity and communication are absolutely key to success, and we didn't bring our best effort, and Jordan really attacked well all night, hit timely 3's, and finished well at the hoop as well. Our defense has to be better to get where we want to be, so that's the main focus. However, there's not much time, as we have to prep for a now gigantic game against Marshall on Thursday night, so go to bed and get some rest!
JV - W 58-54
This was a revenge game for the JV, who lost by 10 at Jordan earlier this year, and we were able to pull it out this time around! Everybody got in the book on this night, and we broke their press well and improved immensely from the last time out. Kiley hit some big FT's down the stretch. Jojo also got HUGE offensive rebounds, one of them on a FT miss in the final seconds. We missed a lot of layups and bunnies early, and were still able to avenge the earlier loss. Super balanced scoring. Nora was TOUGH with 13, Kiley with 12, Hallie 11, Gabby 10, Morgan 6, Lauren 2, Jojo 2, CeCe 2 on a huge bucket down the stretch as well! Great win!
C - W!
We got a win! Need the info from coach D, but I will get it soon and type it up!
Sweep at home for Waconia vs. New Prague
New Prague always, always battles, and there were some great ones on this Friday night at Waconia High School. Let's start with the craziest game of all: 9th Grade C.
W - 57-55
I was stressing throughout the whole thing. I live-tweeted it, which you can see on our twitter feed (on our home page as well, on THIS VERY WEBSITE!), and I may have been more sweaty for this one than our last varsity contest against Hutch, which I must have blacked out for half of out of stress. Luckily coach Murf was at the helm, and her calm influence helped us in a chaotic scene. Anyway, these Cats battled back from, at one point, an 11-point deficit, and with just 8 players (more on that soon), and went against a New Prague squad that pressed the entire game, attacked all the time, and ran up and down like crazy. Our girls showed immense grit, by getting to the free throw line and knocking down clutch FT's down the stretch, making huge steal after huge steal, forcing turnovers, and rebounding through the scrum. I swear, this is the hardest I've seen this team ever play, and New Prague matched it throughout the game. It was back and forth, lead-change to lead-change, and we continually had players stepping up to do things they may not have had to do before in clutch games: Sams got a block on a girl twice her size down the stretch; Meyer had a clutch go-ahead layup on a fastbreak and played crazy intense defense; Estling was breaking the press continually like a point guard extreme! Myhre was diving on the floor like she was a cat pouncing on a mouse! Bryfczynski took many shots to the face, but got up every time and battled! Buetow was rebounding in the scrum and physical contact like a graceful, calm presence! Mielke was handling the fast break and people running at her like berserkers! Seriously, it was wild, and we sent it to OT through sheer grit, some timely and-1's by Bryfczynski and Estling, and clutch FT shooting. Then, in OT, Myhre hit a legendary 3, that turned out to be the dagger, and she did it with confidence and poise when she was dead tired, and it was an epic sight. We pulled it out 57-55 and celebrated, and we SHOULD have, because it was crazy! Scoring went like this: Bryfczynski with 18; Estling with 16; Myhre with 13; Meyer with 6; Buetow with 6; and Sams with 2. Check our twitter to see some videos and pics of the game - it was glorious!
10th grade - W, 59-25. Coach D says: "We met our second half defensive goal, woohoo!! Tori "Busta" Parpart went off today with a season high of 15, back-to-back 3's, and epic blocks; Clara "Narn" Smith brought the heat and attacked the rim hard for 14; Amber Bruggemeier had a well-deserved 10 and played hard defensively! Ellana Keaveney had 9 and a big defensive presence, and Morgan "Mo $" Stock had 9. Bella Hoxie was the assist queen feeding the guards at the top of the key!" So sayeth coach D! It was a great win!
JV - W, 69-33. Coach Westphal says: "Better rebounding and sprinting the floor in the 2nd half to really pull away was the key. We broke their press nicely in the frist half when we shared the ball for layups. Hallie Roitenberg led with 17 and hit a few 3's, a few FT's, and a couple of jumpers as well. Otherwise we were very balanced: Mo Meyer had 8 and distributed well, Jojo Machacek had 6, Gabby "Luigi" "Yo Gabba Gabba" Lauwagie had 12, Nora Bailey had 11, Kiley "Sizzle" Sazama had 12, and CC had 3!
Varsity - W, 85 - 41
We ran and scored the ball well in the first half, scoring 55 and hitting some 3's to help balance out our good inside presence. Even though we didn't finish through contact that well this night, we still stuck with it and finished better once we got our feet under us. Hitting the 5 3's in the first half was key to open up the middle, and we continue to share the ball and look for each other well. Defensively, we made too many mistakes in the first half - we gave shooters too much space by over-helping at times, and they hit 6 3's themselves, and Wedeking was on fire for 22 in the first half. That's not good for us, obviously, as our goal to give up points-wise in a half is 25. So, going into halftime, we knew we had to double down on containing the drive 1-on-1 and not over-helping, or even requiring the help all the time, which leads to breakdown of defense. So, in the 2nd half, we held Wedeking to 4, and their team to 7 points total in the half. That was because we did a better job 1-on-1, took fewer "whiffs" on passing lanes, and still had some balance with attacking the lanes and pressuring in a more controlled manner. This was a step in the right direction, and what we need to do to keep getting better at containing other teams' offenses. We achieved our goal of keeping the opposition to under 50 points, and it was through a great defensive effort.
Stats don't always tell the story, but here they are, nonetheless: Stier 17, 6 rebs, 2 steals and 2 assists;; Swanson 15 pts, 4 rebs, 2 assists and 2 blocks; Salzer 11 pts, 5 rebs, 5 ast, 2 stl and a block; Honnold 8 pts, 3 rebs, 3 ast, 4 stl, a block, and a birthday balloon!; Olson 8 pts, 3 rebs, and a block; Zimmer 7 pts, 7 rebs, 5 ast, and 4 stl; Amundson 4 pts, 5 rebs; Lauwagie 4 pts and 3 steals in 3 minutes of work - if we put her in for a whole game, I expect her to put up at least 36 by that metric!; Dykstra 4 pts and 5 boards; Seim 2 pts, 2 boards, 1 assist, and 2 steals, and a really sweet post move; Roitenberg 3 pts, 1 rebound, and an assist; Machacek 2 pts and a board; Again, our players look for each other, make the extra pass, drive and kick well, and have great balance on the floor, and that's what will continue to make us dangerous as the season goes on. Next week we begin the last 2 weeks of the regular season, and we have 6 games in that span: T, F, Saturday two times, so get rest, drink water, stay healthy and away from the virus, and get ready for the home stretch of this abbreviated season!
W - 57-55
I was stressing throughout the whole thing. I live-tweeted it, which you can see on our twitter feed (on our home page as well, on THIS VERY WEBSITE!), and I may have been more sweaty for this one than our last varsity contest against Hutch, which I must have blacked out for half of out of stress. Luckily coach Murf was at the helm, and her calm influence helped us in a chaotic scene. Anyway, these Cats battled back from, at one point, an 11-point deficit, and with just 8 players (more on that soon), and went against a New Prague squad that pressed the entire game, attacked all the time, and ran up and down like crazy. Our girls showed immense grit, by getting to the free throw line and knocking down clutch FT's down the stretch, making huge steal after huge steal, forcing turnovers, and rebounding through the scrum. I swear, this is the hardest I've seen this team ever play, and New Prague matched it throughout the game. It was back and forth, lead-change to lead-change, and we continually had players stepping up to do things they may not have had to do before in clutch games: Sams got a block on a girl twice her size down the stretch; Meyer had a clutch go-ahead layup on a fastbreak and played crazy intense defense; Estling was breaking the press continually like a point guard extreme! Myhre was diving on the floor like she was a cat pouncing on a mouse! Bryfczynski took many shots to the face, but got up every time and battled! Buetow was rebounding in the scrum and physical contact like a graceful, calm presence! Mielke was handling the fast break and people running at her like berserkers! Seriously, it was wild, and we sent it to OT through sheer grit, some timely and-1's by Bryfczynski and Estling, and clutch FT shooting. Then, in OT, Myhre hit a legendary 3, that turned out to be the dagger, and she did it with confidence and poise when she was dead tired, and it was an epic sight. We pulled it out 57-55 and celebrated, and we SHOULD have, because it was crazy! Scoring went like this: Bryfczynski with 18; Estling with 16; Myhre with 13; Meyer with 6; Buetow with 6; and Sams with 2. Check our twitter to see some videos and pics of the game - it was glorious!
10th grade - W, 59-25. Coach D says: "We met our second half defensive goal, woohoo!! Tori "Busta" Parpart went off today with a season high of 15, back-to-back 3's, and epic blocks; Clara "Narn" Smith brought the heat and attacked the rim hard for 14; Amber Bruggemeier had a well-deserved 10 and played hard defensively! Ellana Keaveney had 9 and a big defensive presence, and Morgan "Mo $" Stock had 9. Bella Hoxie was the assist queen feeding the guards at the top of the key!" So sayeth coach D! It was a great win!
JV - W, 69-33. Coach Westphal says: "Better rebounding and sprinting the floor in the 2nd half to really pull away was the key. We broke their press nicely in the frist half when we shared the ball for layups. Hallie Roitenberg led with 17 and hit a few 3's, a few FT's, and a couple of jumpers as well. Otherwise we were very balanced: Mo Meyer had 8 and distributed well, Jojo Machacek had 6, Gabby "Luigi" "Yo Gabba Gabba" Lauwagie had 12, Nora Bailey had 11, Kiley "Sizzle" Sazama had 12, and CC had 3!
Varsity - W, 85 - 41
We ran and scored the ball well in the first half, scoring 55 and hitting some 3's to help balance out our good inside presence. Even though we didn't finish through contact that well this night, we still stuck with it and finished better once we got our feet under us. Hitting the 5 3's in the first half was key to open up the middle, and we continue to share the ball and look for each other well. Defensively, we made too many mistakes in the first half - we gave shooters too much space by over-helping at times, and they hit 6 3's themselves, and Wedeking was on fire for 22 in the first half. That's not good for us, obviously, as our goal to give up points-wise in a half is 25. So, going into halftime, we knew we had to double down on containing the drive 1-on-1 and not over-helping, or even requiring the help all the time, which leads to breakdown of defense. So, in the 2nd half, we held Wedeking to 4, and their team to 7 points total in the half. That was because we did a better job 1-on-1, took fewer "whiffs" on passing lanes, and still had some balance with attacking the lanes and pressuring in a more controlled manner. This was a step in the right direction, and what we need to do to keep getting better at containing other teams' offenses. We achieved our goal of keeping the opposition to under 50 points, and it was through a great defensive effort.
Stats don't always tell the story, but here they are, nonetheless: Stier 17, 6 rebs, 2 steals and 2 assists;; Swanson 15 pts, 4 rebs, 2 assists and 2 blocks; Salzer 11 pts, 5 rebs, 5 ast, 2 stl and a block; Honnold 8 pts, 3 rebs, 3 ast, 4 stl, a block, and a birthday balloon!; Olson 8 pts, 3 rebs, and a block; Zimmer 7 pts, 7 rebs, 5 ast, and 4 stl; Amundson 4 pts, 5 rebs; Lauwagie 4 pts and 3 steals in 3 minutes of work - if we put her in for a whole game, I expect her to put up at least 36 by that metric!; Dykstra 4 pts and 5 boards; Seim 2 pts, 2 boards, 1 assist, and 2 steals, and a really sweet post move; Roitenberg 3 pts, 1 rebound, and an assist; Machacek 2 pts and a board; Again, our players look for each other, make the extra pass, drive and kick well, and have great balance on the floor, and that's what will continue to make us dangerous as the season goes on. Next week we begin the last 2 weeks of the regular season, and we have 6 games in that span: T, F, Saturday two times, so get rest, drink water, stay healthy and away from the virus, and get ready for the home stretch of this abbreviated season!
Wildcats complete sweep at Delano
It was a good night for our Wildcats at Delano, as we completed the sweep through some tough, physical games.
C - Win, 54-35. Coach D says: "Ashley (Bryfczynski) went off! 17 points, many, many steals, rebounds, assists, everything! She dominated! Jenna looked swift today with 9 attacking offensively and making big plays defensively! We were rather sloppy defensively getting beat backdoor a couple of times and rebounding-wise, but we secured the dub." So sayeth coach D! C is still undefeated on the year (11-0), and playing great every game!
JV - Win, 58-36. Coach Westphal says: "We handled the pressure alright but struggled rebounding. Had patience and locked them down defensively when we needed to. Gabby had 15, and really got going in the 2nd half when we put them away. Roit with 14 all in the first half, getting us off to a great start. Kiley "Sizzle" Sazama also rocked out to 14. Balanced attack per usual!" So sayeth coach Westo! JV advances to 7-3 on the year (right?), and is playing well, and this bears mentioning as well: they spend a lot of their time prepping other team's offenses, learning their plays on the scout team, and then STILL going as hard as they can at the varsity; they have helped us get better this year constantly, while running other people's stuff, and they do a fantastic job at it while working on their own skills as well! These are admirable, team-oriented players, and deserve immense credit for who we are as a program!
Varsity - Win 68-31.
Delano has been playing well lately, and has been on the cusp of a couple of good wins against quality teams. They wanted to slow us down and attack from the outside and high post defensively, and in the first half, we didn't really enforce our will defensively - we were showing fairly well, but Delano was determined to get around it and keep attacking, which lead to a couple of fouls and shots at the rim; So, when we switched up to a more aggressive switch, we were able to stymie some of their actions and have a great defensive 2nd half, only giving up 8 points, which is good to see, as we have to do a better job keeping girls in front of us defensively. Once we got more determined, we found our way. Still, despite the slower pace to this one, we hit a couple of 3's at the end of the first half to go along with our inside presence, a couple of jumpers, and pretty good sharing of the ball! We continue to look for each other both in transition and on drives, and it's what can make us dangerous.
We had another balanced night sharing the ball and scoring: Ava Stier hit from all over the court for 17 pts, 6 boards and 2 assists; Audrey Swanson was great inside for 11 pts and 4 rebs; Addy Salzer scored in a variety of ways for 10, 5 rebounds and 4 assists, 3 players had 6 - Mel Honnold (1 reb, 5 ast, 1 steal), Sydney Olson (3 rebs, 2 ast), and Dani Dykstra (3 rebs, 1 ast); Kenzie Amundson had 5 with a couple of strong moves down low to go with her game-high 8 boards; Grace seim had 3 on a nice finish, 1 board and 4 assists in another great night of passing; Allie Zimmer had 2 pts, 4 boards, 3 assists, and a steal; and Gabby Lauwagie also had 2 and a steal in the win!
Next up we have New Prague at home this Friday!
C - Win, 54-35. Coach D says: "Ashley (Bryfczynski) went off! 17 points, many, many steals, rebounds, assists, everything! She dominated! Jenna looked swift today with 9 attacking offensively and making big plays defensively! We were rather sloppy defensively getting beat backdoor a couple of times and rebounding-wise, but we secured the dub." So sayeth coach D! C is still undefeated on the year (11-0), and playing great every game!
JV - Win, 58-36. Coach Westphal says: "We handled the pressure alright but struggled rebounding. Had patience and locked them down defensively when we needed to. Gabby had 15, and really got going in the 2nd half when we put them away. Roit with 14 all in the first half, getting us off to a great start. Kiley "Sizzle" Sazama also rocked out to 14. Balanced attack per usual!" So sayeth coach Westo! JV advances to 7-3 on the year (right?), and is playing well, and this bears mentioning as well: they spend a lot of their time prepping other team's offenses, learning their plays on the scout team, and then STILL going as hard as they can at the varsity; they have helped us get better this year constantly, while running other people's stuff, and they do a fantastic job at it while working on their own skills as well! These are admirable, team-oriented players, and deserve immense credit for who we are as a program!
Varsity - Win 68-31.
Delano has been playing well lately, and has been on the cusp of a couple of good wins against quality teams. They wanted to slow us down and attack from the outside and high post defensively, and in the first half, we didn't really enforce our will defensively - we were showing fairly well, but Delano was determined to get around it and keep attacking, which lead to a couple of fouls and shots at the rim; So, when we switched up to a more aggressive switch, we were able to stymie some of their actions and have a great defensive 2nd half, only giving up 8 points, which is good to see, as we have to do a better job keeping girls in front of us defensively. Once we got more determined, we found our way. Still, despite the slower pace to this one, we hit a couple of 3's at the end of the first half to go along with our inside presence, a couple of jumpers, and pretty good sharing of the ball! We continue to look for each other both in transition and on drives, and it's what can make us dangerous.
We had another balanced night sharing the ball and scoring: Ava Stier hit from all over the court for 17 pts, 6 boards and 2 assists; Audrey Swanson was great inside for 11 pts and 4 rebs; Addy Salzer scored in a variety of ways for 10, 5 rebounds and 4 assists, 3 players had 6 - Mel Honnold (1 reb, 5 ast, 1 steal), Sydney Olson (3 rebs, 2 ast), and Dani Dykstra (3 rebs, 1 ast); Kenzie Amundson had 5 with a couple of strong moves down low to go with her game-high 8 boards; Grace seim had 3 on a nice finish, 1 board and 4 assists in another great night of passing; Allie Zimmer had 2 pts, 4 boards, 3 assists, and a steal; and Gabby Lauwagie also had 2 and a steal in the win!
Next up we have New Prague at home this Friday!
Holy crap, I'm not sure how to write about this game: I don't remember a lot of it!
Sometimes, you need luck. In the course of a season, teams will inevitably run against a night where shots don't fall, you don't get the 50/50 balls, the other team takes you out of your rhythm and what you want to do, and you battle against the basketball gods. All of those things happened this night hosting Hutch, a team that is ALWAYS, ALWAYS tough to beat, compete against, and who our Wildcats haven't beaten twice since 2014 (I think). On those nights, teams doing battle have a choice to make when at the moment of truth: hang your head, go 3/4 speed, and coast to a loss - or - double down on faith that the next shot, the next play, the next stop will be the one to turn the tide just enough to give a glimmer of hope for a win. There were about 1,763 moments like that in this game, but the biggest was when we went down 56-50 with about 4:25 left. We took a timeout, re-focused on what we were trying to do, and pieced together enough plays down the stretch to get a tie and send it to OT. In OT, we got a couple of shots to go down (at this point I have no idea who did it! I gotta watch the film) - I'm pretty sure Rookie hit a 3, and we scrounged a couple of loose balls up to get a layup - but we showed guts. That's the great thing about a game like this - it takes guts to double down on each other, on the team, on what we're trying to accomplish, and to trust each other to make the next play. Hats off to Mel Honnold, who came back after hurting her ribs to handle the ball, show composure, and play defense. We made just enough plays to win, and it just goes to show that to do great things when things are looking down, you need some luck - but I believe that luck comes from showing an intensity to scrounge, scrape, and claw your way to the next loose ball, the next defensive stop, and we got just enough of them.
Stats are still being tabulated; however, scoring-wise, we had many contributors, and, yes, we missed a LOT of shots - they were in and out, rolling around the rim, missing shots in the post and in traffic that we usually make. But, again, there's no other option than to BELIEVE that the next shot will go down, and we made just enough. We were lead by our captain Addy Salzer, who had 16, and who had a huge layup, offensive rebound, and a pair of FT's in OT that iced the game (they hit a 3 at the buzzer when we were up 5, because Hutch competes until the end, every game). You need your senior leaders to step up in trying times like those, and she did, handling the ball, managing the time, and trusting herself to have the ball in her hands in big moments. She also had 4 boards, 2 assists and 3 steals. We also had Sydni Olson with 14, hitting a gigantic 3 in OT along with a FT, 6 huge rebounds (at one point diving on the floor, hitting Swanson for 2 in traffic in OT for a huge bucket). Ava Stier had 12 pts, 10 rebounds, 4 huge assists (one driving for a dump to Olson for a big 2 when down in regulation) and a steal; and Audrey Swanson had 11 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, and saved some of her biggest plays for the end, with a huge offensive rebound for a layup, a bucket in traffic, etc. Allie Zimmer had 7 pts, 3 reb, 5 assists and 3 steals before fouling out in OT, and had a gigantic drive for a layup on the baseline in regulation - again, a senior stepping up huge at a crucial time. Mel Honnold had a pretty crazy game that showed off her toughness and grit - she had 6 points, 2 boards, a block, and 2 assists, but in the 2nd half she took a charge where the opponent landed on her ribs, and I was scared for her; I was blown away to see her come back out again and be ready to even consider coming back into the game, but when we were going offense/defense to spare foul trouble, and when Zim fouled out in OT, she stepped up like a total boss, handled the ball and press, made tough cuts, plays, protected the ball, and was just spectacular. What a competitor. Kenzie Amundson had 4 points and 2 boards as well, which were crucial to see drop in the first half when it seemed like nothing would fall; and Dani Dykstra had a big and-1 for 3, played great defense, had a gigantic steal down the stretch of regulation, and stepped up in crucial moments as well. And Grace Seim had a couple of boards, and 2 huge assists, setting up some free throws for Ava on a great backdoor pass as well down the stretch of regulation, which was a huge play.
This game was insane, and we showed that we can play with guts, moxie, and not panic when the going gets mountainous against a very good, tough team. To be the best version of ourselves that we can be, we need to withstand tough times, dire situations, and games like this, and on this night we did. Very proud of this team.
JV - W 74-38. They really shared the ball well, advanced the ball in transition, played great helpside Defense, and looked great! It was a good rebound after our loss to Orono the other day, and everybody got in the book. Gabby Luigi Lauwagie had 18 in typical Gabby fashion: in transition and off her steals! Kiley had 16 with 4 3's, Nora had 13 sprinting in transition and finishing her bunnies; Hallie Roitenberg had 10, along with some hot passes to streaking teammates. This team was a joy to watch this day, and advanced to 7-3 on the year.
C - W 62-37
We came out a little slow, but found our groove. We had a lot of steals and handled the 2-3 zone well as well! Ellana Keaveney and Amber Bruggemeier each had 13, and Ashley Bryfczynski had 9. We were aggressive and struggled with our bunnies a bit, but shared the ball and worked hard!
Below: a couple of late-game moments from the JV squadron. Their practice yesterday, simulating Hutch, competing like crazy, making intense plays, really helped us today feel the pressure and deal with it down the stretch - JV is incredibly important to our success, and helped us emerge with a win on this day!
Wildcats overcome great test vs. Orono Spartans, take 2 out of 3
Playing at Orono is always tough, and coming into the game the 7-1 Spartans hadn't lost a conference game yet - they can shoot it, have height, good penetrators and finishers, and are tough-minded. Nevertheless, our Varsity squad was able to put together some great defensive runs of stops, score some in transition and in the paint, hit some open jumpers when we moved the ball well, and keep spreading the ball around to our multiple threats for players to step up and take advantage when others were taken away, double-teamed, etc. We had to adjust at times, as they pulled out multiple defensive schemes, zones, double-teams on our posts, and it lead to some janky-looking possessions; however, we passed well out of double teams, looked for the backside cutter, and played good team basketball, with 6 players scoring in double figures: Ava Stier with 22, 12 boards, and a block; Sydni Olson with 18, 4 boards, and 2 assists; Audrey Swanson with 16, 6 boards, 5 assists and a steal, filling it up in all categories, as are many of our players; Dani Dykstra with 14, 3 boards, and was very efficient going 4/5 from field and 6/7 from FT line; Addy Salzer with 12, 5 boards, 2 assists and a steal; and Mel Honnold with 12, 4 boards, 2 assists, a steal, and a block. Also scoring were Grace Seim with 2 pts, 2 boards, and 3 assists, and Kenzie Amundson with 2 pts (though it seems like she had double digits, since her name was called for shooting free throws no matter who was at the line! In our minds, she had way more!), 4 boards, 3 assists and a block. And Allie Zimmer didn't score, but was actually the leader in +/- on the night with 7 assists, 3 boards and a steal. Again, it deserves reiteration that with a team that has talented scorers, it's ESSENTIAL that they buy into making the extra pass, extra play, and show each other that they're looking for setting them up to score, and that's exactly what our team has bought into. They know that when someone is doubled, they'll look to kick; when someone drives, it sets up a good cut; if we hit from the outside, it opens it up on the inside; this helps our team chemistry, and lets teammates know that they have each others' backs, and you just have to appreciate it, because it's rare to have an assemblage of talent that wants to do what it takes to win more than get an impressive stat line. I'm immensely proud of our team and what they are working toward! (stats are being compiled and will be updated tomorrow). Next up is Hutch, in another very important conference and section game!
JV - L 53-43
JV struggled a bit at Orono, it's true - there were moments where a spark would happen, we'd make a run, make a great play, but they didn't quite coalesce into a big run, a table-turning series of events, and we eventually fell to the Spartans, who played tough D, finished well at the hoop (their program hits runners and uses the backboard very well - I'm a bank-shot guy at heart, so while it pains me to see them make it so often, I tip the ol' hat in respect!). The biggest factor was not being able to get 3-straight stops consistently - every time we had a mini-run, they'd hit a 3 or bank one home, and killed the momentum. Some games are like that though, and our JV cats will persevere, as the future is bright for them. Gabby "Luigi" Lauwagie battled foul trouble all night but got also had 9, Nora Bailey had 8, and Hallie Roitenberg had 7.
C - W 50-27
This level continues their undefeated ways and played what coach D described as "the best all-around game and effort of the year!" Ellana Keaveney had 17 (big rebounding, great steals), Amber Bruggemeier had 12, Bella Hoxie rocked out to 6. We played "amazingly offensively and defensively, taking complete control of the game. We were offensive board maniacs in the first half and played selflessly! It was so much fun to watch. Ashley Bryfczynski also had a huge bloody nose. LOL." So sayeth coach D! I'm sure Ashley's fine!
JV - L 53-43
JV struggled a bit at Orono, it's true - there were moments where a spark would happen, we'd make a run, make a great play, but they didn't quite coalesce into a big run, a table-turning series of events, and we eventually fell to the Spartans, who played tough D, finished well at the hoop (their program hits runners and uses the backboard very well - I'm a bank-shot guy at heart, so while it pains me to see them make it so often, I tip the ol' hat in respect!). The biggest factor was not being able to get 3-straight stops consistently - every time we had a mini-run, they'd hit a 3 or bank one home, and killed the momentum. Some games are like that though, and our JV cats will persevere, as the future is bright for them. Gabby "Luigi" Lauwagie battled foul trouble all night but got also had 9, Nora Bailey had 8, and Hallie Roitenberg had 7.
C - W 50-27
This level continues their undefeated ways and played what coach D described as "the best all-around game and effort of the year!" Ellana Keaveney had 17 (big rebounding, great steals), Amber Bruggemeier had 12, Bella Hoxie rocked out to 6. We played "amazingly offensively and defensively, taking complete control of the game. We were offensive board maniacs in the first half and played selflessly! It was so much fun to watch. Ashley Bryfczynski also had a huge bloody nose. LOL." So sayeth coach D! I'm sure Ashley's fine!
Wildcats Sweep Mound-Westonka
On an extremely cold night outside, the Wildcats varsity kept the gym hot with their shooting, intense defense, and what may be a record for points in a half (I'll have to go and check some of those "fun & gun" years' halves out in the research) with 58, resulting in an 87-35 win over Mound-Westonka! We had a great half of sharing the ball, running the floor, making the extra pass, and putting pressure on the rim, which allowed us to play the inside-outside game, kicking out for great looks from deep. Our posts were very assertive and disciplined from the start, posting up well and finishing through some contact; our defense was fairly disciplined and added enough pressure to allow us to run; We had 25 team assists, showing, again, that when we move the ball well we're a dangerous team indeed!
Stats-wise, we had another game where tons of players are doing tons of things up and down the roster, which makes this team dangerous and special: Ava Stier lead the way with 17 (87% from 2!!!!!!) pts, 6 rebounds and an assist, and Sydney Olson lined it up for 14 of her own from deep, continuing her hot shooting - the last two games she's shot 69% from 3, which is quite frankly amazing; she also had 7 boards, 4 assists and a steal - that's a heck of a stat line! Dani Dykstra asserted herself inside as well, coming through with a big 10, 2 boards and 2 steals. Addy Salzer (5 boards, 1 assist, 2 blocks), Audrey Swanson (3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals), and Hallie Roitenberg (3 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal) all got 8 points in a variety of ways, attacking the rim, posting up, and hitting the 3! Allie Zimmer had 6 pts, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals, continuing her all-around insane stretch of play - she's everywhere, running the show, making some sweet passes (one was particularly awesome - she sprinted to a loose ball, jumped in the air near our bench, and saved it to a running teammate for a score); Kenzie Amundson continued her great touch around the hoop with 5 pts, 5 rebs, 2 assists and 3 blocks! Mel Honnold also ran the show efficiently, with 4 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals, while zipping passes to cutting teammates with great vision; Grace Seim continues to impress with her interior passing that I like to describe as "nifty" (I'm aging myself), and had 4 boards and 4 assists; Morgan Meyer came in and played excellent defense, pressured the ball, and had a board, assist, and steal; Kiley "Sizzle" Sazama had a board and a steal; Nora Bailey got 3 and had a great cut to the hoop; and both Gabby "Luigi" Lauwagie and Lauren "Olga" Hanson didn't just dominate the nickname game- they also ran the floor well and got buckets in transition. This was another great team effort by our Wildcats, and they really brought a ton of energy, noise, enthusiasm, and intensity to this game - we talked pre-game about bringing our own party to these games with fewer fans at them, and we did that tonight, and it was a lot of fun!
JV - W 73-30
JV battled a tough M-W team in the first half, but made a run at the end of the first that got them about a 10-point separation from the strong Whitehawks squadron; however, we really kicked it up a notch in the 2nd half, and ended up pulling away in a big...well, way. It was all due to defensive pressure, runnin ghe floor, and making the extra pass. Coach Westphal says: "This team is so much fun to watch when we make the extra pass and look to hit our open teammates. Jojo was DOMINATING on the boards and Gabby was in all the passing lanes. We all did a great job of finding Nora (the Best Cutter in the State). Kiley Sazama lead with 20, Gabby had 16, Nora had 13, and Hallie had 11.
C - Won
I don't have the final tally, because coach Damasin is currently driving to Michigan, but it was a great win by this squad. They shared the ball well, ran the floor, knocked down some open 3's and shots, played great defense, and even swatted some shots, which is always fun. This team continues to impress, currently sporting an undefeated record, taking it to other squadrons with abandon, and loudly supporting one another. You love to see it, and I love playing home games so I get to watch the whole thing in person!
We have practice early on Monday, President's day - 7:15-9:00 AM, in preparation for a bit conference showdown with Orono, and we have Hutchinson again next Friday, so this will be the toughest week yet for our Wildcats - get ready for it, be safe, stay warm, and have a great weekend! (stats updated tomorrow)
Stats-wise, we had another game where tons of players are doing tons of things up and down the roster, which makes this team dangerous and special: Ava Stier lead the way with 17 (87% from 2!!!!!!) pts, 6 rebounds and an assist, and Sydney Olson lined it up for 14 of her own from deep, continuing her hot shooting - the last two games she's shot 69% from 3, which is quite frankly amazing; she also had 7 boards, 4 assists and a steal - that's a heck of a stat line! Dani Dykstra asserted herself inside as well, coming through with a big 10, 2 boards and 2 steals. Addy Salzer (5 boards, 1 assist, 2 blocks), Audrey Swanson (3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals), and Hallie Roitenberg (3 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal) all got 8 points in a variety of ways, attacking the rim, posting up, and hitting the 3! Allie Zimmer had 6 pts, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals, continuing her all-around insane stretch of play - she's everywhere, running the show, making some sweet passes (one was particularly awesome - she sprinted to a loose ball, jumped in the air near our bench, and saved it to a running teammate for a score); Kenzie Amundson continued her great touch around the hoop with 5 pts, 5 rebs, 2 assists and 3 blocks! Mel Honnold also ran the show efficiently, with 4 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals, while zipping passes to cutting teammates with great vision; Grace Seim continues to impress with her interior passing that I like to describe as "nifty" (I'm aging myself), and had 4 boards and 4 assists; Morgan Meyer came in and played excellent defense, pressured the ball, and had a board, assist, and steal; Kiley "Sizzle" Sazama had a board and a steal; Nora Bailey got 3 and had a great cut to the hoop; and both Gabby "Luigi" Lauwagie and Lauren "Olga" Hanson didn't just dominate the nickname game- they also ran the floor well and got buckets in transition. This was another great team effort by our Wildcats, and they really brought a ton of energy, noise, enthusiasm, and intensity to this game - we talked pre-game about bringing our own party to these games with fewer fans at them, and we did that tonight, and it was a lot of fun!
JV - W 73-30
JV battled a tough M-W team in the first half, but made a run at the end of the first that got them about a 10-point separation from the strong Whitehawks squadron; however, we really kicked it up a notch in the 2nd half, and ended up pulling away in a big...well, way. It was all due to defensive pressure, runnin ghe floor, and making the extra pass. Coach Westphal says: "This team is so much fun to watch when we make the extra pass and look to hit our open teammates. Jojo was DOMINATING on the boards and Gabby was in all the passing lanes. We all did a great job of finding Nora (the Best Cutter in the State). Kiley Sazama lead with 20, Gabby had 16, Nora had 13, and Hallie had 11.
C - Won
I don't have the final tally, because coach Damasin is currently driving to Michigan, but it was a great win by this squad. They shared the ball well, ran the floor, knocked down some open 3's and shots, played great defense, and even swatted some shots, which is always fun. This team continues to impress, currently sporting an undefeated record, taking it to other squadrons with abandon, and loudly supporting one another. You love to see it, and I love playing home games so I get to watch the whole thing in person!
We have practice early on Monday, President's day - 7:15-9:00 AM, in preparation for a bit conference showdown with Orono, and we have Hutchinson again next Friday, so this will be the toughest week yet for our Wildcats - get ready for it, be safe, stay warm, and have a great weekend! (stats updated tomorrow)
Wildcats win over holy family in 2nd home game of the year!
It's always a bit surreal playing games this year, especially given we have only had one other home game so far - we've gotten used to going into "enemy territory" and being on the offensive that way; It showed through a little bit in our 90-68 Win over Holy Family on Tuesday night - we were a little reticent at the start, sort of waiting for things to happen rather then aggressively causing them to happen; that lead to us giving up more points than we have so far this year, and we'll have to tighten that up and amp up the intensity to avoid this in the future. Of course, some of it was due to Holy Family's talented Bowlin (26 pts) finishing in the lane and getting and-1's, and Hall's protecting the basket, blocking multiple shots. Nevertheless, we persevered attacking the paint through aggressive postups, and ended up sharing the ball very well once we got our intensity up at around the 5:00 mark toward the end of the first half, allowing us to jump out to a 49-29 halftime lead. We ended up sharing the ball well, moving better, running the floor better, and shooting pretty well from the outside once we amped up our defensive intensity, and that continues to be the trait that most defines us - when we're the most intense defensively, everything gets better - we attack better, post up better, run better, etc.! This was another fantastic team effort, with many players contributing through their strengths. I have to say, the proudest I am about stats is the number of players we have with multiple assists every game, and this game had the highest team assist number of any this year - 36! That is legitimately incredible, and shows prime unselfishness from all involved! Audrey Swanson with 19 pts (8/12 from the field and 3/3 from FT line), 8 rebs, 2 assists and a steal; Addy Salzer with 16, 1 reb., 4 assists and 2 steals; Sydney Olson had 15 (5/6 from 3 pt line!!!), 2 rebs. and an assist; Ava Stier also had 15 pts, 6 rebs., 6 assists and 4 steals and a block (kind of a monster game!!!); Kenzie Amundson with 11 pts, 4 boards and 2 blocks. Mel Honnold had 9 pts, 6 rebs., 6 ast., and a steal! Allie Zimmer had 8 pts, 11 assists (!!!), 3 boards and a steal; Grace Seim had 2 pts, 2 boards and an assist, Hallie Roitenberg had 2, and Dani Dykstra had 1 pt, 1 reb, and an assist. We really shared the ball well, finished in the paint very well, and shot well from 3 as well, hitting 12 as a team, showing that we can be a threat from both inside (62% from the field) and outside (12/23, or 52% from 3, which is spectacular), driving, posting, and shooting. Again, that 36 assist number as a team makes me the happiest coach this side of the Mississippi, and if we can sustain an all-in defensive mode, we'll be very hard to beat down the stretch.
C - Win, 59-20
Coach D says: "Was our first time seeing a consistent 2-3 zone this year, so you could kind of tell that we were a little rusty. Still, everyone got lots of playing time, and the kids had fun! Morgan Stock had 11 (in layup-queen fashion), Amber Bruggemeier with 10, and Elleana Keaveney had 9." I can attest that this is a team that's fast, attacks well, and when they swarm and get after it on defense, they're fun to watch! A good win, and even though there were only 2 games played tonight, it still counts as a sweep!
C - Win, 59-20
Coach D says: "Was our first time seeing a consistent 2-3 zone this year, so you could kind of tell that we were a little rusty. Still, everyone got lots of playing time, and the kids had fun! Morgan Stock had 11 (in layup-queen fashion), Amber Bruggemeier with 10, and Elleana Keaveney had 9." I can attest that this is a team that's fast, attacks well, and when they swarm and get after it on defense, they're fun to watch! A good win, and even though there were only 2 games played tonight, it still counts as a sweep!
2 out of 3 at Jordan for Wildcats
Jordan is new to the Wright County Conference, and they are tough at all levels - tough, physical, good finishers. So, to emerge with wins in 2 out of 3 games is really good!
Varsity - We got off to a slower start this Friday night, at one point down 12-8 (a little scoring snafu had me confused to the actual score on the board), but once we started keeping the ball out of the post, playing more intense defense, and started asserting ourselves inside, we were able to go on a good run at the end of the first half to get a 38-24 lead. To do this, we battled some foul trouble, it's true, but we kept our heads, buckled down, and more importantly, trusted our teammates to step up, and step up they did! First off: Dani Dykstra played spectacular post defense, getting steals, rebounds, denying position, and her toughness was a huge difference maker, to go along with a stat-stuffing night: 6 points, 3 boards, 2 assists, 3 steals and a block! While Ava Stier was dominant while on the floor (14 points, 4 boards, and 4 assists), she battled some foul trouble - sometimes when a player has two, coaches take the risk and see what happens, and I subbed her in to see what happens, and it was a tough situation, but I want our players to know that we can take chances at times and that we put trust in them, and in their teammates to step up, and her teammates did just that. Audrey Swanson asserted herself in the first half very well, scoring 13, and ending with 23 on the game (11 for 13 fg) hitting from outside and in, as well as 4 boards, 3 steals and an assist; Grace Seim and Kenzie Amundson had by far their best games of the year - Seim driving, creating, and hitting open teammates (at one point on the bench I referred to her as an assist machine - 7 assists on the night!), and Kenzie finishing well in the paint, hitting jumpers, and demonstrating her soft touch around the hoop by scoring 13 points to go with 5 boards and a steal. Addy Salzer was also steady, scoring 10 and getting key steals for layups (4 boards, 3 steals an assist, and one spectacular dive on the floor); Sydni Olson had a strong 7, showing her dexterity around the hoop and playing great defense; Allie Zimmer had another crazy stat-stuffing night, with 2 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals-she's everywhere out there! And Mel Honnold had two points, 2 boards, 4 assists (showing great touch on post entry passes), and a steal; all-in-all, Jordan is a tough team, finishes well around the basket and pressures on defense, but we were able to have a couple of nice runs and tighten up on d, holding them to 47 (our goal every game is to hold the opposition to under 50, so we got it done!), emerging victorious 77-47. We shot an impressive 66% from 2, and while our shots from 3 didn't fall this night (14%), we didn't live and die by the 3, which is a great thing! We won the rebounding battle 32-17, had an impressive 26 assists on the night (this is the most encouraging stat - shows our willingness to sacrifice for each other), and had 14 team steals, which come from pressuring and playing the lanes.
JV 60-70 L
Down a point guard to a temporary injury, the JV played a team that pressed pretty much the whole game, and couldn't quite make enough runs to emerge victorious; however, JV showed a ton of grit, toughness, and never gave up, competing all game, making plays, and being generally speaking all-around competitive. While we couldn't seem to get things to break our way at times, we didn't complain a ton, or let it get to our heads - instead, we kept attacking, competing, and worked our way back multiple times, getting it to 7 at least 2x, but couldn't quite complete the comeback. By the end of the game, we were down to 6 kids running out there, and we were tired, but again, this was a great effort. Hallie Roitenberg had a very tough 20, Gabby Lauwagie played fantastic defense all game and also had 17, Kiley Sazama had 10, and Nora Bailey had 8.
C - W 53-40
Coach D says: "Whew! This was a close one all game. Struggled to find a groove on both sides of the court until late second half. Big defensive turnovers caused by Ashley Bryfczynski, Amber Bruggemeier, and Clara Smith. Ellana Keaveney netted 12, Amber Bruggemeier had 10 (and an absolute dagger of a 3 down the stretch), and Kayla Estling had 9. Next time we will play better help and take care of the ball!" So sayeth coach D!
Honestly, this was a very well-played game, and watching our girls turn up the heat with the press at the end, speed up Jordan, and cause some havoc was great to see, and there were some great plays down the stretch from a bunch of players, so it was great to see!
Next week we have Holy Family and Mound-Westonka! Tune in! And remember - while you're here, look around the website, see some great pictures by Roxanne Kuerschener, see some old records, etc.!
Varsity - We got off to a slower start this Friday night, at one point down 12-8 (a little scoring snafu had me confused to the actual score on the board), but once we started keeping the ball out of the post, playing more intense defense, and started asserting ourselves inside, we were able to go on a good run at the end of the first half to get a 38-24 lead. To do this, we battled some foul trouble, it's true, but we kept our heads, buckled down, and more importantly, trusted our teammates to step up, and step up they did! First off: Dani Dykstra played spectacular post defense, getting steals, rebounds, denying position, and her toughness was a huge difference maker, to go along with a stat-stuffing night: 6 points, 3 boards, 2 assists, 3 steals and a block! While Ava Stier was dominant while on the floor (14 points, 4 boards, and 4 assists), she battled some foul trouble - sometimes when a player has two, coaches take the risk and see what happens, and I subbed her in to see what happens, and it was a tough situation, but I want our players to know that we can take chances at times and that we put trust in them, and in their teammates to step up, and her teammates did just that. Audrey Swanson asserted herself in the first half very well, scoring 13, and ending with 23 on the game (11 for 13 fg) hitting from outside and in, as well as 4 boards, 3 steals and an assist; Grace Seim and Kenzie Amundson had by far their best games of the year - Seim driving, creating, and hitting open teammates (at one point on the bench I referred to her as an assist machine - 7 assists on the night!), and Kenzie finishing well in the paint, hitting jumpers, and demonstrating her soft touch around the hoop by scoring 13 points to go with 5 boards and a steal. Addy Salzer was also steady, scoring 10 and getting key steals for layups (4 boards, 3 steals an assist, and one spectacular dive on the floor); Sydni Olson had a strong 7, showing her dexterity around the hoop and playing great defense; Allie Zimmer had another crazy stat-stuffing night, with 2 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals-she's everywhere out there! And Mel Honnold had two points, 2 boards, 4 assists (showing great touch on post entry passes), and a steal; all-in-all, Jordan is a tough team, finishes well around the basket and pressures on defense, but we were able to have a couple of nice runs and tighten up on d, holding them to 47 (our goal every game is to hold the opposition to under 50, so we got it done!), emerging victorious 77-47. We shot an impressive 66% from 2, and while our shots from 3 didn't fall this night (14%), we didn't live and die by the 3, which is a great thing! We won the rebounding battle 32-17, had an impressive 26 assists on the night (this is the most encouraging stat - shows our willingness to sacrifice for each other), and had 14 team steals, which come from pressuring and playing the lanes.
JV 60-70 L
Down a point guard to a temporary injury, the JV played a team that pressed pretty much the whole game, and couldn't quite make enough runs to emerge victorious; however, JV showed a ton of grit, toughness, and never gave up, competing all game, making plays, and being generally speaking all-around competitive. While we couldn't seem to get things to break our way at times, we didn't complain a ton, or let it get to our heads - instead, we kept attacking, competing, and worked our way back multiple times, getting it to 7 at least 2x, but couldn't quite complete the comeback. By the end of the game, we were down to 6 kids running out there, and we were tired, but again, this was a great effort. Hallie Roitenberg had a very tough 20, Gabby Lauwagie played fantastic defense all game and also had 17, Kiley Sazama had 10, and Nora Bailey had 8.
C - W 53-40
Coach D says: "Whew! This was a close one all game. Struggled to find a groove on both sides of the court until late second half. Big defensive turnovers caused by Ashley Bryfczynski, Amber Bruggemeier, and Clara Smith. Ellana Keaveney netted 12, Amber Bruggemeier had 10 (and an absolute dagger of a 3 down the stretch), and Kayla Estling had 9. Next time we will play better help and take care of the ball!" So sayeth coach D!
Honestly, this was a very well-played game, and watching our girls turn up the heat with the press at the end, speed up Jordan, and cause some havoc was great to see, and there were some great plays down the stretch from a bunch of players, so it was great to see!
Next week we have Holy Family and Mound-Westonka! Tune in! And remember - while you're here, look around the website, see some great pictures by Roxanne Kuerschener, see some old records, etc.!
Sweep at all 4 levels in New Prague - that may be a first for the program!
It's always tough tp play at New Prague - their kids are tough, physical, fast, competitive, and have had much success over the years. However, our Wildcats prevailed in all 4 games - and one of those was on extreme short notice! This is truly a crazy year, and things happen in Covid times, but we must adapt and be flexible - and that's what the Coaches Myhre were for the 9th grade squadron they stepped up to coach on short notice! They guided them to a dominant win, and they reported that we outrebounded them, played suffocating defense, and generally got after it! That's a quality win! Thanks again to those that took things in stride on short notice!
The "B" version of games also won 64-25! We were great on defense and a fast break threat. Forcing turnovers and moving the ball well, we looked the best we have all season, according to coach Damasin! Amber Bruggemeier dominated the action with 25 points! Dang! Morgan Stock had 13, and Ellana Keaveney had 9, and it was another all-around great team effort for a team that didn't know they'd be split on this day!
JV won 64-41 - we played our most complete game with the fewest lapses on both ends, according to Coach Westphal, and we shared the ball the best that we have all season long. We worked on our "Shenanigans" at the end of the game and got some layups out of it - recent adjustments in practice may have cracked the code on what we're trying to do with it, and it got us some layups, so that's excellent news! Kiley Sazama barely missed from deep and had 18 points on the night; Gabby Lauwagie had 14 with lots of steals and running the floor, with her teammates looking to find her in transition; and Nora Bailey got in double figures with 10, through a pretty darn physical matchup. Nora perseveres!!!!!!!!
Varsity won 80-38. While the score differential is what it is, this New Prague team plays extremely hard and physically, and to be honest, at times they sped us up with a couple of things that normally play into our hands, so they are an up-and-coming, intense team to play. However, our physicality, dominating of the boards, finishing inside, and persistence in running the floor allowed us to open up a good lead and impose our will after a dicier start to the game. We got in the right mindset, embraced the physicality (which is a good thing for our team! We prefer to play a faster, more physical game) of the moment, and locked down on defense. After giving up 14 points in about 6 minutes, we only gave up 4 in the remaining 12 of the first half. That is what we need to focus on doing, as it opens up everything else for us. Against teams that press and try and speed you up, a team has to be able to score, work together, and attack well without having to run plays and sets constantly, so this was a good game for us to embrace that attacking mentality - especially with tough section opponents that like to press to take you out of your game.
Statistically, we were lead by Sydni "Rookie" Olson this night, who attacked the basket well, shot 4-7 from 3, and rocked out for 18 pts and 6 boards (sadly, no block this game - better get 2 on Friday)! She's the fourth Wildcat to lead the team in scoring in a game, and again, that's one of the things that can make us a dangerous team - our willingness to share the ball with extremely talented teammates can lead to real problems for opponents to match up with! Also, Rookie was a major calming influence on the floor tonight, especially with Dani Dykstra as well (4 points, 7 boards, and an assist), as their experience and toughness calmed everyone down and got us going in the right direction to make a huge run! That's senior leadership! Other seniors stepped up as well, of course - Addy Salzer scored 9, got some huge momentum steals for layups, faciliatated for others, and had 4 boards, 3 steals and 2 assists! Mel Honnold had 7 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals as well, really getting after it on defense, as usual! And Allie Zimmer had what is turning out to be her typical game of doing many, many things - 3 points, 5 assists, 4 boards, and 3 steals - she's a huge part of speeding up other teams, making them uncomfortable, and running the show.
Audrey Swanson and Ava Stier dominated inside - Swanson with 16 pts, 5 boards and 2 steals, Stier with 15 pts, and 7 boards, and they both pushed the ball looking for their teammates well in transition off of defensive rebounds. This was a great effort on the inside!
Finally, Grace Seim really facilitated for others tonight, driving and dishing for open 3's and layups - 5 assists and 2 boards! She's making more and more strides building chemistry every time she steps on the floor. And with Kenzie Amundson, with 6 points, 4 boards, 3 assists, and a steal, having her best outing as well on the varsity level, we've got even more threats on the floor! This was a great team effort and win, and you love to see so many players representing themselves in so many categories on the stat sheet - it speaks well of our program and players' willingness to play team ball above all!
The "B" version of games also won 64-25! We were great on defense and a fast break threat. Forcing turnovers and moving the ball well, we looked the best we have all season, according to coach Damasin! Amber Bruggemeier dominated the action with 25 points! Dang! Morgan Stock had 13, and Ellana Keaveney had 9, and it was another all-around great team effort for a team that didn't know they'd be split on this day!
JV won 64-41 - we played our most complete game with the fewest lapses on both ends, according to Coach Westphal, and we shared the ball the best that we have all season long. We worked on our "Shenanigans" at the end of the game and got some layups out of it - recent adjustments in practice may have cracked the code on what we're trying to do with it, and it got us some layups, so that's excellent news! Kiley Sazama barely missed from deep and had 18 points on the night; Gabby Lauwagie had 14 with lots of steals and running the floor, with her teammates looking to find her in transition; and Nora Bailey got in double figures with 10, through a pretty darn physical matchup. Nora perseveres!!!!!!!!
Varsity won 80-38. While the score differential is what it is, this New Prague team plays extremely hard and physically, and to be honest, at times they sped us up with a couple of things that normally play into our hands, so they are an up-and-coming, intense team to play. However, our physicality, dominating of the boards, finishing inside, and persistence in running the floor allowed us to open up a good lead and impose our will after a dicier start to the game. We got in the right mindset, embraced the physicality (which is a good thing for our team! We prefer to play a faster, more physical game) of the moment, and locked down on defense. After giving up 14 points in about 6 minutes, we only gave up 4 in the remaining 12 of the first half. That is what we need to focus on doing, as it opens up everything else for us. Against teams that press and try and speed you up, a team has to be able to score, work together, and attack well without having to run plays and sets constantly, so this was a good game for us to embrace that attacking mentality - especially with tough section opponents that like to press to take you out of your game.
Statistically, we were lead by Sydni "Rookie" Olson this night, who attacked the basket well, shot 4-7 from 3, and rocked out for 18 pts and 6 boards (sadly, no block this game - better get 2 on Friday)! She's the fourth Wildcat to lead the team in scoring in a game, and again, that's one of the things that can make us a dangerous team - our willingness to share the ball with extremely talented teammates can lead to real problems for opponents to match up with! Also, Rookie was a major calming influence on the floor tonight, especially with Dani Dykstra as well (4 points, 7 boards, and an assist), as their experience and toughness calmed everyone down and got us going in the right direction to make a huge run! That's senior leadership! Other seniors stepped up as well, of course - Addy Salzer scored 9, got some huge momentum steals for layups, faciliatated for others, and had 4 boards, 3 steals and 2 assists! Mel Honnold had 7 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals as well, really getting after it on defense, as usual! And Allie Zimmer had what is turning out to be her typical game of doing many, many things - 3 points, 5 assists, 4 boards, and 3 steals - she's a huge part of speeding up other teams, making them uncomfortable, and running the show.
Audrey Swanson and Ava Stier dominated inside - Swanson with 16 pts, 5 boards and 2 steals, Stier with 15 pts, and 7 boards, and they both pushed the ball looking for their teammates well in transition off of defensive rebounds. This was a great effort on the inside!
Finally, Grace Seim really facilitated for others tonight, driving and dishing for open 3's and layups - 5 assists and 2 boards! She's making more and more strides building chemistry every time she steps on the floor. And with Kenzie Amundson, with 6 points, 4 boards, 3 assists, and a steal, having her best outing as well on the varsity level, we've got even more threats on the floor! This was a great team effort and win, and you love to see so many players representing themselves in so many categories on the stat sheet - it speaks well of our program and players' willingness to play team ball above all!
Wildcats sweep in home opener vs. Delano
, All three levels of Wildcat were ready to open the season at home, and we earned our third sweep of the year, which is always a good thing!
Varsity Wins 77-29
We came out with great intensity against a physical Delano team, and played great team defense, causing some havoc by getting turnovers and running the floor. We had some of our best sequences of the year so far running the floor, sharing the ball, and making the extra pass. One sequence that stood out was we fed it inside, kicked to the corner, reversed the ball to the top of the key, hit the inside player again, and made one more pass to a wide open shot. When we move the ball quickly, efficiently, ready to attack, we are really, really fun to watch! That sort of unselfishness is key to team success, and while I don't have full stats yet, I'm willing to bet we had our most team assists of the year so far in this game. But, one can see from our balanced scoring attack that we shared the ball well and exploited mismatches well. Ava Stier lead the way, powering through a couple of crazy scrambles for 18 points, 2 boards and a block; Sydni Olson hit 3 3's and a nice fast break finish on a fantastic pass from Zim, and had 13, 3 boards, and her traditional block! Mel Honnold (9, 3 boards and 5 assists) and Addy Salzer (9 pts, 4 boards, 2 assists , a steal and a block) both had 9, hitting from outside and in; Dani Dykstra had a very solid 8 pts, 4 boards and 3 steals, showing great control and power on the inside; Audrey Swanson also had 8 pts, 11 boards, and a steal, and dominated the first half by posting up hard and finishing very well; Allie Zimmer stuffed the stat sheet again, doing a variety of things at high speed: 4 points (2 of which were a miraculous floater that I can't wait to see on video), and pushed the pace well all night, facilitating for others - 5 boards, 9 assists, 3 steals and a block! Nora Bailey had 4 points, attacking well; Kenzie Amundson had 2 pts and 5 boards, and played fantastic perimeter defense and rebounded very well; Grace Seim played good team D, and had a great assist down the stretch of 2nd half, and had 3 boards and an assist; and finally, Gabby "Luigi" Lauwagie got her first career varsity points (and, perhaps more importantly, earned an elite nickname) by knocking down two free throws! Yeah girl! This was a great team win, great intensity, and great chemistry builder with the way that we moved the ball and shared with each other.
JV
JV gutted out a win against a very physical Delano JV, 50-42. We pushed the ball nicely, but didn't handle the pressure well down the stretch when Delano amped up the full court press; that, and a couple of defensive rebounding lapses got to us a bit, but we overcame by sharing the ball well with each other, and making some timely shots down the stretch! Nora Bailey lead the way with 13, Kiley Sazama had 11, Hallie Roitenberg had 10, and Gabby Lauwagie also had 10. A great win moves the JV Wildcats to 3-1 on the year!
C
C showed some early dominance, getting out to a huge lead, that they rode to victory, 50-38. The Wildcats held them to 0 points through the first 10 minutes, which helped greatly in setting the tone. Jenna Myhre paced with 9 points, Ashley Bryfczynski and Bella Hoxie each had 8. Everyone on the formidable roster did their part, played a ton of minutes, and helped to dominate the boards and get out effectively on the fast break! It was great to be able to watch the whole game for a change, and we got it on video as well, so re-watch it if you can - I believe it should be on that youtube channel, and I'm working on getting everyone signed up for Hudl as well so we can BREAK DOWN THAT VIDEO!!!!
Varsity Wins 77-29
We came out with great intensity against a physical Delano team, and played great team defense, causing some havoc by getting turnovers and running the floor. We had some of our best sequences of the year so far running the floor, sharing the ball, and making the extra pass. One sequence that stood out was we fed it inside, kicked to the corner, reversed the ball to the top of the key, hit the inside player again, and made one more pass to a wide open shot. When we move the ball quickly, efficiently, ready to attack, we are really, really fun to watch! That sort of unselfishness is key to team success, and while I don't have full stats yet, I'm willing to bet we had our most team assists of the year so far in this game. But, one can see from our balanced scoring attack that we shared the ball well and exploited mismatches well. Ava Stier lead the way, powering through a couple of crazy scrambles for 18 points, 2 boards and a block; Sydni Olson hit 3 3's and a nice fast break finish on a fantastic pass from Zim, and had 13, 3 boards, and her traditional block! Mel Honnold (9, 3 boards and 5 assists) and Addy Salzer (9 pts, 4 boards, 2 assists , a steal and a block) both had 9, hitting from outside and in; Dani Dykstra had a very solid 8 pts, 4 boards and 3 steals, showing great control and power on the inside; Audrey Swanson also had 8 pts, 11 boards, and a steal, and dominated the first half by posting up hard and finishing very well; Allie Zimmer stuffed the stat sheet again, doing a variety of things at high speed: 4 points (2 of which were a miraculous floater that I can't wait to see on video), and pushed the pace well all night, facilitating for others - 5 boards, 9 assists, 3 steals and a block! Nora Bailey had 4 points, attacking well; Kenzie Amundson had 2 pts and 5 boards, and played fantastic perimeter defense and rebounded very well; Grace Seim played good team D, and had a great assist down the stretch of 2nd half, and had 3 boards and an assist; and finally, Gabby "Luigi" Lauwagie got her first career varsity points (and, perhaps more importantly, earned an elite nickname) by knocking down two free throws! Yeah girl! This was a great team win, great intensity, and great chemistry builder with the way that we moved the ball and shared with each other.
JV
JV gutted out a win against a very physical Delano JV, 50-42. We pushed the ball nicely, but didn't handle the pressure well down the stretch when Delano amped up the full court press; that, and a couple of defensive rebounding lapses got to us a bit, but we overcame by sharing the ball well with each other, and making some timely shots down the stretch! Nora Bailey lead the way with 13, Kiley Sazama had 11, Hallie Roitenberg had 10, and Gabby Lauwagie also had 10. A great win moves the JV Wildcats to 3-1 on the year!
C
C showed some early dominance, getting out to a huge lead, that they rode to victory, 50-38. The Wildcats held them to 0 points through the first 10 minutes, which helped greatly in setting the tone. Jenna Myhre paced with 9 points, Ashley Bryfczynski and Bella Hoxie each had 8. Everyone on the formidable roster did their part, played a ton of minutes, and helped to dominate the boards and get out effectively on the fast break! It was great to be able to watch the whole game for a change, and we got it on video as well, so re-watch it if you can - I believe it should be on that youtube channel, and I'm working on getting everyone signed up for Hudl as well so we can BREAK DOWN THAT VIDEO!!!!
Wildcats earn sweep at Hutch!
It's not often one can walk into Hutch's Whalen gymnasium and walk out with a sweep, but the Wildcats were able to pull it off this year, with varsity winning a tough one 68-58, JV putting together a great game and winning 66-44, and C dominating 64-34!
Varsity
Missed shots inside got us down in the first half, and we let that, plus foul trouble, get us down and too passive on the defensive end in the first half, giving up 35 points through a variety of means - but mainly by Hutch knocking down shots from deep. We kind of let them push us around and get whatever they wanted, especially on the offensive end of the floor, and we let some foul trouble take away our aggressiveness and intensity. So, coming out in the second half, we knew that we had to work to exert our will defensively and pressure the ball more, string together consecutive stops, and that would allow us to get out and run the floor with greater intensity. They again made shots early, but we were finally able to ramp up our intensity, get some stops in a row and make a big push through much of the middle of the second half. We finished better in the paint, got better spacing and movement on offense, and were able to emerge victorious, 68-58 on a night where we struggled a bit. Great teams figure out how to win in tough, physical games, even when things aren't ideal, and that'w what we did tonight, and we should be proud to win in Hutch - always a tough, competitive team.
We had a bit of a video snafu, so stats might be a bit janky and late this time, but going off the book, and only with scoring at this time, here's what I know: Addy Salzer amped up her aggressiveness right when we needed it again, pacing the Wildcats with 18 pts, 5 boards and a block. Sydni Olson kept us in the game early by hitting 9 of her 11 points in the first half, and those were timely, big-time shots, to go with 4 boards! Audrey Swanson was able to assert herself inside with 14 when we needed some inside momentum, and also had 8 boards, 2 steals and 2 assists; Ava Stier had a great 2nd half and finished through contact, netting 11 to go with 7 boards and an assist - She did a great job on Beifert, helping to limit her to only 3 points on the night, and Dani Dykstra was very strong, physical, and had some great finishes inside, scoring 7 to go with 4 boards. Dani had a great game defensively as well, taking on Beifert, Hutch's great Center, and Stier did a great job as well working hard to shut limit her to only 3 points on the night. Allie Zimmer scored 4 and had 10 boards, in what is maybe the best pg rebounding performance we've seen in a long time, and dished out 6 assists and swiped 3 steals - stat sheet stuffer! Mel Honnold had 3, and while battling foul trouble, showed great poise on the offensive end, making timely plays, not panicking, and directing traffic for 4 assists, 2 steals, and a very timely 3. Mackenzie Amundson had 2 points and rebounds to go with a steal in the win, and while she's no longer shooting 100% on the year, she's 100% in our hearts and minds, surely. Grace Seim also had 3 boards on the night, and brough her usual great team defense and unselfishness! This was a great team win, and when we buckled down on defense in the second half, we were able to go on a 19-3 run that created the separation we needed to play more freely in space and attack.
JV
JV got out to a very assertive start and lead, and while they had to clean things up a bit at the end, according to coach Westphal, they really asserted themselves as a team, with great pressure defense, and a balanced scoring attack to go with it! Morgan Meyer had 11, Kiley "Sizzle" Sazama scorched the nets for 13, Lauren "Olga" Hanson had 11 (3 from REALLY deep), Hallie Roitenberg had 12, and Gabby Lauwagie had 10 in her JV debut! This squad continues to make strides, play great defense, and when they're shooting the ball, are really tough!
C
C dominated the action 64-34 by pushing the pace, forcing a lot of turnovers, and putting a lot of pressure on the rim. Kayla Estling had 12, Ellana Keaveny had 10, Ashley Bryfczynski scored 8, as did Amber Bruggemeier. In fact, this team really DID put a lot of pressure on the rim - they didn't hit a 3 all game, but that's ok when you're attacking like crazy (don't tell the Houston Rockets, they'll have to re-evaluate their strategy). While they "need to close out better, we played tough" and exerted our will defensively, according to Coach Damasin!
Great wins by all 3 squads, and now we're excited to play Delano at home in our first home action of the year on Friday!
Varsity
Missed shots inside got us down in the first half, and we let that, plus foul trouble, get us down and too passive on the defensive end in the first half, giving up 35 points through a variety of means - but mainly by Hutch knocking down shots from deep. We kind of let them push us around and get whatever they wanted, especially on the offensive end of the floor, and we let some foul trouble take away our aggressiveness and intensity. So, coming out in the second half, we knew that we had to work to exert our will defensively and pressure the ball more, string together consecutive stops, and that would allow us to get out and run the floor with greater intensity. They again made shots early, but we were finally able to ramp up our intensity, get some stops in a row and make a big push through much of the middle of the second half. We finished better in the paint, got better spacing and movement on offense, and were able to emerge victorious, 68-58 on a night where we struggled a bit. Great teams figure out how to win in tough, physical games, even when things aren't ideal, and that'w what we did tonight, and we should be proud to win in Hutch - always a tough, competitive team.
We had a bit of a video snafu, so stats might be a bit janky and late this time, but going off the book, and only with scoring at this time, here's what I know: Addy Salzer amped up her aggressiveness right when we needed it again, pacing the Wildcats with 18 pts, 5 boards and a block. Sydni Olson kept us in the game early by hitting 9 of her 11 points in the first half, and those were timely, big-time shots, to go with 4 boards! Audrey Swanson was able to assert herself inside with 14 when we needed some inside momentum, and also had 8 boards, 2 steals and 2 assists; Ava Stier had a great 2nd half and finished through contact, netting 11 to go with 7 boards and an assist - She did a great job on Beifert, helping to limit her to only 3 points on the night, and Dani Dykstra was very strong, physical, and had some great finishes inside, scoring 7 to go with 4 boards. Dani had a great game defensively as well, taking on Beifert, Hutch's great Center, and Stier did a great job as well working hard to shut limit her to only 3 points on the night. Allie Zimmer scored 4 and had 10 boards, in what is maybe the best pg rebounding performance we've seen in a long time, and dished out 6 assists and swiped 3 steals - stat sheet stuffer! Mel Honnold had 3, and while battling foul trouble, showed great poise on the offensive end, making timely plays, not panicking, and directing traffic for 4 assists, 2 steals, and a very timely 3. Mackenzie Amundson had 2 points and rebounds to go with a steal in the win, and while she's no longer shooting 100% on the year, she's 100% in our hearts and minds, surely. Grace Seim also had 3 boards on the night, and brough her usual great team defense and unselfishness! This was a great team win, and when we buckled down on defense in the second half, we were able to go on a 19-3 run that created the separation we needed to play more freely in space and attack.
JV
JV got out to a very assertive start and lead, and while they had to clean things up a bit at the end, according to coach Westphal, they really asserted themselves as a team, with great pressure defense, and a balanced scoring attack to go with it! Morgan Meyer had 11, Kiley "Sizzle" Sazama scorched the nets for 13, Lauren "Olga" Hanson had 11 (3 from REALLY deep), Hallie Roitenberg had 12, and Gabby Lauwagie had 10 in her JV debut! This squad continues to make strides, play great defense, and when they're shooting the ball, are really tough!
C
C dominated the action 64-34 by pushing the pace, forcing a lot of turnovers, and putting a lot of pressure on the rim. Kayla Estling had 12, Ellana Keaveny had 10, Ashley Bryfczynski scored 8, as did Amber Bruggemeier. In fact, this team really DID put a lot of pressure on the rim - they didn't hit a 3 all game, but that's ok when you're attacking like crazy (don't tell the Houston Rockets, they'll have to re-evaluate their strategy). While they "need to close out better, we played tough" and exerted our will defensively, according to Coach Damasin!
Great wins by all 3 squads, and now we're excited to play Delano at home in our first home action of the year on Friday!
Sweep in Annandale for the Wildcats!
WGBB got its first sweep of the year in Annandale - sweeps are rare and to be enjoyed!
C got to split and play two games, and got the W in both; Game 1 won 61-41, and played very intensely and hungrily - better team basketball was on display, with great pressure Defense, making the extra pass consistently, and knocking down shots. To quote coach Damasin: "Kayla Estling was the rebounding queen and put up 17! Ashley Bryfczynski lit it up for 20!!!! Gabby Lawaugie had 10 in her first half appearance - legit!"
Game 2 won 51-26, and "the girls played some serious Defense and really helped the helper! Amber Bruggemeier had 12, Gabby Lauwagie had another 10 to go with her game 1 appearance's 10, and Morgan Stock had 8! It was a great showing for both squadrons.
JV won 50-21 - coach Westphal says it "...was an all-around better effort than last week. Better team ball, great pressure D, making the extra pass, and knocking down open shots consistently" helped them usher in a win. Kylie "Sizzle" Sazama had 15, Nora Bailey had 10, and Mo Meyer had 8. Great confidence builder!
Varsity cruised to a win, 78-29, through a combination of pressure defense, sharing / moving the ball, and running the floor. We were able to hit 9 3's as a team, but again, the key for us is being really solid on defense. While Annandale turned the corner on us a couple of times with handoff action, we were able to disrupt things enough times to get a nice lead in the first half and maintain momentum into the 2nd. Stats are being tabulated currently, and this will be updated tomorrow when in; however, scoring-wise, Waconia was paced by Mel Honnold with 17, hitting 4/7 from 3, while being extremely disruptive on defense - 5 steals - and dishing 3 assists. Ava Stier had 18 tough ones, making 8/9 free throws and finishing very well from the block - 5/5, in fact! She also had 6 boards and a steal. Addy Salzer had 13, 3 assists, 2 steals, and a board in a good all-around game . We had great contributions all night from many, as one can see from the balance of points - Allie Zimmer had 7 points, 6 boards, 5 assists, and 3 steals in a great all-around showing; Audrey Swanson had 6 points, 6 boards and a steal; Dani Dykstra had 4 points, 2 boards and a steal; Sydni Olson had 3, 2 boards and 3 assists; Morgan Meyer had 3,as did Hallie Roitenberg, and Mackenzie Amundson had 2 points, boards, and blocks, and an assist, and, Nora Bailey had 2 as well!
While we're still building chemistry with one another and getting some new sets down, we have a huge upside! We're not moving our best yet on offense as a team, which is understandable without summer development and things, but we're moving better every game, and our willingness to attack on D, make the extra pass, and keep developing our chemistry will go far for us down the stretch!
C got to split and play two games, and got the W in both; Game 1 won 61-41, and played very intensely and hungrily - better team basketball was on display, with great pressure Defense, making the extra pass consistently, and knocking down shots. To quote coach Damasin: "Kayla Estling was the rebounding queen and put up 17! Ashley Bryfczynski lit it up for 20!!!! Gabby Lawaugie had 10 in her first half appearance - legit!"
Game 2 won 51-26, and "the girls played some serious Defense and really helped the helper! Amber Bruggemeier had 12, Gabby Lauwagie had another 10 to go with her game 1 appearance's 10, and Morgan Stock had 8! It was a great showing for both squadrons.
JV won 50-21 - coach Westphal says it "...was an all-around better effort than last week. Better team ball, great pressure D, making the extra pass, and knocking down open shots consistently" helped them usher in a win. Kylie "Sizzle" Sazama had 15, Nora Bailey had 10, and Mo Meyer had 8. Great confidence builder!
Varsity cruised to a win, 78-29, through a combination of pressure defense, sharing / moving the ball, and running the floor. We were able to hit 9 3's as a team, but again, the key for us is being really solid on defense. While Annandale turned the corner on us a couple of times with handoff action, we were able to disrupt things enough times to get a nice lead in the first half and maintain momentum into the 2nd. Stats are being tabulated currently, and this will be updated tomorrow when in; however, scoring-wise, Waconia was paced by Mel Honnold with 17, hitting 4/7 from 3, while being extremely disruptive on defense - 5 steals - and dishing 3 assists. Ava Stier had 18 tough ones, making 8/9 free throws and finishing very well from the block - 5/5, in fact! She also had 6 boards and a steal. Addy Salzer had 13, 3 assists, 2 steals, and a board in a good all-around game . We had great contributions all night from many, as one can see from the balance of points - Allie Zimmer had 7 points, 6 boards, 5 assists, and 3 steals in a great all-around showing; Audrey Swanson had 6 points, 6 boards and a steal; Dani Dykstra had 4 points, 2 boards and a steal; Sydni Olson had 3, 2 boards and 3 assists; Morgan Meyer had 3,as did Hallie Roitenberg, and Mackenzie Amundson had 2 points, boards, and blocks, and an assist, and, Nora Bailey had 2 as well!
While we're still building chemistry with one another and getting some new sets down, we have a huge upside! We're not moving our best yet on offense as a team, which is understandable without summer development and things, but we're moving better every game, and our willingness to attack on D, make the extra pass, and keep developing our chemistry will go far for us down the stretch!
Wildcats open season with win over tough Chan team
It finally got here: opening day. A couple of months late, after an offseason apart, unable to work on offenses, plays, team chemistry, and playing a Chanhassen team with a new coach, a Nebraska commit, and great outside shooters, there were a lot of unknowns surrounding this January start of the season, but once we got determined defensively, talked louder (masks are all fine and good, but we have to yell a lot louder to be heard playing defense), and attacked the rim with more confidence, we made a couple of nice runs through the second half to spark a win to open the season! Stats are still being tabulated, but we rebounded the ball aggressively, especially in the first half on the offensive boards. When we communicated better on Defense, we were able to add more pressure, get a couple of steals for layups, and helped better on drives by Hake (23 in the game) to clog the middle a bit more. While we are working on new plays, new offenses, etc., and the flow will get better over time, we were at our best when we attacked and cut aggressively. Addy Salzer got aggressive in the second half, scoring 15 of her 20 by attacking, which opened up lanes for her teammates as well; she also took on the tough defensive assignment of Hake throughout much of the 2nd half, and had two huge steals for layups that extended the lead in the 2nd half. Captains lead, and create future leaders, and Salsa was a great leader on the night in every facet, showing her all-around game with 20 points, 7 rebounds, 5 steals, 2 blocks, and 2 assists. Ava Stier also had an aggressive second half, scoring 11 of her 16 by being tough down low, getting to the free throw line, and crashing the offensive boards with intensity- she also had 11 boards for a double-double, and a block (had another sweet one that turned out to be a foul, but it was rad-looking!)! Audrey Swanson had 14 through a variety of means - a 3 here, a tough drive there, a fast break layup, to accompany 2 boards, and 1 steal, assist, and block. . Sydni Olson shot a great % from outside, hitting three 3's to 9 points, and rebounded well with 6 boards, had 3 assists and also got her customary block, as per usual! She's a stealth shot blocker!. Mel Honnold had a very tough 7, hitting from outside, and playing great defense on Hake, playing with discipline while in foul trouble, and being just all-around tough - 3 boards, 6 assists, and a steal. Allie Zimmer had 6 points, attacked the pressure and press very well, facililated for others (4 assists), and though she was unlucky with foul trouble today, she kept attacking aggressively, and managed the floor well! Mackenzie Amundson had 4, shooting 100% on the game and rebounding very well (3 boards), getting a couple of steals and blocks, and playing with confidence! (I yelled at her on the bus that she MUST SHOOT 100% ON THE SEASON OR I'D BE MAD...I was mostly kidding). Dani Dykstra played great defense, had 3 points, 2 steals and a board, and played great communicative defense throughout, guarding a variety of people, never giving and inch; and Grace Seim had a great driving layup down the stretch of the 2nd half, and didn't blink when assigned the tough job or guarding the other team's best players consistently, and had a board and an assist to go along with it. It was a great win over a tough Chan team, and a great way to start the season! More stats to follow when tabulated.
JV succombed to the storm, 52-31. In short, they shot hot, and we did not, to coach a poetic coach Westphal. JV toughed it out playing with 7, and had great moments and lots of good looks at the hoop, but just couldn't quite get the run to happen to spark the comeback. Every time they got within striking distance, the storm would hit another 3 to keep us at a distance. If we finish and shoot it like we did in practice throughout the week, we'll be in that game and ready to pull of the W! Morgan Meyer lead the Wildcats with 12, and Kiley Sazama was right behind with 11. Honestly, we shot the ball well in the final minutes of the game, so we just have to find the spark throughout!
C team won 27-50 in their debut! Everyone got in, which is a lot during this Covid #'s restricted year, and strong defensive intensity was sustained throughout to spark the victory! To quote the TOTALLY OFFICIAL STATS from Coach D: "Gabby had approximately 1 MIllion steals," so that's definitely a record. Ashley Bryfczynski had 11 (and 5/5 from FT line), Gabby Lauwagie had 8, and Amber Bruggemeier had 7 in the decisive victory!
Wildcats' next action is at Annandale next Thursday. No fans are allowed at that game at this time, so check the conference website for streaming information!
JV succombed to the storm, 52-31. In short, they shot hot, and we did not, to coach a poetic coach Westphal. JV toughed it out playing with 7, and had great moments and lots of good looks at the hoop, but just couldn't quite get the run to happen to spark the comeback. Every time they got within striking distance, the storm would hit another 3 to keep us at a distance. If we finish and shoot it like we did in practice throughout the week, we'll be in that game and ready to pull of the W! Morgan Meyer lead the Wildcats with 12, and Kiley Sazama was right behind with 11. Honestly, we shot the ball well in the final minutes of the game, so we just have to find the spark throughout!
C team won 27-50 in their debut! Everyone got in, which is a lot during this Covid #'s restricted year, and strong defensive intensity was sustained throughout to spark the victory! To quote the TOTALLY OFFICIAL STATS from Coach D: "Gabby had approximately 1 MIllion steals," so that's definitely a record. Ashley Bryfczynski had 11 (and 5/5 from FT line), Gabby Lauwagie had 8, and Amber Bruggemeier had 7 in the decisive victory!
Wildcats' next action is at Annandale next Thursday. No fans are allowed at that game at this time, so check the conference website for streaming information!
Wildcats reach State Semifinals, but have run cut short by coronavirus cancellations
Making history by competing in the state tournament for the first time in program history, the Waconia Wildcats did their community, school, program, and players proud by winning their first ever State Tournament game, beating an extremely good, tough, and polished #3 seed Red Wing, and reaching the semifinals, losing to last year's runner up in #2 Becker. We were supposed to play #4 Simley in the 3rd/4th place game, but it, along with the championship game, the consolation bracket, much of AA and A tournament, and the entire boys basketball state tournament, got cancelled as large-scale tournaments and gatherings across the nation and world were cancelled due to the effort to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 virus. This post will not in any way question or criticize that decision, as macro-scale public health matters outweigh (but not by much, by the way we felt! Kidding...?) our state 3rd place / 4th place game, but it was still a really hard thing for our team to learn 45 minutes before our semifinal game: that if we lost, we wouldn't get another game, closure, time on the floor to take team pictures, medal ceremonies, etc., which is part of the experience of making the state tournament. And again, I know that the large scale health of the population outweighs those things, but two things can be true at the same time, and we really took it hard. As I type this, I had hoped to be prepping the Simley scouting report, watching video, and getting to go to play one final game with this group that accomplished so much and made Wildcat history, and as time passes (I know it's only been one day, but it doesn't feel like it!), it's not getting easier. Nevertheless, here's how our two games went in the State tournament.
State Quarterfinal vs. Red Wing
The Pavilion was rocking from the get-go, and we jumped out to a good early start, taking a quick 13-4 lead against Red Wing's stout defense. Both teams definitely felt the nerves of the situation, with so much pressure on, with a different style of background and hoop to look at, and it showed, as the normally hot-shooting Wingers struggled from the field, as did we after that initial burst of scoring. In watching the video again, I notice how much effort and energy we expelled on defense, and to great effect - we had to play one of our best defensive games of the year to try and stop Red Wing's potent offense - I've seen them carve up opponents with backcuts and 3's from all over the court numerous times, and it happened to us this summer as well, but every time they curled or backlit we were at least aware, if not having 2 girls on the backside making it tough. They still got some, but we made it tough, and got numerous steals and tips to disrupt the flow. It's extremely hard to slow down the Nelson sisters, who shoot the ball at an unbelievable percentage from 3, and have mastered the runner in the paint, but we did a great job pressuring all game to hold them to only 45 points - Simply put, it was our best defensive performance of the year, and it shows that to really do damage in the post season, one must play intense, stout pressure defense - we met our goal of keeping the other team under 50 in both the Marshall game (section championship) and the state quarterfinal, and the results speak for themselves. Another monumental task was trying to slow down #25, Deming, their second leading scorer, and to quote one of our players, "the strongest girl I've ever played against." She made life extremely difficult for our posts, and is one of the best post defenders we've seen this year, playing with strength and discipline. However, the combination of Stier and Dykstra held her to (I think) 9 points on the night, and we had to absolutely battle to accomplish that task. Some have said that our win was ugly, or whatever superlative they choose, but I see it as two teams absolutely DIGGING IN on defense with everything on the line, and my gosh, the playoffs are about surviving and advancing no matter the circumstance, and I'm so proud of our effort to pull it off in Overtime in our first every state tournament!
As per usual, we had many contributors to our success; the aforementioned defense in the post, the hounding of the Nelsons by Zimmer, Lenz, Honnold and Swanson was incredibly tough to pull off, and took all of their combined efforts, and they were still draining bombs from deep. But, we kept it to a reasonable number by challenging everything and staying in their space as best we could.
Scoring-wise, we needed someone to step up and hit some shots, and no one embodied that ability more on this night than Addy Salzer, who lead with 19 points. She hit a couple early, but also had a 3, and layup, and 4 free throws in Overtime to help us seal the deal. It was a spectacular performance of will and being willing to take the big shot when the pressure is on! Also scoring for the Wildcats were Mel Honnold and Sydni Olson each with 6, hitting huge 3's when we needed a jolt of scoring; Ava Stier with 6, and a huge layup down the stretch; Audrey Swanson with 4 (a huge layup on a BLOB was key), Allie Zimmer with an and-1, and Jayda Lenz (2 clutch FT's in OT), Natalie Meath (big jumper before halftime), Tess Johnson (gigantic layup with time running out in regulation to put us up 1) and Dani Dykstra (huge layup in OT to create separation) each with 2. Every point was earned on this night against Red Wing's vaunted defense (they held their section final opponent to 7 points in a WHOLE HALF!).
Rebounding: Swanson, Johnson, and Salzer each had 6, Meath and Stier each had 5, Lenze and Dykstra had 3, and Zimmer and Olson each had 2.
Assists: Honnold lead with 4, Johnson had 3, and Many had 1.
Steals: Swanson lead with 4, Zimmer Dykstra Salzer had 2, and Johnson and Stier had 1.
Blocks: Meath lead with 4, and Stier and Honnold each had 1.
This was an incredibly exciting game, and to emerge victorious in OT in our first game in our first state tournament was really something special, and something I'll remember for the rest of my life. I just could not be prouder of what we did.
State Semifinal vs. Becker
It was a quick turnaround to play the #2 seed and runner up from last year's state championship, and the lack of preparation did show up a bit against them. We gave up too many buckets on set plays and in transition, especially when compared with what our players have been able to do when they get time to really digest what another team is trying to do (Mankato West, Marshall, Red Wing). Now, that's no excuse - Becker is extremely good, as we all know, and they were hungry to get back to the state championship, and played their best game of the year at the right time and on the right stage. They shot the ball at an extremely high rate as compared to the previous day, ran the floor effectively, and finished around the basket extremely well. We definitely hit more shots than the previous day as well, but gave up waaaaaaaaay to much on the defensive end, giving up 9 more points in the first half than we did the entire previous game. We fought, and it seemed as if whenever we made a push to get back in the game, getting within 6 (I believe) at one point, they had an answer, and we weren't able to get consecutive stops in a row, much less string together the 3-straight necessary to spark a run, and ultimately fell to Becker.
Foul trouble also hurt us: with our two leading rebounders on the bench for much of the first half, we gave up too many offensive rebounds on the backside of the hoop to #23, and she made us pay. Simply put - if we get those stops, finish around the hoop better, and play better defense on the drive, we are in that game, as we had the opportunities to do it.
Still, I'm proud of what we did on the historically awesome Williams Arena floor. We never gave up, we kept attacking, and we took in the fact that we were on the stage we were on because of how good we can be when we play for each other. It was extremely fun to see our girls out there on that floor, making shots, running the floor, and giving their all, and we took in the fact that we were one of the final four teams in AAA competing for the title.
Scoring: Audrey Swanson lead with 16, hitting a big 3, attacking the basketball, and going 7-11 from the field. Addy Salzer had 14 (and 10 rebounds, for the double double), attacking and getting to the hoop in multiple ways; Natalie Meath was perfect from the field, going 5-5 from 2 and 1-1 from 3 (Sauce, I will talk to coach Whalen about you, as promised, seeing as how you shoot so well in Williams arena!); Tess Johnson had 10, scoring in many different ways as well; both Mel Honnold and Sydni Olson hit a pair of 3's that were so sweet going in; Dani Dykstra had a well-earned 5; Morgan Meyer, Jayda Lenz, and Ava Stier each had 2, and Allie Zimmer also had 1.
Rebounding: Salzer had 10, Meath had 5, Johnson had 4, Swanson had 3, Dykstra had 2, and Machacek, Meyer, Cebulla, Olson, and Stier each had 1.
Assists: Zimmer with 4, Johnson and Salzer with 3, Lenz with 2, Honnold, Dykstra, and Stier with 1.
Steals: Johnson with 3, Salzer with 2, and Lenz, Stier, Swanson, and Olson each with 1.
Our third place game against Simley was cancelled, along with the championship game, consolation brackets, and the entire state tournament for boys. It really, really hurts, I'm not going to lie. I understand, but again, our girls had to battle through a lot of uncertainty and distraction in the lead up to all of our games due to the nature of what's happening in our country right now, and for us to still win a game and put ourselves in that position is not only historic, but extremely admirable and mentally tough. Our girls accomplished so much, peaking at the right time of year, and doing what so many fantastic teams and players before them could not - we ripped the 4-game win streak from the arms of an opponent desperate to take it from us, and it was the most memorable string of games I've experienced, and ranks up there with my own high school team making the state tournament my senior year in my mind. I'm so proud of everything that we've done as a group, and want to take this time to thank the coaching staff of Anna Schmitt, Ashley Westphal, and Kaylee Damasin for helping this first-year head coach through all the trials and tribulations that come with being a head coach. They put in hours and hours of time trying to get us to where we ended up, and we had a heck of a late-night scouting report writing session the night before our semifinal game that was fueled by the power of Bubble Tape and Werthers Originals in the perfect combination of things for the young and old at heart. I was very lucky to be able to share the bench with them. They each endured a lot in helping me through my first year of being a head coach, and talked me through myriad game situations, gave spectacular subbing advice, and helped us get to where we'd never been before, for which I'll be eternally grateful.
Thanks for strength and conditioning coach Josh Anderson and Trainer Jeff Chrest - we finally kept everyone healthy for a whole season in what seems like forever, and that was a major contributing factor to our making the state tournament, as we knew that it would take all of us to do it.
Thanks to our senior captains Tess Johnson, Jayda Lenz, Natalie Meath, and Hailey Williams for leading us to the promised land through your swagger, reassurance, leadership, clutch play, basketball knowledge, selflessness, and years and years of investment in the game we love so much. We will miss you greatly, and I'll always remember you and what you meant to us all.
Thanks to all of our players that have put in hours and hours of sweat equity to get us to the "final four," and that includes the JV, the 9th graders, the scout team, who would instantly learn the plays of myriad opponents so well that we felt like stealing some of the plays (DID WE????????????????? ONLY WE KNOW!??!!), and who challenged our varsity players with more physical play than they at times appreciated, but which prepared us for the ride of our lives to the state semifinals!
Thanks to the managers that gave up countless hours riding busses, entertaining us all with odd interactions with referees, video commentaries, strangely-hypnotic games of speed and skill, and all the personality that we could handle. You all rule!
Thanks for all the parents that supported us, drove countless hours to watch us play, spent many dollars on shirts, volunteered, and on and on, for the benefit of your daughters and their involvement in our basketball program. You can be proud of their immense accomplishment!
Thanks to the administration of WHS, Mark Fredericksen, Paul Sparby, Pat Devine, and especially our Athletic Department and Director Jill Johnson and Lori Schwirtz, who had my back, helped me out with bus time changes and all the secret behind-the-scenes administration stuff that I had no clue about, and TOTALLY MANAGED SMOOTHLY EVERY TIME WITHOUT FAIL FOR SURE 100% CERTAINTY. I couldn't have managed without your.
And finally, thanks to former coaches: Anna Philp "star" Bell (3x COY), who has always supported the program in ways that still show up today, and who never fails to make remember our great times in coaching; Carl Pierson, who taught me what it is to be as deceptive as possible at all times, how to manage refs smoothly and calmly (??!!?!?!), how to plan practices, scout teams, have immense amounts of fun, seamlessly-integrate Seinfeld references into everyday conversations, and how to be a head coach - you were a spectacular mentor, even if I still suspect that you secretly won COY every year and awarded the trophy to the runner-up; and finally, coach Nelia Von Glan, who still came to practices whenever she could out of a sheer love for the game, the players that she helped develop and mentor, and for the program for which she's given so much over the years. Your presence was always JUST what we needed RIGHT when we needed it, and you've helped me so much. We'd NEVER have had a shot at this without you, and you're one of the best coaches I've ever seen or had the privilege to work with, and I can speak for all of our players in saying that.
I must also, of course, thank my wife, Profe Neibs, for picking up immense slack during the longest season of the year, because I would never have even attempted this undertaking without your blessing and help, and you're the best teacher and parent, probably of all time, scientifically-speaking. We couldn't have done it without your support and patience, and that's 100% truth.
We will absolutely have a banquet, but I don't know when. The weird nature of the world in which we live at the moment is preventing us from saying anything definitively at this time, but I've got a lot of swag to give out, and WE DESERVE IT! So, I'll keep you posted, and check with our seniors' schedules first to start to get an idea whenever it's allowed. I'm working on finding out how we refer to our place in the tournament, trophies, medals, and if I have to make my own freaking medals I'll do it, as I don't think the Rock Paper Scissors game I challenged the Simley coach to on Twitter will be either televised or sanctioned to determine 3rd place by the MSHSL.
I'd love to put more pictures on this website, but don't have many, because I was COACHING IN THE STATE TOURNAMENT nd didn't want to seem like a total rube with my phone out the entire time, so if you have good pictures you'd like to share that could go up here on the website, I'll dedicate a page to our State tournament run, specifically, and put them all around where they shall be seen for as long as is humanly possible!
Thanks again to all who invested time, effort, energy, and support for this team that set out to #FINISH what we started a year prior. We finally did it, and it felt like the greatest accomplishment in WGBB history, and we couldn't have done it without each and every one of the people involved at every step of the way, and that's how I'll always remember it, and I hope you do to. Cheers to us!
State Quarterfinal vs. Red Wing
The Pavilion was rocking from the get-go, and we jumped out to a good early start, taking a quick 13-4 lead against Red Wing's stout defense. Both teams definitely felt the nerves of the situation, with so much pressure on, with a different style of background and hoop to look at, and it showed, as the normally hot-shooting Wingers struggled from the field, as did we after that initial burst of scoring. In watching the video again, I notice how much effort and energy we expelled on defense, and to great effect - we had to play one of our best defensive games of the year to try and stop Red Wing's potent offense - I've seen them carve up opponents with backcuts and 3's from all over the court numerous times, and it happened to us this summer as well, but every time they curled or backlit we were at least aware, if not having 2 girls on the backside making it tough. They still got some, but we made it tough, and got numerous steals and tips to disrupt the flow. It's extremely hard to slow down the Nelson sisters, who shoot the ball at an unbelievable percentage from 3, and have mastered the runner in the paint, but we did a great job pressuring all game to hold them to only 45 points - Simply put, it was our best defensive performance of the year, and it shows that to really do damage in the post season, one must play intense, stout pressure defense - we met our goal of keeping the other team under 50 in both the Marshall game (section championship) and the state quarterfinal, and the results speak for themselves. Another monumental task was trying to slow down #25, Deming, their second leading scorer, and to quote one of our players, "the strongest girl I've ever played against." She made life extremely difficult for our posts, and is one of the best post defenders we've seen this year, playing with strength and discipline. However, the combination of Stier and Dykstra held her to (I think) 9 points on the night, and we had to absolutely battle to accomplish that task. Some have said that our win was ugly, or whatever superlative they choose, but I see it as two teams absolutely DIGGING IN on defense with everything on the line, and my gosh, the playoffs are about surviving and advancing no matter the circumstance, and I'm so proud of our effort to pull it off in Overtime in our first every state tournament!
As per usual, we had many contributors to our success; the aforementioned defense in the post, the hounding of the Nelsons by Zimmer, Lenz, Honnold and Swanson was incredibly tough to pull off, and took all of their combined efforts, and they were still draining bombs from deep. But, we kept it to a reasonable number by challenging everything and staying in their space as best we could.
Scoring-wise, we needed someone to step up and hit some shots, and no one embodied that ability more on this night than Addy Salzer, who lead with 19 points. She hit a couple early, but also had a 3, and layup, and 4 free throws in Overtime to help us seal the deal. It was a spectacular performance of will and being willing to take the big shot when the pressure is on! Also scoring for the Wildcats were Mel Honnold and Sydni Olson each with 6, hitting huge 3's when we needed a jolt of scoring; Ava Stier with 6, and a huge layup down the stretch; Audrey Swanson with 4 (a huge layup on a BLOB was key), Allie Zimmer with an and-1, and Jayda Lenz (2 clutch FT's in OT), Natalie Meath (big jumper before halftime), Tess Johnson (gigantic layup with time running out in regulation to put us up 1) and Dani Dykstra (huge layup in OT to create separation) each with 2. Every point was earned on this night against Red Wing's vaunted defense (they held their section final opponent to 7 points in a WHOLE HALF!).
Rebounding: Swanson, Johnson, and Salzer each had 6, Meath and Stier each had 5, Lenze and Dykstra had 3, and Zimmer and Olson each had 2.
Assists: Honnold lead with 4, Johnson had 3, and Many had 1.
Steals: Swanson lead with 4, Zimmer Dykstra Salzer had 2, and Johnson and Stier had 1.
Blocks: Meath lead with 4, and Stier and Honnold each had 1.
This was an incredibly exciting game, and to emerge victorious in OT in our first game in our first state tournament was really something special, and something I'll remember for the rest of my life. I just could not be prouder of what we did.
State Semifinal vs. Becker
It was a quick turnaround to play the #2 seed and runner up from last year's state championship, and the lack of preparation did show up a bit against them. We gave up too many buckets on set plays and in transition, especially when compared with what our players have been able to do when they get time to really digest what another team is trying to do (Mankato West, Marshall, Red Wing). Now, that's no excuse - Becker is extremely good, as we all know, and they were hungry to get back to the state championship, and played their best game of the year at the right time and on the right stage. They shot the ball at an extremely high rate as compared to the previous day, ran the floor effectively, and finished around the basket extremely well. We definitely hit more shots than the previous day as well, but gave up waaaaaaaaay to much on the defensive end, giving up 9 more points in the first half than we did the entire previous game. We fought, and it seemed as if whenever we made a push to get back in the game, getting within 6 (I believe) at one point, they had an answer, and we weren't able to get consecutive stops in a row, much less string together the 3-straight necessary to spark a run, and ultimately fell to Becker.
Foul trouble also hurt us: with our two leading rebounders on the bench for much of the first half, we gave up too many offensive rebounds on the backside of the hoop to #23, and she made us pay. Simply put - if we get those stops, finish around the hoop better, and play better defense on the drive, we are in that game, as we had the opportunities to do it.
Still, I'm proud of what we did on the historically awesome Williams Arena floor. We never gave up, we kept attacking, and we took in the fact that we were on the stage we were on because of how good we can be when we play for each other. It was extremely fun to see our girls out there on that floor, making shots, running the floor, and giving their all, and we took in the fact that we were one of the final four teams in AAA competing for the title.
Scoring: Audrey Swanson lead with 16, hitting a big 3, attacking the basketball, and going 7-11 from the field. Addy Salzer had 14 (and 10 rebounds, for the double double), attacking and getting to the hoop in multiple ways; Natalie Meath was perfect from the field, going 5-5 from 2 and 1-1 from 3 (Sauce, I will talk to coach Whalen about you, as promised, seeing as how you shoot so well in Williams arena!); Tess Johnson had 10, scoring in many different ways as well; both Mel Honnold and Sydni Olson hit a pair of 3's that were so sweet going in; Dani Dykstra had a well-earned 5; Morgan Meyer, Jayda Lenz, and Ava Stier each had 2, and Allie Zimmer also had 1.
Rebounding: Salzer had 10, Meath had 5, Johnson had 4, Swanson had 3, Dykstra had 2, and Machacek, Meyer, Cebulla, Olson, and Stier each had 1.
Assists: Zimmer with 4, Johnson and Salzer with 3, Lenz with 2, Honnold, Dykstra, and Stier with 1.
Steals: Johnson with 3, Salzer with 2, and Lenz, Stier, Swanson, and Olson each with 1.
Our third place game against Simley was cancelled, along with the championship game, consolation brackets, and the entire state tournament for boys. It really, really hurts, I'm not going to lie. I understand, but again, our girls had to battle through a lot of uncertainty and distraction in the lead up to all of our games due to the nature of what's happening in our country right now, and for us to still win a game and put ourselves in that position is not only historic, but extremely admirable and mentally tough. Our girls accomplished so much, peaking at the right time of year, and doing what so many fantastic teams and players before them could not - we ripped the 4-game win streak from the arms of an opponent desperate to take it from us, and it was the most memorable string of games I've experienced, and ranks up there with my own high school team making the state tournament my senior year in my mind. I'm so proud of everything that we've done as a group, and want to take this time to thank the coaching staff of Anna Schmitt, Ashley Westphal, and Kaylee Damasin for helping this first-year head coach through all the trials and tribulations that come with being a head coach. They put in hours and hours of time trying to get us to where we ended up, and we had a heck of a late-night scouting report writing session the night before our semifinal game that was fueled by the power of Bubble Tape and Werthers Originals in the perfect combination of things for the young and old at heart. I was very lucky to be able to share the bench with them. They each endured a lot in helping me through my first year of being a head coach, and talked me through myriad game situations, gave spectacular subbing advice, and helped us get to where we'd never been before, for which I'll be eternally grateful.
Thanks for strength and conditioning coach Josh Anderson and Trainer Jeff Chrest - we finally kept everyone healthy for a whole season in what seems like forever, and that was a major contributing factor to our making the state tournament, as we knew that it would take all of us to do it.
Thanks to our senior captains Tess Johnson, Jayda Lenz, Natalie Meath, and Hailey Williams for leading us to the promised land through your swagger, reassurance, leadership, clutch play, basketball knowledge, selflessness, and years and years of investment in the game we love so much. We will miss you greatly, and I'll always remember you and what you meant to us all.
Thanks to all of our players that have put in hours and hours of sweat equity to get us to the "final four," and that includes the JV, the 9th graders, the scout team, who would instantly learn the plays of myriad opponents so well that we felt like stealing some of the plays (DID WE????????????????? ONLY WE KNOW!??!!), and who challenged our varsity players with more physical play than they at times appreciated, but which prepared us for the ride of our lives to the state semifinals!
Thanks to the managers that gave up countless hours riding busses, entertaining us all with odd interactions with referees, video commentaries, strangely-hypnotic games of speed and skill, and all the personality that we could handle. You all rule!
Thanks for all the parents that supported us, drove countless hours to watch us play, spent many dollars on shirts, volunteered, and on and on, for the benefit of your daughters and their involvement in our basketball program. You can be proud of their immense accomplishment!
Thanks to the administration of WHS, Mark Fredericksen, Paul Sparby, Pat Devine, and especially our Athletic Department and Director Jill Johnson and Lori Schwirtz, who had my back, helped me out with bus time changes and all the secret behind-the-scenes administration stuff that I had no clue about, and TOTALLY MANAGED SMOOTHLY EVERY TIME WITHOUT FAIL FOR SURE 100% CERTAINTY. I couldn't have managed without your.
And finally, thanks to former coaches: Anna Philp "star" Bell (3x COY), who has always supported the program in ways that still show up today, and who never fails to make remember our great times in coaching; Carl Pierson, who taught me what it is to be as deceptive as possible at all times, how to manage refs smoothly and calmly (??!!?!?!), how to plan practices, scout teams, have immense amounts of fun, seamlessly-integrate Seinfeld references into everyday conversations, and how to be a head coach - you were a spectacular mentor, even if I still suspect that you secretly won COY every year and awarded the trophy to the runner-up; and finally, coach Nelia Von Glan, who still came to practices whenever she could out of a sheer love for the game, the players that she helped develop and mentor, and for the program for which she's given so much over the years. Your presence was always JUST what we needed RIGHT when we needed it, and you've helped me so much. We'd NEVER have had a shot at this without you, and you're one of the best coaches I've ever seen or had the privilege to work with, and I can speak for all of our players in saying that.
I must also, of course, thank my wife, Profe Neibs, for picking up immense slack during the longest season of the year, because I would never have even attempted this undertaking without your blessing and help, and you're the best teacher and parent, probably of all time, scientifically-speaking. We couldn't have done it without your support and patience, and that's 100% truth.
We will absolutely have a banquet, but I don't know when. The weird nature of the world in which we live at the moment is preventing us from saying anything definitively at this time, but I've got a lot of swag to give out, and WE DESERVE IT! So, I'll keep you posted, and check with our seniors' schedules first to start to get an idea whenever it's allowed. I'm working on finding out how we refer to our place in the tournament, trophies, medals, and if I have to make my own freaking medals I'll do it, as I don't think the Rock Paper Scissors game I challenged the Simley coach to on Twitter will be either televised or sanctioned to determine 3rd place by the MSHSL.
I'd love to put more pictures on this website, but don't have many, because I was COACHING IN THE STATE TOURNAMENT nd didn't want to seem like a total rube with my phone out the entire time, so if you have good pictures you'd like to share that could go up here on the website, I'll dedicate a page to our State tournament run, specifically, and put them all around where they shall be seen for as long as is humanly possible!
Thanks again to all who invested time, effort, energy, and support for this team that set out to #FINISH what we started a year prior. We finally did it, and it felt like the greatest accomplishment in WGBB history, and we couldn't have done it without each and every one of the people involved at every step of the way, and that's how I'll always remember it, and I hope you do to. Cheers to us!
Waconia Wildcats to State for the first time in school history!
First of all, check out these pictures by Roxanne Kuerschner, James Stitt (Waconia Patriot) and Anna Bell - holy crap are they awesome.
Well, that was spectacular. The key to advancing to the State tournament for the first time in WGBB history was defense, and we held Marshall to the goal that we always set for a game: 50 points or under. If we can hold them to under 50, we feel as if we have a shot at winning the game, and we held them to only 1 point in the final 4 minutes to keep them right on that number. We did it through physicality, help defense, and pressuring the ball at all times. We did enough to disrupt their offense's timing and keep the ball out of the low post (except for the myriad mad scrambles for rebounds that were a hallmark of this very physical game). Marshall's Hilgemann scored 18, some on incredibly tough shots, 5 at the FT line, and around 6 out of the press' turnovers, but we were able to hold their posts, who were dominant against St. Peter, to 6 and 5 respectively through backside help, communication, and good digging on drives. This was one of our best defensive performances of the season, and is what powered us to victory.
After last year's section finals end (loss by 1 point), we always talk about opening up a cushion down the stretch of games so that it's not a 1 possession game, where anything can happen to any team, and we were able to open up just such a lead, but we knew that we couldn't be comfortable for a second, because Marshall can erase a lead in mere seconds.
This was another full team effort - the bench was wild (almost got T'd up for being so crazy - that's awesome! That's the environment we always dream of for this sort of game), we had players step up when we had 5 or 6 players with 2 fouls in the first half, and we made plays throughout that kept the margin at no less than 5 in the second half. I will keep saying this for the rest of my days: our depth is our strength. We can trust everyone on our team to step in and do what it takes with the game on the line, and we did that when the stakes couldn't have been higher.
Audrey Swanson was spectacular, and Tess Johnson was finding her wherever she went. Audrey had 22 points on 8-9 shooting (!!!!)(1-1 from 3!), with 6 boards, 3 steals, and an assist. Johnson had 8 points, 7 assists, 3 steals and 4 rebounds in a spectacular all-around game. Ava Stier battled much foul trouble (it was not, disappointingly, "no foul Friday!"), but still had 8 points, 10 boards, and a block. Zimmer had 7 points, 3 boards, and an assist, attacking the press and handling it with a cool head. Mel Honnold played spectacular D, causing many crazy bounces, netting 3 steals, and causing a bunch of others as well. Her toughness in digging out dribble drives was a huge key to holding them to only 50 points, and she also dished two assists. Addy Salzer had 7 points, 2 boards, an assist, and two huge blocks, and did a great job on Hilgemann as well. Natalie Meath and Dani Dykstra played excellent defense all night long on really tough Marshall posts, and held them to 6 and 5 respectively, and that was huge, because they looked spectacular in their win over St. Peter, who has good bigs of their own. Both Meath and Dykstra also hit a bit shot right when we needed one to help keep the lead what it was. Meath also gathered 7 boards and had two big steals, and Dykstra had 3 boards as well.
I mentioned our bench before, but it really was spectacular to have them so loud, for so long, and right when it mattered. They did a spectacular job as scout team this week, and knew all of the plays that we asked them to learn of Marshall's. Marshall often doesn't run much of the same stuff in the post season as they do in the regular, but when they did, we did a good job on it because of our scout team, so this is a total team win.
I finally re-watched the game again tonight, and it's starting to sink in - the immensity of the effort and focus we had for this game was off-the-charts, and it took everything that we had to make history, getting us to the state tournament for the first time ever. We've had some really rough losses over the years here, just in my 14 years, and to finally see our team step up when it's hardest was immensely gratifying. I'm so proud of all that we've done so far, and now it's time to go forth and send the next message - we're coming.
Seeding meeting is tomorrow morning, and I'll let everyone know what and when and who, and it'll be really interesting to see where the other coaches put us (we can't, of course, vote for ourselves). No matter who the opponent is: we're not done. Let's go and rip it from anyone who stands in our way!
Well, that was spectacular. The key to advancing to the State tournament for the first time in WGBB history was defense, and we held Marshall to the goal that we always set for a game: 50 points or under. If we can hold them to under 50, we feel as if we have a shot at winning the game, and we held them to only 1 point in the final 4 minutes to keep them right on that number. We did it through physicality, help defense, and pressuring the ball at all times. We did enough to disrupt their offense's timing and keep the ball out of the low post (except for the myriad mad scrambles for rebounds that were a hallmark of this very physical game). Marshall's Hilgemann scored 18, some on incredibly tough shots, 5 at the FT line, and around 6 out of the press' turnovers, but we were able to hold their posts, who were dominant against St. Peter, to 6 and 5 respectively through backside help, communication, and good digging on drives. This was one of our best defensive performances of the season, and is what powered us to victory.
After last year's section finals end (loss by 1 point), we always talk about opening up a cushion down the stretch of games so that it's not a 1 possession game, where anything can happen to any team, and we were able to open up just such a lead, but we knew that we couldn't be comfortable for a second, because Marshall can erase a lead in mere seconds.
This was another full team effort - the bench was wild (almost got T'd up for being so crazy - that's awesome! That's the environment we always dream of for this sort of game), we had players step up when we had 5 or 6 players with 2 fouls in the first half, and we made plays throughout that kept the margin at no less than 5 in the second half. I will keep saying this for the rest of my days: our depth is our strength. We can trust everyone on our team to step in and do what it takes with the game on the line, and we did that when the stakes couldn't have been higher.
Audrey Swanson was spectacular, and Tess Johnson was finding her wherever she went. Audrey had 22 points on 8-9 shooting (!!!!)(1-1 from 3!), with 6 boards, 3 steals, and an assist. Johnson had 8 points, 7 assists, 3 steals and 4 rebounds in a spectacular all-around game. Ava Stier battled much foul trouble (it was not, disappointingly, "no foul Friday!"), but still had 8 points, 10 boards, and a block. Zimmer had 7 points, 3 boards, and an assist, attacking the press and handling it with a cool head. Mel Honnold played spectacular D, causing many crazy bounces, netting 3 steals, and causing a bunch of others as well. Her toughness in digging out dribble drives was a huge key to holding them to only 50 points, and she also dished two assists. Addy Salzer had 7 points, 2 boards, an assist, and two huge blocks, and did a great job on Hilgemann as well. Natalie Meath and Dani Dykstra played excellent defense all night long on really tough Marshall posts, and held them to 6 and 5 respectively, and that was huge, because they looked spectacular in their win over St. Peter, who has good bigs of their own. Both Meath and Dykstra also hit a bit shot right when we needed one to help keep the lead what it was. Meath also gathered 7 boards and had two big steals, and Dykstra had 3 boards as well.
I mentioned our bench before, but it really was spectacular to have them so loud, for so long, and right when it mattered. They did a spectacular job as scout team this week, and knew all of the plays that we asked them to learn of Marshall's. Marshall often doesn't run much of the same stuff in the post season as they do in the regular, but when they did, we did a good job on it because of our scout team, so this is a total team win.
I finally re-watched the game again tonight, and it's starting to sink in - the immensity of the effort and focus we had for this game was off-the-charts, and it took everything that we had to make history, getting us to the state tournament for the first time ever. We've had some really rough losses over the years here, just in my 14 years, and to finally see our team step up when it's hardest was immensely gratifying. I'm so proud of all that we've done so far, and now it's time to go forth and send the next message - we're coming.
Seeding meeting is tomorrow morning, and I'll let everyone know what and when and who, and it'll be really interesting to see where the other coaches put us (we can't, of course, vote for ourselves). No matter who the opponent is: we're not done. Let's go and rip it from anyone who stands in our way!
Wildcats advance to section finals with win over Mankato West
With the bright lights of the late game upon us, Waconia prevailed against a very good Mankato West team 79-60, advancing to the section 2AAA title game next Thursday at Gustavus Adolphus College vs. undefeated Marshall. Stingy defense (especially in the first half) mixed with handling the press and making West pay for pressing on the larger college floor with layups, we were able to put together two quality halves of basketball to get the win. Contributions were evenly-distributed from many different players, and is always key to our success as a team. Audrey Swanson had a monster game, 9-12 from the field, scoring 21, grabbing 6 boards, an assist and 2 steals. Addy Salzer had 12, hitting a couple of big 3's, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, a steal and a block; Ava Stier had a double double with 11 points, 10 boards, and 2 assists; Dani Dykstra had her best showing of the year with the pressure on with 9 points, 3 boards, an assist and steal, and battled in the post all night, limiting interior shots for West. Mel Honnold had 7 with a huge 3 and layup in the first half, 2 boards, a steal and assist. Jayda Lenz, Allie Zimmer, Natalie Meath, and Tess Johnson all had 4, often setting up others in the fast break - Johnson had 8 assists, Lenz 4, Zimmer with 1. Sydni Olson had 2 and a boards as well. When we play for each other and the defense can't just concentrate on one player, swing the ball unselfishly, and attack the paint when breaking the press we can be very good and dangerous, and that's what we are going to have to do against Marshall next Thursday with a trip to State on the line, which would be a first in Wildcats GBB history.
Marshall is famous for a couple of things: their press; their toughness, especially finishing inside; their gameplanning (I'm betting coach Westby has about 10 videos of our games from throughout the year, will probably know all of our plays / sets / press breaks, etc.), and their frequent trips to the state tournament throughout the years. It's going to take immense concentration and focus throughout the entire game to pull off the upset, but we can do it. The last time we met, we infamously had every possible thing have to go wrong in the last 1:15 to lose our lead and the game, and it did, but now we've been there and know what it's like to know that NO LEAD IS EVERY SAFE against a very tough Marshall team. We must handle the press and take care of the ball; we must finish the paint. We must communicate on the defensive end, bump all cutters, and limit post touches inside, though everyone on their team can really finish down there. If we can do that, we can make history, so 3 days of practice are now absolutely key to our season.
Marshall is famous for a couple of things: their press; their toughness, especially finishing inside; their gameplanning (I'm betting coach Westby has about 10 videos of our games from throughout the year, will probably know all of our plays / sets / press breaks, etc.), and their frequent trips to the state tournament throughout the years. It's going to take immense concentration and focus throughout the entire game to pull off the upset, but we can do it. The last time we met, we infamously had every possible thing have to go wrong in the last 1:15 to lose our lead and the game, and it did, but now we've been there and know what it's like to know that NO LEAD IS EVERY SAFE against a very tough Marshall team. We must handle the press and take care of the ball; we must finish the paint. We must communicate on the defensive end, bump all cutters, and limit post touches inside, though everyone on their team can really finish down there. If we can do that, we can make history, so 3 days of practice are now absolutely key to our season.
Wildcats beat Mankato East to advance to section semis on saturday vs. Mankato West
The Wildcats played stifling defense in the first half, giving up only 13 points, and made plays down the stretch of the 2nd to prevail against one of the toughest #7 seeds I've seen in my time at Waconia in Mankato East. They have some very good players in #32, a good, tall-shooting center who altered a lot of our shots all night (scored 19), #22 who scores 17 a game (we held her to 11), and #4, a tough, physical point guard who can shoot it (had 11). But, we were able to limit the other players and get stops down the stretch to persevere through a somewhat rough shooting night, one in which we had many open looks that didn't fall.
We had major contributions, and timely ones at that, from many of our players, as is the usual. To be a great team, we need EVERYONE to step up, because you never know who the other team will focus on / take away, and we had that tonight. Senior PG Jayda Lenz was huge for the Wildcats, showing control, playing good defense, and scoring 12 points, hitting 3 huge 3's (2 in the 2nd half) to lead all scorers. Sometimes in the playoffs you need senior leadership, and Jayda helped do that tonight. Dani Dykstra absolutely battled all night in the post against a much taller #32. She got huge offensive rebounds, she hit an absolutely HUGE reverse layup on #32 down the stretch, and really showed what can be done when teams trust each other to step up when it matters most. Salzer and Swanson had 6 and 5 respectively, but they worked their tails off all night trying to get in the space of #22, East's leading scorer, and held her to 11, so that was a huge part of this game. Tess Johnson had 9, hitting a big 3 and getting a couple of gigantic steals for layups (one down the stretch of the 2nd half really sealed the game). Mel Honnold had 7 on a couple of huge 3's, and played tough defense on #4, getting beat up a little in the process, but Mel is one of our toughest players. Natalie Meath and Addy Salzer each had 6, and Sauce really rebounded well against bigger players and hit some big shots early when others' weren't falling. Audrey Swanson had 5, and both Allie Zimmer and Dani Dykstra each had 4 that were huge.
Other stats are being tabulated, and I'll update this post when they are known.
Our section semifinal matchup vs. Mankato West happens this Saturday at Gustavus Adolphus college at 7:45 P.M. We will travel early, likely leaving at 4:30 (I will have the plan for certain solidified by tomorrow) to watch the entire game of Marshall vs. St. Peter, who upset Hutchinson tonight by 12, in what's going to be a very good game. Our opponent in the semifinal, Mankato West, is very good - they have really good shooters and finishers, a lightning fast guard, big posts, and are hungry to take their shot, so we will have to head into that game absolutely united as a team. It will take everyone's best effort, all game long, for every play, possession, and moment to beat them as they are a very, very good team. We must be single-minded in our pursuit of winning this game for the next 2 days in practice to give ourselves a chance to get back to the section finals in what some call the toughest section, top-to-bottom, in the state.
We had major contributions, and timely ones at that, from many of our players, as is the usual. To be a great team, we need EVERYONE to step up, because you never know who the other team will focus on / take away, and we had that tonight. Senior PG Jayda Lenz was huge for the Wildcats, showing control, playing good defense, and scoring 12 points, hitting 3 huge 3's (2 in the 2nd half) to lead all scorers. Sometimes in the playoffs you need senior leadership, and Jayda helped do that tonight. Dani Dykstra absolutely battled all night in the post against a much taller #32. She got huge offensive rebounds, she hit an absolutely HUGE reverse layup on #32 down the stretch, and really showed what can be done when teams trust each other to step up when it matters most. Salzer and Swanson had 6 and 5 respectively, but they worked their tails off all night trying to get in the space of #22, East's leading scorer, and held her to 11, so that was a huge part of this game. Tess Johnson had 9, hitting a big 3 and getting a couple of gigantic steals for layups (one down the stretch of the 2nd half really sealed the game). Mel Honnold had 7 on a couple of huge 3's, and played tough defense on #4, getting beat up a little in the process, but Mel is one of our toughest players. Natalie Meath and Addy Salzer each had 6, and Sauce really rebounded well against bigger players and hit some big shots early when others' weren't falling. Audrey Swanson had 5, and both Allie Zimmer and Dani Dykstra each had 4 that were huge.
Other stats are being tabulated, and I'll update this post when they are known.
Our section semifinal matchup vs. Mankato West happens this Saturday at Gustavus Adolphus college at 7:45 P.M. We will travel early, likely leaving at 4:30 (I will have the plan for certain solidified by tomorrow) to watch the entire game of Marshall vs. St. Peter, who upset Hutchinson tonight by 12, in what's going to be a very good game. Our opponent in the semifinal, Mankato West, is very good - they have really good shooters and finishers, a lightning fast guard, big posts, and are hungry to take their shot, so we will have to head into that game absolutely united as a team. It will take everyone's best effort, all game long, for every play, possession, and moment to beat them as they are a very, very good team. We must be single-minded in our pursuit of winning this game for the next 2 days in practice to give ourselves a chance to get back to the section finals in what some call the toughest section, top-to-bottom, in the state.
Wildcats close season at 16-10 in loss to New Prague; section seedings loom
Senior night didn't go quite as planned as the Wildcats lose to New Prague, this year's undefeated conference champs, 47-56. We fought, but New Prague's Russo and Giesen combo were too much for us, especially offensively rebounding the ball. We have up 2 offensive rebounds down the stretch that absolutely killed us, and followed it up with a turnover in transition. That sealed our fate in an otherwise back-and-forth game.
We fought back to have a 2 point lead heading into halftime that showed resilience. We were down early, but got stops on defense, finished a bit inside, and tried to assert ourselves inside, as jumpers weren't falling at a solid rate.
However, in the second half, a potent combination of factors halted our momentum, and we only scored 19 in the half: missed layups, forced shots, and a lack of offensive cohesion. We didn't move off the ball well at all, and we let New Prague's physical nature on offense get to us. They shoved us around with abandon, and we didn't handle it well, and that was kind of the story of the second half. Every time we got close, within a bucket, they would finish a very tough shot - our defense inside was actually really good and disciplined on multiple occasions, but they just made a very tough shot - I can count at least 5 instances throughout the game where we told our kids on the bench that we played defense perfectly, they just made a very tough, physical shot - it was frustrating, but that's the way they always play, and why they are conference champs this year after splitting it 3 ways with us and Holy Family last year.
Scoring for us was a bit of an anomaly, and it shows that we weren't cohesive - we only had 5 players score, for the first time this year. Normally it's 8, or 9, or 10, but 5 shows that we weren't moving the ball, looking for each other well, or helping each other get open. However, here's how the scoring went: Ava Stier with 15, Audrey Swanson with 11, Tess Johnson with 10, Addy Salzer with 7, and Allie Zimmer with 4.
Other stats are pending.
Section seeding is still pending.
The JV fought well at a couple of levels tonight - After losing big the first time at New Prague, we did end up losing by 10 this time. Shots were falling for both teams early on in the game, but unfortunately so were our players, in one of the most physical games of the year, with both teams going at each other with wild abandon. While we were right there for most of the game, fouls caught up with us, and we couldn't quite get enough stops on defense to make the full comeback. This team is full of fight, though, and should be commended - we compete well all the time, and are quite frankly a joy to be around as well, bringing the craziness and humor inherent to their awesome personalities. They were great, and the coaches loved coaching them all year long! This does of course include everyone on "JV/B", because we split sometimes and not others. Speaking of which:
B was also in action today, and also fell to New Prague. Shots weren't falling at the rate they normally would, unfortunately, but again, we fought with spirit and had the looks that could've won us the game, we just couldn't convert. Again, these girls got tons of minutes to keep working on the things that'll elevate their games all year long, and did everything we asked of them to compete, be good teammates, and have each others' backs all year long.
9th grade pulled off the "revenge" win, getting NP back for a 9 point loss earlier in the year. This game was a battle, and came down to final plays. The full court press seems to be what separated us from them this day, as our cats forced many turnovers down the stretch. We didn't convert all of them, but a 3 by Bruggsy separated us a bit from NP, and Narn hit some clutch free throws down the stretch that helped seal the win. This was a team that, when shooting the ball, could be absolutely deadly (they came within 1 basket multiple times in shooting drills against varsity on multiple occasions this year) and was great to watch all season long. They worked to improve, played positions that they weren't always comfortable with, but improved a lot! We really appreciate what they've done this year, and how great to be around they were!
We fought back to have a 2 point lead heading into halftime that showed resilience. We were down early, but got stops on defense, finished a bit inside, and tried to assert ourselves inside, as jumpers weren't falling at a solid rate.
However, in the second half, a potent combination of factors halted our momentum, and we only scored 19 in the half: missed layups, forced shots, and a lack of offensive cohesion. We didn't move off the ball well at all, and we let New Prague's physical nature on offense get to us. They shoved us around with abandon, and we didn't handle it well, and that was kind of the story of the second half. Every time we got close, within a bucket, they would finish a very tough shot - our defense inside was actually really good and disciplined on multiple occasions, but they just made a very tough shot - I can count at least 5 instances throughout the game where we told our kids on the bench that we played defense perfectly, they just made a very tough, physical shot - it was frustrating, but that's the way they always play, and why they are conference champs this year after splitting it 3 ways with us and Holy Family last year.
Scoring for us was a bit of an anomaly, and it shows that we weren't cohesive - we only had 5 players score, for the first time this year. Normally it's 8, or 9, or 10, but 5 shows that we weren't moving the ball, looking for each other well, or helping each other get open. However, here's how the scoring went: Ava Stier with 15, Audrey Swanson with 11, Tess Johnson with 10, Addy Salzer with 7, and Allie Zimmer with 4.
Other stats are pending.
Section seeding is still pending.
The JV fought well at a couple of levels tonight - After losing big the first time at New Prague, we did end up losing by 10 this time. Shots were falling for both teams early on in the game, but unfortunately so were our players, in one of the most physical games of the year, with both teams going at each other with wild abandon. While we were right there for most of the game, fouls caught up with us, and we couldn't quite get enough stops on defense to make the full comeback. This team is full of fight, though, and should be commended - we compete well all the time, and are quite frankly a joy to be around as well, bringing the craziness and humor inherent to their awesome personalities. They were great, and the coaches loved coaching them all year long! This does of course include everyone on "JV/B", because we split sometimes and not others. Speaking of which:
B was also in action today, and also fell to New Prague. Shots weren't falling at the rate they normally would, unfortunately, but again, we fought with spirit and had the looks that could've won us the game, we just couldn't convert. Again, these girls got tons of minutes to keep working on the things that'll elevate their games all year long, and did everything we asked of them to compete, be good teammates, and have each others' backs all year long.
9th grade pulled off the "revenge" win, getting NP back for a 9 point loss earlier in the year. This game was a battle, and came down to final plays. The full court press seems to be what separated us from them this day, as our cats forced many turnovers down the stretch. We didn't convert all of them, but a 3 by Bruggsy separated us a bit from NP, and Narn hit some clutch free throws down the stretch that helped seal the win. This was a team that, when shooting the ball, could be absolutely deadly (they came within 1 basket multiple times in shooting drills against varsity on multiple occasions this year) and was great to watch all season long. They worked to improve, played positions that they weren't always comfortable with, but improved a lot! We really appreciate what they've done this year, and how great to be around they were!
Wildcats lose OT thriller At hutch
We fought until the end, but 4 OT turnovers down the stretch, and no timeouts left in a hard-fought game hurt us in the end, as we fell 69-67. We had chances to make shots down the stretch, but we struggled from the outside all game. Still, to get to OT, many contributions were made, and Salzer hit a really tough shot to tie it in regulation.
The video didn't upload right away, so stats will be forthcoming, but unofficially scoring for the wildcats were Swanson with 26, Zimmer with 10, Salzer with 13, Stier with 9, Olson with 5, Meath with 2, and Honnold with 2.
With the loss, we lost an opportunity to earn part of the conference title for the year, which is disappointing, and was one of our goals. However, we still need to go and beat New Prague, this Friday on Senior Night, to tell ourselves the right story about competing heading into the playoffs in what many are calling the, top-to-bottom, toughest section in MN girls basketball. There are no bad teams in our section, and many have beaten each other at least once, so it'll be a battle.
The JV wildcats dominated Hutch's JV 56-26. Really balanced scoring - Nora with 15, Will with 10, Kiley with 8, Morgan with 8. Moved the ball really well, got a lot of stops in the 1-3-1, and it was nice to have Nora back - she provided a major spark!
9th grade also won 57-42, and the energy was much improved and palpable. Amber, Bri, And Tori each had 10 in the W, and Paige was picking pockets until the end of the game. Gotta love the competitiveness!
The video didn't upload right away, so stats will be forthcoming, but unofficially scoring for the wildcats were Swanson with 26, Zimmer with 10, Salzer with 13, Stier with 9, Olson with 5, Meath with 2, and Honnold with 2.
With the loss, we lost an opportunity to earn part of the conference title for the year, which is disappointing, and was one of our goals. However, we still need to go and beat New Prague, this Friday on Senior Night, to tell ourselves the right story about competing heading into the playoffs in what many are calling the, top-to-bottom, toughest section in MN girls basketball. There are no bad teams in our section, and many have beaten each other at least once, so it'll be a battle.
The JV wildcats dominated Hutch's JV 56-26. Really balanced scoring - Nora with 15, Will with 10, Kiley with 8, Morgan with 8. Moved the ball really well, got a lot of stops in the 1-3-1, and it was nice to have Nora back - she provided a major spark!
9th grade also won 57-42, and the energy was much improved and palpable. Amber, Bri, And Tori each had 10 in the W, and Paige was picking pockets until the end of the game. Gotta love the competitiveness!
Wildcats welcome parents and youth, beat delano, and sign autographs!
On a parents night / youth night double whammy combo, the Wildcats earned a victory over Delano, 64-35. While we didn't shoot the ball extremely well, we played solid defense, put together a couple of good runs, and got the win down a starter to sickness. When people on the team are down, others have to pick them up, and that's what we were able to do through strong, balanced performances.
Other stats: Forthcoming, as they are being tabulated by Hudl.
Scoring: Swanson lead with 17, rebounding the ball well and pushing the pace, finishing in traffic, in a great performance as starter. Natalie Meath and Addy Salzer both had 9, hitting some big jumpers and scoring in traffic; Jayda Lenz had 8, hitting a couple of big 3's; Dani Dykstra had 7, being very physical, sealing expertly, and showing her outside shooting touch; Ava Stier and Sydney Olson both had 5, Allie Zimmer had 4, and Mel Honnold had 2.
Next week is the last week of the regular season, but is also huge for both conference and seeding purposes - we play Hutch at Hutch, in a game they will be very hungry to win, after how we beat them last time, and that game bears section seeding implications as well as conference implications. If we win, we will then have to beat New Prague on senior night to earn a share in the conference title, as they are currently undefeated, and we have one loss.
JV showed a dominant performance, especially on defense, to win 59-21. Kiley Sizzle Sazama had 19, Hallie Roitenberg had 12, and JoJo Machacek was spectacular both passing out of the post with her signature "finger roll" no-looks, some fast break finishes, and was also dominant at the top of the 1-3-1. A great team win!
9th grade lost 23-30. Amber Brueggemeier had 15, but we couldn't overcome many missed layups, missed shots, and a bit of stagnation on offense.
Everyone on the team MUST HYDRATE, REST, AND DRINK OJ THIS WEEKEND! The sickness is going around again, and people need to avoid germs going into the last week of the season!
Other stats: Forthcoming, as they are being tabulated by Hudl.
Scoring: Swanson lead with 17, rebounding the ball well and pushing the pace, finishing in traffic, in a great performance as starter. Natalie Meath and Addy Salzer both had 9, hitting some big jumpers and scoring in traffic; Jayda Lenz had 8, hitting a couple of big 3's; Dani Dykstra had 7, being very physical, sealing expertly, and showing her outside shooting touch; Ava Stier and Sydney Olson both had 5, Allie Zimmer had 4, and Mel Honnold had 2.
Next week is the last week of the regular season, but is also huge for both conference and seeding purposes - we play Hutch at Hutch, in a game they will be very hungry to win, after how we beat them last time, and that game bears section seeding implications as well as conference implications. If we win, we will then have to beat New Prague on senior night to earn a share in the conference title, as they are currently undefeated, and we have one loss.
JV showed a dominant performance, especially on defense, to win 59-21. Kiley Sizzle Sazama had 19, Hallie Roitenberg had 12, and JoJo Machacek was spectacular both passing out of the post with her signature "finger roll" no-looks, some fast break finishes, and was also dominant at the top of the 1-3-1. A great team win!
9th grade lost 23-30. Amber Brueggemeier had 15, but we couldn't overcome many missed layups, missed shots, and a bit of stagnation on offense.
Everyone on the team MUST HYDRATE, REST, AND DRINK OJ THIS WEEKEND! The sickness is going around again, and people need to avoid germs going into the last week of the season!
Wildcats lose a heartbreaker to undefeated marshall
Well, the game was ours to win. Up 7 with 4 minutes to go, up 5 with 1:21 left, everything that could've gone wrong went wront; 0-4 FT down the stretch; 2 unforced turnovers; and a missed layup that led to a layup for them. Hindsight is 20-20, and now I, as a coach, have lost a game both ways - going for the layup vs. clocking it in that situation. It's one of the eternal debates among coaches, but in hindsight I'd have clocked it. In the moment, scoring like they were, and with us having a layup to go up 3, I wasn't against it - we beat Mounds View that way this Christmas. In the future, we will see depending on the situation. But, to even be in that situation, we played a heck of a game.
Down 14 through the beginning of the first half, we clawed back to within 5 by halftime by buckling down, getting stops, and staying vigilant / together. we had a bit of foul trouble, but so did they. A couple of 3's by Olson and Stier got the ball rolling, and a couple of fast break scores helped as well.
In the 2nd half, it was a touch and go affair - we finally tied the game at 58 and at 61 with about 7 minutes to go, and over the next 3 minutes got stops, hit some difficult shots, and built up a 7 point lead. Salzer had some nice touch around the hoop, got a steal, Stier was able to get some touches down low due to sealing and good entry passes from her teammates, and Honnold hit a big 3 and jumper in the lane back to back in a series that got us that lead. Marshall scored to get it to 5, and it was relatively back and forth at 5 points until around the 1:20 mark, as mentioned in paragraph 1.
While it is disappointing we didn't hand them their first loss, it doesn't change the goal that we should have as a team. We can beat Marshall, but we've got to put ourselves in the position to get there, and we have a very tough section this year. In the words of the Marshall coach (paraphrased) almost anyone in our section is good enough to beat anyone else, and I think that that's largely true, so we need to really focus these last two weeks on becoming the most disiplined team that we can be on the defensive end, TAKE CARE OF THE BALL on offense and against press breaks, as every possession clearly mattered in that game, and unite - each an every member of the team must buy into what we're trying to do.
Stats: Scoring: Stier 20, Swanson 12, Salzer 12, Olson 10, Johnson 9, Honnold 5, Meath 4, Lenz 3; Rebounding: Stier 10, Swanson 5, Salzer and Meath 3, Zimmer Lenz Johnson 2, Honnold Dykstra Olson 1; Assists: Johnson and Salzer 5; Honnold 3; Zimmer 2; Lenz, Olson, Stier 1; Swanson 3, and 6 players with 1.
JV lost a tough one as well - they were only down 2 at points in the second half, but turnovers against the press cost them, and they went down 54-38. Kiley Sazama lead with 11 on 3 3's, and Will had 9. This was the toughest press that team has seen all year, and it was ok for a while, but we've got to not panic and handle it!
9th also lost - 43-39 - it was a tough one, as we didn't take care of the ball in the end. It was very competitive early, and we had numerous shots to take advantage of the press on fastbreaks that we didn't convert at the hightest rate, unfortunately. Amber had 13, Tori had some big shots with 12.
Down 14 through the beginning of the first half, we clawed back to within 5 by halftime by buckling down, getting stops, and staying vigilant / together. we had a bit of foul trouble, but so did they. A couple of 3's by Olson and Stier got the ball rolling, and a couple of fast break scores helped as well.
In the 2nd half, it was a touch and go affair - we finally tied the game at 58 and at 61 with about 7 minutes to go, and over the next 3 minutes got stops, hit some difficult shots, and built up a 7 point lead. Salzer had some nice touch around the hoop, got a steal, Stier was able to get some touches down low due to sealing and good entry passes from her teammates, and Honnold hit a big 3 and jumper in the lane back to back in a series that got us that lead. Marshall scored to get it to 5, and it was relatively back and forth at 5 points until around the 1:20 mark, as mentioned in paragraph 1.
While it is disappointing we didn't hand them their first loss, it doesn't change the goal that we should have as a team. We can beat Marshall, but we've got to put ourselves in the position to get there, and we have a very tough section this year. In the words of the Marshall coach (paraphrased) almost anyone in our section is good enough to beat anyone else, and I think that that's largely true, so we need to really focus these last two weeks on becoming the most disiplined team that we can be on the defensive end, TAKE CARE OF THE BALL on offense and against press breaks, as every possession clearly mattered in that game, and unite - each an every member of the team must buy into what we're trying to do.
Stats: Scoring: Stier 20, Swanson 12, Salzer 12, Olson 10, Johnson 9, Honnold 5, Meath 4, Lenz 3; Rebounding: Stier 10, Swanson 5, Salzer and Meath 3, Zimmer Lenz Johnson 2, Honnold Dykstra Olson 1; Assists: Johnson and Salzer 5; Honnold 3; Zimmer 2; Lenz, Olson, Stier 1; Swanson 3, and 6 players with 1.
JV lost a tough one as well - they were only down 2 at points in the second half, but turnovers against the press cost them, and they went down 54-38. Kiley Sazama lead with 11 on 3 3's, and Will had 9. This was the toughest press that team has seen all year, and it was ok for a while, but we've got to not panic and handle it!
9th also lost - 43-39 - it was a tough one, as we didn't take care of the ball in the end. It was very competitive early, and we had numerous shots to take advantage of the press on fastbreaks that we didn't convert at the hightest rate, unfortunately. Amber had 13, Tori had some big shots with 12.
Varsity and JV both win at Orono
The Waconia Wildcats won both the JV and Varsity games at Orono this Friday night. The JV won theirs in a GREAT showing of team basketball, 53-42, over a team that handed them a loss the last time we met, so it was a great show of progress! Really balanced scoring led by Kiley Sazama with 13, Lauren Hansen and Nora Bailey with 8 each, and Hallie Roitenberg with 7. Jojo Machacek and Grace Seim dominated the boards on both ends! Sammy Bruggemeier, Hansen, Seim, Jojo, and Lydia gave a huge spark off the bench in the 2nd half by pushing the pace, and this was a truly solid win for the JV. Huzzah!
The varsity got off to a great start, up 22-4, by dominating the boards, running the floor, and playing solid, communicative defense. We pushed the ball well, and guards really did a great job rewarding our bigs for running the floor all game, getting them the ball in a position to score and attack in transition. When we did miss, we cleaned up the offensive boards and finished well in traffic. We didn't hit a 3 in the first half because we were attacking the hoop aggressively, and looking for each other in transition, and really emphasized looking for each other, which is what makes us great when we do it! We can be dangerous when we keep looking for each other!
Stats - not sure! Being tabulated. However, Scoring-wise, Audrey Swanson scored 24, much of them scored in transition and off of offensive rebounds - a tenacious performance. Ava Stier was equally persistent on the boards and inside, scoring 19. Natalie Meath got us going early, hitting shots from various locations, netting 8. Sydney Olson made a living on the inside today (still hit a 3 though!), scoring 7; Addy Salzer created well for others, pushed the pace well, and also scored 6; Dani Dykstra and Tess Johnson both had 5, both rebounding and creating for others; Co-captain Hailey Williams stepped up for us and hit a big 3, and played solid defense, as per usual; and Morgan Meyer got her first varsity points of the year, hitting a 3 right when we needed a spark in the last 4 minutes of regulation to build to our lead.
A word about Hailey Williams - she is a consummate teammate; she's competitive, she calls out matchups for the people on the floor, she knows the scouting reports, points out defenses, and is one of the smartest basketball minds that we have on the team (as well as the best charge-taker). We, as a coaching staff, appreciate what she's done for us, how tough she is, and how much she's put into our program over the years. I wanted to take this time, before the end of the regular season, to recognize her, because she does so much for us no matter what the situation. She is awesome, and that's all there is to it.
Tomorrow is now the biggest game of the year - a huge section matchup with undefeated Marshall. We're going into the Tiger's den, so to speak, and in a new section, this will be a great gauge of where we are at this point in the season. In talking with our team, we have to get pumped up for this one, but more importantly, we need to come together to show the focus, intensity and determination to play on the big stage. We still haven't shown our best basketball - today's first half may be a preview of what we can be - but we haven't put it all together for two consecutive halves all year, but after the game tonight, I said that THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO TOMORROW! If we can put together two complete halves, communicate on d, disrupt their myriad offenses, handle their press, and be as physical as possible WITHOUT FOULING, we can compete with the best. Let's go get it.
The varsity got off to a great start, up 22-4, by dominating the boards, running the floor, and playing solid, communicative defense. We pushed the ball well, and guards really did a great job rewarding our bigs for running the floor all game, getting them the ball in a position to score and attack in transition. When we did miss, we cleaned up the offensive boards and finished well in traffic. We didn't hit a 3 in the first half because we were attacking the hoop aggressively, and looking for each other in transition, and really emphasized looking for each other, which is what makes us great when we do it! We can be dangerous when we keep looking for each other!
Stats - not sure! Being tabulated. However, Scoring-wise, Audrey Swanson scored 24, much of them scored in transition and off of offensive rebounds - a tenacious performance. Ava Stier was equally persistent on the boards and inside, scoring 19. Natalie Meath got us going early, hitting shots from various locations, netting 8. Sydney Olson made a living on the inside today (still hit a 3 though!), scoring 7; Addy Salzer created well for others, pushed the pace well, and also scored 6; Dani Dykstra and Tess Johnson both had 5, both rebounding and creating for others; Co-captain Hailey Williams stepped up for us and hit a big 3, and played solid defense, as per usual; and Morgan Meyer got her first varsity points of the year, hitting a 3 right when we needed a spark in the last 4 minutes of regulation to build to our lead.
A word about Hailey Williams - she is a consummate teammate; she's competitive, she calls out matchups for the people on the floor, she knows the scouting reports, points out defenses, and is one of the smartest basketball minds that we have on the team (as well as the best charge-taker). We, as a coaching staff, appreciate what she's done for us, how tough she is, and how much she's put into our program over the years. I wanted to take this time, before the end of the regular season, to recognize her, because she does so much for us no matter what the situation. She is awesome, and that's all there is to it.
Tomorrow is now the biggest game of the year - a huge section matchup with undefeated Marshall. We're going into the Tiger's den, so to speak, and in a new section, this will be a great gauge of where we are at this point in the season. In talking with our team, we have to get pumped up for this one, but more importantly, we need to come together to show the focus, intensity and determination to play on the big stage. We still haven't shown our best basketball - today's first half may be a preview of what we can be - but we haven't put it all together for two consecutive halves all year, but after the game tonight, I said that THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO TOMORROW! If we can put together two complete halves, communicate on d, disrupt their myriad offenses, handle their press, and be as physical as possible WITHOUT FOULING, we can compete with the best. Let's go get it.
Wildcats get big section win vs. Worthington
Worthington made the long drive to Waconia for a big section matchup, but the Wildcats came out with the win, 79-65. We once again had a fairly solid first half, especially scoring the ball, but lacked the defensive discipline at times to really put away a Worthington squad of good shooters. When we have discipline, keep our girl in front of us, and don't "whiff" on passing lanes, we can be very solid defensively! We just have to pick our spots better, gamble a little less, and trust our teammates to pick us up when we fall! We have yet to put together two really focused and good halves of basketball, but time is running short! So, we've got to redouble our efforts in practice, get after each other, and protect the ball at all costs!
Stats are being tabulated as we speak. However, scoring-wise, we had another fairly balanced effort, which is what makes us a good team! When we buy into making the extra pass, looking for each other, and driving under control, we really can get things done, and for almost the whole first half, we were making those plays, and it showed, with us scoring 47! We also talk about giving our teammates the benefit of the doubt, and communicating with them - if someone DOES miss us on a particular play, we assume they are looking for us, communicate where we were on the floor in that particular situation, and give them credit when they do hit us! Telling ourselves the right story at all times is so essential, and creates an environment where teammates know for a fact that others have GOT THEIR BACKS! When we do that, we are excellent.
Scoring: Audrey Swanson had a really scrappy 17, with big ones down the stretch. Ava Stier had 12, Mel Honnold had 11 in another good shooting night; Addy Salzer had 10 (some really big, clutch shots down the stretch helped solidify the win), Tess Johnson had 9, Jayda Lenz and Sydney Olson each had 6, Allie Zimmer and Natalie Meath each had 4 (Sauce hit a really big one down the stretch as well). Rebounding, assists, etc. will follow.
The JV won 58-49 in a very solid showing in the 2nd half. "Good-ish play all around," coach Westphal said, especially closing out on 3-point shooters. The clock-it drill is paying off as well, as we managed the end of the game well. Hallie Roitenberg had 21, Morgan Meyer had 12, and Kiley Sazama had 10.
The 9th grade squadron won 37-26. Myriad steals helped them advance, and Clara "Narn" Smith had 9 points, as did Amber " Slinger Squared" Brueggemeier. It's fun to watch the 9th grade rock the retro unis as well the last couple of games!
Stats are being tabulated as we speak. However, scoring-wise, we had another fairly balanced effort, which is what makes us a good team! When we buy into making the extra pass, looking for each other, and driving under control, we really can get things done, and for almost the whole first half, we were making those plays, and it showed, with us scoring 47! We also talk about giving our teammates the benefit of the doubt, and communicating with them - if someone DOES miss us on a particular play, we assume they are looking for us, communicate where we were on the floor in that particular situation, and give them credit when they do hit us! Telling ourselves the right story at all times is so essential, and creates an environment where teammates know for a fact that others have GOT THEIR BACKS! When we do that, we are excellent.
Scoring: Audrey Swanson had a really scrappy 17, with big ones down the stretch. Ava Stier had 12, Mel Honnold had 11 in another good shooting night; Addy Salzer had 10 (some really big, clutch shots down the stretch helped solidify the win), Tess Johnson had 9, Jayda Lenz and Sydney Olson each had 6, Allie Zimmer and Natalie Meath each had 4 (Sauce hit a really big one down the stretch as well). Rebounding, assists, etc. will follow.
The JV won 58-49 in a very solid showing in the 2nd half. "Good-ish play all around," coach Westphal said, especially closing out on 3-point shooters. The clock-it drill is paying off as well, as we managed the end of the game well. Hallie Roitenberg had 21, Morgan Meyer had 12, and Kiley Sazama had 10.
The 9th grade squadron won 37-26. Myriad steals helped them advance, and Clara "Narn" Smith had 9 points, as did Amber " Slinger Squared" Brueggemeier. It's fun to watch the 9th grade rock the retro unis as well the last couple of games!
Wildcats lose to St. Louis Park
The Wildcats lost to a very tall, physical, and talented St. Louis Park squad in the community clash on Saturday, 58-86. St. Louis park presents a tough challenge that we didn't step up to meet - they are very large and physical in their diamond and 1 press, and we didn't deal with it all that well, turning the ball over too many times. I've got to put our players in better position to deal with that kind of pressure, and we couldn't seem to find the ability to make them pay for pressing - even when we broke it successfully, it took too much energy and we didn't attack the rim like we could've, so that's something we've got to get better at in the next week, as we face a couple of teams that press in both big conference and section matchups. It was a frustrating shooting night as well, and we just couldn't get it going.
Defensively, we struggled to keep our girls in front of us on the somewhat slippery floor out there (our players hit the floor on many occasions trying to stop and zig zag), so I should've had them adjust at an earlier mark, adapting the way we play to contain their penetration. Still, we let them push us around a bit too much, and we've got to be more physical on the defensive end, no matter who we're going against.
As per usual, stats are still being tabulated other than scoring; however, scoring-wise, Tess Johnson lead with 15, Jayda Lenz, Natalie Meath, and Allie Zimmer all had 8, and we had a committee with a combination of 3, 2, and 1 points as well. Shoutout to Kiley Sazama, who hit her first varsity 3 of the year!
JV won their matchup with SLP in a pretty darn solid display of basketball. They drove under control, hit the open player for shots continually, handled the SLP zone and pressure, and played tough defense down the stretch. It was great to see, and this team is really making progress together as they develop team chemistry down the stretch of the season!
B lost to a combination of Chaska teams, but hung on down the stretch, competing all game long. We missed Nora's physicality in this one, so we're excited to see her back again soon. We had lots of open shots and free throws, but couldn't connect on as many as we needed to to get it done down the stretch. Morgan Meyer dominated the action with 23.
9th grade competed very well against a solid Becker team, holding the lead until the final stretch, but eventually succombed to their pressure, partially due to foul trouble. I'll update with stats once coach D is done traveling!
Defensively, we struggled to keep our girls in front of us on the somewhat slippery floor out there (our players hit the floor on many occasions trying to stop and zig zag), so I should've had them adjust at an earlier mark, adapting the way we play to contain their penetration. Still, we let them push us around a bit too much, and we've got to be more physical on the defensive end, no matter who we're going against.
As per usual, stats are still being tabulated other than scoring; however, scoring-wise, Tess Johnson lead with 15, Jayda Lenz, Natalie Meath, and Allie Zimmer all had 8, and we had a committee with a combination of 3, 2, and 1 points as well. Shoutout to Kiley Sazama, who hit her first varsity 3 of the year!
JV won their matchup with SLP in a pretty darn solid display of basketball. They drove under control, hit the open player for shots continually, handled the SLP zone and pressure, and played tough defense down the stretch. It was great to see, and this team is really making progress together as they develop team chemistry down the stretch of the season!
B lost to a combination of Chaska teams, but hung on down the stretch, competing all game long. We missed Nora's physicality in this one, so we're excited to see her back again soon. We had lots of open shots and free throws, but couldn't connect on as many as we needed to to get it done down the stretch. Morgan Meyer dominated the action with 23.
9th grade competed very well against a solid Becker team, holding the lead until the final stretch, but eventually succombed to their pressure, partially due to foul trouble. I'll update with stats once coach D is done traveling!
Wildcats extinguish a hot-shooting fire in 2nd half for big win
Both Holy Family and Waconia shot the ball exceptionally well in the first half, but due to better communication, closeouts, and discipline on defense, the Wildcats had a better half in the second and beat the rival Fire, who has been playing very well as of late, 77-63.
As per usual, the game was won by committee. We talk about it all the time, but it always deserves reiteration - teams that can go inside out, swing the ball, and play for each other, instead of for individual stats, are truly dangerous, and when we do it well, we are really good. Even though we have room to improve, and are getting better, we still have a ceiling we haven't reached, but if our players remain unselfish and know that it'll take every single one of them to achieve their goal of becoming a great team, we can achieve our goals.
In the first half, a slow start on defense hindered us; we didn't communicate or switch the handoff offense the way that we should've, and the Fire made us pay by jumping out to an early lead. However, once we started to play good team defense, we were able to right the ship. Tess Johnson had a couple of nice steals for layups that helped shift momentum, and then, hitting 3's also helped, as we hit 8 in the first half! Mel Honnold hit 4 herself, Sydney Olson hit 3, and Tess Johnson hit 1 as well. At halftime, the coaching staff pointed out that when you hit 3's, it's awesome, and it happens because our posts are a factor, but a team can never rely on hitting 3's to win, because as the old saying goes, you can "live and die by the 3," so we talked about how we have to also get the ball inside - not force it, but look for our posts who were doing a good job sealing. When we go inside out, and guards dig it out from our posts, and they look to kick to guards, then everyone is involved in the offense, and that's what it takes for teams to be great. As long as we keep sharing the ball, knowing how posts create space for guards, and guards and shooters create for posts, we'll have good team chemistry and keep getting better!
Stats for rebounding, steals, assists, etc. are still being tabulated. I do wan to recognize our communication on D is getting better, and it must still continue to be louder; It takes everyone on the team to do this, and it's in the process! Also defensively, I want to point out how well Jayda Lenz closed out on shooters in the second half - she got in their space while sprinting, was under control, and picked one with good clean defense, and it was a difference maker for us. Once we started switching a bit more aggressively, we really got better, and Mel Honnold also had a crazy sequence where she switched, lunged at a shooter without jumping, the shooter pulled it back and then panic-passed it to another girl, Honnold switched onto her, and then we forced them into a rushed shot - that was another great effort that's made possible by two things: individual toughness/focus, and her teammates being in good position! When we focus, we can be great defensively.
Scoring-wise, another good balanced effort with 4 in double figures: Stier with 21, Olson with 14, Honnold with 12, and Johnson with 11. Also scoring were Meath with 6 (and a couple of good finishes in traffic), Swanson with 4, Zimmer with 4 (and a great, under-control pull-up jumper), Lenz with 2, Dykstra with 2, and Salzer with 1.
We are now 13-6, and 5-1 in the conference.
The 9th grade team racked up another huge win, beating the Fire, and a bunch of great teamwork on the defensive end was evident, as they held the Fire to 12 points. Special mention to Paige Wickenhauser, who must have had about 7-8 steals on the game, picking people's pockets like a master thief.
The bus to STMA leaves at 1:50 PM, and all levels are on it. The schedule is a bit crazy, with JV and B playing before the 9th grade, and then the Varsity playing at the Middle School location, but doublecheck the schedules for the event to make sure! Can't wait to see you there!
As per usual, the game was won by committee. We talk about it all the time, but it always deserves reiteration - teams that can go inside out, swing the ball, and play for each other, instead of for individual stats, are truly dangerous, and when we do it well, we are really good. Even though we have room to improve, and are getting better, we still have a ceiling we haven't reached, but if our players remain unselfish and know that it'll take every single one of them to achieve their goal of becoming a great team, we can achieve our goals.
In the first half, a slow start on defense hindered us; we didn't communicate or switch the handoff offense the way that we should've, and the Fire made us pay by jumping out to an early lead. However, once we started to play good team defense, we were able to right the ship. Tess Johnson had a couple of nice steals for layups that helped shift momentum, and then, hitting 3's also helped, as we hit 8 in the first half! Mel Honnold hit 4 herself, Sydney Olson hit 3, and Tess Johnson hit 1 as well. At halftime, the coaching staff pointed out that when you hit 3's, it's awesome, and it happens because our posts are a factor, but a team can never rely on hitting 3's to win, because as the old saying goes, you can "live and die by the 3," so we talked about how we have to also get the ball inside - not force it, but look for our posts who were doing a good job sealing. When we go inside out, and guards dig it out from our posts, and they look to kick to guards, then everyone is involved in the offense, and that's what it takes for teams to be great. As long as we keep sharing the ball, knowing how posts create space for guards, and guards and shooters create for posts, we'll have good team chemistry and keep getting better!
Stats for rebounding, steals, assists, etc. are still being tabulated. I do wan to recognize our communication on D is getting better, and it must still continue to be louder; It takes everyone on the team to do this, and it's in the process! Also defensively, I want to point out how well Jayda Lenz closed out on shooters in the second half - she got in their space while sprinting, was under control, and picked one with good clean defense, and it was a difference maker for us. Once we started switching a bit more aggressively, we really got better, and Mel Honnold also had a crazy sequence where she switched, lunged at a shooter without jumping, the shooter pulled it back and then panic-passed it to another girl, Honnold switched onto her, and then we forced them into a rushed shot - that was another great effort that's made possible by two things: individual toughness/focus, and her teammates being in good position! When we focus, we can be great defensively.
Scoring-wise, another good balanced effort with 4 in double figures: Stier with 21, Olson with 14, Honnold with 12, and Johnson with 11. Also scoring were Meath with 6 (and a couple of good finishes in traffic), Swanson with 4, Zimmer with 4 (and a great, under-control pull-up jumper), Lenz with 2, Dykstra with 2, and Salzer with 1.
We are now 13-6, and 5-1 in the conference.
The 9th grade team racked up another huge win, beating the Fire, and a bunch of great teamwork on the defensive end was evident, as they held the Fire to 12 points. Special mention to Paige Wickenhauser, who must have had about 7-8 steals on the game, picking people's pockets like a master thief.
The bus to STMA leaves at 1:50 PM, and all levels are on it. The schedule is a bit crazy, with JV and B playing before the 9th grade, and then the Varsity playing at the Middle School location, but doublecheck the schedules for the event to make sure! Can't wait to see you there!
Wildcats lose to a tough New prague team
The Wildcats varsity got outplayed in New Prague, a tough, physical team, losing 56-75. We struggled with foul trouble all night, and didn't rebound well enough to run the floor effectively. More importantly, we weren't tough with the ball - for example: down 9 to start the second half, we had 5-6 opportunities at layups within our offense and running the floor, and we turned it over, lost the ball off of our hands, or missed the layup - if we convert half of those, we're down 3, have momentum, and are back in action! However, we missed all 6, and let it get us down. We weren't prepared to handle New Prague's toughness tonight, and it showed up on the defensive end, where we let them drive and kick for 3's, which they shot very well. When we closed out at full speed, they missed them, but we didn't do that with enough frequency to alter enough shots.
So, my job is to better prepare us to face them the second time around, and I'm resolved to do so. We will now have to pick it up to chase them for conference positioning! If we decide to get after it with the hunger of a truly competitive team, like I know that we can, we can still put ourselves in good position down the stretch of the second half of the conference season, which starts Friday night at home vs a Holy Family team that's playing others well as of late.
A couple of stats are significant here - Addy Salzer had 10 rebounds, which is huge for us, especially when our posts were in foul trouble; Natalie "Sauce" Meath earned 5 rebounds against Russo (she's really tough), and stier chipped in 4. Assists were down, as we didn't move the ball that well in this game; leaders were Honnold and Lenz with 2 each. Steals were Johnson with 4, Zimmer with 3, and Honnold and Swanson each had 2.
Scoring-wise, despite foul trouble and missed shots, we will had contributions from many: Allie Zimmer lead with 10, both Addy Salzer and Tess Johnson had 9, Ava Stier and Mel Honnold had 8, Natalie Meath had 5, Audrey Swanson had 4, Hallie Roitenberg had 3.
The JV lost in similar fashion to the varsity - they had many open and good looks, but shots refused to fall. They battled fairly well in the second half against a good and physical New Prague JV team, but ultimately fell short.
B won a tough battle 43-37. it seemed as if no fouls were called, but we remained tough and competed throughout. Morgan Meyer (16) and Lauren Hansen (15) lead us in scoring, and everyone got in the book.
Finally, 9th grade lost 41-48 - they missed a lot of free throws and had a lot of good looks that fell last week, but not on Tuesday. We fought hard defensively at the end of the game, and were in position to make a run - we just couldn't get the big momentum shots to fall.
So, my job is to better prepare us to face them the second time around, and I'm resolved to do so. We will now have to pick it up to chase them for conference positioning! If we decide to get after it with the hunger of a truly competitive team, like I know that we can, we can still put ourselves in good position down the stretch of the second half of the conference season, which starts Friday night at home vs a Holy Family team that's playing others well as of late.
A couple of stats are significant here - Addy Salzer had 10 rebounds, which is huge for us, especially when our posts were in foul trouble; Natalie "Sauce" Meath earned 5 rebounds against Russo (she's really tough), and stier chipped in 4. Assists were down, as we didn't move the ball that well in this game; leaders were Honnold and Lenz with 2 each. Steals were Johnson with 4, Zimmer with 3, and Honnold and Swanson each had 2.
Scoring-wise, despite foul trouble and missed shots, we will had contributions from many: Allie Zimmer lead with 10, both Addy Salzer and Tess Johnson had 9, Ava Stier and Mel Honnold had 8, Natalie Meath had 5, Audrey Swanson had 4, Hallie Roitenberg had 3.
The JV lost in similar fashion to the varsity - they had many open and good looks, but shots refused to fall. They battled fairly well in the second half against a good and physical New Prague JV team, but ultimately fell short.
B won a tough battle 43-37. it seemed as if no fouls were called, but we remained tough and competed throughout. Morgan Meyer (16) and Lauren Hansen (15) lead us in scoring, and everyone got in the book.
Finally, 9th grade lost 41-48 - they missed a lot of free throws and had a lot of good looks that fell last week, but not on Tuesday. We fought hard defensively at the end of the game, and were in position to make a run - we just couldn't get the big momentum shots to fall.
Varsity completes the sweep of the Hutch Tigers in a very.......exciting game!!??!??!!
Well, that was a lot more exciting than we needed it to be! But! The Wildcats showed their resilience down the stretch after losing the lead to a tenacious Hutch team. We talked before about how no lead is safe against Hutch, and that proved to be true. We were up 10-12 much of the 2nd half, but didn't handle the pressure of Hutch like we needed to - we couldn't turn the corner consistently against their pressure, and threw the ball away too many times. However, we didn't melt down when we could've after losing significant momentum the way we did; instead, we dug in, and our whole team was a part of that; however, Tess Johnson showed why experience, moxie, and trusting oneself is key, because she trusted herself to make plays down the stretch. She had a turnover that turned into Hutch being up four, but then came down and hit a 3; out of a timeout, she got a steal on their ballhandler and got fouled on a layup to tie the game. We got a stop and huge rebound, worked some offense, and she got fouled shooting a 3, making all 3 free Throws to go up 3! And then, on the ensuing possession, got a rebound, got fouled, and made the next two free throws to go up 5, and that was the ballgame. That is CLUTCH free throw shooting, and it took all of us to get her there, and she stepped up like so many have on this team before and made plays.
It was so very crucial to re-focus on defense after giving up the lead, largely through backdoor cuts and throwing the ball away, and it was incredibly significant to get 4 straight stops down the stretch when it counted the most. Without Dani Dykstra tonight to battle against Hutch's twin towers, our posts Meath, Stier, and Swanson really stepped up and played a great defensive game.
We will definitely have to iron out the kinks, so to speak, for the next intense game at Hutch, to be able to effectively attack their pressure, but that's what the video room is all about!
Scoring for the Wildcats tonight were Tess Johnson with 16, Audrey Swanson with 14, Addy Salzer with 10, Ava Stier with 8, Natalie Meath with 7, Jayda Lenz with 6, Sydni Olson with 6, and Allie Zimmer with 4. Again, we had a girl out, a couple of players really battled foul trouble, and we missed some easy ones, but 8 people scoring significant points is a huge deal for our team, and this game is yet another that demonstrated that we need each and every one of our players to play together, for each other, and intensely at their best to be the best version of our team that we can be.
Other stats are forthcoming as soon as the Hudl video comes in!
The Wildcats move to 12-5 on the year, 4-0 in the conference, and must now take on thealways tough AAAA New Prague Trojans, who are also 12-5 and 4-0 in the conference! HUGE GAME ON TUESDAY AT NEW PRAGUE!
The JV emerged victorious as well, really dominating the 2nd half after resolving to sprint the floor in transition, and beat Hutch 46-21. Scoring was pretty darn even, with no players in double figures, but Hallie Roitenberg hit 3 3's to open the 2nd half and finished with 9. This was a great win for the JV, which continues to demonstrate excellent teamwork, cameraderie, and balance.
The 9th grade also took care of business in what can, quite frankly, be called the best shooting display I've seen of a 9th grade team, maybe ever. They hit 10 3's in the game (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!), and I guess I shouldn't be surprised, because in some shooting drills they've been pushing and sometimes beating the varsity! Excellent! Amber Brueggemeier had 19 for the Wildcats, and Bri Talton had 18, and I believe that at least 15 of those were on 3's! Holy Moly!
It was so very crucial to re-focus on defense after giving up the lead, largely through backdoor cuts and throwing the ball away, and it was incredibly significant to get 4 straight stops down the stretch when it counted the most. Without Dani Dykstra tonight to battle against Hutch's twin towers, our posts Meath, Stier, and Swanson really stepped up and played a great defensive game.
We will definitely have to iron out the kinks, so to speak, for the next intense game at Hutch, to be able to effectively attack their pressure, but that's what the video room is all about!
Scoring for the Wildcats tonight were Tess Johnson with 16, Audrey Swanson with 14, Addy Salzer with 10, Ava Stier with 8, Natalie Meath with 7, Jayda Lenz with 6, Sydni Olson with 6, and Allie Zimmer with 4. Again, we had a girl out, a couple of players really battled foul trouble, and we missed some easy ones, but 8 people scoring significant points is a huge deal for our team, and this game is yet another that demonstrated that we need each and every one of our players to play together, for each other, and intensely at their best to be the best version of our team that we can be.
Other stats are forthcoming as soon as the Hudl video comes in!
The Wildcats move to 12-5 on the year, 4-0 in the conference, and must now take on thealways tough AAAA New Prague Trojans, who are also 12-5 and 4-0 in the conference! HUGE GAME ON TUESDAY AT NEW PRAGUE!
The JV emerged victorious as well, really dominating the 2nd half after resolving to sprint the floor in transition, and beat Hutch 46-21. Scoring was pretty darn even, with no players in double figures, but Hallie Roitenberg hit 3 3's to open the 2nd half and finished with 9. This was a great win for the JV, which continues to demonstrate excellent teamwork, cameraderie, and balance.
The 9th grade also took care of business in what can, quite frankly, be called the best shooting display I've seen of a 9th grade team, maybe ever. They hit 10 3's in the game (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!), and I guess I shouldn't be surprised, because in some shooting drills they've been pushing and sometimes beating the varsity! Excellent! Amber Brueggemeier had 19 for the Wildcats, and Bri Talton had 18, and I believe that at least 15 of those were on 3's! Holy Moly!
Waconia Beats New Ulm
Our Wildcats journeyed to a, quite frankly, really nice-looking new school in New Ulm to take on a section opponent for the first time in this new year, and emerged victorious, winning 90-69. As has been the case, once we got going defensively, we really took off in the first half. We played what must have been our best defensive half of the year so far in the first half, getting pressure on the ball, getting in lanes, using active hands, and getting on the floor after loose basketballs, which lead to myriad fast break opportunities. We were up 58-27 at the half, scoring in multiple ways - layups, posts ups, offensive rebounds, and 3's were hit, as we ran the floor and shared the ball. It was a joy to watch! The second half slowed down a bit, and many, many, many fouls were called as we struggle to play good defense when we don't really get after it, which is a good problem to have, I suppose - if we're going to be good at something, it's better to be good at playing defense intensely! We had 20 offensive rebounds as a team, 21 assists, and 11 steals (10 in first half, when we were playing more intense d).
Scoring-wise, another even performance! Ava Stier had 21 (20 in the first half!), Audrey Swanson, Sydni Olson, and Addy Salzer all had 11, Mel Honnold, Tess Johnson, and Dani Dykstra all had 7, Allie Zimmer had 5, Sami "Slinger" Brueggemeier and Halley Roitenberg had 4, and Jayda Lenz had 2
Rebounding was also pretty even - Stier 8, Swanson and Dykstra 7, Meath 4, and a whole bunch with 1-3;
Zimmer lead with 8 assists and only 1 turnover (!), Honnold had 4, Lenz 3, and many more with 1-2. Johnson had 3 steals, Swanson and Honnold each had 2 as well.
We are now 11-5 on the year.
JV had a solid performance against New Ulm as well, getting out and running the floor well, shooting well, and playing stifling defense. Lots of assists were had by all. Kiley Sazama and Morgan Meyer each had 14 points, and JoJo Machacek shot very well from the field with 10! It was great seeing our JV play the way that they did, and they had a good time competing at a high level with each other.
9th had to separate from the rest, as New Ulm doesn't have a 9th grade team, so they took on a "B" level squad from Mayer Lutheran, unfortunately falling short 39-51. Not a lot of energy was expended according to Coach D, and foul trouble took its toll as well. Look, let's get it straight - these kids need school! Ha! I'll bet they love to hear it, but it's really tough to play at a high level on an off-day of school - there's just something different about it!
Finally - our team decided to add a new addition: Carl, the Fish, resides in the coaches' office in the team locker room, and really enjoys hanging with the squad. I'm sure that he'll make many appearances on social media in the near future!
Scoring-wise, another even performance! Ava Stier had 21 (20 in the first half!), Audrey Swanson, Sydni Olson, and Addy Salzer all had 11, Mel Honnold, Tess Johnson, and Dani Dykstra all had 7, Allie Zimmer had 5, Sami "Slinger" Brueggemeier and Halley Roitenberg had 4, and Jayda Lenz had 2
Rebounding was also pretty even - Stier 8, Swanson and Dykstra 7, Meath 4, and a whole bunch with 1-3;
Zimmer lead with 8 assists and only 1 turnover (!), Honnold had 4, Lenz 3, and many more with 1-2. Johnson had 3 steals, Swanson and Honnold each had 2 as well.
We are now 11-5 on the year.
JV had a solid performance against New Ulm as well, getting out and running the floor well, shooting well, and playing stifling defense. Lots of assists were had by all. Kiley Sazama and Morgan Meyer each had 14 points, and JoJo Machacek shot very well from the field with 10! It was great seeing our JV play the way that they did, and they had a good time competing at a high level with each other.
9th had to separate from the rest, as New Ulm doesn't have a 9th grade team, so they took on a "B" level squad from Mayer Lutheran, unfortunately falling short 39-51. Not a lot of energy was expended according to Coach D, and foul trouble took its toll as well. Look, let's get it straight - these kids need school! Ha! I'll bet they love to hear it, but it's really tough to play at a high level on an off-day of school - there's just something different about it!
Finally - our team decided to add a new addition: Carl, the Fish, resides in the coaches' office in the team locker room, and really enjoys hanging with the squad. I'm sure that he'll make many appearances on social media in the near future!
Wildcats Sweep Delano
The Wildcats traveled to Delano, pre-SNOWPOCALYPSE, and emerged victorious with a 65-38 win for Varsity (stats and story forthcoming after video), JV winning 51-24, and 9th winning 16-36.
Varsity - In the first half, two things kept Delano in the game: Defensive focus, and poor shooting for our Wildcats. We, for the game, shot 34% from 0-5 feet - we had great shots in there, but just went up soft, expecting fouls that didn't come, and we missed so many of them! We only shot 28% for the game, so the difference was clearly defensive focus and intensity. When we dialed in, we held Delano to 8 points in the second half - that is the defense that we are capable of playing! No matter what happens in a game offensively, we have got to play stifling defense like that.
Stat-wise, we had another evenly-distributed contribution in multiple categories, so by individuals:
Addy Salzer had 17 points, 7 boards, 3 assists, 3 steals, and a block, in a very competitive poerformance; Tess Johnson had 13 points, 5 boards, 7 assists and 7 steals in a stat-stuffer; Audrey Swanson had 10 points, 4 boards, and 6 steals; Other rebounding leaders were Allie Zimmer with 7, Natalie Meath with 6, and many more with 3+. We also had quite a few with 2+ steals, so that's another big deal for our defense! The Wildcats are now 10-5.
JV - Sammy "Slinger" Brueggemeier, despite playing with a jersey foreign to her (mental toughness!), was a spark for the Wildcats getting 12 points, and picking up her team in the 1st half especially. The Wildcats played great team basketball on both ends. Kiley had 13, and Nora had 8.
9th put forth a dominant perfmance, and improved their overall record to 6-2. Bella had a huge effort in the second half, rebounding and playing great defense, and solid team ball was again achieved for these scrappy players.
9th is traveling to Mayer Lutheran on Monday for a game at 6:00 - the bus is at 5:10; JV and Varsity are heading to New Ulm for a big section game - bus is at 4:20, with a shootaround at 3.
Lastly - PEOPLE ARE SICK! We've got to get healthy y'all - wash your hands! REST! If it's a snowstorm, stay home, sleep, watch Star Wars, and get ready for Monday!
Wildcats "Weather" the Storm (Pun run +1)
The Wildcats took on neighboring Chanhassen, and emerged victorious with a 92-75 win. It got a bit sloppy in the second half, due to an overabundance of fouls, and a game that slowed down quite a bit because of them, but the result was satisfactory against another AAAA school. Some team stats of note: we had 19 offensive rebounds, 26 assists for the game, and 11 steals. We did end up committing 21 fouls (!!!), so we've got to clean that up. While we struggled from 3 this game, we made up for it by dominating the paint, namely the trio of Ava Stier (23 points, 13 rebs, 3 steals), Audrey Swanson (17 points, 6 rebounds) and Dani Dykstra (10 points, 4 rebounds). Their operating down low lead to jumpers for Natalie Meath (10 points, 8 rebounds) and Addy Salzer (9 points on 4 of 4 from the field). Also chipping in in another balanced scoring affair were Allie Zimmer with 2 and 6 assists, Jayda Lenze with 2 and 4 assists, Tess Johnson with 8 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks, Mel Honnold with 11 points, 2 boards and a steal. Again, to have 5 players in double figures, a nice spread of rebounders, steals from multiple players, and even a couple of blocks mixed in is a testament to our team-first attitude. We keep showing why our depth can be our strength, especially when we've had a starter out the last couple of games. We are now 9-5.
JV lost a tight one, but battled at the end through a scary situation and injury. We ended up losing 50-45, but had shots to tie down the stretch. Hallie had 13, Hailey Williams had 8, and quite honestly, if we play with the same intensity and urgency we did in those last 4 minutes all game, we'll be in great shape going forward!
"B" won a hard fought victory, 55-43. Great inside-out play, took care of the ball down the stretch, and a balanced scoring output was great to see. Nora Bailey and Lauren Hansen had 13 each, Morgan Meyer and Grace Seim had 8 each, Grace steffen drained a couple of deep ones for 7, Lydia Brueggemeier had 4, and Nat Whitehead had 2 (though I thought it was a 3 from where I was sitting - robbed!).
9th grade battled for a hard-fought win as well, 44-33. Morgan Stock lead with 12. The 9th grade played stingy defense, pushed the ball for some easy looks early, and battled well down the stretch!
JV lost a tight one, but battled at the end through a scary situation and injury. We ended up losing 50-45, but had shots to tie down the stretch. Hallie had 13, Hailey Williams had 8, and quite honestly, if we play with the same intensity and urgency we did in those last 4 minutes all game, we'll be in great shape going forward!
"B" won a hard fought victory, 55-43. Great inside-out play, took care of the ball down the stretch, and a balanced scoring output was great to see. Nora Bailey and Lauren Hansen had 13 each, Morgan Meyer and Grace Seim had 8 each, Grace steffen drained a couple of deep ones for 7, Lydia Brueggemeier had 4, and Nat Whitehead had 2 (though I thought it was a 3 from where I was sitting - robbed!).
9th grade battled for a hard-fought win as well, 44-33. Morgan Stock lead with 12. The 9th grade played stingy defense, pushed the ball for some easy looks early, and battled well down the stretch!
#8 AAA Wildcats win at Holy Family, against Orono to go to 8-5, and a mid-season update!
Waconia journeyed to Holy Family this week with the 9th grade and Varsity squads to take on rival Holy Family, and both teams emerged victorious, the 9th with a dominant 62-10 showing. In the words of coach Damasin, it was "total domination, everyone got in the book, and plenty of minutes were logged by the whole squadron! Impressive from the 9th squad was their patience on offense - they were consistently reversing the ball, sharing, looking for each other, and that's good basketball!
The Varsity took a little longer to get started against the rival Holy Family, not communicating well on defense and starting with some lackluster on offense, missing many layups, point-blank shots within 4 feet, and not moving the ball especially well at times. Sloppy plays were made at the beginning and end of the half, sparking a couple of and-1 opportunities for Holy Family, and some easy layups. However, we were able to put together a couple of runs to carry into a halftime lead. In the second half, we played with more poise, defensive urgency, and ran the floor better to allow us to separate through the remainder of the game. Were sparked by a number of contributors, which is a strength of this team, as we play at our best when we play for each other - looking for each other on the break, working together as a team on defense, and creating for others on the drive. Sydney Olson sparked an early 2nd half run by hitting a couple of 3's, and ended the game with 9. Audrey Swanson was a huge spark on both the defensive end and offensive end, scoring 18 with 4 boards, 3 steals, and assist and 0 turnovers, shooting 53% from the field. Ava Stier scored 15, 6 boards, and an assist. Others contributed significantly: Tess Johnson with 10 pts., 8 boards, 3 assists and 2 steals; Addy Salzer with 5 points and rebs.; Natalie Meath with 4 pts., 6 boards, and a steal; Dani Dykstra with 4 pts, 7 boards; Allie Zimmer with 1 pt, 5 reb. and 5 assists; Mel Honnold with 2 pts and 5 boards; 3 pts, 4 boards, 4 assists, and 3 steals.
Look at those rebounding numbers - 9 players with 4 or more rebounds! That's spectacular, and a key to our success - we don't have to rely on one or two players to do all of a particular aspect of a game for us - unselfishness is the key to everything that we do- offensively, rebounding, defensively, etc.! Every team has to, at times, "win ugly" and find a way to pull off wins when things aren't ideal, and that's what we were able to do.
On Thursday, it was a mishmash of opponents, as the B faced the JV of Chaska, unfortunately falling due to a combination of foul trouble, cold shooting, and a tough defensive opponent. We played GREAT in the first half on defense, but lost momentum in the 2nd. Lauren "Olga" Hansen had 16 and hit 3 3's, and Morgan Meyer had 8, as did Nora Bailey. This team continues to compete, get good minutes, and is using its time together to work on the skills that they have to to evolve as players, and we're seeing progress!
The JV took on a very talented Orono JV, with quite a few varsity contributors on the roster, and fell 60-39 to a hot-shooting Orono. We, unfortunately, were not hot shooting in the first half, only getting 9 points, despite the myriad open looks at the hoop, both from 3 and at the basket - the lid on the hoop was unrelenting. We scored 30 in the second half, which shows that we could very well compete well with the opposition, so the challenge is to find some consistency with shooting and scoring the ball, especially when it comes to being physical around the basket on offense - strong takes only! Hallie Roitenberg and Kylie Sazema both had 10 in the second half, hitting 2 3's and 2 2's apiece.
Against Orono, the varsity played with a much higher sense of urgency throughout, despite a couple of early miscues on defense against Orono's best player. Once we communicated better on defense, and talked through transition D, we were able to create some separation halfway through the first half, leading at the half 44-32, and finishing with a win at 79-58.
We were 9/26 from 3, scored 18 transition points, and had 27 points off of turnovers compared to Orono's 7. We also crashed the offensive boards, scoring 24 second chance points to Orono's 4, on a spectacular 20 offensive boards.
Mel Honnold was a major spark for the wildcats; She scored 15 points off of 4/7 3's, and was an absolute terror on defense, netting 7 steals and 3 deflections on the game, with 2 boards and 3 assists. Also scoring for the wildcats, in another balanced effort: Swanson with 12, Stier with 10 (and 11 boards - double double!), Olson with 9, Johnson with 8, Zimmer with 8 (100% from the field!), Dykstra with 7, Meath with 5, Roitenberg with 3, and Lenz with 2. That has been, largely, the case throughout this season, and really makes it tough on the opposition, because they can not focus too much on any specific player, because our teammates will pick up the slack!
Rebounding was also a team effort, and leaders were Steir with 11, Dykstra with 6, and Zimmer and Swanson with 4. Our assist numbers were also good, which shows a willingness to share the ball, create for one another, and be team players: Zimmer with 4, Stier and Honnold with 3, Olson Johnson and Lenz with 2, Meath Brueggemeier and Dykstra with 1.
I don't tend to put out a ton of stats so that the opposition can scout our trends, but I will say this, and it's what I've been saying all season long: Our depth, balance, and team chemistry are our strength, and absolutely necessary for becoming the team that we want to be to accomplish our goals. Our team has committed to playing intense basketball, giving maximum effort, and supporting each other no matter what. That is the absolute most important factor going into the second half of the season.
We have players averaging the following for scoring: 10.7, 9.2, 8, 7.9, 7.5, 5.5, 5.2, 4.6, 3.3, , and 3. We've had 8 different players lead us in scoring in a particular game - that is spectacular and a testament to our team, and its willingness to play for each other and celebrate each others' successes. On some teams, that much talent could be a toxic stew leading to selfishness, looking out for only a players' particular stats, but our team is dedicating itself to unselfishness, and continues to work on making each other better, both on and off the ball.
Scoring is only part of the story: Rebounding, we have players averaging 6.7, 4.7, 4.7, 3.4, 3.4, 3.3, 2.5, 2.2, 2.2, and 2.2! Rebounding by committee is a luxury that we need to continue getting after! Assists are also balanced, with 3 players averaging over 2 a game, and 4 averaging over 1. We have 5 players getting at least 1 steal a game, and if we're being honest, we could stand to block more shots, but have had players recently working on their timing and blocking multiple shots / game.
We as a team need to get more efficient in our halfcourt offense, keep working on defensive rotations and communication, and handling the best teams' defensive pressure. As we head into the second half of the season, those are going to be major focuses for us, as those are the types of things that are needed to make playoff runs. We need to focus on our goals, play for each other, play under control when attacking, and shoot the ball more confidently. If we keep working, we can become a very fearsome team. We are currently 8-5, with the 5 losses coming only to top-10 teams in class AAAA - 1. (and national #1 or 2) Hopkins, 3. Wayzata, 5. STMA, 6. Rosemount (recently beat #2 Farmington!), and #7 Chaska. It was tough for our team to compete with such quality opposition so early in the season, but it has made us tougher, and we have to learn to compete with the best to become great. We are currently rated #8 in AAA. We have many tough section games and conference games ahead of us, and to win, we'll have to stay healthy, keep getting more efficient on offense, over-communicating on defense, and coming together as a team, which our players have dedicated themselves to doing.
As we make our run at the second half, we hope to have your positive support for this group of special athletes. They want to be great, and are ready to continue the journey and their evolution as a team. Every season is a journey, and an evolution as teams adjust, get used to each other, and refine their identities. I've told them repeatedly, and I believe this with all of my heart, that it'll take ALL OF THEM, playing their best, at their most focused and competitive, to make the run that they want to make, and Finish what we've started. We don't know what each individual game may bring, who the opposition focuses on, and how the game's inertia with shake out, so they must all stay ready, take shots when they are open, play with a combination of lineups, and push each other to get better every day! Here's to a great 2020!
The Varsity took a little longer to get started against the rival Holy Family, not communicating well on defense and starting with some lackluster on offense, missing many layups, point-blank shots within 4 feet, and not moving the ball especially well at times. Sloppy plays were made at the beginning and end of the half, sparking a couple of and-1 opportunities for Holy Family, and some easy layups. However, we were able to put together a couple of runs to carry into a halftime lead. In the second half, we played with more poise, defensive urgency, and ran the floor better to allow us to separate through the remainder of the game. Were sparked by a number of contributors, which is a strength of this team, as we play at our best when we play for each other - looking for each other on the break, working together as a team on defense, and creating for others on the drive. Sydney Olson sparked an early 2nd half run by hitting a couple of 3's, and ended the game with 9. Audrey Swanson was a huge spark on both the defensive end and offensive end, scoring 18 with 4 boards, 3 steals, and assist and 0 turnovers, shooting 53% from the field. Ava Stier scored 15, 6 boards, and an assist. Others contributed significantly: Tess Johnson with 10 pts., 8 boards, 3 assists and 2 steals; Addy Salzer with 5 points and rebs.; Natalie Meath with 4 pts., 6 boards, and a steal; Dani Dykstra with 4 pts, 7 boards; Allie Zimmer with 1 pt, 5 reb. and 5 assists; Mel Honnold with 2 pts and 5 boards; 3 pts, 4 boards, 4 assists, and 3 steals.
Look at those rebounding numbers - 9 players with 4 or more rebounds! That's spectacular, and a key to our success - we don't have to rely on one or two players to do all of a particular aspect of a game for us - unselfishness is the key to everything that we do- offensively, rebounding, defensively, etc.! Every team has to, at times, "win ugly" and find a way to pull off wins when things aren't ideal, and that's what we were able to do.
On Thursday, it was a mishmash of opponents, as the B faced the JV of Chaska, unfortunately falling due to a combination of foul trouble, cold shooting, and a tough defensive opponent. We played GREAT in the first half on defense, but lost momentum in the 2nd. Lauren "Olga" Hansen had 16 and hit 3 3's, and Morgan Meyer had 8, as did Nora Bailey. This team continues to compete, get good minutes, and is using its time together to work on the skills that they have to to evolve as players, and we're seeing progress!
The JV took on a very talented Orono JV, with quite a few varsity contributors on the roster, and fell 60-39 to a hot-shooting Orono. We, unfortunately, were not hot shooting in the first half, only getting 9 points, despite the myriad open looks at the hoop, both from 3 and at the basket - the lid on the hoop was unrelenting. We scored 30 in the second half, which shows that we could very well compete well with the opposition, so the challenge is to find some consistency with shooting and scoring the ball, especially when it comes to being physical around the basket on offense - strong takes only! Hallie Roitenberg and Kylie Sazema both had 10 in the second half, hitting 2 3's and 2 2's apiece.
Against Orono, the varsity played with a much higher sense of urgency throughout, despite a couple of early miscues on defense against Orono's best player. Once we communicated better on defense, and talked through transition D, we were able to create some separation halfway through the first half, leading at the half 44-32, and finishing with a win at 79-58.
We were 9/26 from 3, scored 18 transition points, and had 27 points off of turnovers compared to Orono's 7. We also crashed the offensive boards, scoring 24 second chance points to Orono's 4, on a spectacular 20 offensive boards.
Mel Honnold was a major spark for the wildcats; She scored 15 points off of 4/7 3's, and was an absolute terror on defense, netting 7 steals and 3 deflections on the game, with 2 boards and 3 assists. Also scoring for the wildcats, in another balanced effort: Swanson with 12, Stier with 10 (and 11 boards - double double!), Olson with 9, Johnson with 8, Zimmer with 8 (100% from the field!), Dykstra with 7, Meath with 5, Roitenberg with 3, and Lenz with 2. That has been, largely, the case throughout this season, and really makes it tough on the opposition, because they can not focus too much on any specific player, because our teammates will pick up the slack!
Rebounding was also a team effort, and leaders were Steir with 11, Dykstra with 6, and Zimmer and Swanson with 4. Our assist numbers were also good, which shows a willingness to share the ball, create for one another, and be team players: Zimmer with 4, Stier and Honnold with 3, Olson Johnson and Lenz with 2, Meath Brueggemeier and Dykstra with 1.
I don't tend to put out a ton of stats so that the opposition can scout our trends, but I will say this, and it's what I've been saying all season long: Our depth, balance, and team chemistry are our strength, and absolutely necessary for becoming the team that we want to be to accomplish our goals. Our team has committed to playing intense basketball, giving maximum effort, and supporting each other no matter what. That is the absolute most important factor going into the second half of the season.
We have players averaging the following for scoring: 10.7, 9.2, 8, 7.9, 7.5, 5.5, 5.2, 4.6, 3.3, , and 3. We've had 8 different players lead us in scoring in a particular game - that is spectacular and a testament to our team, and its willingness to play for each other and celebrate each others' successes. On some teams, that much talent could be a toxic stew leading to selfishness, looking out for only a players' particular stats, but our team is dedicating itself to unselfishness, and continues to work on making each other better, both on and off the ball.
Scoring is only part of the story: Rebounding, we have players averaging 6.7, 4.7, 4.7, 3.4, 3.4, 3.3, 2.5, 2.2, 2.2, and 2.2! Rebounding by committee is a luxury that we need to continue getting after! Assists are also balanced, with 3 players averaging over 2 a game, and 4 averaging over 1. We have 5 players getting at least 1 steal a game, and if we're being honest, we could stand to block more shots, but have had players recently working on their timing and blocking multiple shots / game.
We as a team need to get more efficient in our halfcourt offense, keep working on defensive rotations and communication, and handling the best teams' defensive pressure. As we head into the second half of the season, those are going to be major focuses for us, as those are the types of things that are needed to make playoff runs. We need to focus on our goals, play for each other, play under control when attacking, and shoot the ball more confidently. If we keep working, we can become a very fearsome team. We are currently 8-5, with the 5 losses coming only to top-10 teams in class AAAA - 1. (and national #1 or 2) Hopkins, 3. Wayzata, 5. STMA, 6. Rosemount (recently beat #2 Farmington!), and #7 Chaska. It was tough for our team to compete with such quality opposition so early in the season, but it has made us tougher, and we have to learn to compete with the best to become great. We are currently rated #8 in AAA. We have many tough section games and conference games ahead of us, and to win, we'll have to stay healthy, keep getting more efficient on offense, over-communicating on defense, and coming together as a team, which our players have dedicated themselves to doing.
As we make our run at the second half, we hope to have your positive support for this group of special athletes. They want to be great, and are ready to continue the journey and their evolution as a team. Every season is a journey, and an evolution as teams adjust, get used to each other, and refine their identities. I've told them repeatedly, and I believe this with all of my heart, that it'll take ALL OF THEM, playing their best, at their most focused and competitive, to make the run that they want to make, and Finish what we've started. We don't know what each individual game may bring, who the opposition focuses on, and how the game's inertia with shake out, so they must all stay ready, take shots when they are open, play with a combination of lineups, and push each other to get better every day! Here's to a great 2020!
Wildcats sweep buffalo at home
All 4 teams emerged with victories for a program-wide sweep on Friday vs. Buffalo. 9th grade was an intense game - 34-32 - that came down to the final play. While we missed many, many layups throughout, we toughed it out and made just enough plays to emerge with a victory that involved these final incidents: we got fouled intentionally with the ol' offensive-line-style two-handed push; got trapped at halfcourt up 3 with the clock winding down; fouled a 3-point shot at the buzzer! AAAH! It was dicey, but sometimes the best teams must win ugly, which turned out to be a theme for the night. Bella Hoxie had 8 to lead the Wildcats.
"B" had similar struggles, but won 56-35. Couldn't make layups! AAH! A better second half, coupled with stifling defense, helped secure the win. Lauren "Olga" Hansen had 20 with 4 3's, and Nora "You Knor it!" Bailey had 13.
JV also won ugly, 33-23, with only 9 points on the board after one half of play. Again, weak takes at the basket, missed layups, and tentativeness caused a lackluster first half. After that, just enough plays were made to win down the stretch. Hailey Williams had 9, Hallie Roitenberg had 8, Kiley Sazema and Mackenzie Amundson both had 6.
Varsity - you guessed it! - had to win ugly as well, 69-47. We struggled to make the simple plays throughout the night - we were looking at the right spots, but either throwing passes at 90 mph or 2.75 mph, which caused way too many turnovers throughout most of the first half. However, we made enough shots to get us through with a lead at the half. In the second half, a good run was made by stringing together multiple steals and rebounds and running the floor well to open up some breathing room. We were looking to share the ball with each other, and it showed by having 11 different Wildcats score throughout the game - Mel Honnold lead with 13, hitting a couple 3's, 1 miracle layup and-1 while falling face first on the ground(!!!), and 1 jump-ball layup, which may be the most skillful shot of all - she went 5-6 from the field, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and no turnovers. Tess Johnson had 9, 3 reb., 3 assists, and a steal, Audrey Swanson had 9, 4 reb., a steal and assist, Addy Salzer and Sydney Olson both had 7; Olson with 4 boards and an assist, Salzer with 5 reb., a steal, a block, and 2 assists; Ava Stier had 6, 8 reb., 2 assists and 2 steals; Natalie Meath had 5, 3 reb., 3 assists and 2 blocks; Jayda Lenz and Dani Dykstra had 4, Dykstra adding 3 boards and an assist; Allie Zimmer had 3, and 4 assists, and Hallie Roitenberg had 2.
Normally I don't share all the stats like this, because our team MUST be about more than individual stats. As one may see in looking at the spread of assists, rebounds, and scoring, we must be a TEAM FIRST, not just a collection of talented individuals, to achieve our ultimate goals. We will need everyone on the team working together efficiently, playing with and for each other, trusting each other down the stretch, to make our run. Depth powers our team, sharing the ball powers our team, and as long as we keep trusting each other, sharing the ball, and creating for each other we can keep teams on their toes. If they take away one or two players' tendencies, we have others that are capable of stepping up and helping the team win. We've had 8 different player lead our team in scoring at one point in time in our 11 games, different leading rebounders, assists, etc. This is what makes us a dangerous team!
Check out the visuals below: 9th grade squad hits a big 3, sticks together after a big FT; BIG shoutout not only to the Westphals, but to our pep band - pep bands are what make high school sports sound the way they should, especially in playoff runs and state tournaments, and ours is great! NOT ONLY THAT - they are so good that old graduates want to come and play with them after they're already in college, as you can see in the picture! Really appreciate them coming to our games and supporting our squads.
Wildcats split with Chaska at all levels
In our last game before the holiday break, the Wildcats split with Chaska on all levels. 9th grade lost a heartbreaker 25-27 - had a shot to win it, and many shots throughout, and weren't able to convert, but getting those shots is important! If you're in a position to win, and take the shot, you're going to win games. Bree Talton had 11, and Morgan Stock was a game-altering defender throughout the game.
B won 43-26 - in a game of runs, the Wildcats stepped up the defense in the second half, showed resiliency, and attacked well throughout in a quite physical game! Morgan Meyer had 14 and Lauren "Olga" Hansen had 13. This was a quality win against a physical team.
JV also pulled out a tight victory against a team of very, very tall players - I have rarely seen a JV team in the area with that many bigs, but our Wildcats refused to be intimidated...................................................
The varsity Wildcats took a 2 point lead on the first possession of the second half on an Olson 3, but then Chaska reeled off a 17-0 run to create some separation. In the first half, we held their post, a very talented and physical player, to no points through our helpside defense, but she got offensive rebounds and made very tough shots in the post in the second half. The biggest difference in the game was Chaska's defense and finishing around the basket - they are physical and in good position all of the time, and we didn't do a good job of being physical in response on offense - too many out-of-control shots were taken and blocked in the paint in the second half to make any kind of run, and we eventually fell 70-58. If we were to finish those shots in the paint, or draw fouls through physical, tough takes, we would've been in a very good position to keep it close / have a lead, but we let their physicality get to us in the second half.
Stats for rebounds, assists, etc. are still being tabulated, but scoring for Waconia were Olson with 12, Johnson and Stier with 10 each, Swanson with 9, and Salzer with 7.
Over the break, we will be competing in a Holiday tournament at Hill-Murray high school with the JV and Varsity. Our first game on the 26th is against Henry Sibley HS - JV plays at 1:15, Varsity at 3:00, and then we'll stay and watch at least a half of basketball of the following game of Tartan vs. Mounds View, as we'll play one of them the following day. We will have a shootaround at 10:40 AM on the 26th for JV/Varsity, the bus leaves at 11:40. The bus times and shootarounds will be announced the night after we know when we play the following days.
Have a safe and great holiday, rest up, and get hungry to go into the Holiday tournament with intensity and vigor!
B won 43-26 - in a game of runs, the Wildcats stepped up the defense in the second half, showed resiliency, and attacked well throughout in a quite physical game! Morgan Meyer had 14 and Lauren "Olga" Hansen had 13. This was a quality win against a physical team.
JV also pulled out a tight victory against a team of very, very tall players - I have rarely seen a JV team in the area with that many bigs, but our Wildcats refused to be intimidated...................................................
The varsity Wildcats took a 2 point lead on the first possession of the second half on an Olson 3, but then Chaska reeled off a 17-0 run to create some separation. In the first half, we held their post, a very talented and physical player, to no points through our helpside defense, but she got offensive rebounds and made very tough shots in the post in the second half. The biggest difference in the game was Chaska's defense and finishing around the basket - they are physical and in good position all of the time, and we didn't do a good job of being physical in response on offense - too many out-of-control shots were taken and blocked in the paint in the second half to make any kind of run, and we eventually fell 70-58. If we were to finish those shots in the paint, or draw fouls through physical, tough takes, we would've been in a very good position to keep it close / have a lead, but we let their physicality get to us in the second half.
Stats for rebounds, assists, etc. are still being tabulated, but scoring for Waconia were Olson with 12, Johnson and Stier with 10 each, Swanson with 9, and Salzer with 7.
Over the break, we will be competing in a Holiday tournament at Hill-Murray high school with the JV and Varsity. Our first game on the 26th is against Henry Sibley HS - JV plays at 1:15, Varsity at 3:00, and then we'll stay and watch at least a half of basketball of the following game of Tartan vs. Mounds View, as we'll play one of them the following day. We will have a shootaround at 10:40 AM on the 26th for JV/Varsity, the bus leaves at 11:40. The bus times and shootarounds will be announced the night after we know when we play the following days.
Have a safe and great holiday, rest up, and get hungry to go into the Holiday tournament with intensity and vigor!
Wildcats swept by STMA
The STMA Knights were too much for our wildcats in our home debut, winning 84-45. We knew the Knights could shoot it from outside, and they lived up to expectations, hitting 11 3's as a team, 5 of them going to Lehigh commit Mackenzie Kramer, who lead STMA with 31. The other knights ran the floor well and answered every time we had a chance to make the beginnings of a run. Quite frankly, they out-hustled us on the boards, for dead balls, and played more physically. We hoped to compete well against top-tier competition, but let some missed shots and lapses get to us. We need to amp up the intensity to compete against the challenging competition we will face throughout the season, so that's what our goal is for these next days of practice - play physically, play intensely, and compete.
Allie Zimmer and Addy Salzer both had 11 for the the Wildcats, and Sydney Olson had 9. Other stats are being tabulated, and I'll update on our website when they are there.
A similar story played out for the JV team, who played a close first half, but got outmuscled and outworked in the second, losing 61-28. 10 different players scored, which is good! Balance is a strength that we are learning to use at all of our levels, and we need to keep playing for each other at all times!
The 9th grade level also had a similar outcome, down 2 at the half, but eventually losing 33-21. Shots were rolling all around the rim throughout the game, refusing to go down, which was frustrating, but again, physicality is something that we all have to work on playing through and embracing, so we'll get out the pads!
The Wildcats have 6 practices before we take on Chaska next Thursday, so we've got to get to work through the rest of this week and the next!
Allie Zimmer and Addy Salzer both had 11 for the the Wildcats, and Sydney Olson had 9. Other stats are being tabulated, and I'll update on our website when they are there.
A similar story played out for the JV team, who played a close first half, but got outmuscled and outworked in the second, losing 61-28. 10 different players scored, which is good! Balance is a strength that we are learning to use at all of our levels, and we need to keep playing for each other at all times!
The 9th grade level also had a similar outcome, down 2 at the half, but eventually losing 33-21. Shots were rolling all around the rim throughout the game, refusing to go down, which was frustrating, but again, physicality is something that we all have to work on playing through and embracing, so we'll get out the pads!
The Wildcats have 6 practices before we take on Chaska next Thursday, so we've got to get to work through the rest of this week and the next!
Wildcats sweep Bloomington Jefferson
Waconia had their first sweep of the season by winning in Bloomington Jefferson today. The wildcats shot the ball very well, attacked in the open court, and all players on the roster contributed great things to a 103-45 win. We play our best when we play for each other, create for each other, and run the floor with pace, and we were able to do that tonight. Stats are still being tabulated, but we shared the ball well, and had balanced scoring, with all but one player on the roster scoring - Stier 18, Swanson 14, Lenz 12, Zimmer 8, Salzer 8, Meath 6, Johnson 6, Olson 9, Honnold 4, Williams 3, Roitenberg 5, Bruggemeier 2, Dykstra 2, Amundson 4, Machacek 2. Our balance is our strength - as long as we keep a team-first attitude, play for each other every possession, and keep working and communicating our intentions for how we want to play, we'll keep getting better every day! Rebounding-wise, Sauce had 6, Aud. had 5, and Schmaeve had 5 as well; Assists-wise, Zim and TJ had 4 each, Salzer had 3, and Jay had 2; Steals - Swanny and TJ had 4 each, and Salsa had 3 - Steals are a testament to pressuring the ball and playing team defense, so it's good to see those numbers. Lastly, Free-Throw-wise, we were 23 for 26 (88.5%), which is spectacular - if we can maintain anything close to that percentage, the way we attack the rim, we will be a tough team to beat when trying to close out games! We've got to shoot the Free Throws well down the stretch, so that was great to see. We are now 3-2 on the year, and are pumped about it, our schedule being as tough as it is- we continue the gauntlet with games against top-rated AAAA teams STMA on Tuesday in our first home game, and Chaska next Thursday, the 19th.
JV Wildcats win 58-36. They battled all game, and everyone contributed in another team-oriented effort. Sizzle had 19 (Kiley Sazema), Gabby Newlin Bellenger got her first bucket, and our defense was great throughout. The JV continues to push each other every day in practice, and they've been our loudest supporters during Varsity games as well, and that's the kind of culture and investment that we love to see. We want to consider ourselves one team, and they are a group that has been the epitome of that team-first attitude. We love it.
The 9th grade squadron won 50-29. Katie Mielke and Becca Harmon both got their first buckets of the season (one on a prized and-1 opportunity!) and Bella Hoxie dominated the paint, and the mid-range game, with 12 points. Our 9th graders have only gotten 2 games thus far (!!!), so they are ready and primed to take on a challenging STMA team this coming Tuesday at our first home game of the season! Hope to see you all there!
JV Wildcats win 58-36. They battled all game, and everyone contributed in another team-oriented effort. Sizzle had 19 (Kiley Sazema), Gabby Newlin Bellenger got her first bucket, and our defense was great throughout. The JV continues to push each other every day in practice, and they've been our loudest supporters during Varsity games as well, and that's the kind of culture and investment that we love to see. We want to consider ourselves one team, and they are a group that has been the epitome of that team-first attitude. We love it.
The 9th grade squadron won 50-29. Katie Mielke and Becca Harmon both got their first buckets of the season (one on a prized and-1 opportunity!) and Bella Hoxie dominated the paint, and the mid-range game, with 12 points. Our 9th graders have only gotten 2 games thus far (!!!), so they are ready and primed to take on a challenging STMA team this coming Tuesday at our first home game of the season! Hope to see you all there!
Varsity gets 2nd win vs. AAAA Lakeville South, and Tess Johnson gets 1000th point; JV falls in a tight one
Our Varsity Wildcats weren't satisfied with just one win at the Pat Patterson tournament at Hamline this weekend, and prevailed once again against large-school competition by beating Lakeville South 62-50. Lakeville South is big, has good shooters, and plays physical defense, so to get this win was very big for our team. We did it by, just like yesterdays win over Roseville, crashing the offensive boards, attacking the rim, and getting stops on defense so we could push the pace. We are priding ourselves this year on our depth and balance on both offense and defense, and it worked to our favor because we were able to keep coming and coming at their defense in transition, attacking the rim. Still, they hung tough and hit some shots down the stretch, but in the last 3 minutes we ended the game on an 11-1 run by getting out and running down the stretch. Big contributions were made by many different players (stats still pending on rebounds and steals, etc. - no wifi at Hamline!), especially when you look at our scoring - Tess Johnson and Allie Zimmer both with 10, Ava Stier and Natalie Meath with 9, Jayda Lenz and Audrey Swanson with 8, etc. This is what will make us a good team - a true team effort and balance in scoring, rebounding, and defense. Rebounding - Stier 9 ( 6 of which were offensive!) Zimmer, Swanson, and Salzer all with 5, and a multitude with 4 and 3. Steals and assists were both pretty evenly-spread, which is a good sign - but Swanson lead with 3 steals, and Salzer lead with 3 assists! Sharing the ball and being intense on D are recipes for success!
Tess Johnson got her 1000th point today (congratulations to her - she's been a 4-year starter, and has meant the world to our teams throughout those years - she is now 7th in the all-time scoring list, surpassing Cyndi Buetow from 1986-1990 who had 1000 points even!) as well, and got it at a big moment, completing an And-1 opportunity down the stretch that helped to open up the game, along with a timely 3 by Salzer, and another good bucket by Dykstra (props to her battling through very physical play the last two days); a great push in transition from Salzer to Swanson was huge; a circus layup by Johnson was spectacular - we had a bunch of players making plays and contributing in myriad ways - this was another great team win. We are now 2-2 on the season, and face Bloomington Jefferson this coming Thursday.
The JV Wildcats jumped out to an early lead against Lakeville South early in the game, but couldn't sustain the momentum or come up with that one last run to seal the deal, losing 38-43 against a tough, poised, pressuring Lakeville South JV team (many of which we saw in the varsity game as well). We had chances down the stretch, but didn't execute the late-game scenarios quite to our liking, according to coach Westphal. Balanced scoring throughout - Hailey Williams with 9, Hallie Roitenberg with 7, Sizzle and Olga (Kiley Sazema and Lauren Hansen) both with 5 on the day. JV will also have a game vs. Bloomington Jefferson - no B-level game that day, however.
Tess Johnson got her 1000th point today (congratulations to her - she's been a 4-year starter, and has meant the world to our teams throughout those years - she is now 7th in the all-time scoring list, surpassing Cyndi Buetow from 1986-1990 who had 1000 points even!) as well, and got it at a big moment, completing an And-1 opportunity down the stretch that helped to open up the game, along with a timely 3 by Salzer, and another good bucket by Dykstra (props to her battling through very physical play the last two days); a great push in transition from Salzer to Swanson was huge; a circus layup by Johnson was spectacular - we had a bunch of players making plays and contributing in myriad ways - this was another great team win. We are now 2-2 on the season, and face Bloomington Jefferson this coming Thursday.
The JV Wildcats jumped out to an early lead against Lakeville South early in the game, but couldn't sustain the momentum or come up with that one last run to seal the deal, losing 38-43 against a tough, poised, pressuring Lakeville South JV team (many of which we saw in the varsity game as well). We had chances down the stretch, but didn't execute the late-game scenarios quite to our liking, according to coach Westphal. Balanced scoring throughout - Hailey Williams with 9, Hallie Roitenberg with 7, Sizzle and Olga (Kiley Sazema and Lauren Hansen) both with 5 on the day. JV will also have a game vs. Bloomington Jefferson - no B-level game that day, however.
Varsity and JV Wildcats get first wins of season vs. AAAA Roseville
While the stats are still being processed (no wifi at Hamline), Waconia emerged victorious in a game of runs, beating AAAA Roseville for the first win of the season, navigating an all-AAAA powerhouse schedule. We started slowly, allowing Roseville to get the ball inside and score with their bigs too easily. However, after getting pushed around one too many times by their physical play, we decided to amp up the defensive pressure and try to pick up the pace of the game. While we ended up missing too many shots around the rim, 9 offensive rebounds, in the 2nd half especially, helped clean up the mess and build a lead. However, in a game of runs, Roseville had one left - they stole the ball from us on multiple inopportune spots on the floor through scrums that we had ended up winning, and getting a couple of easy layups off of it. We got in too much of a rush to shoot the ball down the stretch, and had to defend a tenacious comeback. However, we got a bucket, off of a drive and kick to Tess Johnson, and Swanson and Honnold both hit a free throw to maintain the slightest of cushions. Then, on the last play, despite two of our girls being taken out trying to rebound the FT attempt, we got a steal, but didn't hold the ball - they stole it from behind, and had a look for the win, but THANKFULLY missed, giving us our first win of the year. If we can handle the pressure better down the stretch, make our layups vs. pressure, and keep upping the pace, we can do some special things, but only if we keep our focus on what we can do as a TEAM, because today was a team effort, and took every one of us to emerge with the W, 62-60.
Tess Johnson had 17, and is now 6 POINTS AWAY FROM 1000 FOR HER CAREER! She could get it tomorrow vs. Lakeville South, so if you can, come out and support our Wildcats and one of the most prolific players we've had in our program's history. Also for the game, Ava Stier had 12, Audrey Swanson had 9, and many of our posts that got to play against #3, Ugass, a Marquette commitment, did a great job (Meath, Stier, and Dykstra especially) held her to 14, which was a major difference in the game.
Swanson had 10 rebounds on the game (6 were offensive!), and Stier had 5, providing a major spark for the Wildcats. As a team, we had 19 steals, which was a major factor in building a lead, and Johnson lead the way with 5; however, many people had 3, 2, etc., so that was a great team effort. Jayda Lenz dished out 4 assists, and Zimmer also had 3, creating space for others by pushing the ball well.
The JV Wildcats got their first win of the season as well, defeating Roseville 45-41. In a great achievement for old-school basketball, we were perfect from the Free Throw line in the 2nd half! Dang! The JV had balanced scoring, and Sizzle (Kiley Sazema) lead the way with 12. They picked up the pressure and pace against a good Roseville squad as well, built a solid lead through the late first half and early second half, and held on down the stretch for the win. In both this game and our Varsity game, we were looking a bit shaky down the stretch with managing the ball, so you know we'll be doing the clock drill about 4-5 times next week! However, with any win, it's usually a combination of skill, preparation, teamwork, and just a bit of luck spread in there as well, so we will TAKE IT!
Our next action is tomorrow, 11/30, against Lakeville South at Hamline again (JV at 11:15, Varsity at 1:00). Come out and support our team as we keep working hard in this grueling opening schedule! The heavy hitters won't stop coming, and we're learning and getting better every day!
Tess Johnson had 17, and is now 6 POINTS AWAY FROM 1000 FOR HER CAREER! She could get it tomorrow vs. Lakeville South, so if you can, come out and support our Wildcats and one of the most prolific players we've had in our program's history. Also for the game, Ava Stier had 12, Audrey Swanson had 9, and many of our posts that got to play against #3, Ugass, a Marquette commitment, did a great job (Meath, Stier, and Dykstra especially) held her to 14, which was a major difference in the game.
Swanson had 10 rebounds on the game (6 were offensive!), and Stier had 5, providing a major spark for the Wildcats. As a team, we had 19 steals, which was a major factor in building a lead, and Johnson lead the way with 5; however, many people had 3, 2, etc., so that was a great team effort. Jayda Lenz dished out 4 assists, and Zimmer also had 3, creating space for others by pushing the ball well.
The JV Wildcats got their first win of the season as well, defeating Roseville 45-41. In a great achievement for old-school basketball, we were perfect from the Free Throw line in the 2nd half! Dang! The JV had balanced scoring, and Sizzle (Kiley Sazema) lead the way with 12. They picked up the pressure and pace against a good Roseville squad as well, built a solid lead through the late first half and early second half, and held on down the stretch for the win. In both this game and our Varsity game, we were looking a bit shaky down the stretch with managing the ball, so you know we'll be doing the clock drill about 4-5 times next week! However, with any win, it's usually a combination of skill, preparation, teamwork, and just a bit of luck spread in there as well, so we will TAKE IT!
Our next action is tomorrow, 11/30, against Lakeville South at Hamline again (JV at 11:15, Varsity at 1:00). Come out and support our team as we keep working hard in this grueling opening schedule! The heavy hitters won't stop coming, and we're learning and getting better every day!
Wildcats lose to #3 team in Nation, #1 in Minnesota, Hopkins
@ Hopkins
The 9th grade team kicked off their season with a solid win over the Royals of Hopkins, They were in control of a physical game, and battled to a win. It was fun to see them finally get after someone, and they attacked well all game to pull out a solid win.
"B" Fell to Hopkins, and were a little shorthanded, after sustaining some injuries. 66-50 was the final, but the Wildcats were close throughout, mustering many rallies to get within striking distance - we just ended up running out of gas. Lauren Hansen (Olga!) got to the line well, scoring 17 for the game.
"JV" suffered a similar fate - a bit shorthanded due to injuries, couldn't muster a solid enough run to overcome Hopkins' pressure. Even scoring helped the Wildcats throughout, and a couple of step-back 3's were pretty sweet as well.
Varsity
Coming into the game, our goal was to compete the entire time, and attack at full speed the intense defensive pressure of the #1 team in Minnesota and the #3 team in the nation. Well, after 7 minutes, we were in the lead! 10-9. Booyaa. After that, however, the pressure got to us, forcing us into many turnovers and mistakes that teams make when sped up to sustained speed and pressure that they aren't comfortable with. When the wheels came off, so to speak, they kind of rolled down the highway. There were moments when we regained our composure throughout the game, but we couldn't put together a run offensively, which led to easy transition buckets for Hopkins. We've seen them do it to teams throughout the last couple of years, and tonight we fell victim. We had moments of competitiveness scrappiness, but they were too few and far between to stay in the game.
We are playing a very challenging schedule this year, and part of it is because we know how excruciating it was to lose the section championship by 1 point last year. We know that to get better, we have to learn how to compete intensely and consistently throughout a game, and tonight, for moments, we did, and for other stretches, we didn't. So, we've got to sustain the kind of effort and intensity we displayed for the first 7 minutes of that game - if we can do it consistently, we can become the force that we want to be.
Many scorers had 4, 6, etc., and Addy Salzer had 18 on the night, attacking the basket well and getting to the free-throw line quite often. We had a couple of And-1 opportunities as well. The last thing to mention is this: When things DID go right for us throughout the game, our bench, players, and fans were excellent. We celebrated like crazy every time that we scored. If we got a stop, it was loud and intense. That is a culture of joy, and team, and what we are looking to sustain throughout our program. We had a lot of 9th and JV/B players staying to root on our team, and we really appreciate that as well, as that hasn't been the norm in past years either, so shout-out to those who celebrated the good moments with us!
The 9th grade team kicked off their season with a solid win over the Royals of Hopkins, They were in control of a physical game, and battled to a win. It was fun to see them finally get after someone, and they attacked well all game to pull out a solid win.
"B" Fell to Hopkins, and were a little shorthanded, after sustaining some injuries. 66-50 was the final, but the Wildcats were close throughout, mustering many rallies to get within striking distance - we just ended up running out of gas. Lauren Hansen (Olga!) got to the line well, scoring 17 for the game.
"JV" suffered a similar fate - a bit shorthanded due to injuries, couldn't muster a solid enough run to overcome Hopkins' pressure. Even scoring helped the Wildcats throughout, and a couple of step-back 3's were pretty sweet as well.
Varsity
Coming into the game, our goal was to compete the entire time, and attack at full speed the intense defensive pressure of the #1 team in Minnesota and the #3 team in the nation. Well, after 7 minutes, we were in the lead! 10-9. Booyaa. After that, however, the pressure got to us, forcing us into many turnovers and mistakes that teams make when sped up to sustained speed and pressure that they aren't comfortable with. When the wheels came off, so to speak, they kind of rolled down the highway. There were moments when we regained our composure throughout the game, but we couldn't put together a run offensively, which led to easy transition buckets for Hopkins. We've seen them do it to teams throughout the last couple of years, and tonight we fell victim. We had moments of competitiveness scrappiness, but they were too few and far between to stay in the game.
We are playing a very challenging schedule this year, and part of it is because we know how excruciating it was to lose the section championship by 1 point last year. We know that to get better, we have to learn how to compete intensely and consistently throughout a game, and tonight, for moments, we did, and for other stretches, we didn't. So, we've got to sustain the kind of effort and intensity we displayed for the first 7 minutes of that game - if we can do it consistently, we can become the force that we want to be.
Many scorers had 4, 6, etc., and Addy Salzer had 18 on the night, attacking the basket well and getting to the free-throw line quite often. We had a couple of And-1 opportunities as well. The last thing to mention is this: When things DID go right for us throughout the game, our bench, players, and fans were excellent. We celebrated like crazy every time that we scored. If we got a stop, it was loud and intense. That is a culture of joy, and team, and what we are looking to sustain throughout our program. We had a lot of 9th and JV/B players staying to root on our team, and we really appreciate that as well, as that hasn't been the norm in past years either, so shout-out to those who celebrated the good moments with us!
Wildcats lose season opener to hot-shooting Rosemount.
#10 in AAAA Rosemount came out of their 10-2 run to end last season looking like they have unfinished business to take care of. They shot 47% from 3, hitting 16, which was apparently a school record. This is disappointing for us! We were a step slow on closeouts, and they really looked for #31 in transition, foregoing possible layups to kick to her shooting 3's - she was 9 for 11 on the game. Our wildcats couldn't keep up with that sort of barrage from long range, try as we might, and we fell to Rosemount 58-83. There is never much solace in losing, but we play an extremely challenging schedule to begin the season, facing all AAAA teams, many in the top 10 in AAAA, and one #3 in the nation, so we can't rest on our laurels - we must use these games as opportunities to get better at the things that we need to, which will help us in March. So, we must close out better to shooters!
Sydni Olson and Mel Honnold each had 13 points for the wildcats, and shooting the ball well, and Audrey Swanson poured in 10 as well. Natalie Meath led the team in rebounds with 5. Jayda Lenz had 4 assists, Allie Zimmer had 3, and quite a few had 2. This year, we are putting extra emphasis on assists, as we need to emphasize and purposefully play FOR EACH OTHER, recognizing how that makes us better as a team, so assists are a point of pride for us this year.
There were many moments that we competed well throughout the game, but digging an early hole for ourselves (down 17-4) made it hard to sustain a run to get back in the game. We need to come ready to play this week, as we will play Hopkins, Roseville, and Lakeville South in a heck of a week for opponents! We must COMPETE the entire game, and that's our major focus for the year!
#10 in AAAA Rosemount came out of their 10-2 run to end last season looking like they have unfinished business to take care of. They shot 47% from 3, hitting 16, which was apparently a school record. This is disappointing for us! We were a step slow on closeouts, and they really looked for #31 in transition, foregoing possible layups to kick to her shooting 3's - she was 9 for 11 on the game. Our wildcats couldn't keep up with that sort of barrage from long range, try as we might, and we fell to Rosemount 58-83. There is never much solace in losing, but we play an extremely challenging schedule to begin the season, facing all AAAA teams, many in the top 10 in AAAA, and one #3 in the nation, so we can't rest on our laurels - we must use these games as opportunities to get better at the things that we need to, which will help us in March. So, we must close out better to shooters!
Sydni Olson and Mel Honnold each had 13 points for the wildcats, and shooting the ball well, and Audrey Swanson poured in 10 as well. Natalie Meath led the team in rebounds with 5. Jayda Lenz had 4 assists, Allie Zimmer had 3, and quite a few had 2. This year, we are putting extra emphasis on assists, as we need to emphasize and purposefully play FOR EACH OTHER, recognizing how that makes us better as a team, so assists are a point of pride for us this year.
There were many moments that we competed well throughout the game, but digging an early hole for ourselves (down 17-4) made it hard to sustain a run to get back in the game. We need to come ready to play this week, as we will play Hopkins, Roseville, and Lakeville South in a heck of a week for opponents! We must COMPETE the entire game, and that's our major focus for the year!
Parent Meeting - Monday, November 11th - 6:30 PM - Waconia High School
Here's a link to the parent document with the handout given at the parent meeting!
Here's a link to our game calendar that includes game times, bus departures, etc.
Here's a link to our game calendar that includes game times, bus departures, etc.
Summer Wildcats Youth Camp a high-energy success!
On June 10-13, the future of Waconia hoops swarmed the gymnasium at the high school, and though it's air-conditioned, the competition, competitiveness, and shooting were just heating up. With an incredible 16 - 18 high school basketball players coaching every day, plus coaches Neibauer and Westphal, each player got layers and layers of support, instruction, and pointers to help them improve in every facet of the game. 3-on-3 leagues, shooting leagues, 5-on-5 action, and rotating stations focusing on shooting, defense, layups, live-action, and ball-handling helped over 100 players, from K-8, improve throughout the week. Awards were given, secret-handshakes were invented, and every player walked out with multiple chances at prizes, medals, and giveaways. Perhaps the most important asset shown by all players, though, was gumption - there wasn't a complaint from any player or coach all week, which especially impressive on days 3 and 4 of camp!
In the 2-4 camp, the winners of 3-on-3 league were: the AquaNavyBlueLizardDolphinBlueCheetas#BLT, who were a perfect 7-0. They almost won the shooting league as well, but ended up losing by only one shot (!!!) to the Blue Pumas!
In the 5th-6th grade division, the Dream Team won 3-on-3 with a perfect 8-0 record, edging out the Challenging Chinchillas by 1 game. The Shooting Stars lived up to their name, winning the shooting league healthily! Also - a team beat a varsity squad in the live-action station, though the game was heavily rigged in their favor (3's were worth 6 points, 2's worth 4). Still!
In the 7th - 8th grade division, the varsity team was undefeated (probably good...), and second place went to the Ballers!
There can't be enough said about our player coaches though - they really went out of their way to be there consistently, engage with all the young players, treat them with dignity and respect as competitors, and further the future of our program. Special thanks to "Fran" - Courtney Freeberg, who lead the K-1 side of camp to glory!
Also, a special thanks goes out to all of the area businesses that donated prizes and giveaways to our campers, whom they will soon see in their businesses: Minnesota Lynx / Timberwolves c/o Matt Bare, Subway, The Main Scoop, Laketown Chocolates, E-Magine Movie Theaters, Unhinged Pizza, Domino's Pizza, McDonalds, and St. Joe's 3-on-3 tournament!
In the 2-4 camp, the winners of 3-on-3 league were: the AquaNavyBlueLizardDolphinBlueCheetas#BLT, who were a perfect 7-0. They almost won the shooting league as well, but ended up losing by only one shot (!!!) to the Blue Pumas!
In the 5th-6th grade division, the Dream Team won 3-on-3 with a perfect 8-0 record, edging out the Challenging Chinchillas by 1 game. The Shooting Stars lived up to their name, winning the shooting league healthily! Also - a team beat a varsity squad in the live-action station, though the game was heavily rigged in their favor (3's were worth 6 points, 2's worth 4). Still!
In the 7th - 8th grade division, the varsity team was undefeated (probably good...), and second place went to the Ballers!
There can't be enough said about our player coaches though - they really went out of their way to be there consistently, engage with all the young players, treat them with dignity and respect as competitors, and further the future of our program. Special thanks to "Fran" - Courtney Freeberg, who lead the K-1 side of camp to glory!
Also, a special thanks goes out to all of the area businesses that donated prizes and giveaways to our campers, whom they will soon see in their businesses: Minnesota Lynx / Timberwolves c/o Matt Bare, Subway, The Main Scoop, Laketown Chocolates, E-Magine Movie Theaters, Unhinged Pizza, Domino's Pizza, McDonalds, and St. Joe's 3-on-3 tournament!
Wildcats Fall in a Heartbreaker
It was an emotional, physical back and forth battle in the 6AAA championship on Thursday night and when the final horn sounded the defending state champion Robbinsdale Cooper escaped with a 52-51 win and a 2nd straight trip to the AAA state tournament.
The Hawks flew out to an early 13-4 lead but the Wildcats clawed back. In fact, after the Cooper surge in the opening minutes the rest of the first half was all Wildcats. Waconia went on a 22-7 run to build a 26-20 lead late in the first half. Then with seconds left before halftime Cooper made a three trim the lead to three.
The second half was as intense and physical as the first with almost no basket coming easy for either team. The Wildcats built their lead as large as 6 points with 7 minutes to play, but four consecutive turnovers by the Cats opened the door for Cooper and the Hawks and they took advantage by going on an 8-0 run to take a 2 point lead.
Scoring would be far and few between for both teams in the final 5 minutes. Waconia went back up by 2 with 3 minutes to play. Cooper responded with a three to take a 1 point lead. Then as Cooper was trying to kill the clock to protect their narrow advantage Tess Johnson grabbed a steal with about a minute left and threw a long pass ahead to Audrey Swanson for a layup and a 51-50 Wildcat lead.
The Cats stopped Cooper on the next possession and it was Waconia ball with a 1 point lead and 30 seconds left. Then, as Jayda Lenz drove toward the basket her defender fell down directly in front of Lenz. Lenz proceeded to trip over the Cooper player losing the ball out of bounds. Nearly everyone in the gym was stunned when there was no foul call on the play, but it resulted in possession to Cooper with under 30 seconds left. The Wildcats were one more defensive stop away from the state tournament.
But Cooper's all state guard, Aja Wheeler had one more big play left in her. She drove the left side of the court and threw up a very difficult 10 foot runner that banked in to give Cooper a 52-51 lead with 12 seconds left. Cooper had 2 fouls to give and they defended the Cats extremely well in the closing seconds to secure the win.
A look at the statistics conveys what an even battle it was.
Waconia was 20 for 60 from the floor (33.3%) while Cooper was 23 for 67 (34.4%). The Cats were a strong 9 for 10 from the line. The Hawks were 1 for 3. Waconia outscored Cooper in transition 18-10. Cooper bested the Wildcats 16-8 in points off turnovers. Waconia had a slight 36-32 edge on points in the paint and the Wildcats won the rebounding battle 47-38.
When looking at statistics perhaps the one Wildcat fans would find unusual is 3 point percentage. While Cooper was right in line with what they had shot all season (5 for 28 and 17.9%) the Cats very consistent perimeter shooting evaded them as they made only 2 of their 19 attempts (10.5%).
Tess Johnson led the scoring for Waconia with 12. Courtney Freeberg and Ava Stier joined her in double figures with 10 a piece. Natalie Meath and Audrey Swanson were the leading rebounders with 9 each. Freeberg and Stier both grabbed 8 rebounds.
Waconia ends the season 21 and 8. The Wildcats say a melancholy goodbye to their lone senior, Courtney Freeberg. "Fran" had as big an impact off the court as she did on it and she'll be sorely missed. That said, the Cats return an outstanding core of talented players and should be a top flight team again next season.
It was an emotional, physical back and forth battle in the 6AAA championship on Thursday night and when the final horn sounded the defending state champion Robbinsdale Cooper escaped with a 52-51 win and a 2nd straight trip to the AAA state tournament.
The Hawks flew out to an early 13-4 lead but the Wildcats clawed back. In fact, after the Cooper surge in the opening minutes the rest of the first half was all Wildcats. Waconia went on a 22-7 run to build a 26-20 lead late in the first half. Then with seconds left before halftime Cooper made a three trim the lead to three.
The second half was as intense and physical as the first with almost no basket coming easy for either team. The Wildcats built their lead as large as 6 points with 7 minutes to play, but four consecutive turnovers by the Cats opened the door for Cooper and the Hawks and they took advantage by going on an 8-0 run to take a 2 point lead.
Scoring would be far and few between for both teams in the final 5 minutes. Waconia went back up by 2 with 3 minutes to play. Cooper responded with a three to take a 1 point lead. Then as Cooper was trying to kill the clock to protect their narrow advantage Tess Johnson grabbed a steal with about a minute left and threw a long pass ahead to Audrey Swanson for a layup and a 51-50 Wildcat lead.
The Cats stopped Cooper on the next possession and it was Waconia ball with a 1 point lead and 30 seconds left. Then, as Jayda Lenz drove toward the basket her defender fell down directly in front of Lenz. Lenz proceeded to trip over the Cooper player losing the ball out of bounds. Nearly everyone in the gym was stunned when there was no foul call on the play, but it resulted in possession to Cooper with under 30 seconds left. The Wildcats were one more defensive stop away from the state tournament.
But Cooper's all state guard, Aja Wheeler had one more big play left in her. She drove the left side of the court and threw up a very difficult 10 foot runner that banked in to give Cooper a 52-51 lead with 12 seconds left. Cooper had 2 fouls to give and they defended the Cats extremely well in the closing seconds to secure the win.
A look at the statistics conveys what an even battle it was.
Waconia was 20 for 60 from the floor (33.3%) while Cooper was 23 for 67 (34.4%). The Cats were a strong 9 for 10 from the line. The Hawks were 1 for 3. Waconia outscored Cooper in transition 18-10. Cooper bested the Wildcats 16-8 in points off turnovers. Waconia had a slight 36-32 edge on points in the paint and the Wildcats won the rebounding battle 47-38.
When looking at statistics perhaps the one Wildcat fans would find unusual is 3 point percentage. While Cooper was right in line with what they had shot all season (5 for 28 and 17.9%) the Cats very consistent perimeter shooting evaded them as they made only 2 of their 19 attempts (10.5%).
Tess Johnson led the scoring for Waconia with 12. Courtney Freeberg and Ava Stier joined her in double figures with 10 a piece. Natalie Meath and Audrey Swanson were the leading rebounders with 9 each. Freeberg and Stier both grabbed 8 rebounds.
Waconia ends the season 21 and 8. The Wildcats say a melancholy goodbye to their lone senior, Courtney Freeberg. "Fran" had as big an impact off the court as she did on it and she'll be sorely missed. That said, the Cats return an outstanding core of talented players and should be a top flight team again next season.
Wildcats Beat Benilde, On to Section Final
In a rematch of last year's 6AAA semi-final the Wildcats got their revenge with a 68-54 victory over Benilde-St. Margaret's. With the win Waconia advances to the section championship for the first time since 2006 (credit resident basketball historian Bart Meath).
The Cats were able to get some separation in the final minutes of the first half as the Red Knight's point guard and transfer post both went to the bench with foul trouble. Waconia had a 33-26 halftime advantage. The Wildcats had to overcome some foul trouble of their own as junior guard Tess Johnson was limited to only 6 minutes in the first half after picking up her second foul. But as it has done all season, the Wildcat bench responded with big contributions.
The Cats struck early in the second half increasing their lead to double digits. Benilde would cut the lead to 8 at two junctures but that was as close as they would get. Waconia shot 43.9% from the floor while the Red Knights made 41.1% of their shots. Two big advantages for the Cats were an 18-6 edge in points off turnovers and a 41-30 rebounding margin. Waconia's defense limited Benilde to just 6 offensive rebounds. If they can have a similar performance in that category on Thursday the Wildcats will advance to their first ever state tournament.
The Cats lone senior, Courtney Freeberg, played her final game on her home floor and she went out in style. "Fran" scored 16 points and grabbed 9 rebounds. Jayda Lenz erupted for 13 points and Tess Johnson netted 12 in her limited minutes. Sophomore Addy Salzer gave the team a big boost in her first game back from knee surgery scoring 9. Freshman Audrey Swanson grabbed 8 important rebounds.
Waconia improves to 21 and 7 on the season. The defending state champion Robbinsdale Cooper is what stands between the Wildcats and their first state tournament appearance. Cooper is 19 and 8 but they have won 12 of their last 13. Their lone loss in that stretch was to a 7 and 20 Chanhassen team.
The section championship will be played at Chanhassen High School at 7pm. While we know most of the student body is away on spring break the girls would certainly appreciate any Waconia residents that are still in town to be there and support them as they try to make history!
In a rematch of last year's 6AAA semi-final the Wildcats got their revenge with a 68-54 victory over Benilde-St. Margaret's. With the win Waconia advances to the section championship for the first time since 2006 (credit resident basketball historian Bart Meath).
The Cats were able to get some separation in the final minutes of the first half as the Red Knight's point guard and transfer post both went to the bench with foul trouble. Waconia had a 33-26 halftime advantage. The Wildcats had to overcome some foul trouble of their own as junior guard Tess Johnson was limited to only 6 minutes in the first half after picking up her second foul. But as it has done all season, the Wildcat bench responded with big contributions.
The Cats struck early in the second half increasing their lead to double digits. Benilde would cut the lead to 8 at two junctures but that was as close as they would get. Waconia shot 43.9% from the floor while the Red Knights made 41.1% of their shots. Two big advantages for the Cats were an 18-6 edge in points off turnovers and a 41-30 rebounding margin. Waconia's defense limited Benilde to just 6 offensive rebounds. If they can have a similar performance in that category on Thursday the Wildcats will advance to their first ever state tournament.
The Cats lone senior, Courtney Freeberg, played her final game on her home floor and she went out in style. "Fran" scored 16 points and grabbed 9 rebounds. Jayda Lenz erupted for 13 points and Tess Johnson netted 12 in her limited minutes. Sophomore Addy Salzer gave the team a big boost in her first game back from knee surgery scoring 9. Freshman Audrey Swanson grabbed 8 important rebounds.
Waconia improves to 21 and 7 on the season. The defending state champion Robbinsdale Cooper is what stands between the Wildcats and their first state tournament appearance. Cooper is 19 and 8 but they have won 12 of their last 13. Their lone loss in that stretch was to a 7 and 20 Chanhassen team.
The section championship will be played at Chanhassen High School at 7pm. While we know most of the student body is away on spring break the girls would certainly appreciate any Waconia residents that are still in town to be there and support them as they try to make history!
Waconia Advances to Section Semi-Finals
The Wildcats began the season boasting one of the deepest benches in class AAA. In their 67-30 6AAA quarterfinal win over #7 seed Dassel-Cokato the Cats bench proved just how potent it is.
With three varsity regulars sidelined (four if you count Allie Zimmer lost to an ACL in December) several players that spent most of the season playing JV stepped up and helped guide the team to victory. Sarah Cravens poured in 7 points, Hailey Williams had 6, Dani Dykstra contributed 4, and Melissa Honnold had 3 in very important varsity playoff minutes.
Usual suspects Tess Johnson, Natalie Meath, and Ava Stier had 12, 12, and 10 points respectively. Senior captain Courtney Freeberg was an animal on the glass grabbing 12 rebounds.
Waconia held the Chargers to 4 for 27 shooting in the first half and 4 for 29 in the 2nd half. D-C committed 28 turnovers. 10 different players scored for the Wildcats including Carli Cebulla with her first varsity point!
The Wildcats improve to 20 and 7 on the season and they will host #3 seed Benilde-St. Margaret's on Saturday at 7pm. The Red Knights coasted past Orono 68-44. Mound beat Delano on the other side of the bracket and they will travel to take on #1 seed Cooper.
The Wildcats began the season boasting one of the deepest benches in class AAA. In their 67-30 6AAA quarterfinal win over #7 seed Dassel-Cokato the Cats bench proved just how potent it is.
With three varsity regulars sidelined (four if you count Allie Zimmer lost to an ACL in December) several players that spent most of the season playing JV stepped up and helped guide the team to victory. Sarah Cravens poured in 7 points, Hailey Williams had 6, Dani Dykstra contributed 4, and Melissa Honnold had 3 in very important varsity playoff minutes.
Usual suspects Tess Johnson, Natalie Meath, and Ava Stier had 12, 12, and 10 points respectively. Senior captain Courtney Freeberg was an animal on the glass grabbing 12 rebounds.
Waconia held the Chargers to 4 for 27 shooting in the first half and 4 for 29 in the 2nd half. D-C committed 28 turnovers. 10 different players scored for the Wildcats including Carli Cebulla with her first varsity point!
The Wildcats improve to 20 and 7 on the season and they will host #3 seed Benilde-St. Margaret's on Saturday at 7pm. The Red Knights coasted past Orono 68-44. Mound beat Delano on the other side of the bracket and they will travel to take on #1 seed Cooper.
Wildcats Claim Conference Championship at the Buzzer
It was an amazing and memorable finish to senior night and the final game of the regular season as the Wildcats walked off the court as co-conference champions with a 58-55 buzzer beater win over Holy Family.
Waconia trailed all game until junior guard Tess Johnson hit a long 3 pointer with under 30 seconds left to tie the game 55-55. The Wildcats got a steal with 5 seconds left and took a timeout. Junior guard Tess Johnson drove the lane but the ball was knocked out of bounds off Holy Family with just 0.8 seconds remaining. Johnson passed the ball in to junior forward Natalie Meath in the corner and Meath fired up a three pointer and buried at the buzzer! Pandemonium ensued and the Wildcats share the Wright County Conference East Championship.
Waconia trailed 35-25 at halftime and was getting beaten badly on the boards. Rebounding turned around big time in the 2nd half as Waconia ended up winning the battle on the boards 37-32. The Cats held the Fire to just 20 points in the 2nd half. After making 15 shots in the first half the Fire made only 8 of their 25 attempts in the 2nd half. The Cats had an uncharacteristic shooting night making only 32.8% of their shots and only 24% of their threes. But they made the 3 at the buzzer and that's what mattered most!
Tess Johnson filled up the stat sheet (and kept the Cats in the game during the first half) scoring 18 points, grabbing 9 rebounds (8 of them in the 2nd half) and pilfering 5 steals. She was the only Wildcat in double figures though Meath had 9, Courtney Freeberg and Audrey Swanson added 8 points. Freeberg also had 9 rebounds on a night to honor her as the Cats only senior.
Waconia finishes the regular season 19-7 and was awarded the #2 seed in the section 6AAA tournament. They will host #7 Dassel-Cokato on Wednesday at 7pm.
The JV Cats also won a close game 55-54 over Holy Family. The win means the JV team is also WCC East Champs as they lost only one game in the conference and that was a buzzer beater at Holy Family. Dani Dykstra led the way with 14 points. Sarah Cravens had 13 and Kiley Sazama contributed 10.
The 9th graders finished their season with an eye popping 21 and 1 record including an undefeated record in the conference (that's yet another Wildcat conference championship in case you've lost track). Mackenzie Amundson had 14 points. Hallie Roitenberg, Grace Steffen, and Lauren Hanson helped a balanced scoring attack with 9 points a piece.
What a fantastic season by all three of our teams...but we're not done yet!
It was an amazing and memorable finish to senior night and the final game of the regular season as the Wildcats walked off the court as co-conference champions with a 58-55 buzzer beater win over Holy Family.
Waconia trailed all game until junior guard Tess Johnson hit a long 3 pointer with under 30 seconds left to tie the game 55-55. The Wildcats got a steal with 5 seconds left and took a timeout. Junior guard Tess Johnson drove the lane but the ball was knocked out of bounds off Holy Family with just 0.8 seconds remaining. Johnson passed the ball in to junior forward Natalie Meath in the corner and Meath fired up a three pointer and buried at the buzzer! Pandemonium ensued and the Wildcats share the Wright County Conference East Championship.
Waconia trailed 35-25 at halftime and was getting beaten badly on the boards. Rebounding turned around big time in the 2nd half as Waconia ended up winning the battle on the boards 37-32. The Cats held the Fire to just 20 points in the 2nd half. After making 15 shots in the first half the Fire made only 8 of their 25 attempts in the 2nd half. The Cats had an uncharacteristic shooting night making only 32.8% of their shots and only 24% of their threes. But they made the 3 at the buzzer and that's what mattered most!
Tess Johnson filled up the stat sheet (and kept the Cats in the game during the first half) scoring 18 points, grabbing 9 rebounds (8 of them in the 2nd half) and pilfering 5 steals. She was the only Wildcat in double figures though Meath had 9, Courtney Freeberg and Audrey Swanson added 8 points. Freeberg also had 9 rebounds on a night to honor her as the Cats only senior.
Waconia finishes the regular season 19-7 and was awarded the #2 seed in the section 6AAA tournament. They will host #7 Dassel-Cokato on Wednesday at 7pm.
The JV Cats also won a close game 55-54 over Holy Family. The win means the JV team is also WCC East Champs as they lost only one game in the conference and that was a buzzer beater at Holy Family. Dani Dykstra led the way with 14 points. Sarah Cravens had 13 and Kiley Sazama contributed 10.
The 9th graders finished their season with an eye popping 21 and 1 record including an undefeated record in the conference (that's yet another Wildcat conference championship in case you've lost track). Mackenzie Amundson had 14 points. Hallie Roitenberg, Grace Steffen, and Lauren Hanson helped a balanced scoring attack with 9 points a piece.
What a fantastic season by all three of our teams...but we're not done yet!
Buffalo Beats Waconia
It was a great game between two good teams in Buffalo on Tuesday night, but Buffalo bunched a few three pointers to finally get some separation and they went on to defeat Waconia 77-67.
The Cats trailed 30-29 at halftime but held a two point lead with 9 minutes to play. Then someone put a lid on the basket. Waconia couldn't get any shots to drop. During this same stretch Buffalo hit three 3 pointers and they surged into the lead. The Cats got back on track but were only able to trade baskets the rest of the way.
The Wildcats' dry spell shows up in the statistics. After going 10 for 21 on 2's in the first half Waconia made only 4 of their 19 two point attempts in the 2nd half.
Tess Johnson led the scoring with 23 points. Sydni Olson and Courtney Freeberg both scored 12. The Cats were outrebounded 30 to 21.
Waconia will learn their seed for the section 6AAA tournament on Wednesday afternoon. They will host Holy Family on Thursday in need of a win to secure a share of the conference championship.
The JV Cats suffered their first loss in almost a month as they fell 49-40. Dani Dykstra had 14 points.
Our 9th graders won in convincing fashion 65-33. Hallie Roitenberg was on fire as she torched the nets for 24 points. Mackenzie Amundson and Nora Bailey scored 17 and 15 respectively. The JV and 9th grade teams will play their final game of the season on Thursday.
It was a great game between two good teams in Buffalo on Tuesday night, but Buffalo bunched a few three pointers to finally get some separation and they went on to defeat Waconia 77-67.
The Cats trailed 30-29 at halftime but held a two point lead with 9 minutes to play. Then someone put a lid on the basket. Waconia couldn't get any shots to drop. During this same stretch Buffalo hit three 3 pointers and they surged into the lead. The Cats got back on track but were only able to trade baskets the rest of the way.
The Wildcats' dry spell shows up in the statistics. After going 10 for 21 on 2's in the first half Waconia made only 4 of their 19 two point attempts in the 2nd half.
Tess Johnson led the scoring with 23 points. Sydni Olson and Courtney Freeberg both scored 12. The Cats were outrebounded 30 to 21.
Waconia will learn their seed for the section 6AAA tournament on Wednesday afternoon. They will host Holy Family on Thursday in need of a win to secure a share of the conference championship.
The JV Cats suffered their first loss in almost a month as they fell 49-40. Dani Dykstra had 14 points.
Our 9th graders won in convincing fashion 65-33. Hallie Roitenberg was on fire as she torched the nets for 24 points. Mackenzie Amundson and Nora Bailey scored 17 and 15 respectively. The JV and 9th grade teams will play their final game of the season on Thursday.
Cats Clip Eagles
It was a battle of two top 15 teams (according to the MN Basketball News Rankings) as Waconia hosted the New Ulm Eagles on Monday night and the Wildcats emerged with an important 75-60 victory.
The Eagles are led by Miss Basketball Finalist Joey Batt. The senior guard came into the game averaging 28 points per game. Batt scored 10 of New Ulm's 23 first half points and the Wildcats led 45-23 at the break. The Waconia lead would grow to as much as 26 mid-way through the second half but there was no quit in the 19 and 4 Eagles. They trimmed the lead to 18 at times in the final minutes then Batt hit a 3 with 10 seconds left to make the final margin 75-60. She finished with 32 points.
Waconia boasted four players in double figures led by Sydni Olson with 19 points. She also had 4 steals. Tess Johnson scored 16 and grabbed 5 rebounds. Courtney Freeberg contributed 14. Natalie Meath added 13 points. Junior point guard Jayda Lenz was the team's leading rebounder with 7 and she dished out an eye popping 9 assists.
The Cats shot 49% from the floor and 41% from the 3 point line. By comparision, the Eagles made only 33% of their shots. Waconia won the rebounding battle by a decisive margin 34-20.
With the win Waconia improves to 18 and 6 on the season.
The JV Cats continued their impressive season with a 56-26 victory. Sami Brueggemeier poured in 14 points. Dani Dykstra added 11. Hailey Williams and Kiley Sazama chipped in 8 each.
The freshman team still has just one loss on the season with only 2 games remaining as they trounced the Eagles 49-10. Nora Bailey, Lauren Hanson, and Hallie Roitenberg all scored in double figures. Coach Westphal praised the team for it's terrific defense.
All three teams return to action on Tuesday as they make the drive to face class AAAA Buffalo.
It was a battle of two top 15 teams (according to the MN Basketball News Rankings) as Waconia hosted the New Ulm Eagles on Monday night and the Wildcats emerged with an important 75-60 victory.
The Eagles are led by Miss Basketball Finalist Joey Batt. The senior guard came into the game averaging 28 points per game. Batt scored 10 of New Ulm's 23 first half points and the Wildcats led 45-23 at the break. The Waconia lead would grow to as much as 26 mid-way through the second half but there was no quit in the 19 and 4 Eagles. They trimmed the lead to 18 at times in the final minutes then Batt hit a 3 with 10 seconds left to make the final margin 75-60. She finished with 32 points.
Waconia boasted four players in double figures led by Sydni Olson with 19 points. She also had 4 steals. Tess Johnson scored 16 and grabbed 5 rebounds. Courtney Freeberg contributed 14. Natalie Meath added 13 points. Junior point guard Jayda Lenz was the team's leading rebounder with 7 and she dished out an eye popping 9 assists.
The Cats shot 49% from the floor and 41% from the 3 point line. By comparision, the Eagles made only 33% of their shots. Waconia won the rebounding battle by a decisive margin 34-20.
With the win Waconia improves to 18 and 6 on the season.
The JV Cats continued their impressive season with a 56-26 victory. Sami Brueggemeier poured in 14 points. Dani Dykstra added 11. Hailey Williams and Kiley Sazama chipped in 8 each.
The freshman team still has just one loss on the season with only 2 games remaining as they trounced the Eagles 49-10. Nora Bailey, Lauren Hanson, and Hallie Roitenberg all scored in double figures. Coach Westphal praised the team for it's terrific defense.
All three teams return to action on Tuesday as they make the drive to face class AAAA Buffalo.
Waconia Sweeps New Prague
It was a playoff like atmosphere in the New Prague High School gym on Friday night when the Wildcats beat the Trojans 74-64. The Cats led the entire first half and for the first several minutes of the second half, but the Trojans made a run and took a 4 point lead with 8 minutes to play. Waconia responded and held a narrow lead with 4 minutes remaining. Clutch free throw shooting and stout defense in the closing minutes propelled the Cats to the victory.
New Prague shot a scorching 52% (12 for 23) from the 3 point line but it wasn't enough to keep up with the Cats. Waconia was 7 for 18 beyond the arc. A key stat was the Wildcats 68 shot attempts compared to only 52 by New Prague. These extra shots were courtesy of the Cats 15 to 21 turnover advantage and 14 offensive rebounds compared to only 5 second chance shots by the Trojans. Waconia won the rebounding battle 41-25.
Natalie Meath had a huge night with 19 points and 6 rebounds. Meath hit three big second half three pointers to help the team to victory. Tess Johnson had 6 steals and 16 points. Jayda Lenz had 12 points and dished out 7 assists. Sydni Olson and Courtney Freeberg each added 9 points.
Waconia improves to 17 and 6 on the season but most important, the win means the Wildcats will have a chance to win a share of the WCC East Championship when they host Holy Family next Thursday.
The JV Cats trounced the Trojans 72-47. Mel Honnold had 15 points in only a half of action. Hailey Williams poured in 13. Sarah Cravens and Sami Brueggemeier added 12. Dani Dykstra scored 11. The JV Cats have only 1 loss in WCC East play so with a win vs. Holy Family they secure the JV conference championship.
Speaking of championship teams, our 9th grade team has already locked up the 9th grade conference championship now that they dispatched New Prague 55-33. Mackenzie Amundson dominated in the paint and hit two 3's to score 20 points. Lauren Hanson and Hallie Roitenberg each pitched in 10.
All three teams return to action on Monday as they host New Ulm in a make up game from the cold blast a few weeks ago.
It was a playoff like atmosphere in the New Prague High School gym on Friday night when the Wildcats beat the Trojans 74-64. The Cats led the entire first half and for the first several minutes of the second half, but the Trojans made a run and took a 4 point lead with 8 minutes to play. Waconia responded and held a narrow lead with 4 minutes remaining. Clutch free throw shooting and stout defense in the closing minutes propelled the Cats to the victory.
New Prague shot a scorching 52% (12 for 23) from the 3 point line but it wasn't enough to keep up with the Cats. Waconia was 7 for 18 beyond the arc. A key stat was the Wildcats 68 shot attempts compared to only 52 by New Prague. These extra shots were courtesy of the Cats 15 to 21 turnover advantage and 14 offensive rebounds compared to only 5 second chance shots by the Trojans. Waconia won the rebounding battle 41-25.
Natalie Meath had a huge night with 19 points and 6 rebounds. Meath hit three big second half three pointers to help the team to victory. Tess Johnson had 6 steals and 16 points. Jayda Lenz had 12 points and dished out 7 assists. Sydni Olson and Courtney Freeberg each added 9 points.
Waconia improves to 17 and 6 on the season but most important, the win means the Wildcats will have a chance to win a share of the WCC East Championship when they host Holy Family next Thursday.
The JV Cats trounced the Trojans 72-47. Mel Honnold had 15 points in only a half of action. Hailey Williams poured in 13. Sarah Cravens and Sami Brueggemeier added 12. Dani Dykstra scored 11. The JV Cats have only 1 loss in WCC East play so with a win vs. Holy Family they secure the JV conference championship.
Speaking of championship teams, our 9th grade team has already locked up the 9th grade conference championship now that they dispatched New Prague 55-33. Mackenzie Amundson dominated in the paint and hit two 3's to score 20 points. Lauren Hanson and Hallie Roitenberg each pitched in 10.
All three teams return to action on Monday as they host New Ulm in a make up game from the cold blast a few weeks ago.
Wildcats Rolls Past Mpls Southwest
The Minneapolis Southwest Lakers were able to hang around for the first 8 minutes of the game on Tuesday night but from that point on the Wildcats dominated en route to a 84-36 non-conference win.
Junior Tess Johnson sparked the Wildcats with several steals for layups. She had 19 of her 22 points in the first half. Sophomore sharp shooter Sydni Olson drained 6 three pointers and netted 20 points for the evening.
Courtney Freeberg finished in the paint early in the second half to help her to 11 points. Jayda Lenz nailed three 3's to account for her 9 points. 10 different players scored for Waconia in the game.
Lenz dished out 7 assists and Johnson had an astounding 9 steals. Freeberg led the rebounding with 8. Audrey Swanson and Ava Stier both pulled down 6 boards.
The Cats shot 47% for the game (35 for 74). Southwest made 13 of their 33 shots. Waconia won the rebounding battle 36-13.
The Cats improve to 16 and 6 on the season. They are at New Prague on Friday in a very important WCC East game.
The JV had an easy time as well winning 64-11. Hailey Williams returned to action with three 3 pointers. Dani Dykstra and Kylie Sazama both scored 18.
Our 9th grade Wildcats continued their winning ways with a lopsided 71-13 win over the Lakers. Hallie Roitenberg poured in 25. Mackenzie Amundson scored 15.
The Minneapolis Southwest Lakers were able to hang around for the first 8 minutes of the game on Tuesday night but from that point on the Wildcats dominated en route to a 84-36 non-conference win.
Junior Tess Johnson sparked the Wildcats with several steals for layups. She had 19 of her 22 points in the first half. Sophomore sharp shooter Sydni Olson drained 6 three pointers and netted 20 points for the evening.
Courtney Freeberg finished in the paint early in the second half to help her to 11 points. Jayda Lenz nailed three 3's to account for her 9 points. 10 different players scored for Waconia in the game.
Lenz dished out 7 assists and Johnson had an astounding 9 steals. Freeberg led the rebounding with 8. Audrey Swanson and Ava Stier both pulled down 6 boards.
The Cats shot 47% for the game (35 for 74). Southwest made 13 of their 33 shots. Waconia won the rebounding battle 36-13.
The Cats improve to 16 and 6 on the season. They are at New Prague on Friday in a very important WCC East game.
The JV had an easy time as well winning 64-11. Hailey Williams returned to action with three 3 pointers. Dani Dykstra and Kylie Sazama both scored 18.
Our 9th grade Wildcats continued their winning ways with a lopsided 71-13 win over the Lakers. Hallie Roitenberg poured in 25. Mackenzie Amundson scored 15.
Tigers Roar Back to Beat Waconia
Waconia controlled the game for 30 of the 36 minutes on Friday night versus Hutchinson, but the Tigers roared back in the final 6 minutes for a stunning come from behind win.
Waconia led 31-18 at halftime and led 51-40 with 6 minutes to play, but just 2 and half minutes later the game was tied. Hutch made the next basket to take a 56-54 lead. Two Courtney Freeberg free throws tied the game with 1:45 remaining but those would be the last Wildcat points until a meaningless shot at the buzzer finally fell.
Before that buzzer beater Hutchinson outscored Waconia 23-5 in the final six minutes of the game. The Tigers scored on 10 of their final 11 possessions.
After shooting just 28.6% in the first half Hutch was a red hot 51.6% in the second half. They finished at 40.7% for the game. By contrast, Waconia shot only 35.5% in the first half and 36.7% for the game including an uncharacteristic 3 for 19 on threes (15.8%).
Another key to the game was turnovers. Waconia committed only 4 in the first half but they tripled that number in the second half. Hutch gave the ball away 11 times in the first half and only 4 times in the second. Hutch accrued 20 points off turnovers compared to 12 points by the Wildcats.
Tess Johnson netted 14 and Sydni Olson added 13 to lead the Wildcat scoring. Natalie Meath and Courtney Freeberg had 10 rebounds. Audrey Swanson and Ava Stier pitched in 5 each. Jayda Lenz dished out 5 assists.
The loss moves Waconia to 15-6 overall and 5 and 3 in the WCC East. The Cats need to win their final two conference games (against New Prague and Holy Family) to earn a tie for the conference crown.
Our JV Cats improved to 7 and 1 in the WCC East with an impressive 56-30 victory. Mel Honnold had 14 points in just one half of action. Sami Brueggemeier poured in 13.
The freshman stayed undefeated in conference play with a 58-44 victory. Lauren Hanson was hot making 5 threes for all of her 15 points. Mackenzie Amundson and Nora each added 13 points to propel the team to victory.
All 3 teams return to action at home on Tuesday vs. Mpls. Southwest. It is parent's night.
Waconia controlled the game for 30 of the 36 minutes on Friday night versus Hutchinson, but the Tigers roared back in the final 6 minutes for a stunning come from behind win.
Waconia led 31-18 at halftime and led 51-40 with 6 minutes to play, but just 2 and half minutes later the game was tied. Hutch made the next basket to take a 56-54 lead. Two Courtney Freeberg free throws tied the game with 1:45 remaining but those would be the last Wildcat points until a meaningless shot at the buzzer finally fell.
Before that buzzer beater Hutchinson outscored Waconia 23-5 in the final six minutes of the game. The Tigers scored on 10 of their final 11 possessions.
After shooting just 28.6% in the first half Hutch was a red hot 51.6% in the second half. They finished at 40.7% for the game. By contrast, Waconia shot only 35.5% in the first half and 36.7% for the game including an uncharacteristic 3 for 19 on threes (15.8%).
Another key to the game was turnovers. Waconia committed only 4 in the first half but they tripled that number in the second half. Hutch gave the ball away 11 times in the first half and only 4 times in the second. Hutch accrued 20 points off turnovers compared to 12 points by the Wildcats.
Tess Johnson netted 14 and Sydni Olson added 13 to lead the Wildcat scoring. Natalie Meath and Courtney Freeberg had 10 rebounds. Audrey Swanson and Ava Stier pitched in 5 each. Jayda Lenz dished out 5 assists.
The loss moves Waconia to 15-6 overall and 5 and 3 in the WCC East. The Cats need to win their final two conference games (against New Prague and Holy Family) to earn a tie for the conference crown.
Our JV Cats improved to 7 and 1 in the WCC East with an impressive 56-30 victory. Mel Honnold had 14 points in just one half of action. Sami Brueggemeier poured in 13.
The freshman stayed undefeated in conference play with a 58-44 victory. Lauren Hanson was hot making 5 threes for all of her 15 points. Mackenzie Amundson and Nora each added 13 points to propel the team to victory.
All 3 teams return to action at home on Tuesday vs. Mpls. Southwest. It is parent's night.
Waconia Downs Delano
A narrow 25-23 halftime lead ballooned to a 65-42 win for our Wildcats on Tuesday at Delano. Waconia made only 4 of their 21 shots inside the 3 point line in the opening 18 minutes (19%) and the Cats had 13 careless turnovers. Fortunately the team was 5 for 12 from the 3pt line. That solid shooting allowed them the lead at intermission.
The Cats came roaring out of the locker room in the 2nd half, hitting shots and getting stops on defense. Waconia held Delano to just six points in the first 10 minutes of the 2nd stanza going on a 20-6 run.
Waconia would make 9 of their 20 twos in (45%) and 6 of 12 threes (50%) in the second half. The Cats shot an impressive 46% from long range for the game.
Sophomore Sydni Olson was responsible for 7 of those 11 threes and she had a game high 23 points. Junior Tess Johnson added 14 points including several key steals for layups and two big first half three pointers. Jayda Lenz had a game high 7 assists. Johnson dished out 6 assists.
Natalie Meath grabbed 12 rebounds. Freshman Audrey Swanson and Ava Stier contributed 10 and 9 boards respectively. Waconia won the rebounding battle 53-37.
The Wildcats improve to 15 and 5 on the season and 5 and 2 in the WCC East. They host Hutchinson on Friday in an important conference matchup.
The JV Cats also had a strong finish to the game after trailing at halftime. Waconia dominated the final 4 minutes to earn a 49-43 win. Dani Dykstra led the scoring with 16, Mel Honnold scored 13 in limited minutes and made 7 of her 8 free throws.
The freshman helped Coach Westphal go 2 and 0 against her sister (the Delano 9th grade coach) with a 53-26 win. Mackenzie Amundson led a balanced scoring attack with 13, Hallie Roitenberg had 12, Lauren Hanson threw in 9, and Nora Bailey added 8.
A narrow 25-23 halftime lead ballooned to a 65-42 win for our Wildcats on Tuesday at Delano. Waconia made only 4 of their 21 shots inside the 3 point line in the opening 18 minutes (19%) and the Cats had 13 careless turnovers. Fortunately the team was 5 for 12 from the 3pt line. That solid shooting allowed them the lead at intermission.
The Cats came roaring out of the locker room in the 2nd half, hitting shots and getting stops on defense. Waconia held Delano to just six points in the first 10 minutes of the 2nd stanza going on a 20-6 run.
Waconia would make 9 of their 20 twos in (45%) and 6 of 12 threes (50%) in the second half. The Cats shot an impressive 46% from long range for the game.
Sophomore Sydni Olson was responsible for 7 of those 11 threes and she had a game high 23 points. Junior Tess Johnson added 14 points including several key steals for layups and two big first half three pointers. Jayda Lenz had a game high 7 assists. Johnson dished out 6 assists.
Natalie Meath grabbed 12 rebounds. Freshman Audrey Swanson and Ava Stier contributed 10 and 9 boards respectively. Waconia won the rebounding battle 53-37.
The Wildcats improve to 15 and 5 on the season and 5 and 2 in the WCC East. They host Hutchinson on Friday in an important conference matchup.
The JV Cats also had a strong finish to the game after trailing at halftime. Waconia dominated the final 4 minutes to earn a 49-43 win. Dani Dykstra led the scoring with 16, Mel Honnold scored 13 in limited minutes and made 7 of her 8 free throws.
The freshman helped Coach Westphal go 2 and 0 against her sister (the Delano 9th grade coach) with a 53-26 win. Mackenzie Amundson led a balanced scoring attack with 13, Hallie Roitenberg had 12, Lauren Hanson threw in 9, and Nora Bailey added 8.
Waconia Wins at "Community Clash"
It was a full day of basketball in St. Michael for the annual "Breakdown Community Clash" featuring more than a dozen girls and boys varsity games. The Wildcats were pitted against the Monticello Magic and the Cats came away with a 60-48 win.
Waconia raced out to an early double digit lead and was up 35-27 at intermission. A glance at the first half stats would leave a person puzzled as to how Waconia managed to score so many points as the Cats made only 4 of their 20 two point attempts (20%). But further examination would show it was shooting from long range that was the key. Waconia was 6 for 15 from deep (40%) and was also 6 for 9 from the free throw line. The Cats shot 31.5% overall in the first half and still managed to put up a lot of points.
The Magic shot 38% in the first half but they trailed because of turnovers and rebounding. The Cats had 5 turnovers compared to 10 by Monticello and Waconia outrebounded the taller Magic. All this translated to 9 more shot attempts for the Cats.
Waconia led by double digits until the final 4 minutes of the first half when posts Natalie Meath and Courtney Freeberg were both forced to the bench with foul trouble. Monticello was able to get the ball in to their towering posts and close the gap.
In the second half the Cats expanded the lead back to as many as 17, executing well on the offensive end and limiting the Magic on defense.
Overall, Waconia shot 34.5% for the game while Monticello made 35.4% of their shots. But the Cats had only 14 turnovers and made 6 more three pointers. Those two keys translated to the 12 point margin of victory.
The Cats won the rebounding battle 37-36. They scored 18 points off turnovers compared to 9 by the Magic.
Audrey Swanson was the leading rebounder for the Cats with 7. Addy Salzer, Tess Johnson, and Natalie Meath all scored in double figures. Johnson had a game high 5 assists.
Waconia is now 14 and 5 on the season. They return to action on Tuesday when they travel to take on section and conference opponent Delano.
It was a full day of basketball in St. Michael for the annual "Breakdown Community Clash" featuring more than a dozen girls and boys varsity games. The Wildcats were pitted against the Monticello Magic and the Cats came away with a 60-48 win.
Waconia raced out to an early double digit lead and was up 35-27 at intermission. A glance at the first half stats would leave a person puzzled as to how Waconia managed to score so many points as the Cats made only 4 of their 20 two point attempts (20%). But further examination would show it was shooting from long range that was the key. Waconia was 6 for 15 from deep (40%) and was also 6 for 9 from the free throw line. The Cats shot 31.5% overall in the first half and still managed to put up a lot of points.
The Magic shot 38% in the first half but they trailed because of turnovers and rebounding. The Cats had 5 turnovers compared to 10 by Monticello and Waconia outrebounded the taller Magic. All this translated to 9 more shot attempts for the Cats.
Waconia led by double digits until the final 4 minutes of the first half when posts Natalie Meath and Courtney Freeberg were both forced to the bench with foul trouble. Monticello was able to get the ball in to their towering posts and close the gap.
In the second half the Cats expanded the lead back to as many as 17, executing well on the offensive end and limiting the Magic on defense.
Overall, Waconia shot 34.5% for the game while Monticello made 35.4% of their shots. But the Cats had only 14 turnovers and made 6 more three pointers. Those two keys translated to the 12 point margin of victory.
The Cats won the rebounding battle 37-36. They scored 18 points off turnovers compared to 9 by the Magic.
Audrey Swanson was the leading rebounder for the Cats with 7. Addy Salzer, Tess Johnson, and Natalie Meath all scored in double figures. Johnson had a game high 5 assists.
Waconia is now 14 and 5 on the season. They return to action on Tuesday when they travel to take on section and conference opponent Delano.
Cats Cruise Past Spartans
The Wildcats used a determined defense to pull away from the Orono Spartans early on Thursday night as they coasted to a 69-28 win that featured running time the final 9 minutes.
The Cats built a 37-15 halftime lead despite shooting only 28.5% in the first half. The hefty point total at the break was a result of 49 shot attempts and only 4 turnovers by the Cats. By comparison the Spartans made just 5 of their 28 first half attempts. (17.8%)
For the game Waconia went 26 for 72 (36.1%) while Orono was 10 for 47 (21.2%). The Spartans committed 23 turnovers and were outrebounded 52-29.
Four Wildcats scored in double figures led by Natalie Meath with 14. Addy Salzer scored 12. Jayda Lenz netted 11 points and Courtney Freeberg had a double/double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Ava Stier grabbed 9 rebounds.
The Cats improve to 13 and 5 on the season and 4 and 2 in the WCC East.
The JV Cats are becoming the "cardiac Cats" as they earned another very close win 55-53 in overtime. Overtime came courtesy of some buzzer beating heroics by Sarah Cravens. Down 2 with only 4 seconds left, Cravens caught a pass from Dani Dykstra and raced down the floor to make a layup at the buzzer. Dykstra had 22 points, Cravens 15, and Sami Brueggemeier added 13.
The 9th grade Cats earned a 65-43 win. Nora Bailey had a season high 22 points and was perfect at the free throw line. Hallie Roitenberg had 14 and Mackenzie Amundson added 12 points.
The varsity returns to action on Saturday against Monticello at STMA High School in The Breakdown "Community Clash". The Wildcat girls play at 2:15 with the Wildcat boys playing the Magic immediately after.
The Wildcats used a determined defense to pull away from the Orono Spartans early on Thursday night as they coasted to a 69-28 win that featured running time the final 9 minutes.
The Cats built a 37-15 halftime lead despite shooting only 28.5% in the first half. The hefty point total at the break was a result of 49 shot attempts and only 4 turnovers by the Cats. By comparison the Spartans made just 5 of their 28 first half attempts. (17.8%)
For the game Waconia went 26 for 72 (36.1%) while Orono was 10 for 47 (21.2%). The Spartans committed 23 turnovers and were outrebounded 52-29.
Four Wildcats scored in double figures led by Natalie Meath with 14. Addy Salzer scored 12. Jayda Lenz netted 11 points and Courtney Freeberg had a double/double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Ava Stier grabbed 9 rebounds.
The Cats improve to 13 and 5 on the season and 4 and 2 in the WCC East.
The JV Cats are becoming the "cardiac Cats" as they earned another very close win 55-53 in overtime. Overtime came courtesy of some buzzer beating heroics by Sarah Cravens. Down 2 with only 4 seconds left, Cravens caught a pass from Dani Dykstra and raced down the floor to make a layup at the buzzer. Dykstra had 22 points, Cravens 15, and Sami Brueggemeier added 13.
The 9th grade Cats earned a 65-43 win. Nora Bailey had a season high 22 points and was perfect at the free throw line. Hallie Roitenberg had 14 and Mackenzie Amundson added 12 points.
The varsity returns to action on Saturday against Monticello at STMA High School in The Breakdown "Community Clash". The Wildcat girls play at 2:15 with the Wildcat boys playing the Magic immediately after.
Waconia Falls to Fire
The Wildcats were never able to get on track offensively as they fell to the Holy Family Fire 67-58.
The Cats trailed 34-27 at halftime but some halftime defensive adjustments helped the Cats limit Holy Family to 7 for 31 shooting (22.5%) in the 2nd half. At one point Waconia strung together seven consecutive stops on defense. Unfortunately the Cats were not able to score during that stretch to cut into the Fire lead. Waconia was equally challenged offensively in the 2nd half making only 9 of their 37 shots (24%).
In the first half Holy Family shot nearly 50% compared to only 33% for the Cats.
Despite the offensive challenges the Wildcats were able close the gap to 55-53 with 3 minutes to play, but the Fire were able to make some free throws and they pulled away for the win.
Addy Salzer led the scoring with 14. Tess Johnson added 12. Natalie Meath had a team high 11 rebounds.
Waconia lost the rebounding battle 43-41.
The JV dropped a heart breaker 53-52. The Cats were up 52-50 with 30 seconds left but Holy Family made a 3 with just seconds remaining to steal the win.
Kylie Sazama scored 22, Dani Dykstra had 10, and Sarah Cravens contributed 7.
Waconia returns to action on Tuesday when they host the 14 and 3 New Ulm Eagles.
The Wildcats were never able to get on track offensively as they fell to the Holy Family Fire 67-58.
The Cats trailed 34-27 at halftime but some halftime defensive adjustments helped the Cats limit Holy Family to 7 for 31 shooting (22.5%) in the 2nd half. At one point Waconia strung together seven consecutive stops on defense. Unfortunately the Cats were not able to score during that stretch to cut into the Fire lead. Waconia was equally challenged offensively in the 2nd half making only 9 of their 37 shots (24%).
In the first half Holy Family shot nearly 50% compared to only 33% for the Cats.
Despite the offensive challenges the Wildcats were able close the gap to 55-53 with 3 minutes to play, but the Fire were able to make some free throws and they pulled away for the win.
Addy Salzer led the scoring with 14. Tess Johnson added 12. Natalie Meath had a team high 11 rebounds.
Waconia lost the rebounding battle 43-41.
The JV dropped a heart breaker 53-52. The Cats were up 52-50 with 30 seconds left but Holy Family made a 3 with just seconds remaining to steal the win.
Kylie Sazama scored 22, Dani Dykstra had 10, and Sarah Cravens contributed 7.
Waconia returns to action on Tuesday when they host the 14 and 3 New Ulm Eagles.
New Prague Prevails in Battle of Unbeatens
When the game tipped off on Tuesday night both Waconia and New Prague were a perfect 3 and 0 in the WCC East but it would be the visitors from New Prague that would walk out of the gym in sole possession of first place. The Trojans triumphed 60-57.
It was a frustrating night for the Cats as they struggled to make shots around the rim. Waconia was 7 for 17 from the 3 point line (41%) but only 14 for 42 inside the arc (33%) with most of the shots coming in the paint. The Cats shot 35% (23 for 60)from the floor overall.
New Prague went 19 for 41 (46.3%) and basically answered Waconia's long range shooting performance making 6 of their 16 attempts.
The Trojans built a quick 16-6 lead in the first four minutes of the game but Waconia rallied to trail 32-29 at intermission. New Prague had the edge again early in the second half and their lead grew to 44-34 before the Cats would crack down defensively. A key three pointer by Sydni Olson trimmed the Trojan lead to 5. The Cats closed the gap to just 58-57 with 15 seconds left. New Prague had to pass in under the Waconia basket and it took the Cats 12 seconds to finally foul and put the Trojans at the free throw line. New Prague made both free throws and the Wildcats' attempt at the buzzer missed wide.
The aforementioned Olson led the scoring with 18. Freshman Ava Stier was the only other player to reach double figure scoring as she contributed 10.
Waconia managed to grab only 9 rebounds in the first 18 minutes of action and freshman Audrey Swanson had 7 of them. She finished with a team high 8 rebounds.
Waconia falls to 12 and 4 overall and 3 and 1 in the WCC East.
The JV Cats earned another outstanding win topping the Trojans 47-42. Sarah Cravens led with 16 points, Sami Brueggemeier added 9 and Kylie Sazama scored 8.
The 9th grade still have only one blemish on their season as they scored a 56-47 win. Grace Steffen scorched the nets for 15 points (including an impressive 9 for 10 on free throws). Nora Bailey added 14 and Hallie Roitenberg chipped in 10.
The JV and varsity make the short trip to Holy Family on Friday.
When the game tipped off on Tuesday night both Waconia and New Prague were a perfect 3 and 0 in the WCC East but it would be the visitors from New Prague that would walk out of the gym in sole possession of first place. The Trojans triumphed 60-57.
It was a frustrating night for the Cats as they struggled to make shots around the rim. Waconia was 7 for 17 from the 3 point line (41%) but only 14 for 42 inside the arc (33%) with most of the shots coming in the paint. The Cats shot 35% (23 for 60)from the floor overall.
New Prague went 19 for 41 (46.3%) and basically answered Waconia's long range shooting performance making 6 of their 16 attempts.
The Trojans built a quick 16-6 lead in the first four minutes of the game but Waconia rallied to trail 32-29 at intermission. New Prague had the edge again early in the second half and their lead grew to 44-34 before the Cats would crack down defensively. A key three pointer by Sydni Olson trimmed the Trojan lead to 5. The Cats closed the gap to just 58-57 with 15 seconds left. New Prague had to pass in under the Waconia basket and it took the Cats 12 seconds to finally foul and put the Trojans at the free throw line. New Prague made both free throws and the Wildcats' attempt at the buzzer missed wide.
The aforementioned Olson led the scoring with 18. Freshman Ava Stier was the only other player to reach double figure scoring as she contributed 10.
Waconia managed to grab only 9 rebounds in the first 18 minutes of action and freshman Audrey Swanson had 7 of them. She finished with a team high 8 rebounds.
Waconia falls to 12 and 4 overall and 3 and 1 in the WCC East.
The JV Cats earned another outstanding win topping the Trojans 47-42. Sarah Cravens led with 16 points, Sami Brueggemeier added 9 and Kylie Sazama scored 8.
The 9th grade still have only one blemish on their season as they scored a 56-47 win. Grace Steffen scorched the nets for 15 points (including an impressive 9 for 10 on free throws). Nora Bailey added 14 and Hallie Roitenberg chipped in 10.
The JV and varsity make the short trip to Holy Family on Friday.
Cats Cruise Past Crusaders
St. Croix Lutheran entered Saturday night's matchup with a nice 11 and 4 record and a couple of heralded young players. They left Waconia with a 69-53 loss at the hands of the #7 ranked Wildcats.
Waconia controlled the game, leading by double digits for most of the first half. When the Crusaders closed the margin to seven at the break, the Cats responded by clamping down on defense. St. Croix Lutheran scored only 7 points in the first 10 minutes of the 2nd half and the Wildcat lead ballooned to 20.
A big key to the game was Waconia's rebounding dominance. The Cats grabbed 44 rebounds to just 28 by the Crusaders. Courtney Freeberg led the way with 11 rebounds. Ava Stier hauled in 8. Addy Salzer and Natalie Meath cleaned the glass 7 times.
The Cats limited SCL to less than 30% shooting and forced 20 turnovers. Waconia was an impressive 24 for 30 at the free throw line (80%).
Sophomore Addy Salzer led the scoring parade with 17, 15 of those in the 2nd half. Sydni Olson netted 14 and Tess Johnson tickled the twine for 12 points. Freeberg was just 1 point away from a double/double. The Cats got 22 points from their bench compared to just 10 bench points by the Crusaders.
The Wildcat varsity improves to 12 and 3 overall on the season.
The JV used a spectacular second half to propel past SCL for a 61-37 win. The JV was down 5 at halftime but their defense turned the game in their favor. Kylie Sazama scored 18, Sarah Cravens 14, Kenzie Amundson had 8 in just a half of action. Jordan Machacek added 7 and Carli Cebulla threw in 6.
The 9th grade Cats coasted to a 46-27 win. Lauren Hanson scored 15 including three 3 pointers. Natalie Whitehead, Hallie Roitenberg, and Kenzie Amundson all added 8.
All three teams return to action on Tuesday as WHS holds a battle of WCC East unbeatens. New Prague and Waconia both stand on top of the conference standings at 3 and 0. One team will emerge on Tuesday with an inside track to the conference title.
St. Croix Lutheran entered Saturday night's matchup with a nice 11 and 4 record and a couple of heralded young players. They left Waconia with a 69-53 loss at the hands of the #7 ranked Wildcats.
Waconia controlled the game, leading by double digits for most of the first half. When the Crusaders closed the margin to seven at the break, the Cats responded by clamping down on defense. St. Croix Lutheran scored only 7 points in the first 10 minutes of the 2nd half and the Wildcat lead ballooned to 20.
A big key to the game was Waconia's rebounding dominance. The Cats grabbed 44 rebounds to just 28 by the Crusaders. Courtney Freeberg led the way with 11 rebounds. Ava Stier hauled in 8. Addy Salzer and Natalie Meath cleaned the glass 7 times.
The Cats limited SCL to less than 30% shooting and forced 20 turnovers. Waconia was an impressive 24 for 30 at the free throw line (80%).
Sophomore Addy Salzer led the scoring parade with 17, 15 of those in the 2nd half. Sydni Olson netted 14 and Tess Johnson tickled the twine for 12 points. Freeberg was just 1 point away from a double/double. The Cats got 22 points from their bench compared to just 10 bench points by the Crusaders.
The Wildcat varsity improves to 12 and 3 overall on the season.
The JV used a spectacular second half to propel past SCL for a 61-37 win. The JV was down 5 at halftime but their defense turned the game in their favor. Kylie Sazama scored 18, Sarah Cravens 14, Kenzie Amundson had 8 in just a half of action. Jordan Machacek added 7 and Carli Cebulla threw in 6.
The 9th grade Cats coasted to a 46-27 win. Lauren Hanson scored 15 including three 3 pointers. Natalie Whitehead, Hallie Roitenberg, and Kenzie Amundson all added 8.
All three teams return to action on Tuesday as WHS holds a battle of WCC East unbeatens. New Prague and Waconia both stand on top of the conference standings at 3 and 0. One team will emerge on Tuesday with an inside track to the conference title.
Wildcats Tame Tigers
The Wildcats moved to 3 and 0 in the WCC East with a decisive 87-61 win at Hutchinson. The Tigers, who have won back to back conference championships, trailed from start to finish.
Waconia shot the ball extremely well all evening, even when Hutch turned up their defensive intensity in the 2nd half. Sophomore Sydni Olson made 4 threes in the first half to propel the Cats to a 39-27 halftime lead. Olson finished with 16 points. Tess Johnson netted 16 points. She also had 5 assists and 4 steals. Junior Natalie Meath contributed 13 points and a team high 7 rebounds. Junior Jayda Lenz chipped in 11 points to go with her game high 8 assists. Sophomore Addy Salzer made it five players in double figures with 10 points.
Waconia shot a scorching 59% from the floor and 45% from behind the arc. By contrast, Hutch shot 39%. The Cats won the rebounding battle 30-23 and had just 16 turnovers against the famous Hutchinson press.
The Cats improve to 11 and 3 on the season.
The JV and 9th grade teams also won to make it a clean sweep on the road. JV was down to just six players after an injury to junior Hailey Williams but they battled and earned an exciting 47-46 win. The JV was down one with 1:45 to play when Sami Brueggemeier buried a big three pointer to provide the winning margin. Brueggemeier led the JV with 14 points. Sarah Cravens and Kylie Sazama scored 11 each. Carli Cebulla had 5 points including a key first half 3 pointer.
The 9th grade prevailed 44-41. Hallie Roitenberg and Lauren Hanson did a great job in their new role as primary ball handlers. Mackenzie Amundson netted 12 points, Nora Bailey added 10, and Roitenberg netted 9.
All three teams return to action on Saturday as they host class AAA St. Croix Lutheran.
The Wildcats moved to 3 and 0 in the WCC East with a decisive 87-61 win at Hutchinson. The Tigers, who have won back to back conference championships, trailed from start to finish.
Waconia shot the ball extremely well all evening, even when Hutch turned up their defensive intensity in the 2nd half. Sophomore Sydni Olson made 4 threes in the first half to propel the Cats to a 39-27 halftime lead. Olson finished with 16 points. Tess Johnson netted 16 points. She also had 5 assists and 4 steals. Junior Natalie Meath contributed 13 points and a team high 7 rebounds. Junior Jayda Lenz chipped in 11 points to go with her game high 8 assists. Sophomore Addy Salzer made it five players in double figures with 10 points.
Waconia shot a scorching 59% from the floor and 45% from behind the arc. By contrast, Hutch shot 39%. The Cats won the rebounding battle 30-23 and had just 16 turnovers against the famous Hutchinson press.
The Cats improve to 11 and 3 on the season.
The JV and 9th grade teams also won to make it a clean sweep on the road. JV was down to just six players after an injury to junior Hailey Williams but they battled and earned an exciting 47-46 win. The JV was down one with 1:45 to play when Sami Brueggemeier buried a big three pointer to provide the winning margin. Brueggemeier led the JV with 14 points. Sarah Cravens and Kylie Sazama scored 11 each. Carli Cebulla had 5 points including a key first half 3 pointer.
The 9th grade prevailed 44-41. Hallie Roitenberg and Lauren Hanson did a great job in their new role as primary ball handlers. Mackenzie Amundson netted 12 points, Nora Bailey added 10, and Roitenberg netted 9.
All three teams return to action on Saturday as they host class AAA St. Croix Lutheran.
Waconia Downs Delano
Another hot start led to a comfortable 75-48 win over Delano on Thursday night at the Waconia High School gym. The Cats drained 8 threes in the first half, building a 42-16 halftime lead.
Sophomore Sydni Olson was the hottest of a group of hot shooters burying five three pointers in the opening stanza. Natalie Meath added two triples.
Olson led five players in double figures with 15 points. Senior Courtney Freeberg scored 13 points and grabbed 7 rebounds. Meath totaled 12 points. Tess Johnson and Addy Salzer added 10 points a piece. Ava Stier was the leading rebounder on the night with 8 boards. Johnson grabbed a game high 5 steals.
Waconia committed 15 turnovers compared to 27 by the Tigers. The Cats won the rebounding battle 36-25.
The Wildcat defense limited Delano to just 18% shooting from the floor in the first half.
Waconia is now 10 and 3 on the season.
The JV Cats pulled away in the 2nd half to earn a 51-34 win. Melissa Honnold had 18 points, Sami Brueggemeier added 13 points, and Hailey Williams nailed 4 three pointers for her 12 points.
Our freshman squad won the "Battle of the Westphals" (Delano's 9th grade coach is Coach Westphal's sister) 45-36. Grace Seim had 17 points to power the Cats past the Tigers.
All three teams return to action on Thursday at Hutchinson.
Another hot start led to a comfortable 75-48 win over Delano on Thursday night at the Waconia High School gym. The Cats drained 8 threes in the first half, building a 42-16 halftime lead.
Sophomore Sydni Olson was the hottest of a group of hot shooters burying five three pointers in the opening stanza. Natalie Meath added two triples.
Olson led five players in double figures with 15 points. Senior Courtney Freeberg scored 13 points and grabbed 7 rebounds. Meath totaled 12 points. Tess Johnson and Addy Salzer added 10 points a piece. Ava Stier was the leading rebounder on the night with 8 boards. Johnson grabbed a game high 5 steals.
Waconia committed 15 turnovers compared to 27 by the Tigers. The Cats won the rebounding battle 36-25.
The Wildcat defense limited Delano to just 18% shooting from the floor in the first half.
Waconia is now 10 and 3 on the season.
The JV Cats pulled away in the 2nd half to earn a 51-34 win. Melissa Honnold had 18 points, Sami Brueggemeier added 13 points, and Hailey Williams nailed 4 three pointers for her 12 points.
Our freshman squad won the "Battle of the Westphals" (Delano's 9th grade coach is Coach Westphal's sister) 45-36. Grace Seim had 17 points to power the Cats past the Tigers.
All three teams return to action on Thursday at Hutchinson.
Cats Cruise in Conference Opener
The Wildcats built an early 18-6 lead and never looked back as they won their WCC East opener 87-61 over Orono.
Six players scored in double figures for the Wildcats and nine players scored in the game overall. Tess Johnson led the way with 16 points and 6 steals. Addy Salzer added 14 points. Sydni Olson scored 13 and grabbed a season high 6 rebounds. Ava Stier also had 13 with a team high 8 rebounds. Courtney Freeberg contributed 12 points and Natalie Meath netted 10.
The Cats shot 54% from the floor compared to 41% for the Spartans. Waconia outscored Orono in the paint 48-20 and out rebounded the Spartans 42-20. Waconia scored 31 points off Orono turnovers. The Spartans scored 12 points of Wildcat miscues. Waconia finished the night with 22 steals.
Waconia is now 9 and 3 overall.
The JV Cats turned a close game at halftime into a blowout as they stopped the Spartans 59-40. Melissa Honnold had 17 points, Sarah Cravens contributed 12, and Sami Brueggemeier added 11.
The 9th graders won 27-25 in dramatic fashion. With the game tied at 25 the Wildcats had the ball with less than 30 seconds left. Nora Bailey got the ball at the right block and powered up past an Orono defender to make the tough basket. She was also fouled on the play but managed to make what proved to be the game winning shot despite the contact. Grace Seim grabbed a key rebound after Orono missed an attempt to tie it and the freshman got a hard fought road win.
All three teams return to action at home on Thursday Jan. 10th when they host conference and section opponent Delano.
The Wildcats built an early 18-6 lead and never looked back as they won their WCC East opener 87-61 over Orono.
Six players scored in double figures for the Wildcats and nine players scored in the game overall. Tess Johnson led the way with 16 points and 6 steals. Addy Salzer added 14 points. Sydni Olson scored 13 and grabbed a season high 6 rebounds. Ava Stier also had 13 with a team high 8 rebounds. Courtney Freeberg contributed 12 points and Natalie Meath netted 10.
The Cats shot 54% from the floor compared to 41% for the Spartans. Waconia outscored Orono in the paint 48-20 and out rebounded the Spartans 42-20. Waconia scored 31 points off Orono turnovers. The Spartans scored 12 points of Wildcat miscues. Waconia finished the night with 22 steals.
Waconia is now 9 and 3 overall.
The JV Cats turned a close game at halftime into a blowout as they stopped the Spartans 59-40. Melissa Honnold had 17 points, Sarah Cravens contributed 12, and Sami Brueggemeier added 11.
The 9th graders won 27-25 in dramatic fashion. With the game tied at 25 the Wildcats had the ball with less than 30 seconds left. Nora Bailey got the ball at the right block and powered up past an Orono defender to make the tough basket. She was also fouled on the play but managed to make what proved to be the game winning shot despite the contact. Grace Seim grabbed a key rebound after Orono missed an attempt to tie it and the freshman got a hard fought road win.
All three teams return to action at home on Thursday Jan. 10th when they host conference and section opponent Delano.
Waconia Wins at the Pentagon
The Wildcats concluded their play in the Hoop City Classic with a game at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls on Saturday. The Pentagon has become a favorite destination of big time D-I basketball teams and it's also the home to the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the G League team for the Miami Heat.
Waconia was originally scheduled to play Sioux Falls Lincoln but the Patriots backed out on December 10th. The Canby Lancers had an opening in their schedule and were kind enough to fill in. Canby is a class A school 90 miles north of Sioux Falls on the SD/MN border.
The Cats pounced early and they built a 38-12 halftime advantage. Canby clawed back to cut the lead to as little as 18 at one point in the 2nd half, but Waconia would respond making the final score 68-38.
10 of the 13 players that saw action for the Wildcats scored led by Courtney Freeberg with 14 points. Tess Johnson (13), Jayda Lenz (11), and Addy Salzer (10) also put up double figures in points. Freeberg was one rebound shy of a double/double as she grabbed 9 rebounds.
While turnovers were again an issue for Waconia in the opening minutes of the game, the team tightened things up and made better decisions with the ball. The shooting troubles that were so prominent less than 24 hours earlier were no where to be seen as the Cats converted 56% of their shots in the 1st half and 42% of them for the game.
Waconia won the rebounding battle 46-33.
The Cats improve to 8 and 3 on the season. They return to action on Jan. 4th as they open WCC Eats play at Orono.
The Wildcats concluded their play in the Hoop City Classic with a game at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls on Saturday. The Pentagon has become a favorite destination of big time D-I basketball teams and it's also the home to the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the G League team for the Miami Heat.
Waconia was originally scheduled to play Sioux Falls Lincoln but the Patriots backed out on December 10th. The Canby Lancers had an opening in their schedule and were kind enough to fill in. Canby is a class A school 90 miles north of Sioux Falls on the SD/MN border.
The Cats pounced early and they built a 38-12 halftime advantage. Canby clawed back to cut the lead to as little as 18 at one point in the 2nd half, but Waconia would respond making the final score 68-38.
10 of the 13 players that saw action for the Wildcats scored led by Courtney Freeberg with 14 points. Tess Johnson (13), Jayda Lenz (11), and Addy Salzer (10) also put up double figures in points. Freeberg was one rebound shy of a double/double as she grabbed 9 rebounds.
While turnovers were again an issue for Waconia in the opening minutes of the game, the team tightened things up and made better decisions with the ball. The shooting troubles that were so prominent less than 24 hours earlier were no where to be seen as the Cats converted 56% of their shots in the 1st half and 42% of them for the game.
Waconia won the rebounding battle 46-33.
The Cats improve to 8 and 3 on the season. They return to action on Jan. 4th as they open WCC Eats play at Orono.
Cats Fall at Corn Palace
A professional recap can be found by clicking on the link from the Mitchell Daily Republic:
https://www.mitchellrepublic.com/sports/basketball/4549339-kernel-girls-shake-slow-start-win-over-waconia#.XCggPGCAfec.link
A professional recap can be found by clicking on the link from the Mitchell Daily Republic:
https://www.mitchellrepublic.com/sports/basketball/4549339-kernel-girls-shake-slow-start-win-over-waconia#.XCggPGCAfec.link
Waconia Wins Key Section Game Against Mound
The Mound Westonka Whitehawks entered Friday's game at 4 and 2 and very much in the mix for one of the top seeds in section 6AAA. Shorthanded due to several recent injuries, our Wildcats would earn an important 86-52 win.
It was a competitive game through the first half as the two teams traded baskets. The Cats led 40-30 at intermission but fans in attendance would tell you Waconia should have had 50 points given the numerous point blank shots the team missed. The good news is the Cats were getting great shots, often because of their terrific offensive rebounding. In fact, the Wildcats grabbed more offensive rebounds in the game than defensive (24 to 20).
Many of the shots in the paint that didn't drop in the first half fell in the 2nd half and Waconia tightened up the team defense which allowed the Cats to coast to a comfortable victory.
Junior Tess Johnson had a spectacular night, coming one steal shy of a triple double (21 points, 10 assists, 9 steals). Sophomore Sydni Olson poured in 19 points. Courtney Freeberg added 14 points to go with her 6 rebounds. Natalie Meath made it four Cats in double figures with 10 points. Ava Stier was the leading rebounder hauling down 12 rebounds, 9 of them offensive rebounds.
Waconia finished the game with 22 steals. Mound committed 28 turnovers. Waconia gave the ball away just 12 times. The Cats went 37 for 82 from the floor (45%) while Mound made 20 of their 58 shots (34%).
The varsity Cats are now 7 and 2 as they head into the Christmas break. They will travel to South Dakota to participate in the "Hoop City Classic". They take on the Mitchell Kernels in the Corn Palace on Dec. 28th and the Canby Lancers at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls on Dec. 29th.
Our JV team triumphed 54-47. Kenzie Amundson scored 15 in her JV debut. Sami Brueggemeier and Sarah Cravens pitched in 12 each.
The freshman Cats also claimed a victory. They prevailed 38-34. Nora Bailey led the way for the 9th graders with 15 points.
The Mound Westonka Whitehawks entered Friday's game at 4 and 2 and very much in the mix for one of the top seeds in section 6AAA. Shorthanded due to several recent injuries, our Wildcats would earn an important 86-52 win.
It was a competitive game through the first half as the two teams traded baskets. The Cats led 40-30 at intermission but fans in attendance would tell you Waconia should have had 50 points given the numerous point blank shots the team missed. The good news is the Cats were getting great shots, often because of their terrific offensive rebounding. In fact, the Wildcats grabbed more offensive rebounds in the game than defensive (24 to 20).
Many of the shots in the paint that didn't drop in the first half fell in the 2nd half and Waconia tightened up the team defense which allowed the Cats to coast to a comfortable victory.
Junior Tess Johnson had a spectacular night, coming one steal shy of a triple double (21 points, 10 assists, 9 steals). Sophomore Sydni Olson poured in 19 points. Courtney Freeberg added 14 points to go with her 6 rebounds. Natalie Meath made it four Cats in double figures with 10 points. Ava Stier was the leading rebounder hauling down 12 rebounds, 9 of them offensive rebounds.
Waconia finished the game with 22 steals. Mound committed 28 turnovers. Waconia gave the ball away just 12 times. The Cats went 37 for 82 from the floor (45%) while Mound made 20 of their 58 shots (34%).
The varsity Cats are now 7 and 2 as they head into the Christmas break. They will travel to South Dakota to participate in the "Hoop City Classic". They take on the Mitchell Kernels in the Corn Palace on Dec. 28th and the Canby Lancers at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls on Dec. 29th.
Our JV team triumphed 54-47. Kenzie Amundson scored 15 in her JV debut. Sami Brueggemeier and Sarah Cravens pitched in 12 each.
The freshman Cats also claimed a victory. They prevailed 38-34. Nora Bailey led the way for the 9th graders with 15 points.
Cats Can't Finish Against Chaska
When a game is over and you see that your team earned more than 20 steals and forced the opponent into over 30 turnovers you'd usually expect to see a win.
That was not the case on Tuesday night as the Wildcats lost to Chaska 77-63. Waconia trailed 37-24 at halftime despite grabbing 14 first half steals. The Hawks made 14 of their 31 first half shots while the Cats made only 9 of their 30 attempts. Many of Waconia's misses came in the paint while Chaska was hitting mid-range and long jumpers with great consistency.
But shooting wasn't the only area where the Hawks excelled. They won the rebounding battle by a 38-27 margin. That helped Chaska to overcome their 33 turnovers (compared to 20 by the Cats).
Courtney Freeberg had 11 rebounds and Tess Johnson had an impressive 8 steals. Johnson led in scoring with 16 points. Addy Salzer and Ava Stier net 9 points a piece.
Waconia drops to 6 and 2 on the season. They will host Mound Westonka in a key section 6AAA matchup on Friday.
The JV Cats lost a physical battle 46-39. It was truly a game of runs as the Cats trailed 21-12 at halftime before going on a 9-0 run to start the 2nd stanza and tie the game. Chaska responded with an 11-0 run but the Cats would comeback yet again. Sarah Cravens scored 11 and Audrey Swanson netted 9.
The 9th grade Cats coasted to a 48-29 win. Mackenzie Amundson poured in 16 points to lead the charge.
When a game is over and you see that your team earned more than 20 steals and forced the opponent into over 30 turnovers you'd usually expect to see a win.
That was not the case on Tuesday night as the Wildcats lost to Chaska 77-63. Waconia trailed 37-24 at halftime despite grabbing 14 first half steals. The Hawks made 14 of their 31 first half shots while the Cats made only 9 of their 30 attempts. Many of Waconia's misses came in the paint while Chaska was hitting mid-range and long jumpers with great consistency.
But shooting wasn't the only area where the Hawks excelled. They won the rebounding battle by a 38-27 margin. That helped Chaska to overcome their 33 turnovers (compared to 20 by the Cats).
Courtney Freeberg had 11 rebounds and Tess Johnson had an impressive 8 steals. Johnson led in scoring with 16 points. Addy Salzer and Ava Stier net 9 points a piece.
Waconia drops to 6 and 2 on the season. They will host Mound Westonka in a key section 6AAA matchup on Friday.
The JV Cats lost a physical battle 46-39. It was truly a game of runs as the Cats trailed 21-12 at halftime before going on a 9-0 run to start the 2nd stanza and tie the game. Chaska responded with an 11-0 run but the Cats would comeback yet again. Sarah Cravens scored 11 and Audrey Swanson netted 9.
The 9th grade Cats coasted to a 48-29 win. Mackenzie Amundson poured in 16 points to lead the charge.
Minnetonka Hands Waconia First Loss
Minnetonka jumped out to an 18-8 lead but Waconia would rally to take a 32-30 lead at intermission. When the teams started the 2nd half the Skippers continued their hot 3pt shooting while the Cats went cold and Minnetonka earned a 63-50 win on Thursday night.
While Minnetonka shot only 40% from the floor they were a blistering 58% from beyond the arc (11 for 19). The Cats were just as hot from long range in the first half (7 for 13) but Waconia couldn't convert any of their 6 three point shots in the 2nd half.
The Cats managed to score only 5 points in the first 10 minutes of the second half, falling behind by 12. They were never able to close the gap in the final 8 minutes.
Waconia struggled to score in the paint making only 10 of their 46 attempts. The team also failed to cash in at the free throw line making only 9 of their 21 attempts.
Natalie Meath led the rebounding effort with 9. Courtney Freeberg grabbed 8 rebounds. Addy Salzer led the scoring with 15. Sydni Olson netted 12 points. Only six Wildcats scored, the lowest number of the season.
The JV Cats lost in a similar fashion 50-38. Dani Dykstra scored 16, Audrey Swanson 10, and Sarah Cravens had 8. The JV team also had trouble finishing in the paint in a more physical style of game than they've seen recently.
The 9th grade Cats prevailed 37-28. Mackenzie Amundson and Nora Bailey each scored 10. Lauren Hanson had a few key three pointers to spark the freshman offense.
Waconia returns to action on Tuesday as they travel to Chaska.
Minnetonka jumped out to an 18-8 lead but Waconia would rally to take a 32-30 lead at intermission. When the teams started the 2nd half the Skippers continued their hot 3pt shooting while the Cats went cold and Minnetonka earned a 63-50 win on Thursday night.
While Minnetonka shot only 40% from the floor they were a blistering 58% from beyond the arc (11 for 19). The Cats were just as hot from long range in the first half (7 for 13) but Waconia couldn't convert any of their 6 three point shots in the 2nd half.
The Cats managed to score only 5 points in the first 10 minutes of the second half, falling behind by 12. They were never able to close the gap in the final 8 minutes.
Waconia struggled to score in the paint making only 10 of their 46 attempts. The team also failed to cash in at the free throw line making only 9 of their 21 attempts.
Natalie Meath led the rebounding effort with 9. Courtney Freeberg grabbed 8 rebounds. Addy Salzer led the scoring with 15. Sydni Olson netted 12 points. Only six Wildcats scored, the lowest number of the season.
The JV Cats lost in a similar fashion 50-38. Dani Dykstra scored 16, Audrey Swanson 10, and Sarah Cravens had 8. The JV team also had trouble finishing in the paint in a more physical style of game than they've seen recently.
The 9th grade Cats prevailed 37-28. Mackenzie Amundson and Nora Bailey each scored 10. Lauren Hanson had a few key three pointers to spark the freshman offense.
Waconia returns to action on Tuesday as they travel to Chaska.
Waconia Silences the Storm
The Wildcats moved to 6 and 0 on the season with a lopsided 74-28 win over Sauk Rapids-Rice. The Storm came into the game 1 and 2 but were without their senior starting point guard and that certainly hurt the Storm's offensive efficiency.
Waconia built a 48-10 lead at halftime. The varsity regulars were relegated to the bench for the final 14 minutes of the game.
A key to the blowout score was the difference in shots taken. Waconia attempted 80 shots while SR-R only managed to get 41 shots off. The Cats created 27 steals led by Tess Johnson with 9 and Addy Salzer with 6. The Storm had 35 turnovers while Waconia only gave the ball away 10 times.
The Cats had a big edge on the boards at 45-34. They were led by Ava Stier and Natalie Meath with 7 rebounds each.
10 different players scored for Waconia led by Addy Salzer and Tess Johnson with 15. Sydni Olson added 12 points. Meath netted 9 points.
The JV and 9th grade games followed the same storyline as the varsity. In both cases the teams won in blowout fashion. The 9th grade won 58-4. Kenzie Amundson and Kiley Sazama led the scoring with 13 each. The JV coasted to a 53-16 victory. Audrey Swanson scored 18 and Mel Honnold added 12. Sarah Christians joined them in double figures with 10 points.
The teams will return to practice on Wednesday with only that one day to prepare for AAAA Minnetonka on Thursday. The matchup was originally scheduled for 4 games but due to some recent injuries the Cats can only field the usual 3 teams on Thursday.
The Wildcats moved to 6 and 0 on the season with a lopsided 74-28 win over Sauk Rapids-Rice. The Storm came into the game 1 and 2 but were without their senior starting point guard and that certainly hurt the Storm's offensive efficiency.
Waconia built a 48-10 lead at halftime. The varsity regulars were relegated to the bench for the final 14 minutes of the game.
A key to the blowout score was the difference in shots taken. Waconia attempted 80 shots while SR-R only managed to get 41 shots off. The Cats created 27 steals led by Tess Johnson with 9 and Addy Salzer with 6. The Storm had 35 turnovers while Waconia only gave the ball away 10 times.
The Cats had a big edge on the boards at 45-34. They were led by Ava Stier and Natalie Meath with 7 rebounds each.
10 different players scored for Waconia led by Addy Salzer and Tess Johnson with 15. Sydni Olson added 12 points. Meath netted 9 points.
The JV and 9th grade games followed the same storyline as the varsity. In both cases the teams won in blowout fashion. The 9th grade won 58-4. Kenzie Amundson and Kiley Sazama led the scoring with 13 each. The JV coasted to a 53-16 victory. Audrey Swanson scored 18 and Mel Honnold added 12. Sarah Christians joined them in double figures with 10 points.
The teams will return to practice on Wednesday with only that one day to prepare for AAAA Minnetonka on Thursday. The matchup was originally scheduled for 4 games but due to some recent injuries the Cats can only field the usual 3 teams on Thursday.
Waconia Rallies to Beat Richfield
It was a tale of two halves on Friday night at Richfield. The first half featured multiple banked in buckets by the Spartans and numerous missed shots in the paint by the Cats. Richfield also dominated the rebounding battle by a 19-8 margin. All this added up to a 28-25 halftime advantage for the host Spartans.
The second half was ALL Waconia though. The half began with a steal by Jayda Lenz that turned into a layup. Seconds later Tess Johnson turned another steal into a layup and suddenly the Cats had the lead and the momentum.
Natalie Meath missed most of the first half with 2 fouls and her absence was evident with the lack of rebounding. But Meath made a huge impact in the second half scoring all 9 of her points and grabbing several tough rebounds.
Sydni Olson also sparked the team in the second half with three big three pointers. In the final 18 minutes the Wildcats outscored the Spartans 40 to 15 as they pulled away for a 65-43 victory.
Waconia is now 5 and 0 on the season. They will host the Storm of Sauk Rapids-Rice on Tuesday then travel to Minnetonka to battle the Skippers on Thursday.
The JV Cats coasted to a comfortable 62-26 win. Audrey Swanson led the scoring with 20 points. Melissa Honnold had 10.
The freshman squad won big as well with a 59-16 trouncing of Richfield. Alex Yard tickled the twine twice for 4 points. Nora Bailey led the scoring with 12.
It was a tale of two halves on Friday night at Richfield. The first half featured multiple banked in buckets by the Spartans and numerous missed shots in the paint by the Cats. Richfield also dominated the rebounding battle by a 19-8 margin. All this added up to a 28-25 halftime advantage for the host Spartans.
The second half was ALL Waconia though. The half began with a steal by Jayda Lenz that turned into a layup. Seconds later Tess Johnson turned another steal into a layup and suddenly the Cats had the lead and the momentum.
Natalie Meath missed most of the first half with 2 fouls and her absence was evident with the lack of rebounding. But Meath made a huge impact in the second half scoring all 9 of her points and grabbing several tough rebounds.
Sydni Olson also sparked the team in the second half with three big three pointers. In the final 18 minutes the Wildcats outscored the Spartans 40 to 15 as they pulled away for a 65-43 victory.
Waconia is now 5 and 0 on the season. They will host the Storm of Sauk Rapids-Rice on Tuesday then travel to Minnetonka to battle the Skippers on Thursday.
The JV Cats coasted to a comfortable 62-26 win. Audrey Swanson led the scoring with 20 points. Melissa Honnold had 10.
The freshman squad won big as well with a 59-16 trouncing of Richfield. Alex Yard tickled the twine twice for 4 points. Nora Bailey led the scoring with 12.
Waconia Wins Battle of the Cats
If you ever wondered which would prevail when a Wildcat and a Jaguar battle you got your answer on Thursday night.
The Wildcats controlled the game from start to finish in their 56-34 victory over class AAAA Bloomington Jefferson. Waconia built a 30-18 halftime lead behind the hot shooting of point guard Jayda Lenz. "Bird" was 4 for 4 from beyond the arc in the opening stanza and finished with a team high 13 points. She was the only Cat to reach double figures in scoring but 10 different players put points on the board. The Wildcat bench was again a big factor as they accounted for 21 total points.
Waconia did not shoot the ball well (37%) but the team's defense and rebounding carried them to a comfortable victory. They limited the Jaguars to just 18% shooting and the Cats dominated the glass 50-33. Freshman Ava Stier led the rebounding parade with 15 boards. Junior Natalie Meath added 8 big rebounds.
The Cats also struggled at the free throw line making only 10 of their 19 attempts. But good teams are able to have their defense carry them to victory on nights when the shots aren't falling and the Wildcats showed they can rely on their defense when necessary.
The varsity Cats are now 4 and 0 but they don't have any time to rest. They will travel to face yet another Metro West school on Friday when the ride the bus to Richfield.
The JV Cats lost a heartbreaker 44-41 to Jefferson. Waconia would get 5 attempts at the basket to tie the game in the final 20 seconds but weren't able to get any of them to drop. Melissa Honnold had 18 to lead the way for the Wildcats but too many missed layups caught up to the team.
The 9th grade Cats beat Bloomington Jefferson 50-35. Kiley Sazama dominated, pouring in 21 points.
If you ever wondered which would prevail when a Wildcat and a Jaguar battle you got your answer on Thursday night.
The Wildcats controlled the game from start to finish in their 56-34 victory over class AAAA Bloomington Jefferson. Waconia built a 30-18 halftime lead behind the hot shooting of point guard Jayda Lenz. "Bird" was 4 for 4 from beyond the arc in the opening stanza and finished with a team high 13 points. She was the only Cat to reach double figures in scoring but 10 different players put points on the board. The Wildcat bench was again a big factor as they accounted for 21 total points.
Waconia did not shoot the ball well (37%) but the team's defense and rebounding carried them to a comfortable victory. They limited the Jaguars to just 18% shooting and the Cats dominated the glass 50-33. Freshman Ava Stier led the rebounding parade with 15 boards. Junior Natalie Meath added 8 big rebounds.
The Cats also struggled at the free throw line making only 10 of their 19 attempts. But good teams are able to have their defense carry them to victory on nights when the shots aren't falling and the Wildcats showed they can rely on their defense when necessary.
The varsity Cats are now 4 and 0 but they don't have any time to rest. They will travel to face yet another Metro West school on Friday when the ride the bus to Richfield.
The JV Cats lost a heartbreaker 44-41 to Jefferson. Waconia would get 5 attempts at the basket to tie the game in the final 20 seconds but weren't able to get any of them to drop. Melissa Honnold had 18 to lead the way for the Wildcats but too many missed layups caught up to the team.
The 9th grade Cats beat Bloomington Jefferson 50-35. Kiley Sazama dominated, pouring in 21 points.
Cats Roll Past Chargers
It took a few minutes for Waconia to tickle the twine on Tuesday night but when they finally did, it marked the beginning of the end for section foe Dassel-Cokato. Waconia coasted to a 42-16 halftime lead and put the game to running time in the final 9 minutes in their 73-31 win.
13 different players scored for the Cats led by Tess Johnson and Sydni Olson with 11 points each. Jayda Lenz was the leading rebounder with 8. Tess Johnson led a large group of players that got a steal with 6 total. As a team the Cats collected an astounding 27 steals.
The Cats made 29 of their 71 shots (41%) while D-C went 11 for 41 (27%). The Wildcats committed 19 turnovers while the Chargers had 35. Waconia won the rebounding battle by a 38-28 margin.
Waconia is now 3 and 0 on the season. They host AAAA Bloomington Jefferson on Thursday. It is the Cats annual "Youth Night" where they give out team posters to all the youth girls basketball players in attendance.
The JV team had an equally easy time in their 62-16 win. Mel Honnold had 18 points. Dani Dykstra netted 11. Sarah Cravens scored 9, Lisa Brueggemeier added 8, Audrey Swanson chipped in 7, Hailey Williams netted 5, and Carli Cebulla scored 4.
The 9th grade Cats took on Farmington (because D-C doesn't have a 9th grade team) and earned a 57-38 win. Mackenzie Amundson led the way with 17 points. Natalie Whitehead was dominating on defense stealing multiple passes. The 9th graders are now 2-1 on the season.
It took a few minutes for Waconia to tickle the twine on Tuesday night but when they finally did, it marked the beginning of the end for section foe Dassel-Cokato. Waconia coasted to a 42-16 halftime lead and put the game to running time in the final 9 minutes in their 73-31 win.
13 different players scored for the Cats led by Tess Johnson and Sydni Olson with 11 points each. Jayda Lenz was the leading rebounder with 8. Tess Johnson led a large group of players that got a steal with 6 total. As a team the Cats collected an astounding 27 steals.
The Cats made 29 of their 71 shots (41%) while D-C went 11 for 41 (27%). The Wildcats committed 19 turnovers while the Chargers had 35. Waconia won the rebounding battle by a 38-28 margin.
Waconia is now 3 and 0 on the season. They host AAAA Bloomington Jefferson on Thursday. It is the Cats annual "Youth Night" where they give out team posters to all the youth girls basketball players in attendance.
The JV team had an equally easy time in their 62-16 win. Mel Honnold had 18 points. Dani Dykstra netted 11. Sarah Cravens scored 9, Lisa Brueggemeier added 8, Audrey Swanson chipped in 7, Hailey Williams netted 5, and Carli Cebulla scored 4.
The 9th grade Cats took on Farmington (because D-C doesn't have a 9th grade team) and earned a 57-38 win. Mackenzie Amundson led the way with 17 points. Natalie Whitehead was dominating on defense stealing multiple passes. The 9th graders are now 2-1 on the season.
Waconia Wins Shootout at Chanhassen
Conventional wisdom is that early season games can be kind of ugly. Bad passes and poor execution are prevalent when teams haven't had much practice. But both team were in mid-season form and there was a playoff type atmosphere as the Wildcats outlasted the Storm in a classic "barn-burner".
The Wildcats led most of the first half but every time the Cats would build a two possession lead the Storm would answer with a big basket. The back and forth continued for most of the second half until the final 5 minutes when the Wildcats took control. No team had led by more than 7 at any point in the game but Waconia finally built a 12 point lead with 2 minutes to go courtesy of a few consecutive defensive stops. The final score in the scoring frenzy was 88-77.
Waconia trailed 41-39 at halftime but probably should have had the lead as the team shot just 30% at the free throw line. The Cats rectified that in the 2nd half making 13 of their 15 free throws.
While both teams shot the ball well, the key stat that distanced the Cats from Chanhassen was rebounding. Waconia won the battle of the boards by an amazing 53-32 margin. Natalie Meath led the way with 15 big rebounds. Courtney Freeberg hauled in 13 boards. Waconia forced 19 Chanhassen turnovers. By contrast the Cats gave the ball away 13 times.
Addy Salzer led the scoring parade with 27 points (and 7 rebounds) on 11 of 22 shooting. Sydni Olson poured in 14 points including three big 3 pointers. Freeberg scored 10 points to earn a double/double. As was the case in game one, Waconia got great contributions from the bench. With two starters sitting major minutes of the first half the Cats didn't miss a beat when they turned to their bench. The Wildcats got 30 points from their bench. Chanhassen got only 6 points from their bench.
The varsity is now 2 and 0 on the young season.
The JV led by only 4 at halftime but the blew the doors off the Storm in the 2nd half outscoring them 31-5 in the final 16 minutes. Audrey Swanson had 22 points and well over 10 rebounds. Mel Honnold added 15 points and Dani Dykstra netted 9.
The "B" team dropped a 49-40 game which wasn't too bad considering the team only had 6 available players. Dykstra scored 13 in the B game.
Our Freshman Cats, again shorthanded with only 6 bodies, fell 46-34. Nora Bailey scored 12 points and Lauren Hanson with 11 points led the way.
Next week will be a busy one with 3 games. The week begins with the JV and Varsity hosting section foe Dassel-Cokato. D-C does not have a 9th grade team so our 9th graders will host Farmington at 4:15pm.
Conventional wisdom is that early season games can be kind of ugly. Bad passes and poor execution are prevalent when teams haven't had much practice. But both team were in mid-season form and there was a playoff type atmosphere as the Wildcats outlasted the Storm in a classic "barn-burner".
The Wildcats led most of the first half but every time the Cats would build a two possession lead the Storm would answer with a big basket. The back and forth continued for most of the second half until the final 5 minutes when the Wildcats took control. No team had led by more than 7 at any point in the game but Waconia finally built a 12 point lead with 2 minutes to go courtesy of a few consecutive defensive stops. The final score in the scoring frenzy was 88-77.
Waconia trailed 41-39 at halftime but probably should have had the lead as the team shot just 30% at the free throw line. The Cats rectified that in the 2nd half making 13 of their 15 free throws.
While both teams shot the ball well, the key stat that distanced the Cats from Chanhassen was rebounding. Waconia won the battle of the boards by an amazing 53-32 margin. Natalie Meath led the way with 15 big rebounds. Courtney Freeberg hauled in 13 boards. Waconia forced 19 Chanhassen turnovers. By contrast the Cats gave the ball away 13 times.
Addy Salzer led the scoring parade with 27 points (and 7 rebounds) on 11 of 22 shooting. Sydni Olson poured in 14 points including three big 3 pointers. Freeberg scored 10 points to earn a double/double. As was the case in game one, Waconia got great contributions from the bench. With two starters sitting major minutes of the first half the Cats didn't miss a beat when they turned to their bench. The Wildcats got 30 points from their bench. Chanhassen got only 6 points from their bench.
The varsity is now 2 and 0 on the young season.
The JV led by only 4 at halftime but the blew the doors off the Storm in the 2nd half outscoring them 31-5 in the final 16 minutes. Audrey Swanson had 22 points and well over 10 rebounds. Mel Honnold added 15 points and Dani Dykstra netted 9.
The "B" team dropped a 49-40 game which wasn't too bad considering the team only had 6 available players. Dykstra scored 13 in the B game.
Our Freshman Cats, again shorthanded with only 6 bodies, fell 46-34. Nora Bailey scored 12 points and Lauren Hanson with 11 points led the way.
Next week will be a busy one with 3 games. The week begins with the JV and Varsity hosting section foe Dassel-Cokato. D-C does not have a 9th grade team so our 9th graders will host Farmington at 4:15pm.
Wildcats Torch the Nets in Season Opener
Our Wildcat opened the season in grand fashion with an impressive 89-61 win over the Zimmerman Thunder. The Cats shot the ball well from start to finish and got great contributions from their bench.
Despite several starters finding foul trouble, when Waconia went to their bench the team didn't skip a beat. 12 different players scored in the victory led by sophomores Sydni Olson with 22 points and Addy Salzer with 16 points. Junior Tess Johnson joined the double figure scoring with 10 points. Allie Zimmer dished out a game high 7 assists. Her point guard partner, Jayda Lenz, added 5 assists.
Natalie Meath led the defense with a team high 5 rebounds and 4 steals. The Cats combined for 22 steals overall.
Shooting 45% from the three point line (9 for 20) catapulted the Cats offensively. The team was also solid at the free throw line making 21 of their 29 attempts. Waconia committed only 10 turnovers in the game.
Also worth mentioning is that the Cats' defense held Zimmerman star point guard Alyssa Daugherty (Concordia-St. Paul signee) to 16 points.
The JV team was even more impressive as they crushed the Thunder 55-19. Dani Dykstra netted 15, Audrey Swanson had 14 and Melissa Honnold added 11 points.
The 9th grade Cats also started the season victorious beating Zimmerman 43-29. Mackenzie Amundson was dominating on defense propelling the team to the win.
The three teams will split into 4 when Waconia travels to Chanhassen on Friday. 9th and B will play at 4:15, JV at 5:30, and varsity at 7pm.
Our Wildcat opened the season in grand fashion with an impressive 89-61 win over the Zimmerman Thunder. The Cats shot the ball well from start to finish and got great contributions from their bench.
Despite several starters finding foul trouble, when Waconia went to their bench the team didn't skip a beat. 12 different players scored in the victory led by sophomores Sydni Olson with 22 points and Addy Salzer with 16 points. Junior Tess Johnson joined the double figure scoring with 10 points. Allie Zimmer dished out a game high 7 assists. Her point guard partner, Jayda Lenz, added 5 assists.
Natalie Meath led the defense with a team high 5 rebounds and 4 steals. The Cats combined for 22 steals overall.
Shooting 45% from the three point line (9 for 20) catapulted the Cats offensively. The team was also solid at the free throw line making 21 of their 29 attempts. Waconia committed only 10 turnovers in the game.
Also worth mentioning is that the Cats' defense held Zimmerman star point guard Alyssa Daugherty (Concordia-St. Paul signee) to 16 points.
The JV team was even more impressive as they crushed the Thunder 55-19. Dani Dykstra netted 15, Audrey Swanson had 14 and Melissa Honnold added 11 points.
The 9th grade Cats also started the season victorious beating Zimmerman 43-29. Mackenzie Amundson was dominating on defense propelling the team to the win.
The three teams will split into 4 when Waconia travels to Chanhassen on Friday. 9th and B will play at 4:15, JV at 5:30, and varsity at 7pm.
Cats Close Summer Season with 2 Wins
The last night of the summer season was a good one with the Cats claiming wins over Shakopee and Chanhassen to finish the Chan Summer League at 6 and 2. The team's two league losses were to Chaska by 1 and Shakopee by 3.
But on the final night it was the Wildcats that would slay the Sabres by a 3 point margin, 48-45.
Eight of the nine players in uniform scored led by Ava Stier with 14 points and Tess Johnson with 10 points. Stier also had 10 rebounds for her 2nd double/double of the summer. Waconia committed only 8 turnovers in the victory.
Waconia would race out to a 10-0 lead in the second game and the Storm of Chanhassen would never get any closer as the Cats cruised to a 58-43 win. All nine players scored in the game led by Ava Stier with 19 points on 8 of 13 shooting. Tess Johnson netted 11 points and Audrey Swanson had 8 points and 10 rebounds.
The Wildcats conclude their summer season 16 and 8 overall. Of their eight losses five of them came by 3 points or less.
The Cats earned a 2nd place finish at the 17 team Minnesota Invitational Tournament and a 3rd place finish at The Breakdown Summer State Tournament to highlight the summer season. Waconia developed depth this summer with several players out due to injury, younger players and role players stepped into bigger roles and proved they can compete at the varsity level. That depth will almost certainly prove a valuable asset when the winter season arrives.
Due to MSHSL rules the Wildcats have to be done with basketball until Monday Nov. 12th. Thank you to all the players and parents for their commitment to the program this summer and best wishes to all of our Wildcats as they get ready for their respective fall sports!
The last night of the summer season was a good one with the Cats claiming wins over Shakopee and Chanhassen to finish the Chan Summer League at 6 and 2. The team's two league losses were to Chaska by 1 and Shakopee by 3.
But on the final night it was the Wildcats that would slay the Sabres by a 3 point margin, 48-45.
Eight of the nine players in uniform scored led by Ava Stier with 14 points and Tess Johnson with 10 points. Stier also had 10 rebounds for her 2nd double/double of the summer. Waconia committed only 8 turnovers in the victory.
Waconia would race out to a 10-0 lead in the second game and the Storm of Chanhassen would never get any closer as the Cats cruised to a 58-43 win. All nine players scored in the game led by Ava Stier with 19 points on 8 of 13 shooting. Tess Johnson netted 11 points and Audrey Swanson had 8 points and 10 rebounds.
The Wildcats conclude their summer season 16 and 8 overall. Of their eight losses five of them came by 3 points or less.
The Cats earned a 2nd place finish at the 17 team Minnesota Invitational Tournament and a 3rd place finish at The Breakdown Summer State Tournament to highlight the summer season. Waconia developed depth this summer with several players out due to injury, younger players and role players stepped into bigger roles and proved they can compete at the varsity level. That depth will almost certainly prove a valuable asset when the winter season arrives.
Due to MSHSL rules the Wildcats have to be done with basketball until Monday Nov. 12th. Thank you to all the players and parents for their commitment to the program this summer and best wishes to all of our Wildcats as they get ready for their respective fall sports!
Cats Reach Championship of MIT
It was a great weekend of action for the Wildcats as they went 4 and 1 and earned 2nd place in the 17 team Minnesota Invitational Tournament played on the campus of St. Ben's.
Waconia started the weekend with a win against Royalton. The Royals were 20 and 7 last season and returned their entire roster. The Cats played fantastic from start to finish earning a 57-38 win. All 9 players scored led by Courtney Freeberg and Tess Johnson with 10 each. Audrey Swanson grabbed 5 steals.
Belgrade-Booten-Elrosa, better known as B-B-E was 22 and 8 last season and it took another excellent team effort for the Wildcats to topple the Jaguars 46-37. With the Wildcats up 4 and only 7 minutes to play freshman Ava Stier grabbed a key offensive rebound and put it back up and in. Immediately after that her classmate Swanson grabbed a steal and raced in for a layup to give the Cats an 8 point cushion. Swanson and Addy Salzer were the leading scorers with 12 points each. Swanson led the rebounding with 5.
The two wins propelled the Cats into their division championship where they faced Huron, South Dakota. The Tigers had beat class A state tournament team Menagha to reach the final. The Wildcats' defensive pressure and height advantage proved to much for the Tigers and the Cats prevailed 50-28. Again, Waconia would have excellent balance with 8 of the 9 players scoring led by Swanson and Jayda Lenz with 10 points.
On Sunday the Cats began with a showdown against perennial AA power New London-Spicer. The (other) Wildcats were 21 and 7 last year, their sixth consecutive 20 win season. Waconia's shooting was ice cold in the first half and they found themselves trailing at half for the first time in the tournament 25-20. Defense was the key for the Cats in the second half as they limited NL-S to only 15 points in the final 18 minutes as the Cats came back to earn a 49-40 win and a spot in the overall tournament championship. Beyond strong team defense, the other key to the win was stellar shooting at the free throw line. The Cats were 21 for 24 as a team. Courtney Freeberg had a big game with 16 points. Addy Salzer added 13 points. Natalie Meath grabbed 7 steals.
Waseca would be the opponent in the title tilt. The Bluejays were 25 and 5 last season and return their best players. Like the Wildcats, Waseca also participated in The Breakdown Summer State Tournament last week and won the consolation championship. The expectation was that this would be an excellent matchup against two of the top teams in class AAA. However, after a slow start by both teams the Bluejays blew the doors off in the 2nd quarter (the tournament featured four 9 minute stop time quarters) and built a 37-18 halftime lead. The Cats committed 16 turnovers in the game, a number that is pretty typical. But the Bluejays turned several of those turnovers into fast break scores and simultaneously the Cats missed many layups of their own.
The Cats responded with a strong defensive effort in the 3rd quarter limiting Waseca to just six points. However, Waconia would score only two points themselves in the quarter. In fact, the Cats went almost 8 minutes into the 3rd quarter before they tickled the twine for the first time on the free throw. Despite the defensive effort Waconia would still trail by 23 at the start of the final quarter. The margin would remain the same through the final 9 minutes and the Cats had to settle for 2nd place with a 70-46 defeat. Waconia would finally get some shots to drop in the final frame but that still only elevated their shooting percentage to a paltry 30%. The 2nd quarter burst by Waseca put the Wildcats behind the proverbial 8 ball, but the Cats battled the rest of the game and walked off the court proud of their effort.
Ellie Dammann led the scoring with 10 points. Courtney Freeberg and Ava Stier led the team with 6 rebounds.
Waconia's summer season record is now 14 and 8. They conclude the summer season with games against Chanhassen and Shakopee on Wednesday, the final night of the Chanhassen Summer League.
It was a great weekend of action for the Wildcats as they went 4 and 1 and earned 2nd place in the 17 team Minnesota Invitational Tournament played on the campus of St. Ben's.
Waconia started the weekend with a win against Royalton. The Royals were 20 and 7 last season and returned their entire roster. The Cats played fantastic from start to finish earning a 57-38 win. All 9 players scored led by Courtney Freeberg and Tess Johnson with 10 each. Audrey Swanson grabbed 5 steals.
Belgrade-Booten-Elrosa, better known as B-B-E was 22 and 8 last season and it took another excellent team effort for the Wildcats to topple the Jaguars 46-37. With the Wildcats up 4 and only 7 minutes to play freshman Ava Stier grabbed a key offensive rebound and put it back up and in. Immediately after that her classmate Swanson grabbed a steal and raced in for a layup to give the Cats an 8 point cushion. Swanson and Addy Salzer were the leading scorers with 12 points each. Swanson led the rebounding with 5.
The two wins propelled the Cats into their division championship where they faced Huron, South Dakota. The Tigers had beat class A state tournament team Menagha to reach the final. The Wildcats' defensive pressure and height advantage proved to much for the Tigers and the Cats prevailed 50-28. Again, Waconia would have excellent balance with 8 of the 9 players scoring led by Swanson and Jayda Lenz with 10 points.
On Sunday the Cats began with a showdown against perennial AA power New London-Spicer. The (other) Wildcats were 21 and 7 last year, their sixth consecutive 20 win season. Waconia's shooting was ice cold in the first half and they found themselves trailing at half for the first time in the tournament 25-20. Defense was the key for the Cats in the second half as they limited NL-S to only 15 points in the final 18 minutes as the Cats came back to earn a 49-40 win and a spot in the overall tournament championship. Beyond strong team defense, the other key to the win was stellar shooting at the free throw line. The Cats were 21 for 24 as a team. Courtney Freeberg had a big game with 16 points. Addy Salzer added 13 points. Natalie Meath grabbed 7 steals.
Waseca would be the opponent in the title tilt. The Bluejays were 25 and 5 last season and return their best players. Like the Wildcats, Waseca also participated in The Breakdown Summer State Tournament last week and won the consolation championship. The expectation was that this would be an excellent matchup against two of the top teams in class AAA. However, after a slow start by both teams the Bluejays blew the doors off in the 2nd quarter (the tournament featured four 9 minute stop time quarters) and built a 37-18 halftime lead. The Cats committed 16 turnovers in the game, a number that is pretty typical. But the Bluejays turned several of those turnovers into fast break scores and simultaneously the Cats missed many layups of their own.
The Cats responded with a strong defensive effort in the 3rd quarter limiting Waseca to just six points. However, Waconia would score only two points themselves in the quarter. In fact, the Cats went almost 8 minutes into the 3rd quarter before they tickled the twine for the first time on the free throw. Despite the defensive effort Waconia would still trail by 23 at the start of the final quarter. The margin would remain the same through the final 9 minutes and the Cats had to settle for 2nd place with a 70-46 defeat. Waconia would finally get some shots to drop in the final frame but that still only elevated their shooting percentage to a paltry 30%. The 2nd quarter burst by Waseca put the Wildcats behind the proverbial 8 ball, but the Cats battled the rest of the game and walked off the court proud of their effort.
Ellie Dammann led the scoring with 10 points. Courtney Freeberg and Ava Stier led the team with 6 rebounds.
Waconia's summer season record is now 14 and 8. They conclude the summer season with games against Chanhassen and Shakopee on Wednesday, the final night of the Chanhassen Summer League.
Winning and Learning
Former Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Landry famously said "When you win you teach and when you lose you learn." The ratio learning to teaching was 2 to 1 for both Wildcat teams on Wednesday.
The Varsity Cats looked terrific in the first game of the day pouncing on the Jefferson Jaguars for a comfortable double digit win. Waconia would build a 27-10 halftime lead behind strong rebounding and hot shooting. In the second half Jefferson was able to get hot from the three point line but that only allowed them to close the Waconia lead to 11 or 12 at a couple of junctures. In the end Waconia would win 53-36.
Ava Stier led the scoring with 12 points. Ellie Dammann scored 11 in just her 2nd game of the summer. Audrey Swanson had a team high 9 rebounds. Natalie Meath added 7 rebounds.
After seeing Norwood-Young America lose to Lakeville North by 40 it was clear our Cats were overconfident heading into the game. After 20 minutes of action the Raiders led a stunned Wildcat team by 3. NYA continued their hot shooting into the second half and had an 8 point advantage with 3 minutes to play. The Cats made one more run and were down 3 with 6 seconds left but that was as close as they would get. The rival Raiders from down the road prevailed 58-55. Lesson: Respect every opponent
In the 3rd game of the day the Wildcats would face AAAA power Lakeville North. The Panthers earned 3rd place in The Breakdown Summer State Tournament AAAA division on Sunday and they gave the Cats a look at the difference between a top AAA team and a top team in Minnesota's largest class.
Waconia wasn't completely over matched in the first half. The Cats missed a few quality shots while the Panthers were finishing around the basket well. The halftime score was 28-17 in favor of the Panthers.
Lakeville North went on a big run to start the second half and led by 20 in the opening minutes. Waconia would muster an 8-0 run of their own but it wouldn't be enough as the Panthers prevailed with a 19 point win. Lesson: Top AAAA teams are bigger, faster, and stronger
The JV Cats struggled against a solid Simley squad and lost their first game. The JV also dropped their second game against Delano. That put the Cats in the 7th place game in their bracket against the Magic from Monticello. It was a defensive battle as the Magic led 5-0 more than 12 minutes into the game. But when the JV Wildcats finally scored that opened the proverbial "floodgates" and there would be no turning back for Waconia. The JV finished the day on a positive note with a win.
Thank you to all the players and parents that put in so many hours to make the day a success!
Former Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Landry famously said "When you win you teach and when you lose you learn." The ratio learning to teaching was 2 to 1 for both Wildcat teams on Wednesday.
The Varsity Cats looked terrific in the first game of the day pouncing on the Jefferson Jaguars for a comfortable double digit win. Waconia would build a 27-10 halftime lead behind strong rebounding and hot shooting. In the second half Jefferson was able to get hot from the three point line but that only allowed them to close the Waconia lead to 11 or 12 at a couple of junctures. In the end Waconia would win 53-36.
Ava Stier led the scoring with 12 points. Ellie Dammann scored 11 in just her 2nd game of the summer. Audrey Swanson had a team high 9 rebounds. Natalie Meath added 7 rebounds.
After seeing Norwood-Young America lose to Lakeville North by 40 it was clear our Cats were overconfident heading into the game. After 20 minutes of action the Raiders led a stunned Wildcat team by 3. NYA continued their hot shooting into the second half and had an 8 point advantage with 3 minutes to play. The Cats made one more run and were down 3 with 6 seconds left but that was as close as they would get. The rival Raiders from down the road prevailed 58-55. Lesson: Respect every opponent
In the 3rd game of the day the Wildcats would face AAAA power Lakeville North. The Panthers earned 3rd place in The Breakdown Summer State Tournament AAAA division on Sunday and they gave the Cats a look at the difference between a top AAA team and a top team in Minnesota's largest class.
Waconia wasn't completely over matched in the first half. The Cats missed a few quality shots while the Panthers were finishing around the basket well. The halftime score was 28-17 in favor of the Panthers.
Lakeville North went on a big run to start the second half and led by 20 in the opening minutes. Waconia would muster an 8-0 run of their own but it wouldn't be enough as the Panthers prevailed with a 19 point win. Lesson: Top AAAA teams are bigger, faster, and stronger
The JV Cats struggled against a solid Simley squad and lost their first game. The JV also dropped their second game against Delano. That put the Cats in the 7th place game in their bracket against the Magic from Monticello. It was a defensive battle as the Magic led 5-0 more than 12 minutes into the game. But when the JV Wildcats finally scored that opened the proverbial "floodgates" and there would be no turning back for Waconia. The JV finished the day on a positive note with a win.
Thank you to all the players and parents that put in so many hours to make the day a success!
Wildcats Claim 3rd Place at Summer State Tournament
For the fourth consecutive year "The Breakdown" basketball publication has invited what they project as the top 8 teams in class AAA next winter to Maple Grove to compete in what they call the "Summer State Tournament". Our Wildcats were honored to be a part of this event for the second time.
The Cats would square off with section rival and defending AAA state champion Robbinsdale Cooper in the opening game of the day. Waconia would lead nearly all game. The Cats led 30-23 at halftime and they maintained that margin for most of the second half. The champs would make a charge though. The Hawks went on a 6-0 run with just three minutes left and the score was tied at 51 when Waconia had the ball with 30 seconds to play. Cooper got a steal and had the ball with 10 seconds left. That is when Tess Johnson took over. The all state honorable mention soon-to-be junior guard grabbed a steal of her own and raced down the left side of the floor, throwing in an acrobatic layup with only 3 seconds left to propel the Cats to a 53-51 win and a spot in the semi-finals.
Johnson had 16 points. Addy Salzer added 10 points and 4 steals. Eight different players scored for Waconia. The Cats were 20 for 39 from the floor (51%) and a stellar 10 for 12 at the free throw line. Waconia only had 16 turnovers against a team notorious for pressuring opposing guards. Cooper did have a big edge on the glass getting 31 rebounds to just 19 for Waconia. 21 of Cooper's rebounds were of the offensive variety.
With the win the Wildcats put the defending champs on notice that Waconia will be a force to be dealt with when the section and state tournaments arrive next March.
Willmar was the 4th place team at last season's AAA state tournament and they would prove a worthy foe for our Wildcats in the semi-finals. Willmar held a 23-21 halftime edge but Waconia would control most of the second half. The Cats were up 7 with 3 minutes to play and were at the free throw line. After the Cats missed both free throws (the only 2 free throws they missed in the game) the Cardinals came down and hit a three pointer to cut the Cats lead to four. In the final two minutes the Wildcats made some uncharacteristically bad passes and gave the ball away to Willmar five times. That allowed the Cardinals to rally for a 44-41 win and a spot in the championship.
The Wildcats committed 31 turnovers, an astonishingly high number. It is rather remarkable that the Cats were in control late in the game given the number of times they gave the ball away. Waconia went 15 for 41 from the floor (36.6%) and was only 2 for 14 on threes. Natalie Meath netted 10 points and grabbed 5 rebounds. Seven players scored but Meath was the only Wildcat in double figures. Addy Salzer hauled in a team high 7 rebounds.
The Hornets of Big Lake would be the Cats opponent in the 3rd place game. After a close and competitive first half Waconia would pull away in the 2nd half to claim a 63-43 win. The Cats shot 45.8% from the floor and reverted back to their more typical 16 turnovers. Tess Johnson had another big game with 14 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 steals. Courtney Freeberg contributed 13 points and 6 rebounds. Addy Salzer and Natalie Meath both poured in 10 points. Again, eight different players scored in the win.
Alexandria defeated Willmar 43-36 to claim the Summer State Championship.
Waconia is now 9 and 5 on the summer season. They will host a 60 team tournament on Wednesday where they will play Bloomington Jefferson, Norwood-Young America, and Lakeville North. Then they compete at the Minnesota Invitational Tournament on the campus of St. Ben's July 21 and 22.
For the fourth consecutive year "The Breakdown" basketball publication has invited what they project as the top 8 teams in class AAA next winter to Maple Grove to compete in what they call the "Summer State Tournament". Our Wildcats were honored to be a part of this event for the second time.
The Cats would square off with section rival and defending AAA state champion Robbinsdale Cooper in the opening game of the day. Waconia would lead nearly all game. The Cats led 30-23 at halftime and they maintained that margin for most of the second half. The champs would make a charge though. The Hawks went on a 6-0 run with just three minutes left and the score was tied at 51 when Waconia had the ball with 30 seconds to play. Cooper got a steal and had the ball with 10 seconds left. That is when Tess Johnson took over. The all state honorable mention soon-to-be junior guard grabbed a steal of her own and raced down the left side of the floor, throwing in an acrobatic layup with only 3 seconds left to propel the Cats to a 53-51 win and a spot in the semi-finals.
Johnson had 16 points. Addy Salzer added 10 points and 4 steals. Eight different players scored for Waconia. The Cats were 20 for 39 from the floor (51%) and a stellar 10 for 12 at the free throw line. Waconia only had 16 turnovers against a team notorious for pressuring opposing guards. Cooper did have a big edge on the glass getting 31 rebounds to just 19 for Waconia. 21 of Cooper's rebounds were of the offensive variety.
With the win the Wildcats put the defending champs on notice that Waconia will be a force to be dealt with when the section and state tournaments arrive next March.
Willmar was the 4th place team at last season's AAA state tournament and they would prove a worthy foe for our Wildcats in the semi-finals. Willmar held a 23-21 halftime edge but Waconia would control most of the second half. The Cats were up 7 with 3 minutes to play and were at the free throw line. After the Cats missed both free throws (the only 2 free throws they missed in the game) the Cardinals came down and hit a three pointer to cut the Cats lead to four. In the final two minutes the Wildcats made some uncharacteristically bad passes and gave the ball away to Willmar five times. That allowed the Cardinals to rally for a 44-41 win and a spot in the championship.
The Wildcats committed 31 turnovers, an astonishingly high number. It is rather remarkable that the Cats were in control late in the game given the number of times they gave the ball away. Waconia went 15 for 41 from the floor (36.6%) and was only 2 for 14 on threes. Natalie Meath netted 10 points and grabbed 5 rebounds. Seven players scored but Meath was the only Wildcat in double figures. Addy Salzer hauled in a team high 7 rebounds.
The Hornets of Big Lake would be the Cats opponent in the 3rd place game. After a close and competitive first half Waconia would pull away in the 2nd half to claim a 63-43 win. The Cats shot 45.8% from the floor and reverted back to their more typical 16 turnovers. Tess Johnson had another big game with 14 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 steals. Courtney Freeberg contributed 13 points and 6 rebounds. Addy Salzer and Natalie Meath both poured in 10 points. Again, eight different players scored in the win.
Alexandria defeated Willmar 43-36 to claim the Summer State Championship.
Waconia is now 9 and 5 on the summer season. They will host a 60 team tournament on Wednesday where they will play Bloomington Jefferson, Norwood-Young America, and Lakeville North. Then they compete at the Minnesota Invitational Tournament on the campus of St. Ben's July 21 and 22.
One Shot from a Sweep
After nearly two full weeks off the Wildcats returned to action on Wednesday in the Chanhassen Summer League. The first game featured a matchup with Chaska and it was a competitive contest up to the closing seconds. Despite getting 14 more shot attempts than the Hawks in the first half Waconia would only lead 17-14 at intermission. Clearly the Cats were having a hard time getting shots to fall and that didn't really change in the second half. Despite the struggles, a banked in 3 pointer by Tess Johnson with a minute to play propelled the Cats into a 39-38 lead. A Chaska miss on their next possession meant the Cats had the ball and a one point lead with 45 seconds left, but a Wildcat turnover gave the Hawks another chance. This time Chaska was able to score in the paint to take a 40-39 lead. With just 15 seconds left Waconia would get three good shots in the paint but none would drop. A loose ball resulted in a jump ball and the Cats got the ball out of bounds underneath their own basket with 8 seconds to play. The team would get two more good shots in the final moments but again, the ball refused to go through the rim.
Waconia made only 13 of their 52 shots (just 25%) and only 8 of their 37 two point attempts (21.6%). The good news is the team combined to go 8 for 8 at the free throw line. Addy Salzer led the scoring with 16 points. Tess Johnson added 13. Ava Stier had a team high 7 rebounds and Audrey Swanson contributed 6 boards.
The Wildcats bounced back brilliantly in game two and earned a decisive 58-34 win over Bloomington Kennedy. In stark contrast to the first game, the Cats made 7 of their first 8 shots en route to a 28-17 halftime advantage. Waconia made 24 of their 48 shots (50%) and went 6 for 8 from the three point line. Salzer scored 14, Swanson scored 10, and Natalie Meath netted 7 points to go with a game high 8 rebounds. All nine Wildcats in uniform scored in the victory. The Waconia bench of Kylie Sazama, Sarah Cravens, Hailey Williams, and Swanson was particularly impactful contributing 23 total points.
The summer league split puts Waconia at 7 and 4 for the summer. On Sunday the Cats will go to Maple Grove to compete in the prestigious Breakdown Summer State Tournament. The Breakdown basketball publication annually invites what they consider the top 8 teams in each class heading into next season to this event. Our Wildcats will square off against defending class AAA state champion Robbinsdale Cooper in the opening game. The other six teams in the tournament are Holy Angels, Alexandria, Waseca, Big Lake, Simley, and Willmar.
After nearly two full weeks off the Wildcats returned to action on Wednesday in the Chanhassen Summer League. The first game featured a matchup with Chaska and it was a competitive contest up to the closing seconds. Despite getting 14 more shot attempts than the Hawks in the first half Waconia would only lead 17-14 at intermission. Clearly the Cats were having a hard time getting shots to fall and that didn't really change in the second half. Despite the struggles, a banked in 3 pointer by Tess Johnson with a minute to play propelled the Cats into a 39-38 lead. A Chaska miss on their next possession meant the Cats had the ball and a one point lead with 45 seconds left, but a Wildcat turnover gave the Hawks another chance. This time Chaska was able to score in the paint to take a 40-39 lead. With just 15 seconds left Waconia would get three good shots in the paint but none would drop. A loose ball resulted in a jump ball and the Cats got the ball out of bounds underneath their own basket with 8 seconds to play. The team would get two more good shots in the final moments but again, the ball refused to go through the rim.
Waconia made only 13 of their 52 shots (just 25%) and only 8 of their 37 two point attempts (21.6%). The good news is the team combined to go 8 for 8 at the free throw line. Addy Salzer led the scoring with 16 points. Tess Johnson added 13. Ava Stier had a team high 7 rebounds and Audrey Swanson contributed 6 boards.
The Wildcats bounced back brilliantly in game two and earned a decisive 58-34 win over Bloomington Kennedy. In stark contrast to the first game, the Cats made 7 of their first 8 shots en route to a 28-17 halftime advantage. Waconia made 24 of their 48 shots (50%) and went 6 for 8 from the three point line. Salzer scored 14, Swanson scored 10, and Natalie Meath netted 7 points to go with a game high 8 rebounds. All nine Wildcats in uniform scored in the victory. The Waconia bench of Kylie Sazama, Sarah Cravens, Hailey Williams, and Swanson was particularly impactful contributing 23 total points.
The summer league split puts Waconia at 7 and 4 for the summer. On Sunday the Cats will go to Maple Grove to compete in the prestigious Breakdown Summer State Tournament. The Breakdown basketball publication annually invites what they consider the top 8 teams in each class heading into next season to this event. Our Wildcats will square off against defending class AAA state champion Robbinsdale Cooper in the opening game. The other six teams in the tournament are Holy Angels, Alexandria, Waseca, Big Lake, Simley, and Willmar.
Waconia Plays Well in Summer League
Despite having only 4 returning JV/varsity players present on Wednesday night the Wildcats looked good as they split a pair of games. The first match up of the evening was with Mound Westonka. The Whitehawks were red hot from the three point line in the first half and they held a 29-27 advantage at halftime. Waconia would control the 2nd half limiting Mound-Westonka to only 8 points in the first 12 minutes of the 2nd half. The Cats pulled away for a 60-45 win.
Freshman Ava Stier was the star of the game with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Tess Johnson scored 10 and grabbed 5 steals. Addy Salzer added 6 points and 7 rebounds.
Shakopee was the opponent in game two and this time it was the Wildcats that would lead 21-18 at halftime after a Jayda Lenz three pointer just before the half time buzzer. The Wildcats were able to dodge several proverbial bullets in the first half when the Sabres grabbed several offensive rebounds but were not able to convert them. The big advantage Shakopee had on the glass caught up to the Cats in the 2nd half though as they fell 45-41.
Ava Stier was impressive again with 12 points and 5 rebounds. Sophomore Addy Salzer posted identical numbers. Soon to be freshman Natalie Whitehead, Lauren Hansen, and Grace Steffen got their first taste of varsity competition in the game. Kiley Sazama was solid for a second straight week in the summer league.
The Cats move to 6 and 3 overall on the summer as they enter the extended MSHSL no contact week. The Wildcats will return to action on Wednesday July 11th. That evening kicks off an extremely busy 10 day stretch where the Wildcats will play 13 games including the prestigious "Breakdown Summer State Tournament" in Maple Grove on Sunday July 15th.
Despite having only 4 returning JV/varsity players present on Wednesday night the Wildcats looked good as they split a pair of games. The first match up of the evening was with Mound Westonka. The Whitehawks were red hot from the three point line in the first half and they held a 29-27 advantage at halftime. Waconia would control the 2nd half limiting Mound-Westonka to only 8 points in the first 12 minutes of the 2nd half. The Cats pulled away for a 60-45 win.
Freshman Ava Stier was the star of the game with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Tess Johnson scored 10 and grabbed 5 steals. Addy Salzer added 6 points and 7 rebounds.
Shakopee was the opponent in game two and this time it was the Wildcats that would lead 21-18 at halftime after a Jayda Lenz three pointer just before the half time buzzer. The Wildcats were able to dodge several proverbial bullets in the first half when the Sabres grabbed several offensive rebounds but were not able to convert them. The big advantage Shakopee had on the glass caught up to the Cats in the 2nd half though as they fell 45-41.
Ava Stier was impressive again with 12 points and 5 rebounds. Sophomore Addy Salzer posted identical numbers. Soon to be freshman Natalie Whitehead, Lauren Hansen, and Grace Steffen got their first taste of varsity competition in the game. Kiley Sazama was solid for a second straight week in the summer league.
The Cats move to 6 and 3 overall on the summer as they enter the extended MSHSL no contact week. The Wildcats will return to action on Wednesday July 11th. That evening kicks off an extremely busy 10 day stretch where the Wildcats will play 13 games including the prestigious "Breakdown Summer State Tournament" in Maple Grove on Sunday July 15th.
Waconia Starts Summer League 2 and 0
Our Cats came out on top in two tough battles on the opening night of the Chanhassen Summer League. In game one the Cats faced an always physical Bloomington Kennedy team. Waconia led by 9 at half time and held the lead for most of the game but the Eagles wouldn't go away. Kennedy took advantage of a few Wildcat turnovers but Waconia took control again in the closing minutes. Tess Johnson turned a couple of steals into layups to help the Cats reclaim the momentum and propel the team to a 52-46 victory. Natalie Meath netted 12 points and 7 rebounds. Addy Salzer contributed 14 points.
The host team Chanhassen was on fire in the first half, finishing nearly every shot they took inside of 8 feet and our Cats found themselves trailing 29-25 at the half. But the Cats limited the Storm to just 5 points in the first 10 minutes of the 2nd half and a big burst courtesy of some steals for layups helped Waconia build a lead as large as 7. But the Storm rallied and took a one point lead with 2:30 left to play. But a big layup and free throw by Jayda Lenz helped keep the game within reach and Addy Salzer swished a clutch three to break a tie and put the Cats in the lead for good with just under a minute to play. The Cats claimed a 53-49 victory. Salzer finished the game with 21 points. Tess Johnson added 8 points and grabbed 4 steals. Natalie Meath pulled down 9 rebounds. Courtney Freeberg added 8 boards.
The Cats are now 5 and 2 on the summer season. They are off until next Wednesday when they face Mound-Westonka and Shakopee.
Our Cats came out on top in two tough battles on the opening night of the Chanhassen Summer League. In game one the Cats faced an always physical Bloomington Kennedy team. Waconia led by 9 at half time and held the lead for most of the game but the Eagles wouldn't go away. Kennedy took advantage of a few Wildcat turnovers but Waconia took control again in the closing minutes. Tess Johnson turned a couple of steals into layups to help the Cats reclaim the momentum and propel the team to a 52-46 victory. Natalie Meath netted 12 points and 7 rebounds. Addy Salzer contributed 14 points.
The host team Chanhassen was on fire in the first half, finishing nearly every shot they took inside of 8 feet and our Cats found themselves trailing 29-25 at the half. But the Cats limited the Storm to just 5 points in the first 10 minutes of the 2nd half and a big burst courtesy of some steals for layups helped Waconia build a lead as large as 7. But the Storm rallied and took a one point lead with 2:30 left to play. But a big layup and free throw by Jayda Lenz helped keep the game within reach and Addy Salzer swished a clutch three to break a tie and put the Cats in the lead for good with just under a minute to play. The Cats claimed a 53-49 victory. Salzer finished the game with 21 points. Tess Johnson added 8 points and grabbed 4 steals. Natalie Meath pulled down 9 rebounds. Courtney Freeberg added 8 boards.
The Cats are now 5 and 2 on the summer season. They are off until next Wednesday when they face Mound-Westonka and Shakopee.
Cats go 3 and 2 at NDSU
The Wildcats kicked off their summer season at the NDSU Team Camp with 3 wins and 2 losses.
In the opening game the Cats faced the Jamestown Bluejays, a team that spent much of last winter ranked in the top 5 of North Dakota's largest class. Neither team could find its stride in the first half and the score was tied at 12 after 18 minutes of action. But Waconia would get on track in the 2nd half outscoring Jamestown 30 to 10 to earn a 42-22 win. All 10 players scored for the Cats. Tess Johnson had 5 steals and Natalie Meath had an impressive 11 rebounds.
On Wednesday morning Waconia would play the first of 3 games against Minnesota AA power D-G-F. The Rebels were 24 and 5 last season and are known for their pressing, trapping style. While the tournament rules prohibited pressing until the final 5 minutes of the game, the two coaches agreed to pressure full court as our Wildcats wanted to work on it and because it was the only way D-G-F knew how to play. It turned out that the Wildcats were able to beat the Rebels at their own game. Waconia would roll to a 40-20 victory. Nine different players scored for the Cats and Natalie Meath again cleaned up on the glass with 9 rebounds. While it was an impressive win, it was evident by game two that the full court pressure both applied and withstood, took a lot out of the team and that would impact them the rest of the day.
Game 3 featured a matchup with West Fargo Sheyenne. The Mustangs played in the ND State Tournament last season and featured a highly touted D-I recruit at guard. Waconia jumped out to a 12-2 lead in the opening minutes but the Mustangs star player was able to hit a few big threes to help her team back into the game. At intermission the Cats lead had been trimmed to 19-14. The two good teams went toe to toe in the 2nd half and the lead changed hands several times. The Wildcats found themselves up 36-35 with 30 seconds left. WF Sheyenne had the ball. The Mustangs missed a shot with 25 ticks left but got an offensive rebound. Another Mustang miss meant the Cats had a chance to secure a win with a rebound, but again it was Sheyenne that would end up with the ball. Finally the Mustangs were able to convert a putback to take a one point advantage. Waconia got a decent look at the buzzer but the shot rimmed out and the Cats fell 37-36.
The third game of Wednesday was a tall order (in more ways than one) as Waconia squared off with the defending ND state champions, Bismark Century. The Patriots returned their two top players, a guard that averaged 20 points per game and a 6'4" post player that has several top D-I schools still after her. Century was extremely physical and it took the Cats the entire first half to adjust so Waconia was down 26-16 at the break. Our Wildcats finally adjusted to the physical nature of the game in the second half but they couldn't ever cut the Century margin to less than 9 ultimately losing 39-25. The Cats made only 11 of their 33 shots (33%) and went just 1 for 6 at the free throw line.
After getting a good night's rest and recovery the Cats, while still clearly sore and fatigued, were able to muster enough energy to best North Dakota class B state tournament team Rugby. The Panthers, 23 and 4 last season, were led by four athletic seniors. Waconia would hold a narrow lead at halftime but team defense would spark the Cats in the 2nd half, leading to some easy fast break baskets, and Waconia earned a 40-28 win.
Our Wildcats open Chanhassen Summer League play on Wednesday at 6 and 7pm with contests against Bloomington Kennedy and Chanhassen.
The Wildcats kicked off their summer season at the NDSU Team Camp with 3 wins and 2 losses.
In the opening game the Cats faced the Jamestown Bluejays, a team that spent much of last winter ranked in the top 5 of North Dakota's largest class. Neither team could find its stride in the first half and the score was tied at 12 after 18 minutes of action. But Waconia would get on track in the 2nd half outscoring Jamestown 30 to 10 to earn a 42-22 win. All 10 players scored for the Cats. Tess Johnson had 5 steals and Natalie Meath had an impressive 11 rebounds.
On Wednesday morning Waconia would play the first of 3 games against Minnesota AA power D-G-F. The Rebels were 24 and 5 last season and are known for their pressing, trapping style. While the tournament rules prohibited pressing until the final 5 minutes of the game, the two coaches agreed to pressure full court as our Wildcats wanted to work on it and because it was the only way D-G-F knew how to play. It turned out that the Wildcats were able to beat the Rebels at their own game. Waconia would roll to a 40-20 victory. Nine different players scored for the Cats and Natalie Meath again cleaned up on the glass with 9 rebounds. While it was an impressive win, it was evident by game two that the full court pressure both applied and withstood, took a lot out of the team and that would impact them the rest of the day.
Game 3 featured a matchup with West Fargo Sheyenne. The Mustangs played in the ND State Tournament last season and featured a highly touted D-I recruit at guard. Waconia jumped out to a 12-2 lead in the opening minutes but the Mustangs star player was able to hit a few big threes to help her team back into the game. At intermission the Cats lead had been trimmed to 19-14. The two good teams went toe to toe in the 2nd half and the lead changed hands several times. The Wildcats found themselves up 36-35 with 30 seconds left. WF Sheyenne had the ball. The Mustangs missed a shot with 25 ticks left but got an offensive rebound. Another Mustang miss meant the Cats had a chance to secure a win with a rebound, but again it was Sheyenne that would end up with the ball. Finally the Mustangs were able to convert a putback to take a one point advantage. Waconia got a decent look at the buzzer but the shot rimmed out and the Cats fell 37-36.
The third game of Wednesday was a tall order (in more ways than one) as Waconia squared off with the defending ND state champions, Bismark Century. The Patriots returned their two top players, a guard that averaged 20 points per game and a 6'4" post player that has several top D-I schools still after her. Century was extremely physical and it took the Cats the entire first half to adjust so Waconia was down 26-16 at the break. Our Wildcats finally adjusted to the physical nature of the game in the second half but they couldn't ever cut the Century margin to less than 9 ultimately losing 39-25. The Cats made only 11 of their 33 shots (33%) and went just 1 for 6 at the free throw line.
After getting a good night's rest and recovery the Cats, while still clearly sore and fatigued, were able to muster enough energy to best North Dakota class B state tournament team Rugby. The Panthers, 23 and 4 last season, were led by four athletic seniors. Waconia would hold a narrow lead at halftime but team defense would spark the Cats in the 2nd half, leading to some easy fast break baskets, and Waconia earned a 40-28 win.
Our Wildcats open Chanhassen Summer League play on Wednesday at 6 and 7pm with contests against Bloomington Kennedy and Chanhassen.
2018 Summer Schedule Full of Top Competition
The months of June and July will be busy as our Wildcats will play 24 games (nearly equivalent to a full winter season) in just 6 weeks and most of those games will be against some of the best teams Minnesota and the upper midwest have to offer.
The game schedule tips off with a 5 game tournament in Fargo at NDSU's new arena. Waconia will face some of the best teams in North and South Dakota and in between the NDSU staff and players will offer sessions on what it takes to play at the college level.
The Wildcats open play in the Chanhassen Summer League on Wednesday June 20th. The league typically features AAAA schools Shakopee, Kennedy, Chaska, Chanhassen, and Jefferson. Teams play at 6 and 7pm on five Wednesday nights through the end of July.
After the week long MSHSL Blackout Period (June 30 through July 6th) the Cats get two Chan League games to tune up for the Breakdown Summer State Tournament on July 15th. This is an invitation only event where The Breakdown identifies what they expect to be the top 8 teams in class AAA next winter, regardless of section, and the teams convene in Maple Grove to crown a summer "state champion". Just a couple of days later Waconia hosts it's own Breakdown summer tournament on Wednesday July 18th. Beyond the varsity and a "JV" team playing 3 games each, the players and some parents will be asked to help run scoreboards and the gate as this is the only fundraiser the high school program will do this year.
The Wildcats will finish their busiest week of the summer with their annual appearance at the Pacesetter MIT on the Campus of St. Ben's July 21st and 22nd. The 24 game summer season will come to a close on Wednesday July 25th with the final night of Chan Summer League action.
High school players will be bringing home a paper copy of the summer calendar in May but in the meantime, here are the key dates for parents to put on their calendars:
Summer Season Practices: June 1 3:15-4:30, June 5 3:15-4:30, June 7 3:15-4:30, June 11th 4-5:15pm (these practices are open to all players entering 9th through 12th grades next school year)
NDSU Tournament: June 12-14
Summer Improvement Program: (register through community ed) 7am to 8:45am June 19, 21, 26, 28 and July 10, 12, 17, 19, 24, 26
Chanhassen Summer League: June 20,27 and July 11 and 25 (we will not play on July 18th as the girls will already have played 3 games in our Breakdown Tourney that day)
Waconia Breakdown Tournament: July 18
Pacesetter MIT at St. Ben's: July 21 and 22
The months of June and July will be busy as our Wildcats will play 24 games (nearly equivalent to a full winter season) in just 6 weeks and most of those games will be against some of the best teams Minnesota and the upper midwest have to offer.
The game schedule tips off with a 5 game tournament in Fargo at NDSU's new arena. Waconia will face some of the best teams in North and South Dakota and in between the NDSU staff and players will offer sessions on what it takes to play at the college level.
The Wildcats open play in the Chanhassen Summer League on Wednesday June 20th. The league typically features AAAA schools Shakopee, Kennedy, Chaska, Chanhassen, and Jefferson. Teams play at 6 and 7pm on five Wednesday nights through the end of July.
After the week long MSHSL Blackout Period (June 30 through July 6th) the Cats get two Chan League games to tune up for the Breakdown Summer State Tournament on July 15th. This is an invitation only event where The Breakdown identifies what they expect to be the top 8 teams in class AAA next winter, regardless of section, and the teams convene in Maple Grove to crown a summer "state champion". Just a couple of days later Waconia hosts it's own Breakdown summer tournament on Wednesday July 18th. Beyond the varsity and a "JV" team playing 3 games each, the players and some parents will be asked to help run scoreboards and the gate as this is the only fundraiser the high school program will do this year.
The Wildcats will finish their busiest week of the summer with their annual appearance at the Pacesetter MIT on the Campus of St. Ben's July 21st and 22nd. The 24 game summer season will come to a close on Wednesday July 25th with the final night of Chan Summer League action.
High school players will be bringing home a paper copy of the summer calendar in May but in the meantime, here are the key dates for parents to put on their calendars:
Summer Season Practices: June 1 3:15-4:30, June 5 3:15-4:30, June 7 3:15-4:30, June 11th 4-5:15pm (these practices are open to all players entering 9th through 12th grades next school year)
NDSU Tournament: June 12-14
Summer Improvement Program: (register through community ed) 7am to 8:45am June 19, 21, 26, 28 and July 10, 12, 17, 19, 24, 26
Chanhassen Summer League: June 20,27 and July 11 and 25 (we will not play on July 18th as the girls will already have played 3 games in our Breakdown Tourney that day)
Waconia Breakdown Tournament: July 18
Pacesetter MIT at St. Ben's: July 21 and 22
Cold Shooting Costs Cats
Our Wildcats' season came to a sudden and disappointing close with a 58-48 loss to Benidle-St. Margaret's on Saturday night.
The outcome really boiled down to one simple thing: shooting.
A look at every other statistical category shows the game was quite even. One team scored 6 in transition, the other 4. One team scored 15 points off turnovers, the other 13. One team had 7 assists, the other 6. One team had 16 turnovers, the other 15. Both teams had 9 steals.
But Benilde made 44.9% of their shots compared to just 31.8% for the Cats. In fact, the difference was even more specific than "shooting" as the Cats were just 2 for 15 on threes while Benilde was a mere 2 for 13 from beyond the arc. The difference between the two teams was finishing in the paint.
Benilde had a player that had struggled all season to finish from 2 feet (averaged 6ppg) step up in the big game to score 16, all of which came in the paint. The entire Wildcat team combined to score 20 points in the paint.
Another important stat that stood out is that Benilde, with their tallest player standing at 5'9", won the rebounding battle 30-24.
Freshman Addy Salzer was the only Wildcat to make at least half of her shots (5 for 7 from the floor) and she finished with a team high 16 points. Salzer also had 33% of the teams' rebounds (8). Courtney Freeberg contributed 10 points.
It was a frustrating finish to an otherwise excellent season. The Cats reversed their record from a dismal 9 and 19 a year ago to 19 and 9 this season. While the team made great progress and improvement they fell a little shy of both of their goals, finishing 2nd in the WCC East and a poor shooting performance away from an appearance in the section championship game.
The Wildcats say "thank you" and goodbye to four seniors. Estelle Marker, Lyndy Elvebak, Taylor Flemming, and Sidney Zieske. And while it is sad to see them go, there is reason to believe great things are still ahead for Waconia.
With 7 of their 9 regular varsity players returning for next season the Cats have a strong, talented core that has a chance to be even better next season if they are willing to work to improve this offseason.
Our Wildcats' season came to a sudden and disappointing close with a 58-48 loss to Benidle-St. Margaret's on Saturday night.
The outcome really boiled down to one simple thing: shooting.
A look at every other statistical category shows the game was quite even. One team scored 6 in transition, the other 4. One team scored 15 points off turnovers, the other 13. One team had 7 assists, the other 6. One team had 16 turnovers, the other 15. Both teams had 9 steals.
But Benilde made 44.9% of their shots compared to just 31.8% for the Cats. In fact, the difference was even more specific than "shooting" as the Cats were just 2 for 15 on threes while Benilde was a mere 2 for 13 from beyond the arc. The difference between the two teams was finishing in the paint.
Benilde had a player that had struggled all season to finish from 2 feet (averaged 6ppg) step up in the big game to score 16, all of which came in the paint. The entire Wildcat team combined to score 20 points in the paint.
Another important stat that stood out is that Benilde, with their tallest player standing at 5'9", won the rebounding battle 30-24.
Freshman Addy Salzer was the only Wildcat to make at least half of her shots (5 for 7 from the floor) and she finished with a team high 16 points. Salzer also had 33% of the teams' rebounds (8). Courtney Freeberg contributed 10 points.
It was a frustrating finish to an otherwise excellent season. The Cats reversed their record from a dismal 9 and 19 a year ago to 19 and 9 this season. While the team made great progress and improvement they fell a little shy of both of their goals, finishing 2nd in the WCC East and a poor shooting performance away from an appearance in the section championship game.
The Wildcats say "thank you" and goodbye to four seniors. Estelle Marker, Lyndy Elvebak, Taylor Flemming, and Sidney Zieske. And while it is sad to see them go, there is reason to believe great things are still ahead for Waconia.
With 7 of their 9 regular varsity players returning for next season the Cats have a strong, talented core that has a chance to be even better next season if they are willing to work to improve this offseason.
Cats Advance to Semi-Finals
The Wildcat defense set the tone on Wednesday night in the first round of the section 6AAA playoffs as they shut down Delano 45-29. Our Cats carried a 28-14 lead into the locker room at half time and as it turns out their first basket of the 2nd half would provide the rest of the points they would need to win the game.
Waconia was very disciplined on defense and made Delano work for every shot. On offense the Cats spread out the scoring (as usual). Nine players scored though none of them reached double figures.
Delano has developed a reputation for a stingy defense of their own and they held the Cats to just 28% shooting from the floor. However, the Tigers only made 20.8% of their shot attempts. Waconia was a strong 10 for 11 at the free throw line and the Cats won the rebounding battle.
Tess Johnson was the leading scorer with 9 and the leading rebounder with 7. Courtney Freeberg added 5 rebounds.
Waconia will face #3 seed Benilde-St. Margaret's as they topped #6 seed Dassel-Cokato 59-46. The section semi-final game will tip off at 7pm at Waconia High School.
The Wildcat defense set the tone on Wednesday night in the first round of the section 6AAA playoffs as they shut down Delano 45-29. Our Cats carried a 28-14 lead into the locker room at half time and as it turns out their first basket of the 2nd half would provide the rest of the points they would need to win the game.
Waconia was very disciplined on defense and made Delano work for every shot. On offense the Cats spread out the scoring (as usual). Nine players scored though none of them reached double figures.
Delano has developed a reputation for a stingy defense of their own and they held the Cats to just 28% shooting from the floor. However, the Tigers only made 20.8% of their shot attempts. Waconia was a strong 10 for 11 at the free throw line and the Cats won the rebounding battle.
Tess Johnson was the leading scorer with 9 and the leading rebounder with 7. Courtney Freeberg added 5 rebounds.
Waconia will face #3 seed Benilde-St. Margaret's as they topped #6 seed Dassel-Cokato 59-46. The section semi-final game will tip off at 7pm at Waconia High School.
Waconia Wins Regular Season Finale
The Wildcats won 72-69 win at New Prague to conclude the regular season with an 18-8 record and a 7 and 3 finish in the WCC East (2nd place). Waconia jumped out to a quick 10-2 lead and they were able to maintain a lead for the first 17 minutes but the Trojans surged in the final seconds to tie the score at 36 at intermission.
The two teams played even until the final 5 minutes when the Cats strung together some key stops to regain a 9 point advantage with just over 2 minutes to go. The Trojans wouldn't go away though. New Prague had shot the ball with remarkable proficiency all evening and they were able to hit a couple of shots late to cut the lead to just three. That's when senior Sidney Zieske stepped to the line and made two clutch free throws to extend the lead back to five with 11 seconds left. A driving layup with 5 seconds left by the Trojans put the final margin at 72-69.
New Prague made 27 of their 53 attempts from the floor (51%) including a scorching 9 for 18 from beyond the arc while the Cats converted 24 of their 65 shots (37%). Waconia went 18 for 24 at the free throw line while the Trojans made 6 of 9 at the charity stripe.
Ellie Dammann was the leading rebounder with 5 while Tess Johnson had a team high 4 steals. Jayda Lenz contributed three steals.
Five Wildcats scored in double figures led by Johnson's 14. Courtney Freeberg added 13, Estelle Marker 12, Addy Salzer 11, and Lenz chipped in 10.
The JV Cats concluded their season with an exciting, hard fought 62-57 win. Allie Zimmer scored 22, Anna Reichenberger added 14. This team that lost their first game of the season by 40 points and demonstrated remarkable improvement during the season to finish a very impressive 20 and 6.
Our B team turned a 10 point lead with 4 minutes to play into a 27 point trouncing of the Trojans 63-36. Melissa Honnold had 27 points, Sami Brueggemeier contributed 15.
The 9th graders closed the season with a 41-38 loss. Ava Stier led the way with 15. Sarah Cravens added 12. The 9th graders finished the season 16 and 4.
The season for our younger teams has to be called an unqualified success! The future for the Wildcat girls basketball program is beyond bright!
The varsity Cats will begin the section 6AAA tournament on Wednesday when they host Delano at 7pm. The Tigers may have finished with a less than stellar record but they've been playing terrific basketball the past few weeks beating Hutchinson and nearly beating Holy Family. Our Cats will need to be physically and mentally ready if they want to advance to the section semi-finals on Saturday.
The Wildcats won 72-69 win at New Prague to conclude the regular season with an 18-8 record and a 7 and 3 finish in the WCC East (2nd place). Waconia jumped out to a quick 10-2 lead and they were able to maintain a lead for the first 17 minutes but the Trojans surged in the final seconds to tie the score at 36 at intermission.
The two teams played even until the final 5 minutes when the Cats strung together some key stops to regain a 9 point advantage with just over 2 minutes to go. The Trojans wouldn't go away though. New Prague had shot the ball with remarkable proficiency all evening and they were able to hit a couple of shots late to cut the lead to just three. That's when senior Sidney Zieske stepped to the line and made two clutch free throws to extend the lead back to five with 11 seconds left. A driving layup with 5 seconds left by the Trojans put the final margin at 72-69.
New Prague made 27 of their 53 attempts from the floor (51%) including a scorching 9 for 18 from beyond the arc while the Cats converted 24 of their 65 shots (37%). Waconia went 18 for 24 at the free throw line while the Trojans made 6 of 9 at the charity stripe.
Ellie Dammann was the leading rebounder with 5 while Tess Johnson had a team high 4 steals. Jayda Lenz contributed three steals.
Five Wildcats scored in double figures led by Johnson's 14. Courtney Freeberg added 13, Estelle Marker 12, Addy Salzer 11, and Lenz chipped in 10.
The JV Cats concluded their season with an exciting, hard fought 62-57 win. Allie Zimmer scored 22, Anna Reichenberger added 14. This team that lost their first game of the season by 40 points and demonstrated remarkable improvement during the season to finish a very impressive 20 and 6.
Our B team turned a 10 point lead with 4 minutes to play into a 27 point trouncing of the Trojans 63-36. Melissa Honnold had 27 points, Sami Brueggemeier contributed 15.
The 9th graders closed the season with a 41-38 loss. Ava Stier led the way with 15. Sarah Cravens added 12. The 9th graders finished the season 16 and 4.
The season for our younger teams has to be called an unqualified success! The future for the Wildcat girls basketball program is beyond bright!
The varsity Cats will begin the section 6AAA tournament on Wednesday when they host Delano at 7pm. The Tigers may have finished with a less than stellar record but they've been playing terrific basketball the past few weeks beating Hutchinson and nearly beating Holy Family. Our Cats will need to be physically and mentally ready if they want to advance to the section semi-finals on Saturday.
Buffalo Beats Cats and the Buzzer
The Wildcats were just 3 seconds away from their fourth overtime game of the season, but Buffalo got a rebound and scored a putback at the buzzer to garner a 56-54 victory.
The Cats led 27-25 at intermission but a few minutes into the second half the Bison took the lead. Buffalo's lead ballooned to 50-41 with 6 minutes to play. But that's when the Cats began their trademark comeback. Waconia went on an 11-4 run to find themselves trailing 54-52 with 29 seconds remaining. When the play the Cats drew up during a timeout went sideways freshman Addy Salzer improvised and drove the lane drawing a foul. With 9.2 seconds left Salzer calmly swished both free throws to tie the game.
Buffalo brought the ball up the court, drove the lane and missed a shot only to get a rebound and score the putback as the final buzzer sounded.
Had the Cats been able to hold off the Bison in those closing seconds they would have had a big advantage in the OT as Buffalo's best player committed her fifth foul on Salzer with 9 seconds to play.
Waconia struggled to score in the paint making only 13 of their 43 shots (30%). The Cats shot 32.7% overall (19 for 58) for the game. Buffalo make 23 of their 59 shots (38.9%).
The Cats had an 18-13 rebounding edge at halftime but Buffalo bested them on the boards 12 to 7 in the 2nd half.
Eight different Wildcats scored on senior night but only Jayda Lenz reached double figures netting 17. No Wildcat grabbed more than 5 rebounds or had more than 3 steals.
The JV Cats blasted Buffalo 66-36. Mel Honnold had 19, Dani Dykstra 16, and Allie Zimmer scored 11. Coach Neibauer commented about how well the team handled Buffalo's press.
The freshman Cats earned an exciting 46-41 win. Ava Stier had 12 and Sammy Brueggemeier scored 11 but the player that hit the key shots down the stretch was Piper Blink. Piper knocked down two huge 3 pointers in the final 6 minutes to keep the Cats in front.
The final game of the regular season is on Friday at New Prague. The Cats will play 9th, B, JV, and varsity.
The Wildcats were just 3 seconds away from their fourth overtime game of the season, but Buffalo got a rebound and scored a putback at the buzzer to garner a 56-54 victory.
The Cats led 27-25 at intermission but a few minutes into the second half the Bison took the lead. Buffalo's lead ballooned to 50-41 with 6 minutes to play. But that's when the Cats began their trademark comeback. Waconia went on an 11-4 run to find themselves trailing 54-52 with 29 seconds remaining. When the play the Cats drew up during a timeout went sideways freshman Addy Salzer improvised and drove the lane drawing a foul. With 9.2 seconds left Salzer calmly swished both free throws to tie the game.
Buffalo brought the ball up the court, drove the lane and missed a shot only to get a rebound and score the putback as the final buzzer sounded.
Had the Cats been able to hold off the Bison in those closing seconds they would have had a big advantage in the OT as Buffalo's best player committed her fifth foul on Salzer with 9 seconds to play.
Waconia struggled to score in the paint making only 13 of their 43 shots (30%). The Cats shot 32.7% overall (19 for 58) for the game. Buffalo make 23 of their 59 shots (38.9%).
The Cats had an 18-13 rebounding edge at halftime but Buffalo bested them on the boards 12 to 7 in the 2nd half.
Eight different Wildcats scored on senior night but only Jayda Lenz reached double figures netting 17. No Wildcat grabbed more than 5 rebounds or had more than 3 steals.
The JV Cats blasted Buffalo 66-36. Mel Honnold had 19, Dani Dykstra 16, and Allie Zimmer scored 11. Coach Neibauer commented about how well the team handled Buffalo's press.
The freshman Cats earned an exciting 46-41 win. Ava Stier had 12 and Sammy Brueggemeier scored 11 but the player that hit the key shots down the stretch was Piper Blink. Piper knocked down two huge 3 pointers in the final 6 minutes to keep the Cats in front.
The final game of the regular season is on Friday at New Prague. The Cats will play 9th, B, JV, and varsity.
3 and 0 Night For Waconia
Our Wildcats got an important 68-59 section win over Orono on Friday night. The Cats led nearly the entire game but the Spartans were always able to hang around. With the Cats up seven and about 4 minutes to play senior Sidney Zieske drained a crucial three pointer to move the lead to double digits and the Cats would finish the game in the driver's seat.
Waconia shot 40.3% from the floor compared to 30.6% by the Spartans. The Cats dominated the rebounding battle grabbing 30 to Orono's 18.
Tess Johnson scored 17, hauled down 6 rebounds, and grabbed 6 steals. Zieske scored 14. Courtney Freeberg joined them in double figures with 11. Natalie Meath had a big game off the bench with 6 points and 6 rebounds.
The win moves the Cats to 17 and 7 overall and a perfect 6 and 0 against section 6AAA opponents. The win should put the Cats in a strong position to earn the #2 seed when the section playoffs begin in 10 days.
The JV Cats turned a 14-14 halftime tie into a 49-36 win. Allie Zimmer netted 14, Hailey Williams had 10. Our JV is now an impressive 18 and 6 with two games left in their season.
Our 9th grade Cats also got in the win column with a 65-48 triumph over Farmington. Melissa Honnold had 23 points. Sammy Brueggemeier added 16 and Ava Stier chipped in 13.
Our Wildcats got an important 68-59 section win over Orono on Friday night. The Cats led nearly the entire game but the Spartans were always able to hang around. With the Cats up seven and about 4 minutes to play senior Sidney Zieske drained a crucial three pointer to move the lead to double digits and the Cats would finish the game in the driver's seat.
Waconia shot 40.3% from the floor compared to 30.6% by the Spartans. The Cats dominated the rebounding battle grabbing 30 to Orono's 18.
Tess Johnson scored 17, hauled down 6 rebounds, and grabbed 6 steals. Zieske scored 14. Courtney Freeberg joined them in double figures with 11. Natalie Meath had a big game off the bench with 6 points and 6 rebounds.
The win moves the Cats to 17 and 7 overall and a perfect 6 and 0 against section 6AAA opponents. The win should put the Cats in a strong position to earn the #2 seed when the section playoffs begin in 10 days.
The JV Cats turned a 14-14 halftime tie into a 49-36 win. Allie Zimmer netted 14, Hailey Williams had 10. Our JV is now an impressive 18 and 6 with two games left in their season.
Our 9th grade Cats also got in the win column with a 65-48 triumph over Farmington. Melissa Honnold had 23 points. Sammy Brueggemeier added 16 and Ava Stier chipped in 13.
Tigers Take Back and Forth Affair
The top two teams in the WCC East met for a second time on Tuesday night and it was Hutchinson edging out a win in the closing minutes 67-58.
The Tigers took control early in the game building a quick 7-0 lead but the Cats would come back to trail by 2 for good portions of the opening 18 minutes. One more surge by Hutch made the halftime score 35-27. But as they've done all season, the Cats would come back. They took a 44-40 lead with 7 minutes to play and after Hutch reclaimed the lead an Addy Salzer three pointer would put Waconia back in front 54-52 with under 4 minutes to play. But Hutch finished with a flourish. The Cats trailed 57-56 with 90 seconds remaining but the Tigers made their free throws down the stretch and pulled away for the win.
Like the two teams' first matchup, many of the statistical categories were even but Hutch gained separation in two areas: free throws and turnovers.
The Cats committed 25 turnovers compared to 17 by Hutch. The Tigers also outscored Waconia at the free throw line 22 to 11.
Courtney Freeberg and Tess Johnson scored 14 points a piece. Sidney Zieske added 11 points. Freeberg hauled down 8 rebounds and Johnson grabbed 6.
The JV Cats made a furious and fantastic comeback. Trailing by 15 points at the break Waconia outscored Hutch 33-8 in the 2nd half to earn a 46-36 victory. Allie Zimmer led the scoring with 16. Hailey Williams took two big charges.
Our freshman Cats coasted to a convincing 58-29 win. Ava Stier netted 14 points. Sam Brueggemeier and Sarah Cravens contributed 10 a piece.
All three teams return to action on Friday at home. The 9th graders face Farmington. The JV and Varsity will take on Orono.
The top two teams in the WCC East met for a second time on Tuesday night and it was Hutchinson edging out a win in the closing minutes 67-58.
The Tigers took control early in the game building a quick 7-0 lead but the Cats would come back to trail by 2 for good portions of the opening 18 minutes. One more surge by Hutch made the halftime score 35-27. But as they've done all season, the Cats would come back. They took a 44-40 lead with 7 minutes to play and after Hutch reclaimed the lead an Addy Salzer three pointer would put Waconia back in front 54-52 with under 4 minutes to play. But Hutch finished with a flourish. The Cats trailed 57-56 with 90 seconds remaining but the Tigers made their free throws down the stretch and pulled away for the win.
Like the two teams' first matchup, many of the statistical categories were even but Hutch gained separation in two areas: free throws and turnovers.
The Cats committed 25 turnovers compared to 17 by Hutch. The Tigers also outscored Waconia at the free throw line 22 to 11.
Courtney Freeberg and Tess Johnson scored 14 points a piece. Sidney Zieske added 11 points. Freeberg hauled down 8 rebounds and Johnson grabbed 6.
The JV Cats made a furious and fantastic comeback. Trailing by 15 points at the break Waconia outscored Hutch 33-8 in the 2nd half to earn a 46-36 victory. Allie Zimmer led the scoring with 16. Hailey Williams took two big charges.
Our freshman Cats coasted to a convincing 58-29 win. Ava Stier netted 14 points. Sam Brueggemeier and Sarah Cravens contributed 10 a piece.
All three teams return to action on Friday at home. The 9th graders face Farmington. The JV and Varsity will take on Orono.
Wildcats Get Burned by Fire
It was a tough night for our Wildcats as they struggled on the offensive end and dealt with foul trouble all game in their 69-49 loss at Holy Family.
The Cats trailed 10-0 in the opening minutes as they had four turnovers and four missed shots on their first eight possessions. The Wildcats finally got on the scoreboard nearly 6 minutes into the game via a Courtney Freeberg free throw. Waconia wouldn't make their first field goal of the game until 10 minutes of game time had passed. Despite their offensive woes the Cats were still able to keep the game competitive for most of the first half trailing 19-12 at one point. A late run by the Fire made the Wildcat deficit 17 at 30-13 when the two teams went to the locker room.
Waconia came out with far more intensity in the 2nd half and they were able to cut the Holy Family lead to 9 but that would be as close at the Cats would get.
Turnovers and missed shots were the biggest challenge for the Wildcats. The team had 25 turnovers and several were not forced by the Fire defense. They were simply ill advised passes or unforced travels.
When the Wildcats did get a shot off it only went in 29.8% of the time. The Wildcats were 13 for 46 on shots in the paint (28.2%).
The Cats were outscored by 20 points at the free throw line making 11 of their 16 attempts while Holy Family converted 31 of their 40 opportunities.
Waconia was given a great gift by the Delano Tigers as they knocked off Hutchinson tonight keeping the Cats just a game behind Hutch for first place in the WCC East. Delano entered the game just 2 and 17 on the season so it's safe to characterize the outcome as an "upset".
When Hutchinson comes to Waconia on Tuesday the Cats will have a chance to move into a tie for 1st place with a win on their home court.
The JV Cats crushed Holy Family and dominated from start to finish. The final score was 59-30.
It was a tough night for our Wildcats as they struggled on the offensive end and dealt with foul trouble all game in their 69-49 loss at Holy Family.
The Cats trailed 10-0 in the opening minutes as they had four turnovers and four missed shots on their first eight possessions. The Wildcats finally got on the scoreboard nearly 6 minutes into the game via a Courtney Freeberg free throw. Waconia wouldn't make their first field goal of the game until 10 minutes of game time had passed. Despite their offensive woes the Cats were still able to keep the game competitive for most of the first half trailing 19-12 at one point. A late run by the Fire made the Wildcat deficit 17 at 30-13 when the two teams went to the locker room.
Waconia came out with far more intensity in the 2nd half and they were able to cut the Holy Family lead to 9 but that would be as close at the Cats would get.
Turnovers and missed shots were the biggest challenge for the Wildcats. The team had 25 turnovers and several were not forced by the Fire defense. They were simply ill advised passes or unforced travels.
When the Wildcats did get a shot off it only went in 29.8% of the time. The Wildcats were 13 for 46 on shots in the paint (28.2%).
The Cats were outscored by 20 points at the free throw line making 11 of their 16 attempts while Holy Family converted 31 of their 40 opportunities.
Waconia was given a great gift by the Delano Tigers as they knocked off Hutchinson tonight keeping the Cats just a game behind Hutch for first place in the WCC East. Delano entered the game just 2 and 17 on the season so it's safe to characterize the outcome as an "upset".
When Hutchinson comes to Waconia on Tuesday the Cats will have a chance to move into a tie for 1st place with a win on their home court.
The JV Cats crushed Holy Family and dominated from start to finish. The final score was 59-30.
Cardiac Cats Strike Again
The cardiac Cats did it again with a 75-72 overtime win beating Big Lake at the Breakdown "Community Clash" in St. Michael.
It was a physical game and Waconia proved they were up to the task. Trailing by 6 with about 8 minutes to play Tess Johnson sparked a big run with several steals for layups to help the Cats surge into the lead.
Despite her efforts the Wildcats still trailed by 3 with 25 seconds remaining. That's when Allie Zimmer stepped foot on the court for the first time all game and the freshman calmly drove to the rim, drew a foul, and finished the layup to trim the lead to just one. With just seconds remaining Zimmer made the clutch free throw to tie the score.
Big Lake came down and missed a shot. Ellie Dammann got the rebound and threw an outlet. The Cats had one last shot at the buzzer in regulation but it missed long and the two teams would play an extra 4 minutes.
Dammann won the overtime tip and Senior Sidney Zieske buried a big three to get the Cats off to a great start. Waconia would score the first 8 points of the overtime to take control. But Big Lake wouldn't go away. The Hornets hit two three pointers of their own in the final 35 seconds and with Waconia up just 2 in the closing seconds Zieske hit 3 out of 4 free throws to put the Cats up 75-70. The Hornets hit a putback at the buzzer to make the final score 75-72.
Big Lake shot a blistering 42.3% from beyond the arc (11 for 26) compared to a 2 for 12 performance by Waconia. But the Cats prevailed in nearly every other category. The Cats shot 78% at the free throw line compared to 61% by Big Lake. Points off turnovers favored Waconia 24-16. The Cats dominated points in the paint 48-20 and won the rebounding battle 44-36.
Courtney Freeberg had a double/double with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Tess Johnson also had a double/double with 16 points and 10 steals. Sidney Zieske was the other Wildcat in double figures with 10. All ten Wildcats that stepped on the floor scored. In fact, in another crucial statistic, the Wildcat bench outscored the Big Lake bench 24 to 3.
The Wildcats move to 15 and 5 on the season.
The JV Cats had a successful performance winning 63-49 over Buffalo's JV. Dani Dykstra netted 16, Sydni Olson added 15, and Allie Zimmer scored 11.
Our 9th grade Cats crushed Monticello 62-21. Melissa Honnold had 20 and Sami Brueggemeier added 19 to lead the charge.
On Monday the C team will travel to New Prague while the JV and Varsity make the trip to Dassel-Cokato to take on the Chargers in an important section matchup.
The cardiac Cats did it again with a 75-72 overtime win beating Big Lake at the Breakdown "Community Clash" in St. Michael.
It was a physical game and Waconia proved they were up to the task. Trailing by 6 with about 8 minutes to play Tess Johnson sparked a big run with several steals for layups to help the Cats surge into the lead.
Despite her efforts the Wildcats still trailed by 3 with 25 seconds remaining. That's when Allie Zimmer stepped foot on the court for the first time all game and the freshman calmly drove to the rim, drew a foul, and finished the layup to trim the lead to just one. With just seconds remaining Zimmer made the clutch free throw to tie the score.
Big Lake came down and missed a shot. Ellie Dammann got the rebound and threw an outlet. The Cats had one last shot at the buzzer in regulation but it missed long and the two teams would play an extra 4 minutes.
Dammann won the overtime tip and Senior Sidney Zieske buried a big three to get the Cats off to a great start. Waconia would score the first 8 points of the overtime to take control. But Big Lake wouldn't go away. The Hornets hit two three pointers of their own in the final 35 seconds and with Waconia up just 2 in the closing seconds Zieske hit 3 out of 4 free throws to put the Cats up 75-70. The Hornets hit a putback at the buzzer to make the final score 75-72.
Big Lake shot a blistering 42.3% from beyond the arc (11 for 26) compared to a 2 for 12 performance by Waconia. But the Cats prevailed in nearly every other category. The Cats shot 78% at the free throw line compared to 61% by Big Lake. Points off turnovers favored Waconia 24-16. The Cats dominated points in the paint 48-20 and won the rebounding battle 44-36.
Courtney Freeberg had a double/double with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Tess Johnson also had a double/double with 16 points and 10 steals. Sidney Zieske was the other Wildcat in double figures with 10. All ten Wildcats that stepped on the floor scored. In fact, in another crucial statistic, the Wildcat bench outscored the Big Lake bench 24 to 3.
The Wildcats move to 15 and 5 on the season.
The JV Cats had a successful performance winning 63-49 over Buffalo's JV. Dani Dykstra netted 16, Sydni Olson added 15, and Allie Zimmer scored 11.
Our 9th grade Cats crushed Monticello 62-21. Melissa Honnold had 20 and Sami Brueggemeier added 19 to lead the charge.
On Monday the C team will travel to New Prague while the JV and Varsity make the trip to Dassel-Cokato to take on the Chargers in an important section matchup.
Another 3 Game Sweep for the Cats
The Wildcats led start to finish and coasted to a 49-30 win over section and conference foe Delano. Waconia built a big early lead, up as much as 20-5 in the opening minutes of the game. The Wildcat defense made it difficult for the Tigers to get on track offensively.
Nine different players made it into the scorebook and all 19 in uniform played in the game. Sidney Zieske led the scoring with 12 points. Courtney Freeberg added 10. Freeberg also had a team high 7 rebounds.
While official stats (available on our team website sometime on Friday) aren't yet available the Cats were very prudent with their passes and had one of their lowest turnover totals of the season.
The JV Cats also won by a lopsided 49-20 margin. Sydni Olson netted 19 points. Allie Zimmer contributed 10. The JV team is now 13 and 6 overall.
The 9th grade team won 46-14 over the Maple Grove 9B team. Melissa Honnold had 22 points to lead the way. The freshman team is now 11 and 2 overall. That means all 3 teams have combined for an impressive 38 and 14 overall win/loss record! The future looks great for the Wildcats!
All three teams return to action on Saturday. The freshman play at 12:30pm, the JV at 2pm, and the varsity takes on Big Lake at 3:45pm at STMA Middle School West. The boys varsity game will follow the girls varsity action.
The Wildcats led start to finish and coasted to a 49-30 win over section and conference foe Delano. Waconia built a big early lead, up as much as 20-5 in the opening minutes of the game. The Wildcat defense made it difficult for the Tigers to get on track offensively.
Nine different players made it into the scorebook and all 19 in uniform played in the game. Sidney Zieske led the scoring with 12 points. Courtney Freeberg added 10. Freeberg also had a team high 7 rebounds.
While official stats (available on our team website sometime on Friday) aren't yet available the Cats were very prudent with their passes and had one of their lowest turnover totals of the season.
The JV Cats also won by a lopsided 49-20 margin. Sydni Olson netted 19 points. Allie Zimmer contributed 10. The JV team is now 13 and 6 overall.
The 9th grade team won 46-14 over the Maple Grove 9B team. Melissa Honnold had 22 points to lead the way. The freshman team is now 11 and 2 overall. That means all 3 teams have combined for an impressive 38 and 14 overall win/loss record! The future looks great for the Wildcats!
All three teams return to action on Saturday. The freshman play at 12:30pm, the JV at 2pm, and the varsity takes on Big Lake at 3:45pm at STMA Middle School West. The boys varsity game will follow the girls varsity action.
Waconia Wins Three Against New Prague
For the second straight game a balanced scoring attack led the Wildcats to an important conference victory, this time over the Trojans of New Prague. The Cats held a four point lead with 30 seconds left but those final 30 seconds were quite eventful with turnovers, timeouts, and key rebounds. When the smoke cleared Waconia would prevail 58-56.
It was also a tail of two all conference post players. The Cats Courney Freeberg picked up 2 fouls in the first 2 minutes of the game and was relegated to the bench for 15 minutes of the first half. New Prague took advantage and posted a 31-28 lead at the half. The second half would see the Trojans star post player, Emily Russo whislted for a 4th foul with about 12 minutes to play and New Prague leading by 7. The Wildcats took advantage of her absence and clawed back to take a slim lead. Leading 58-54 with 20 seconds to play the Cats got the ball inbounds and curiously the Trojans chose not to foul. That allowed the Cats to take 10 seconds off the clock and shorten the game.
New Prague would get a steal with 5 seconds to play and score a layup to give themselves one last chance, but with 1.4 seconds remaining all the Cats needed to do was throw the ball in successfully and the clock ran out.
Preliminary stats say the Cats won the rebounding battle 27-16. Waconia committed only 11 turnovers compared to 17 by the Trojans. The Cats were efficient in the paint making 20 of their 42 shots. They were just 2 for 14 on threes. New Prague made 40% of their 3pt attempts in the first half but they were just 1 for 7 in the second half.
Courtney Freeberg, Estelle Marker, and Tess Johnson all scored in double figures and 8 of the 9 players to step on the floor for Waconia got in the scoring column.
The win moves the Cats mark to 13 and 5 and 4 and 1 in the WCC East. Hutch beat Holy Family in double OT to maintain their one game lead in the conference title race at the mid-way point.
The JV Cats earned a hard fought 50-35 win in a very physical contest. The Cats held the Trojans scoreless for the first 11 minutes of the game. When the Trojans came with ramped up full court pressure the young Wildcat guards handled themselves well. Syndi Olson scored 16, Alli Zimmer added 12, and Dani "Dozier" Dykstra battled for 8.
The freshman team was also victorious in a tight 39-37 game. Ava Stier netted 13 and Sami Brueggemeier got several key rebounds and handled the ball well down the stretch to secure the win.
The JV and Varsity will face off against Delano at home next Thursday. The 9th grade Cats will host Maple Grove at 4:15 that same day.
For the second straight game a balanced scoring attack led the Wildcats to an important conference victory, this time over the Trojans of New Prague. The Cats held a four point lead with 30 seconds left but those final 30 seconds were quite eventful with turnovers, timeouts, and key rebounds. When the smoke cleared Waconia would prevail 58-56.
It was also a tail of two all conference post players. The Cats Courney Freeberg picked up 2 fouls in the first 2 minutes of the game and was relegated to the bench for 15 minutes of the first half. New Prague took advantage and posted a 31-28 lead at the half. The second half would see the Trojans star post player, Emily Russo whislted for a 4th foul with about 12 minutes to play and New Prague leading by 7. The Wildcats took advantage of her absence and clawed back to take a slim lead. Leading 58-54 with 20 seconds to play the Cats got the ball inbounds and curiously the Trojans chose not to foul. That allowed the Cats to take 10 seconds off the clock and shorten the game.
New Prague would get a steal with 5 seconds to play and score a layup to give themselves one last chance, but with 1.4 seconds remaining all the Cats needed to do was throw the ball in successfully and the clock ran out.
Preliminary stats say the Cats won the rebounding battle 27-16. Waconia committed only 11 turnovers compared to 17 by the Trojans. The Cats were efficient in the paint making 20 of their 42 shots. They were just 2 for 14 on threes. New Prague made 40% of their 3pt attempts in the first half but they were just 1 for 7 in the second half.
Courtney Freeberg, Estelle Marker, and Tess Johnson all scored in double figures and 8 of the 9 players to step on the floor for Waconia got in the scoring column.
The win moves the Cats mark to 13 and 5 and 4 and 1 in the WCC East. Hutch beat Holy Family in double OT to maintain their one game lead in the conference title race at the mid-way point.
The JV Cats earned a hard fought 50-35 win in a very physical contest. The Cats held the Trojans scoreless for the first 11 minutes of the game. When the Trojans came with ramped up full court pressure the young Wildcat guards handled themselves well. Syndi Olson scored 16, Alli Zimmer added 12, and Dani "Dozier" Dykstra battled for 8.
The freshman team was also victorious in a tight 39-37 game. Ava Stier netted 13 and Sami Brueggemeier got several key rebounds and handled the ball well down the stretch to secure the win.
The JV and Varsity will face off against Delano at home next Thursday. The 9th grade Cats will host Maple Grove at 4:15 that same day.
Cats Claw Back to Win in Overtime
The Wildcats finished a stretch where they played 7 of 8 games on the road (only 1 home game since Dec. 19th) with a 5 and 3 record by outscoring Orono 77-73 in overtime. The Cats move their record to 12 and 5 overall.
As has been the case with the Wildcats' opponents for the past week, the Spartans started the game on fire make 5 of their first 6 three point attempts. Our Cats battled back and cut the Orono lead to 3 with seconds remaining in the first half before the Spartans were fouled on a long 3 point attempt, making all three to take a 6 point lead at intermission.
Waconia would battle back to take a small lead late in the 2nd half but Orono's D-I star Maddie Loder put the Spartans on her back and shot her squad back into the lead. Loder scored 30 of her 45 points in the 2nd half and overtime.
Orono held a 2 point advantage while Waconia had the ball with just seconds remaining. That's when freshman Addy Salzer calmly drained a long jumper to tie the game with just over 10 seconds to play. Loder missed a shot at the buzzer and the two teams would go to overtime.
The Cats were happy to have a chance to play 4 extra minutes because as hot as Orono was, the Cats continued their struggles in the paint. Waconia missed 27 shots in the paint but Tess Johnson bucked the trend and finished a key layup to put the Cats up 4 in OT. Later, with the Cats up only 2 with less than 10 seconds left in OT Johnson got a rebound and was fouled. She made both free throws with only 5 seconds left to secure the 4 point victory.
While the Cats struggled to get shots to fall (37.6% from the floor) they were "stellar" from the free throw line, as in Estelle Marker. Marker was an amazing 9 for 10 at the charity stripe leading a 21 for 25 effort by the team. Orono was a perfect 15 for 15. Orono shot an impressive 41.4% from the 3 point line. The Cats outscored Orono in transition 14-6 and in the paint 38-12. Waconia also won the rebounding battle 42-33.
Five Wildcats scored in double figures led by Tess Johnson with 21. Johnson also contributed 10 key steals and 6 assists. Marker netted 11. Courtney Freeberg and Sidney Zieske contributed 13 points a piece and Salzer scored 12. Zieske was the teams' leading rebounder with 9.
The JV Wildcats cruised to a 53-23 victory. Sydni Olson led the way with 19 points. Ellie Gove added 10 and in the terrific team defensive effort.
All three Wildcat teams will be happy to return to their home gym on Friday when they host conference foe New Prague.
The Wildcats finished a stretch where they played 7 of 8 games on the road (only 1 home game since Dec. 19th) with a 5 and 3 record by outscoring Orono 77-73 in overtime. The Cats move their record to 12 and 5 overall.
As has been the case with the Wildcats' opponents for the past week, the Spartans started the game on fire make 5 of their first 6 three point attempts. Our Cats battled back and cut the Orono lead to 3 with seconds remaining in the first half before the Spartans were fouled on a long 3 point attempt, making all three to take a 6 point lead at intermission.
Waconia would battle back to take a small lead late in the 2nd half but Orono's D-I star Maddie Loder put the Spartans on her back and shot her squad back into the lead. Loder scored 30 of her 45 points in the 2nd half and overtime.
Orono held a 2 point advantage while Waconia had the ball with just seconds remaining. That's when freshman Addy Salzer calmly drained a long jumper to tie the game with just over 10 seconds to play. Loder missed a shot at the buzzer and the two teams would go to overtime.
The Cats were happy to have a chance to play 4 extra minutes because as hot as Orono was, the Cats continued their struggles in the paint. Waconia missed 27 shots in the paint but Tess Johnson bucked the trend and finished a key layup to put the Cats up 4 in OT. Later, with the Cats up only 2 with less than 10 seconds left in OT Johnson got a rebound and was fouled. She made both free throws with only 5 seconds left to secure the 4 point victory.
While the Cats struggled to get shots to fall (37.6% from the floor) they were "stellar" from the free throw line, as in Estelle Marker. Marker was an amazing 9 for 10 at the charity stripe leading a 21 for 25 effort by the team. Orono was a perfect 15 for 15. Orono shot an impressive 41.4% from the 3 point line. The Cats outscored Orono in transition 14-6 and in the paint 38-12. Waconia also won the rebounding battle 42-33.
Five Wildcats scored in double figures led by Tess Johnson with 21. Johnson also contributed 10 key steals and 6 assists. Marker netted 11. Courtney Freeberg and Sidney Zieske contributed 13 points a piece and Salzer scored 12. Zieske was the teams' leading rebounder with 9.
The JV Wildcats cruised to a 53-23 victory. Sydni Olson led the way with 19 points. Ellie Gove added 10 and in the terrific team defensive effort.
All three Wildcat teams will be happy to return to their home gym on Friday when they host conference foe New Prague.
2 out of 3 Ain't Bad
The only two undefeated teams in the WCC East went toe to toe in the first half on Thursday night but the home team Tigers got the upper hand in the 2nd half and earned a 64-50 win.
In the end, the difference in the game boiled down to one thing...shooting. The Wildcats got a large number of shots in the paint but were not able to finish them while the Tigers made a season high 12 three pointers.
The Cats had little trouble with the Tigers trademark full court pressure but they sputtered in the half court. While Hutch struggled almost as much on offense in the first half, the shots started to drop for them in the 2nd half. Waconia made one more run and cut the Tiger lead to 5 in the middle of the 2nd half but that was as close as the Cats would get.
Tess Johnson led the scoring with 16 and Courtney Freeberg added 12 points. Addy Salzer led the rebounding with 7. Freeberg contributed 6.
Official stats will be available at some point on Friday.
The freshman Cats coasted to a 61-24 victory. Melissa Honnold had 20 points. Ava Stier scored 14 and Sarah Cravens added 13.
Our JV Cats earned a nice 65-51 win. Sydni Olson and Dani Dykstra had 16 each. Alli Zimmer contributed 12. The JV team is now 10 and 6 on the season.
The JV and Varsity will travel to Orono on Tuesday while the 9th grade team will go to Chanhassen to take on the Storm.
Here's a recap from Kevin Anderson of KJASR.COM:
#9AAA Hutchinson topped #12AAA Waconia in a battle of
undefeated Wright County teams on Thursday night. As has been the case with the other three games this week I charted, the trey had a big impact. The Tigers won the battle of the cats with eleven 3s with five players taking part. Hutch shot 45% from beyond the arc. Waconia, converted a tepid 8% with only one cashiered. It was the second half when the shooting touch really kicked in for Hutch and broke the game open. The hosts led 27-23 at the break. In the first six possessions of the half Hutch scored 13 unanswered points including three 3s. The back breaker possession came after a steal, lay up & one chance. After a Waconia time out, MaKenzie Rensch, who led all scorers with 21 points, missed her free throw, but Gabby Hahn grabbed the miss, there was another miss and Hahn once again grabbed the rebound and found Elizabeth Wortz for a right corner three (40-25). Waconia was forced to play catch up after that. And comeback they did. Spearheaded by the intensity of sophomore Tess Johnson, who led the Wildcats with 16 points (12 in the run), Waconia cut the margin to 52-47 (a 22-12 run) with six minutes left. Johnson took a turn on the bench and Hutch pounced with eight straight points including two straight 3s with four minutes left (61-47). Once again it was an uphill climb for Waconia. There was to be no comeback this time.
Last year both of these teams were in section 6AAA. Hutch moved back to the traditional southwest corner of 2AAA this year.
Earlier this year I charted Hutch for a half in their win over St. Anthony in the Minnetonka breakdown event.
Hutch moves to 13-5 and is riding a six game winning streak. Waconia is 11-5 and has now lost two straight. The rematch is February 13 in Waconia.
The only two undefeated teams in the WCC East went toe to toe in the first half on Thursday night but the home team Tigers got the upper hand in the 2nd half and earned a 64-50 win.
In the end, the difference in the game boiled down to one thing...shooting. The Wildcats got a large number of shots in the paint but were not able to finish them while the Tigers made a season high 12 three pointers.
The Cats had little trouble with the Tigers trademark full court pressure but they sputtered in the half court. While Hutch struggled almost as much on offense in the first half, the shots started to drop for them in the 2nd half. Waconia made one more run and cut the Tiger lead to 5 in the middle of the 2nd half but that was as close as the Cats would get.
Tess Johnson led the scoring with 16 and Courtney Freeberg added 12 points. Addy Salzer led the rebounding with 7. Freeberg contributed 6.
Official stats will be available at some point on Friday.
The freshman Cats coasted to a 61-24 victory. Melissa Honnold had 20 points. Ava Stier scored 14 and Sarah Cravens added 13.
Our JV Cats earned a nice 65-51 win. Sydni Olson and Dani Dykstra had 16 each. Alli Zimmer contributed 12. The JV team is now 10 and 6 on the season.
The JV and Varsity will travel to Orono on Tuesday while the 9th grade team will go to Chanhassen to take on the Storm.
Here's a recap from Kevin Anderson of KJASR.COM:
#9AAA Hutchinson topped #12AAA Waconia in a battle of
undefeated Wright County teams on Thursday night. As has been the case with the other three games this week I charted, the trey had a big impact. The Tigers won the battle of the cats with eleven 3s with five players taking part. Hutch shot 45% from beyond the arc. Waconia, converted a tepid 8% with only one cashiered. It was the second half when the shooting touch really kicked in for Hutch and broke the game open. The hosts led 27-23 at the break. In the first six possessions of the half Hutch scored 13 unanswered points including three 3s. The back breaker possession came after a steal, lay up & one chance. After a Waconia time out, MaKenzie Rensch, who led all scorers with 21 points, missed her free throw, but Gabby Hahn grabbed the miss, there was another miss and Hahn once again grabbed the rebound and found Elizabeth Wortz for a right corner three (40-25). Waconia was forced to play catch up after that. And comeback they did. Spearheaded by the intensity of sophomore Tess Johnson, who led the Wildcats with 16 points (12 in the run), Waconia cut the margin to 52-47 (a 22-12 run) with six minutes left. Johnson took a turn on the bench and Hutch pounced with eight straight points including two straight 3s with four minutes left (61-47). Once again it was an uphill climb for Waconia. There was to be no comeback this time.
Last year both of these teams were in section 6AAA. Hutch moved back to the traditional southwest corner of 2AAA this year.
Earlier this year I charted Hutch for a half in their win over St. Anthony in the Minnetonka breakdown event.
Hutch moves to 13-5 and is riding a six game winning streak. Waconia is 11-5 and has now lost two straight. The rematch is February 13 in Waconia.
When Hot and Cold Collide
In all but two areas, the Wildcats were pretty even with Eden Prairie on Tuesday night. The Cats had 14 turnovers compared to 11 by EP. The Cats took 68 shots while the Eagles attempted 70. But Waconia only made 14 of their 68 shots (20.5%) while Eden Prairie knocked down 31 of their 70 shots (44%). The Cats were 12 for 54 on 2's and a big reason for the poor percentage was the shot blocking of the Eagles. While official stats won't be complete until Wednesday it's a safe assumption the Eagles blocked at least a dozen Wildcat shot attempts. Another key to the game was the fact that EP (who averaged making just over 2 three pointers a game) was 10 for 20 (50%) from the 3pt line.
The other area EP dominated was on the boards. The Eagles grabbed 42 rebounds to 25 by the Cats. Even more telling was that the Eagles earned 24 offensive rebounds (just one shy of the Cats' total rebounds).
While the Cats did a good job of holding down the Eagles leading scorer (limiting her to just 2 points) Eden Prairie had several players that average single digits elevate their game and score in double figures. The only players to reach double figures for Waconia were Addy Salzer at 11 and Tess Johnson with 10.
The JV Cats were leading through most of the first half but they went cold shooting as they fell 65-52. Sydni Olson had 18, Allie Zimmer and Dani Dykstra added 10 each.
Our 9th grade Cats were able to walk out of Eden Prairie with a 40-26 win. Ava Stier had 15 and Sarah Cravens netted 14. Coach Bell commented on the terrific team defense.
All three teams return to action on Thursday as they travel to Hutchinson for an important WCC East matchup.
In all but two areas, the Wildcats were pretty even with Eden Prairie on Tuesday night. The Cats had 14 turnovers compared to 11 by EP. The Cats took 68 shots while the Eagles attempted 70. But Waconia only made 14 of their 68 shots (20.5%) while Eden Prairie knocked down 31 of their 70 shots (44%). The Cats were 12 for 54 on 2's and a big reason for the poor percentage was the shot blocking of the Eagles. While official stats won't be complete until Wednesday it's a safe assumption the Eagles blocked at least a dozen Wildcat shot attempts. Another key to the game was the fact that EP (who averaged making just over 2 three pointers a game) was 10 for 20 (50%) from the 3pt line.
The other area EP dominated was on the boards. The Eagles grabbed 42 rebounds to 25 by the Cats. Even more telling was that the Eagles earned 24 offensive rebounds (just one shy of the Cats' total rebounds).
While the Cats did a good job of holding down the Eagles leading scorer (limiting her to just 2 points) Eden Prairie had several players that average single digits elevate their game and score in double figures. The only players to reach double figures for Waconia were Addy Salzer at 11 and Tess Johnson with 10.
The JV Cats were leading through most of the first half but they went cold shooting as they fell 65-52. Sydni Olson had 18, Allie Zimmer and Dani Dykstra added 10 each.
Our 9th grade Cats were able to walk out of Eden Prairie with a 40-26 win. Ava Stier had 15 and Sarah Cravens netted 14. Coach Bell commented on the terrific team defense.
All three teams return to action on Thursday as they travel to Hutchinson for an important WCC East matchup.
Waconia is RELENTLESS in Double OT Win
The Wildcats overcame a 9 point deficit with 3:40 to play and earned a 68-66 double overtime win over AA #6 Holy Family. Estelle Marker had a double/double (12pts and 12 rebounds) Courtney Freeberg led with 24 points and added 9 rebounds. Tess Johnson dished out a team high 8 assists.
Copy and paste the link into your browser address bar for a recap from the Star Tribune:
http://www.mngirlsbasketballhub.com/news_article/show/873466?referrer_id=248310
Up by one at halftime the JV Cats pulled away in the 2nd half to win 65-40. Taylor Flemming continued her re-hab assignment coming back from injury and scored 16 as did Dani Dykstra. Sydni Olson netted 14 in the win.
The Wildcats overcame a 9 point deficit with 3:40 to play and earned a 68-66 double overtime win over AA #6 Holy Family. Estelle Marker had a double/double (12pts and 12 rebounds) Courtney Freeberg led with 24 points and added 9 rebounds. Tess Johnson dished out a team high 8 assists.
Copy and paste the link into your browser address bar for a recap from the Star Tribune:
http://www.mngirlsbasketballhub.com/news_article/show/873466?referrer_id=248310
Up by one at halftime the JV Cats pulled away in the 2nd half to win 65-40. Taylor Flemming continued her re-hab assignment coming back from injury and scored 16 as did Dani Dykstra. Sydni Olson netted 14 in the win.
Cats Come Out of Tiger Den with a Win
The Wildcats controlled the game and started the conference season off with a 55-45 win at Delano on Friday night. The Cats had a 34-21 halftime advantage and maintained a double digit lead for most of the second half.
Sidney Zieske did a terrific job limiting Delano's best scorer, holding her to just 8 points. Tess Johnson had a great all around game scoring 14, grabbing a team high 8 rebounds, dishing out 6 assists, and grabbing 5 steals.
Courtney Freeberg added 13 points and 8 rebounds. Estelle Marker contributed 7 boards.
The Cats bounced back from their abysmal free throw shooting performance over the break and made 75% of their charity shots. Freeberg was an impressive 9 for 12 at the line.
As a team the Cats made 45.2% of their shots compared to 33% by Delano. The Tigers scored 20 points off Wildcat turnovers (compared to 14 such points by Cats). Waconia won the "second chance" points category 14 to 2 and outscored Delano in the paint 24-18. The Wildcats dominated the rebounding battle 40-23.
Waconia is now 10 and 3 on the season and 1 and 0 in the WCC East.
The JV Cats earned a nice 46-30 victory to improve to 8 and 5 on the season. Sydni Olson netted 11 and Sami Brueggemeier scored 10.
Both the JV and Varsity return to action on Thursday Jan.11th when they host rival Holy Family. The Fire do not have a 9th grade team.
Holy Family will bring in an impressive 11 and 2 record so it will be a battle of two top teams.
The Wildcats controlled the game and started the conference season off with a 55-45 win at Delano on Friday night. The Cats had a 34-21 halftime advantage and maintained a double digit lead for most of the second half.
Sidney Zieske did a terrific job limiting Delano's best scorer, holding her to just 8 points. Tess Johnson had a great all around game scoring 14, grabbing a team high 8 rebounds, dishing out 6 assists, and grabbing 5 steals.
Courtney Freeberg added 13 points and 8 rebounds. Estelle Marker contributed 7 boards.
The Cats bounced back from their abysmal free throw shooting performance over the break and made 75% of their charity shots. Freeberg was an impressive 9 for 12 at the line.
As a team the Cats made 45.2% of their shots compared to 33% by Delano. The Tigers scored 20 points off Wildcat turnovers (compared to 14 such points by Cats). Waconia won the "second chance" points category 14 to 2 and outscored Delano in the paint 24-18. The Wildcats dominated the rebounding battle 40-23.
Waconia is now 10 and 3 on the season and 1 and 0 in the WCC East.
The JV Cats earned a nice 46-30 victory to improve to 8 and 5 on the season. Sydni Olson netted 11 and Sami Brueggemeier scored 10.
Both the JV and Varsity return to action on Thursday Jan.11th when they host rival Holy Family. The Fire do not have a 9th grade team.
Holy Family will bring in an impressive 11 and 2 record so it will be a battle of two top teams.
Monticello Works Magic Against Wildcats
As terrific as the Wildcats were on Thursday night in knocking off highly ranked Chisago Lakes, the team was equally woeful on Friday as they faced the host team Monticello in the Holiday Invitational.
The Cats shooting was as cold as the outside temperature as they made only 35% of their shots compared to 47% by the Magic. Waconia made only 5 of their 23 three point attempts and was 21 for 60 from the floor overall. Another key to the game was free throw shooting. The Magic outscored the Cats at the charity stripe 22-9. Monticello shot 71% at the line compared to a chilly 34.6% by Waconia.
It was the first game all season Waconia was outscored in the paint as the Magic scored 32 points to the Cats 22.
Waconia committed only 14 turnovers compared to 25 by the Magic, but the Cats just couldn't get enough shots to fall.
Natalie Meath led the scoring for Waconia with 14 and Sidney Zieske added 12. Courtney Freeberg had a team high 6 rebounds. Tess Johnson had a game high 4 steals.
The JV Cats prevailed over Zimmerman's JV (Monticello does not have a JV) by 7. The Cats made 8 three pointers in the first half to propel them to the victory.
The 9th grade Cats coasted to a 40 point win over the Monticello 9th graders.
All three teams return to action on Friday when they open Wright County Conference East play at Delano.
Varsity Game Highlights: http://www.hudl.com/v/28gWwW
As terrific as the Wildcats were on Thursday night in knocking off highly ranked Chisago Lakes, the team was equally woeful on Friday as they faced the host team Monticello in the Holiday Invitational.
The Cats shooting was as cold as the outside temperature as they made only 35% of their shots compared to 47% by the Magic. Waconia made only 5 of their 23 three point attempts and was 21 for 60 from the floor overall. Another key to the game was free throw shooting. The Magic outscored the Cats at the charity stripe 22-9. Monticello shot 71% at the line compared to a chilly 34.6% by Waconia.
It was the first game all season Waconia was outscored in the paint as the Magic scored 32 points to the Cats 22.
Waconia committed only 14 turnovers compared to 25 by the Magic, but the Cats just couldn't get enough shots to fall.
Natalie Meath led the scoring for Waconia with 14 and Sidney Zieske added 12. Courtney Freeberg had a team high 6 rebounds. Tess Johnson had a game high 4 steals.
The JV Cats prevailed over Zimmerman's JV (Monticello does not have a JV) by 7. The Cats made 8 three pointers in the first half to propel them to the victory.
The 9th grade Cats coasted to a 40 point win over the Monticello 9th graders.
All three teams return to action on Friday when they open Wright County Conference East play at Delano.
Varsity Game Highlights: http://www.hudl.com/v/28gWwW
Waconia Prevails when Wildcats Collide
Our Waconia Wildcats jumped out to a 12-0 lead and never looked back as they coasted to a convincing 80-52 win over #11 ranked Chisago Lakes. The Wildcats of Chisago Lakes had climbed the rankings after a 47-40 win over a ranked AAAA Edina team and after knocking off top 5 ranked AAA Mahtomedi. But the Wildcats from Waconia looked the part of a top 10 team on Thursday night.
Chisago Lakes star (and Wisconsin signee) Carmen Backes picked up 2 fouls in the first 5 minutes. With Waconia up 18 CL was forced to put her back in and she was whistled for foul number 3 before the first half was over. Despite that, she still finished with a game high 21 points.
Waconia was not without foul troubles as several starters sat for chunks of both halves but the Waconia bench was so effective there was no drop off at all when the starters stepped off the floor. In fact, the bench scored 42 of the team's 80 points.
Addy Salzer set the pace with 14 points. Tess Johnson contributed 12 and Estelle Marker added 11. Johnson and Allie Zimmer both had a team high 6 assists. Marker led the team with 7 rebounds.
The Cats improve to 9 and 2 on the season with the win. It took the team until March to win their 9th (and final) game last season.
The JV Cats also cruised to a 62-36 win. Sydni Olson continued her impressive scoring with 22 points. Dani Dykstra netted 13 and Lexi Schermann 12.
The 9th grade Cats prevailed 42-36. Ava Stier had 18 points.
All three teams return to action on Friday when they face the host team Monticello. The 9th grade plays at 9am, JV at 10:30am, and the varsity at 5:15pm.
Our Waconia Wildcats jumped out to a 12-0 lead and never looked back as they coasted to a convincing 80-52 win over #11 ranked Chisago Lakes. The Wildcats of Chisago Lakes had climbed the rankings after a 47-40 win over a ranked AAAA Edina team and after knocking off top 5 ranked AAA Mahtomedi. But the Wildcats from Waconia looked the part of a top 10 team on Thursday night.
Chisago Lakes star (and Wisconsin signee) Carmen Backes picked up 2 fouls in the first 5 minutes. With Waconia up 18 CL was forced to put her back in and she was whistled for foul number 3 before the first half was over. Despite that, she still finished with a game high 21 points.
Waconia was not without foul troubles as several starters sat for chunks of both halves but the Waconia bench was so effective there was no drop off at all when the starters stepped off the floor. In fact, the bench scored 42 of the team's 80 points.
Addy Salzer set the pace with 14 points. Tess Johnson contributed 12 and Estelle Marker added 11. Johnson and Allie Zimmer both had a team high 6 assists. Marker led the team with 7 rebounds.
The Cats improve to 9 and 2 on the season with the win. It took the team until March to win their 9th (and final) game last season.
The JV Cats also cruised to a 62-36 win. Sydni Olson continued her impressive scoring with 22 points. Dani Dykstra netted 13 and Lexi Schermann 12.
The 9th grade Cats prevailed 42-36. Ava Stier had 18 points.
All three teams return to action on Friday when they face the host team Monticello. The 9th grade plays at 9am, JV at 10:30am, and the varsity at 5:15pm.
Wildcats Win Ugly
One may not know it by looking at the final score but the Wildcats played their worst game of the season in their victory at Mound on Thursday.
In the first half the Cats averaged nearly a turnover per minute and when they did get shots, they had a hard time getting them to drop. Further complicating things, Waconia found themselves in foul trouble. But despite those challenges the Cats still found themselves up 31-28 at halftime.
In the opening minutes of the second half it appeared things would continue as they had in the first half, but with about 10 minutes left in the game the Cats found their stride and started to put some distance between themselves and the Whitehawks. The run was sparked by several steals and by Jayda Lenz and Courtney Freeberg finishing in the paint. Freeberg had 10 of her 18 points in the second half. Lenz scored 8 of her 14 in the final 10 minutes.
Waconia was able to pull away despite a large diparity in fouls and free throws during the second half. It was encouraging to see how the Wildcats responded and how they kept their composure and focus.
Tess Johnson scored 12 and Estelle Marker added 9. Freeberg had a team high 8 rebounds and Johnson had an astounding 9 steals. The Cats grabbed 24 steals as a team compared to 10 for the Whitehawks. Waconia outscored Mound 15-2 in transition, 40-15 on points off turnovers, and a remarkable 50-18 on points in the paint. The Cats also won the rebounding battle 39-29.
The win over the section foe Mound Westonka moves the Wildcats' record to 8 and 2 as they head into a well deserved holiday break. Waconia will return to action on Dec. 28th when they take on top 10 ranked Chisago Lakes at Monticello.
Click the link for game highlights: www.hudl.com/v/28bFes
The 9th grade Cats cruised to a 48-27 victory. Audrey Swanson led the way with 14 points. Ava Stier and Sam Brueggemeier each added 10. In similar fashion to the varsity game the 9th graders were only up 5 at halftime before pulling away in the second half.
Our JV Cats moved their record to 5 and 5 on the season with a 44-38 win. Syndi Olson scored 21 and Lexi Schermann added 9 to power Waconia.
One may not know it by looking at the final score but the Wildcats played their worst game of the season in their victory at Mound on Thursday.
In the first half the Cats averaged nearly a turnover per minute and when they did get shots, they had a hard time getting them to drop. Further complicating things, Waconia found themselves in foul trouble. But despite those challenges the Cats still found themselves up 31-28 at halftime.
In the opening minutes of the second half it appeared things would continue as they had in the first half, but with about 10 minutes left in the game the Cats found their stride and started to put some distance between themselves and the Whitehawks. The run was sparked by several steals and by Jayda Lenz and Courtney Freeberg finishing in the paint. Freeberg had 10 of her 18 points in the second half. Lenz scored 8 of her 14 in the final 10 minutes.
Waconia was able to pull away despite a large diparity in fouls and free throws during the second half. It was encouraging to see how the Wildcats responded and how they kept their composure and focus.
Tess Johnson scored 12 and Estelle Marker added 9. Freeberg had a team high 8 rebounds and Johnson had an astounding 9 steals. The Cats grabbed 24 steals as a team compared to 10 for the Whitehawks. Waconia outscored Mound 15-2 in transition, 40-15 on points off turnovers, and a remarkable 50-18 on points in the paint. The Cats also won the rebounding battle 39-29.
The win over the section foe Mound Westonka moves the Wildcats' record to 8 and 2 as they head into a well deserved holiday break. Waconia will return to action on Dec. 28th when they take on top 10 ranked Chisago Lakes at Monticello.
Click the link for game highlights: www.hudl.com/v/28bFes
The 9th grade Cats cruised to a 48-27 victory. Audrey Swanson led the way with 14 points. Ava Stier and Sam Brueggemeier each added 10. In similar fashion to the varsity game the 9th graders were only up 5 at halftime before pulling away in the second half.
Our JV Cats moved their record to 5 and 5 on the season with a 44-38 win. Syndi Olson scored 21 and Lexi Schermann added 9 to power Waconia.
Wildcats Win by 10
Our Wildcat improved to 7 and 2 on the season with a hard fought 72-62 win over our neighbors to the east, the Hawks from Chaska.
As has been the case all season, the Cats got off to a great start and built a big 15-3 lead in the opening minutes. Chaska finally got on track and they were able to keep the Cats within reach for the remainder of the first half. It was 38-25 at intermission.
Chaska looked like a different team for the first 10 minutes of the second half and they were able to cut the Wildcat lead to as little as two, but Waconia responded with a quick 6-0 run to expand the lead back to 8.
While the Hawks would continue to hang around Waconia would execute well down the stretch and hang on for the 10 point victory. In a sign of how far the Wildcats have come in the past year, at this time last year Waconia lost to Chaska by 27 points.
Estelle Marker had a big game scoring 18 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. She was also an impressive 12 for 14 at the free throw line. Courtney Freeberg and Tess Johnson joined Marker in double figures with 12 points a piece. Freeberg also added 6 big boards. Nine different players scored for the Wildcats. While the two teams were pretty even in most statistical categories two areas separated the Wildcats from the Hawks. Waconia shot 40% from the floor compared to 31% by Chaska and the Cats outscored the Hawks 32-16 in the paint.
Our 9th grade Cats (which was largely made up of 8th graders to accommodate the 4 games) lost 43-33. Ava Stier scored 10.
The B team battled to a 5 point lead at half time then pulled away for a 55-35 win. Syndi Olson took advantage of her half of action netting 11 points. Dani Dykstra added 10.
The JV Cats fell to the Hawks 73-40. Olson had 19 of her 23 points in the first half. Lexi Schermann score 7.
The 9th, JV, and Varsity will return to action on Thursday as they travel to section opponent Mound Westonka. It will be the final action until the Monticello tournament Dec. 28-29.
Click the link for highlights from the varsity game: www.hudl.com/v/28Z8Ln
Our Wildcat improved to 7 and 2 on the season with a hard fought 72-62 win over our neighbors to the east, the Hawks from Chaska.
As has been the case all season, the Cats got off to a great start and built a big 15-3 lead in the opening minutes. Chaska finally got on track and they were able to keep the Cats within reach for the remainder of the first half. It was 38-25 at intermission.
Chaska looked like a different team for the first 10 minutes of the second half and they were able to cut the Wildcat lead to as little as two, but Waconia responded with a quick 6-0 run to expand the lead back to 8.
While the Hawks would continue to hang around Waconia would execute well down the stretch and hang on for the 10 point victory. In a sign of how far the Wildcats have come in the past year, at this time last year Waconia lost to Chaska by 27 points.
Estelle Marker had a big game scoring 18 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. She was also an impressive 12 for 14 at the free throw line. Courtney Freeberg and Tess Johnson joined Marker in double figures with 12 points a piece. Freeberg also added 6 big boards. Nine different players scored for the Wildcats. While the two teams were pretty even in most statistical categories two areas separated the Wildcats from the Hawks. Waconia shot 40% from the floor compared to 31% by Chaska and the Cats outscored the Hawks 32-16 in the paint.
Our 9th grade Cats (which was largely made up of 8th graders to accommodate the 4 games) lost 43-33. Ava Stier scored 10.
The B team battled to a 5 point lead at half time then pulled away for a 55-35 win. Syndi Olson took advantage of her half of action netting 11 points. Dani Dykstra added 10.
The JV Cats fell to the Hawks 73-40. Olson had 19 of her 23 points in the first half. Lexi Schermann score 7.
The 9th, JV, and Varsity will return to action on Thursday as they travel to section opponent Mound Westonka. It will be the final action until the Monticello tournament Dec. 28-29.
Click the link for highlights from the varsity game: www.hudl.com/v/28Z8Ln
Cats Sink Lakers
Our Wildcats improved to 6 and 2 on the season with a 74-48 win over Minneapolis Southwest on Thursday night. Waconia would build a 43-21 lead at intermission. Junior post Courtney Freeberg scored 14 of her team high 16 points in the first half. She also grabbed 7 rebounds.
Senior Sidney Zieske netted 14 points including a 4 for 7 performance from the 3 point line. Nine different Wildcats scored in all. Ellie Dammann contributed 6 rebounds.
The JV Cats also won big 66-28. Syndi Olson poured in 26 points. Paige Young had a season high 13 points and Lexi Schermann scored 10.
The 9th grade team coasted to a 54-21 victory. Audrey Swanson and Ava Stier led the point parade with 12 points each.
All teams return to action on Tuesday as they host the Hawks of Chaska.
Highlights from the varsity game: www.hudl.com/v/28UJwg
Our Wildcats improved to 6 and 2 on the season with a 74-48 win over Minneapolis Southwest on Thursday night. Waconia would build a 43-21 lead at intermission. Junior post Courtney Freeberg scored 14 of her team high 16 points in the first half. She also grabbed 7 rebounds.
Senior Sidney Zieske netted 14 points including a 4 for 7 performance from the 3 point line. Nine different Wildcats scored in all. Ellie Dammann contributed 6 rebounds.
The JV Cats also won big 66-28. Syndi Olson poured in 26 points. Paige Young had a season high 13 points and Lexi Schermann scored 10.
The 9th grade team coasted to a 54-21 victory. Audrey Swanson and Ava Stier led the point parade with 12 points each.
All teams return to action on Tuesday as they host the Hawks of Chaska.
Highlights from the varsity game: www.hudl.com/v/28UJwg
Waconia Wins Battle of the Wildcats
Our Wildcats improved to 5 and 2 on the season with a 67-54 win over Eagan on Friday night. Waconia led nearly the entire game, but they just couldn't put the pesky Wildcats from the East away. Waconia led 34-29 at half time and they built the lead to as many as 14 in the second half but the green and blue Wildcats always had an answer and would keep the game competitive.
Eagan was able to stay close in the first half courtesy of free throws and offensive rebounds. They made only 10 of their 34 shots in the opening 18 minutes. Our Cats were just 12 for 33 though. Freshman Addy Salzer sparked Waconia as she scored 12 of her 14 points in the opening 18 minutes. Sophomore Tess Johnson was the catalyst in the second half pouring in 10 of her game high 17 and getting several key steals.
Courtney Freeberg was a force on the boards grabbing 10 rebounds. Salzer hauled in 6 boards.
Eagan outrebounded Waconia 38-31including 21 offensive boards.
Click on the link for highlights from the win.
www.hudl.com/v/28QdCm
Our Cats don't return to action until next Thursday when they travel to take on AAAA Minneapolis Southwest.
The Wildcat B team fell to Eagan 51-41. Syndi Olson had all 15 of her points in the 2nd half to lead the scoring. The JV also lost as Eagan pulled away.
Our Wildcats improved to 5 and 2 on the season with a 67-54 win over Eagan on Friday night. Waconia led nearly the entire game, but they just couldn't put the pesky Wildcats from the East away. Waconia led 34-29 at half time and they built the lead to as many as 14 in the second half but the green and blue Wildcats always had an answer and would keep the game competitive.
Eagan was able to stay close in the first half courtesy of free throws and offensive rebounds. They made only 10 of their 34 shots in the opening 18 minutes. Our Cats were just 12 for 33 though. Freshman Addy Salzer sparked Waconia as she scored 12 of her 14 points in the opening 18 minutes. Sophomore Tess Johnson was the catalyst in the second half pouring in 10 of her game high 17 and getting several key steals.
Courtney Freeberg was a force on the boards grabbing 10 rebounds. Salzer hauled in 6 boards.
Eagan outrebounded Waconia 38-31including 21 offensive boards.
Click on the link for highlights from the win.
www.hudl.com/v/28QdCm
Our Cats don't return to action until next Thursday when they travel to take on AAAA Minneapolis Southwest.
The Wildcat B team fell to Eagan 51-41. Syndi Olson had all 15 of her points in the 2nd half to lead the scoring. The JV also lost as Eagan pulled away.
Orioles Fly Past Wildcats
It was a track meet for most of the game on Tuesday night and it was the Orioles from St. Louis Park that finished on top 86-79. The Wildcats led in the opening minutes as they handled the Oriole press. Fouls were also 6-0 against St. Louis Park with 12 minutes left in the half so things looked promising for the Cats. But the Orioles were not whistled for another foul for the next 6 minutes and in that time the host team got hot from behind the 3pt line. By the time the teams took a break for halftime St. Louis park had raced to a 40-31 lead.
As the second half opened, the Cats cut the lead to 40-36 and had the momentum, but one of the things that tipped the scales in favor of SLP in the first half, offensive rebounds, reared it's ugly head again. After a missed shot the Orioles got the rebound, scored the putback, and got fouled allowed them to recapture the momentum.
Continued hot shooting from the arc for St. Louis Park meant the Cats trailed by nearly 20 with 7 minutes to go. But that's when the comeback began. Waconia amplified the intensity and with a minute to go the margin was cut to 6, but that was as close as Waconia would get.
SLP knocked down 11 threes compared to just 4 from the Wildcats. That accounts for the 7 point margin and was enough to give the Orioles the separation they needed. But SLP also won the rebounding battle 39-26 including 20 offensive rebounds compared to just 6 by Waconia.
Estelle Marker led the Cat scoring with 19 points, Tess Johnson netted 15, and Courtney Freeberg chipped in 14. No Wildcat pulled down more than 4 rebounds.
The Cats fall to 4 and 2 on the season. They host another AAAA foe in the form of the Eagan Wildcats on Friday.
The JV team lost but also made a rousing comeback. After trailing by 20 they trimmed the SLP lead to 3 but couldn't quite climb the mountain completely. Syndi Olson had a sizzling 27 points to propel the JV.
Our 9th grade Cats suffered their first loss of the season, losing to SLP 38-35. Ava Stier was the leading scorer with 13 points.
It was a track meet for most of the game on Tuesday night and it was the Orioles from St. Louis Park that finished on top 86-79. The Wildcats led in the opening minutes as they handled the Oriole press. Fouls were also 6-0 against St. Louis Park with 12 minutes left in the half so things looked promising for the Cats. But the Orioles were not whistled for another foul for the next 6 minutes and in that time the host team got hot from behind the 3pt line. By the time the teams took a break for halftime St. Louis park had raced to a 40-31 lead.
As the second half opened, the Cats cut the lead to 40-36 and had the momentum, but one of the things that tipped the scales in favor of SLP in the first half, offensive rebounds, reared it's ugly head again. After a missed shot the Orioles got the rebound, scored the putback, and got fouled allowed them to recapture the momentum.
Continued hot shooting from the arc for St. Louis Park meant the Cats trailed by nearly 20 with 7 minutes to go. But that's when the comeback began. Waconia amplified the intensity and with a minute to go the margin was cut to 6, but that was as close as Waconia would get.
SLP knocked down 11 threes compared to just 4 from the Wildcats. That accounts for the 7 point margin and was enough to give the Orioles the separation they needed. But SLP also won the rebounding battle 39-26 including 20 offensive rebounds compared to just 6 by Waconia.
Estelle Marker led the Cat scoring with 19 points, Tess Johnson netted 15, and Courtney Freeberg chipped in 14. No Wildcat pulled down more than 4 rebounds.
The Cats fall to 4 and 2 on the season. They host another AAAA foe in the form of the Eagan Wildcats on Friday.
The JV team lost but also made a rousing comeback. After trailing by 20 they trimmed the SLP lead to 3 but couldn't quite climb the mountain completely. Syndi Olson had a sizzling 27 points to propel the JV.
Our 9th grade Cats suffered their first loss of the season, losing to SLP 38-35. Ava Stier was the leading scorer with 13 points.
Cats Coast to Victory
When the Wildcats agreed to play St. Paul Highland Park last spring the Scots were coming off a 16 win season and had their three leading scorers all returning. But when school started this fall two of those top three players had enrolled at other schools and suddenly the Scots were not the experienced, top notch team they were expected to be. The end result was a lopsided affair where the Wildcats prevailed 77-24.
The positive for the Wildcats was that several JV players were able to score their first career varsity points as they got extended minutes in the second half. Ellie Gove, Anna Reichenberger, Sydni Olson, Sophie Klitzke, Paige Young, and Hailey Williams all netted their first varsity points. 16 different Wildcats scored in the game.
After playing 5 games in the past 7 days Waconia finds themselves at 4 and 1. Next week the Cats will travel to face AAAA Metro West team St. Louis Park and they will host AAAA South Suburban Conference member Eagan.
The 9th grade team cruised to a comfortable 52-22 win. Melissa Honnold scored 20 and Dani Dykstra had 14. The JV Cats also coasted to a big win and were led again by Sydni Olson and Lexi Schermann.
When the Wildcats agreed to play St. Paul Highland Park last spring the Scots were coming off a 16 win season and had their three leading scorers all returning. But when school started this fall two of those top three players had enrolled at other schools and suddenly the Scots were not the experienced, top notch team they were expected to be. The end result was a lopsided affair where the Wildcats prevailed 77-24.
The positive for the Wildcats was that several JV players were able to score their first career varsity points as they got extended minutes in the second half. Ellie Gove, Anna Reichenberger, Sydni Olson, Sophie Klitzke, Paige Young, and Hailey Williams all netted their first varsity points. 16 different Wildcats scored in the game.
After playing 5 games in the past 7 days Waconia finds themselves at 4 and 1. Next week the Cats will travel to face AAAA Metro West team St. Louis Park and they will host AAAA South Suburban Conference member Eagan.
The 9th grade team cruised to a comfortable 52-22 win. Melissa Honnold scored 20 and Dani Dykstra had 14. The JV Cats also coasted to a big win and were led again by Sydni Olson and Lexi Schermann.
Cats Surge Past Spartans
The Wildcats moved to 3 and 1 on the young season with a hard fought 64-47 win over a scrappy Richfield team. Both teams started slow but two consecutive three pointers by Sidney Zieske ballooned a narrow Wildcat lead to double digits and then the run was on. The Cats got up by as many as 18 in the first half before a late run by Richfield made the score at intermission 38-24.
Waconia would begin the second half with five straight turnovers and the Spartans took advantage, trimming the lead to as little as 7 at one point, but the Cats would bounce back, powered in part behind 8 steals by sophomore Tess Johnson.
With 3 minutes left the Cats called off the dogs and killed the clock to cement the victory.
Zieske was the leading scorer with 15. She had an impressive 4 for 6 performance from behind the arc. Freshman Addy Salzer scored a career high 12 off the bench and Johnson netted 10.
Courtney Freeberg pulled down a team high 7 rebounds and Estelle Marker added 6.
As a team, Waconia was 23 for 65 (35.3%) while the Spartans shot 29%.
There will be no rest for the Wildcats as they host the Scots of Highland Park on Friday night.
The "C" team moved to 2 and 0 on the season with a 47-15 victory. Dani Dykstra scored 15 and Melissa Honnold had 13.
Our JV Cats were also big winners with a 55-29 win. Syndi Olson tickled the twine for 20 points Lexi Schermann added 15. Paige Young was potent on defense grabbing 8 steals.
The Wildcats moved to 3 and 1 on the young season with a hard fought 64-47 win over a scrappy Richfield team. Both teams started slow but two consecutive three pointers by Sidney Zieske ballooned a narrow Wildcat lead to double digits and then the run was on. The Cats got up by as many as 18 in the first half before a late run by Richfield made the score at intermission 38-24.
Waconia would begin the second half with five straight turnovers and the Spartans took advantage, trimming the lead to as little as 7 at one point, but the Cats would bounce back, powered in part behind 8 steals by sophomore Tess Johnson.
With 3 minutes left the Cats called off the dogs and killed the clock to cement the victory.
Zieske was the leading scorer with 15. She had an impressive 4 for 6 performance from behind the arc. Freshman Addy Salzer scored a career high 12 off the bench and Johnson netted 10.
Courtney Freeberg pulled down a team high 7 rebounds and Estelle Marker added 6.
As a team, Waconia was 23 for 65 (35.3%) while the Spartans shot 29%.
There will be no rest for the Wildcats as they host the Scots of Highland Park on Friday night.
The "C" team moved to 2 and 0 on the season with a 47-15 victory. Dani Dykstra scored 15 and Melissa Honnold had 13.
Our JV Cats were also big winners with a 55-29 win. Syndi Olson tickled the twine for 20 points Lexi Schermann added 15. Paige Young was potent on defense grabbing 8 steals.
Waconia Wins 1st Game in New Gym
The Wildcats won the first ever game in their new gym as they weathered the Storm from Chanhassen. The Cats jumped out to a big lead early, getting up by as many as 18 while the Storm struggled to knock down any shots. But eventually Chanhassen warmed up and they cut the Wildcat lead to 33-26 at the half.
The Storm picked up where they left off when the 2nd half opened and at one point they trimmed the Waconia lead to as little as 2. But the Wildcat team that was so young and timid at this time last season responded like the veterans they now are and they went on a run of their own. The lead grew to as much as 15 with 8 minutes to play. The Storm did not go quietly though. It took big shots by senior Sidney Zieske and clutch free throws by senior Estelle Marker to seal the victory.
Courtney Freeberg led the scoring with 20 points. Tess Johnson added 13, Zieske netted 12, and Marker scored 10. Ellie Dammann was the leading rebounder with 8. Jayda Lenz dished out an impressive 7 assists. The Wildcats shot an impressive 47% as a team. Chan made 35% of their shots. Waconia won the rebounding battle 25-22.
The C team trounced Chan in their season opener 48-17. Ava Stier and Audrey Swanson both scored in double digits for the Cats.
The B team lost a tightly contested game 48-46. No team ever had more than a 5 point lead throughout the contest, but Chan was able to hang on.
Our JV Cats were competitive most of the first half but the Storm pulled away 53-31. Lexi Schermann scored 12 and Sydni Olson added 11.
The C, JV, and Varsity return to action on Thursday as they host the Spartans from Richfield. It will be "youth night" and the first 100 kids through the doors will get a Wildcat Girls Basketball poster!
Follow this link for video highlights of the varsity game: www.hudl.com/v/28NpuJ
Wildcats Split at Red Wing Tournament
Waconia dropped their season opening game but earned a win in game two as they started the season at the Red Wing Invitational. The host Wingers were tough on defense but the Cats clawed their way to 25 first half points and trailed by only 4 at intermission. The game remained close for the opening minutes of the 2nd half until the Wingers turned a 1 point lead into a 10 point lead by hitting three 3 pointers on three consecutive possessions. The Cats came up empty on each of their coinciding three trips and the Winger lead was suddenly 10.
Waconia was never able to put together a big offensive outburst to match and the Wingers earned a spot in the championship game with a 67-52 win.
Our Cats were 18 for 58 from the floor (31%) while Red Wing shot 21 for 54 (37%). Waconia outrebounded the Wingers 40-34 and the Cats pilfered 20 steals compared to 15 by the Wingers. The Cats committed 29 turnovers while the Wingers gave the ball away 24 times. Tess Johnson as the only Wildcat to reach double figures with 13 points. Estelle Marker had a team high 8 rebounds.
Saturday meant a matchup with the Wildcats of River Falls, Wisconsin. River Falls had fallen to defending class A champion Goodhue 52-39 the day before. There were points a plenty in this battle of the Wildcats. Waconia led 43-37 at halftime and it appeared the first team to string together some stops on the defensive end would prevail. Fortunately that team was Waconia as they eventually pulled away to earn an 82-63 win. Waconia made 31 of their 78 shots (39.7%) while River Falls was 19 for 52 (36.5%). An enormously important stat was that Waconia scored 43 points off turnovers while River Falls only scored 9. Our Cats won the rebounding battle 46-39. Waconia committed 20 turnovers compared to 29 by River Falls.
Sidney Zieske nailed 6 threes for her team high 18 points. Natalie Meath, Tess Johnson, Addy Salzer, and Courtney Freeberg joined the double digit scoring parade. Meath was the leading rebounder with 10.
Next week is a big one for Waconia as they play three home games including the first ever game at the new WHS gym when they host the Storm of Chanhassen at 7pm on Tuesday.
The Wildcat JV team lost to Red Wing on Friday and earned a 42-26 win over River Falls on Saturday. Sydney Olson scored 13 and Lexi Schermann added 10 points in the win.
Click here for video highlights of the Red Wing game: http://www.hudl.com/v/28N9Sh
Click here for video highlights of the River Falls game: http://www.hudl.com/video/2/108388/5a1a6733b534c810bc69f3c6
Waconia dropped their season opening game but earned a win in game two as they started the season at the Red Wing Invitational. The host Wingers were tough on defense but the Cats clawed their way to 25 first half points and trailed by only 4 at intermission. The game remained close for the opening minutes of the 2nd half until the Wingers turned a 1 point lead into a 10 point lead by hitting three 3 pointers on three consecutive possessions. The Cats came up empty on each of their coinciding three trips and the Winger lead was suddenly 10.
Waconia was never able to put together a big offensive outburst to match and the Wingers earned a spot in the championship game with a 67-52 win.
Our Cats were 18 for 58 from the floor (31%) while Red Wing shot 21 for 54 (37%). Waconia outrebounded the Wingers 40-34 and the Cats pilfered 20 steals compared to 15 by the Wingers. The Cats committed 29 turnovers while the Wingers gave the ball away 24 times. Tess Johnson as the only Wildcat to reach double figures with 13 points. Estelle Marker had a team high 8 rebounds.
Saturday meant a matchup with the Wildcats of River Falls, Wisconsin. River Falls had fallen to defending class A champion Goodhue 52-39 the day before. There were points a plenty in this battle of the Wildcats. Waconia led 43-37 at halftime and it appeared the first team to string together some stops on the defensive end would prevail. Fortunately that team was Waconia as they eventually pulled away to earn an 82-63 win. Waconia made 31 of their 78 shots (39.7%) while River Falls was 19 for 52 (36.5%). An enormously important stat was that Waconia scored 43 points off turnovers while River Falls only scored 9. Our Cats won the rebounding battle 46-39. Waconia committed 20 turnovers compared to 29 by River Falls.
Sidney Zieske nailed 6 threes for her team high 18 points. Natalie Meath, Tess Johnson, Addy Salzer, and Courtney Freeberg joined the double digit scoring parade. Meath was the leading rebounder with 10.
Next week is a big one for Waconia as they play three home games including the first ever game at the new WHS gym when they host the Storm of Chanhassen at 7pm on Tuesday.
The Wildcat JV team lost to Red Wing on Friday and earned a 42-26 win over River Falls on Saturday. Sydney Olson scored 13 and Lexi Schermann added 10 points in the win.
Click here for video highlights of the Red Wing game: http://www.hudl.com/v/28N9Sh
Click here for video highlights of the River Falls game: http://www.hudl.com/video/2/108388/5a1a6733b534c810bc69f3c6
4 and 0 on Final Day of Fall League
The JV finished the fall a perfect 8 and 0 and on the final Sunday they had to earn that undefeated fall against two tall, strong, teams. Wayzata's JV looked to be comprised of sophomores and juniors but our 8th and 9th grade Wildcats weren't intimidated. They led from start to finish and earned an impressive 34-30 win.
Game two featured another older, bigger, stronger, opponent but the Rangers of Forest Lake weren't able to tame the JV Cats either as Waconia won 32-22. A huge key in both wins was the aggressive rebounding by the Cats. In particular, in game two, when the shots weren't falling our JV hit the offensive boards hard. That effort combined with solid defense meant a very positive finish to the fall.
The varsity team also finished on a high note.
Game one featured a split Apple Valley squad. The turnover bug bit the Cats in the first half as they committed 12. Despite that, the Cats led 20-15 at the half. Waconia only gave the ball away 5 times in the second half. As a result the team built a double digit lead. The Eagles scored some easy buckets in "garbage time" but it wasn't enough as Waconia would prevail 42-36.
10 different players scored for the Cats and no player had more than 7 points. Tess Johnson was the leading rebounder with 5 and also had 5 big steals.
In the final game of the fall league season Waconia would face a familiar foe, conference and section rival and defending AAA state champs, Orono. Our Cats controlled the game from start to finish and put the Spartans on notice that Waconia will be a major factor in the conference and section this winter. A 35-17 halftime lead turned into a 60-37 win for the Wildcats.
Rookie Sidney Olson led the scoring with 14 points highlighted by 4 of 6 shooting from beyond the arc. Natalie Meath added 10 points and again, 10 different players scored. Courtney Freeberg had a team high 6 rebounds.
The two Waconia teams combined to finish the fall 15 and 1. That is certainly an encouraging sign as the teams gear up for the start of the winter season on Nov. 13th.
The JV finished the fall a perfect 8 and 0 and on the final Sunday they had to earn that undefeated fall against two tall, strong, teams. Wayzata's JV looked to be comprised of sophomores and juniors but our 8th and 9th grade Wildcats weren't intimidated. They led from start to finish and earned an impressive 34-30 win.
Game two featured another older, bigger, stronger, opponent but the Rangers of Forest Lake weren't able to tame the JV Cats either as Waconia won 32-22. A huge key in both wins was the aggressive rebounding by the Cats. In particular, in game two, when the shots weren't falling our JV hit the offensive boards hard. That effort combined with solid defense meant a very positive finish to the fall.
The varsity team also finished on a high note.
Game one featured a split Apple Valley squad. The turnover bug bit the Cats in the first half as they committed 12. Despite that, the Cats led 20-15 at the half. Waconia only gave the ball away 5 times in the second half. As a result the team built a double digit lead. The Eagles scored some easy buckets in "garbage time" but it wasn't enough as Waconia would prevail 42-36.
10 different players scored for the Cats and no player had more than 7 points. Tess Johnson was the leading rebounder with 5 and also had 5 big steals.
In the final game of the fall league season Waconia would face a familiar foe, conference and section rival and defending AAA state champs, Orono. Our Cats controlled the game from start to finish and put the Spartans on notice that Waconia will be a major factor in the conference and section this winter. A 35-17 halftime lead turned into a 60-37 win for the Wildcats.
Rookie Sidney Olson led the scoring with 14 points highlighted by 4 of 6 shooting from beyond the arc. Natalie Meath added 10 points and again, 10 different players scored. Courtney Freeberg had a team high 6 rebounds.
The two Waconia teams combined to finish the fall 15 and 1. That is certainly an encouraging sign as the teams gear up for the start of the winter season on Nov. 13th.
A Perfect 4 and 0 Day in Fall League
The JV Cats continued an undefeated fall league season with a 35-27 win over Orono and a 34-14 victory over Burnsville.
If I had told you the varsity version of the Wildcats would shoot a combined 2 for 30 on threes and 9 for 34 on free throws you probably wouldn't expect the next thing you'd hear is "two wins", but despite those two putrid percentages the Cats came out on top twice!
Their first game of the day versus Mankato West turned into a nail biter. West led 5 to 0 and the Cats wouldn't get their first made basket until 7 and a half minutes had passed. But Waconia finished the half on a 14-5 run to earn a 4 point half time lead.
That lead evaporated quickly as West scorched the nets for 7 points in the first minute of the 2nd half. It would take 9 more minutes of the second half for the Cats to regain their lead (22-21). At that point the two teams trade baskets for the rest of the game.
With the teams tied at 30 West scored a layup to take the lead with just a minute to play. On their next possession the Cats got 5 different shots at the basket (between free throws and field goals) and didn't convert any. So West had the ball and a 2pt lead with just 25 seconds to play. That is when freshman Addy Salzer pounced on a Scarlet pass and took it the other way for a game tying layup.
It was West ball again as the seconds ticked away and Salzer struck again! This time after getting a steal she passed ahead to Tess Johnson who was fouled driving in for what would have been a game winning layup. So the sophomore went to the free throw line with just 0.6 seconds left. She made the first and missed the 2nd to secure a dramatic 34-33 win for the Wildcats!
Tess Johnson led the scoring with 11 points. She also had 4 steals. Addy Salzer added 10 points, a team high 4 rebounds, and the two crucial steals in the closing minute. No other Cat scored more than 4.
Game two lacked the drama of game one as the Wildcats led the Hutchinson Tigers from start to finish. Waconia built a 7 to 1 lead in the first 6 minutes and led 17-8 at halftime (though the scoreboard said 15-8...they didn't put up a Jayda Lenz layup).
The Cats extended the lead to 25-12 with 10 minutes left in the game and would go on to a "28-21" win (according to the scoreboard) though the final was really 32-21. The defending conference champion Tigers did not use their trademark full court defensive pressure, so there is something of a caveat attached to the game, but the Wildcats did demonstrate they will be a contender for the conference crown this winter.
Despite the comfortable victory, the Cats didn't play perfect by any means. The team shot just 12 for 41 from the floor and a frigid 6 for 20 at the free throw line.
Natalie Meath was the leading rebounder with 7 and Tess Johnson again the leading scorer with 10.
With just one week remaining in the Breakdown Fall League our two Wildcat teams are a combined 11 and 1. There can be no doubt the Wildcats are a program on the rise!
The JV Cats continued an undefeated fall league season with a 35-27 win over Orono and a 34-14 victory over Burnsville.
If I had told you the varsity version of the Wildcats would shoot a combined 2 for 30 on threes and 9 for 34 on free throws you probably wouldn't expect the next thing you'd hear is "two wins", but despite those two putrid percentages the Cats came out on top twice!
Their first game of the day versus Mankato West turned into a nail biter. West led 5 to 0 and the Cats wouldn't get their first made basket until 7 and a half minutes had passed. But Waconia finished the half on a 14-5 run to earn a 4 point half time lead.
That lead evaporated quickly as West scorched the nets for 7 points in the first minute of the 2nd half. It would take 9 more minutes of the second half for the Cats to regain their lead (22-21). At that point the two teams trade baskets for the rest of the game.
With the teams tied at 30 West scored a layup to take the lead with just a minute to play. On their next possession the Cats got 5 different shots at the basket (between free throws and field goals) and didn't convert any. So West had the ball and a 2pt lead with just 25 seconds to play. That is when freshman Addy Salzer pounced on a Scarlet pass and took it the other way for a game tying layup.
It was West ball again as the seconds ticked away and Salzer struck again! This time after getting a steal she passed ahead to Tess Johnson who was fouled driving in for what would have been a game winning layup. So the sophomore went to the free throw line with just 0.6 seconds left. She made the first and missed the 2nd to secure a dramatic 34-33 win for the Wildcats!
Tess Johnson led the scoring with 11 points. She also had 4 steals. Addy Salzer added 10 points, a team high 4 rebounds, and the two crucial steals in the closing minute. No other Cat scored more than 4.
Game two lacked the drama of game one as the Wildcats led the Hutchinson Tigers from start to finish. Waconia built a 7 to 1 lead in the first 6 minutes and led 17-8 at halftime (though the scoreboard said 15-8...they didn't put up a Jayda Lenz layup).
The Cats extended the lead to 25-12 with 10 minutes left in the game and would go on to a "28-21" win (according to the scoreboard) though the final was really 32-21. The defending conference champion Tigers did not use their trademark full court defensive pressure, so there is something of a caveat attached to the game, but the Wildcats did demonstrate they will be a contender for the conference crown this winter.
Despite the comfortable victory, the Cats didn't play perfect by any means. The team shot just 12 for 41 from the floor and a frigid 6 for 20 at the free throw line.
Natalie Meath was the leading rebounder with 7 and Tess Johnson again the leading scorer with 10.
With just one week remaining in the Breakdown Fall League our two Wildcat teams are a combined 11 and 1. There can be no doubt the Wildcats are a program on the rise!
Wildcats End Summer Season 19 and 7
The MIT on the campus of St. Ben's always brings in some of the best teams from across the state and this year's field was no different as it boasted no fewer than a dozen teams that won in excess of 20 games last season. The Cats went 4 and 2 against these top teams to finish a summer season that included two Breakdown Tournament championships with a strong 19 and 7 record.
In the first game of pool play on Saturday there was nothing cold about the Esko Eskimos shooting in the first half. Esko hit 7 threes in the opening minutes of action and the ten point lead they accrued was maintained for most of the rest of the game. When the final horn sounded Esko emerged with a 47-35 win. The 12 point loss would be the largest margin of defeat for the Cats all summer. Waconia made only 12 of their 43 shots. Estelle Marker garnered 5 steals and Courtney Freeberg had 9 points to lead the effort for the Cats.
Pine City was the opponent in game 2 of pool play and after digging themselves another early 12 point deficit the Wildcats clawed back to trail by just one at halftime. Then the Cats controlled the second half and earned a 44-28 win. Freeberg had a big game with 16 points and 6 rebounds. Ellie Dammann added 8 points.
The Cats were getting better as the day progressed because by the time they played a 21-6 Stephen-Argyle team they blew the doors off from the beginning on their way to a 54-28 win. Addy Salzer was the leading scorer with 9 points and Estelle Marker grabbed a game high 6 rebounds.
2 wins and a loss set up a showdown with a 29 and 1 Wheaton team with the pool championship at stake. The Warriors were always just a step ahead of the Cats in their 45-37 victory. While 8 different players scored for Waconia no player had as many as Freeberg's 8 points. Marker again had 6 rebounds.
The loss meant the Wildcats would play in the third division rather than the first, but even in the 3rd division the opponents were no slouches. Annandale and Waseca, both teams that played in the Breakdown State Tournament two weeks ago, would prove formidable foes.
The Cardinals had a hot shooting guard and a shot blocking post that propelled them to a 31-20 halftime advantage. But the maturing Wildcats were not deterred. A year ago, if confronted by such a situation the younger Cats would have hung their heads but the now older, wiser, mentally tougher Cats battled back and claimed a 46-43 victory. Sidney Zieske was the star of the game with 23 points including 7 three pointers and 4 steals. Courtney Freeberg went toe to toe with Annandale's post and pulled down 7 rebounds. Tess Johnson netted 9 points.
A class AAA state tournament team last March, the Waseca Bluejays were the 6th and final opponent of the weekend for Waconia. The Cats led for a strong majority of the game but the proud Bluejays made a 5 point Wildcat lead with 2 minutes to play evaporate so the two team found themselves tied with under 20 seconds to play. It was Waconia's ball when Marker put up a 12 foot jumper that rimmed out but Addy Salzer was in the right place at the right time and she didn't flinch when confronted of putting up a shot with the clock winding down. The freshman calmly knocked down a 7 foot jumper in he lane with less than 5 seconds left to secure the win. Zieske was again the leading scorer with 9 points and Marker the leading rebounder with 6. Another stat that stood out was only 8 turnovers by the Wildcats as they faced one of the better defensive teams in class AAA.
The arrival of August means the end of summer basketball and the beginning of fall sports. But the Cats can head into their brief rest between seasons confident with the knowledge that they competed with and beat several good teams and that, through their work and dedication, they have prepared themselves for what should prove to be an excellent 2017-2018 season!
The MIT on the campus of St. Ben's always brings in some of the best teams from across the state and this year's field was no different as it boasted no fewer than a dozen teams that won in excess of 20 games last season. The Cats went 4 and 2 against these top teams to finish a summer season that included two Breakdown Tournament championships with a strong 19 and 7 record.
In the first game of pool play on Saturday there was nothing cold about the Esko Eskimos shooting in the first half. Esko hit 7 threes in the opening minutes of action and the ten point lead they accrued was maintained for most of the rest of the game. When the final horn sounded Esko emerged with a 47-35 win. The 12 point loss would be the largest margin of defeat for the Cats all summer. Waconia made only 12 of their 43 shots. Estelle Marker garnered 5 steals and Courtney Freeberg had 9 points to lead the effort for the Cats.
Pine City was the opponent in game 2 of pool play and after digging themselves another early 12 point deficit the Wildcats clawed back to trail by just one at halftime. Then the Cats controlled the second half and earned a 44-28 win. Freeberg had a big game with 16 points and 6 rebounds. Ellie Dammann added 8 points.
The Cats were getting better as the day progressed because by the time they played a 21-6 Stephen-Argyle team they blew the doors off from the beginning on their way to a 54-28 win. Addy Salzer was the leading scorer with 9 points and Estelle Marker grabbed a game high 6 rebounds.
2 wins and a loss set up a showdown with a 29 and 1 Wheaton team with the pool championship at stake. The Warriors were always just a step ahead of the Cats in their 45-37 victory. While 8 different players scored for Waconia no player had as many as Freeberg's 8 points. Marker again had 6 rebounds.
The loss meant the Wildcats would play in the third division rather than the first, but even in the 3rd division the opponents were no slouches. Annandale and Waseca, both teams that played in the Breakdown State Tournament two weeks ago, would prove formidable foes.
The Cardinals had a hot shooting guard and a shot blocking post that propelled them to a 31-20 halftime advantage. But the maturing Wildcats were not deterred. A year ago, if confronted by such a situation the younger Cats would have hung their heads but the now older, wiser, mentally tougher Cats battled back and claimed a 46-43 victory. Sidney Zieske was the star of the game with 23 points including 7 three pointers and 4 steals. Courtney Freeberg went toe to toe with Annandale's post and pulled down 7 rebounds. Tess Johnson netted 9 points.
A class AAA state tournament team last March, the Waseca Bluejays were the 6th and final opponent of the weekend for Waconia. The Cats led for a strong majority of the game but the proud Bluejays made a 5 point Wildcat lead with 2 minutes to play evaporate so the two team found themselves tied with under 20 seconds to play. It was Waconia's ball when Marker put up a 12 foot jumper that rimmed out but Addy Salzer was in the right place at the right time and she didn't flinch when confronted of putting up a shot with the clock winding down. The freshman calmly knocked down a 7 foot jumper in he lane with less than 5 seconds left to secure the win. Zieske was again the leading scorer with 9 points and Marker the leading rebounder with 6. Another stat that stood out was only 8 turnovers by the Wildcats as they faced one of the better defensive teams in class AAA.
The arrival of August means the end of summer basketball and the beginning of fall sports. But the Cats can head into their brief rest between seasons confident with the knowledge that they competed with and beat several good teams and that, through their work and dedication, they have prepared themselves for what should prove to be an excellent 2017-2018 season!
A Great Night to be a Wildcat!
Our Wildcats won their 2nd Breakdown Tournament in the month of July with a perfect 3 and 0 performance in Maple Grove.
The Cats won "ugly" in their first game against Becker. Thought the Cats limited Becker to only 1 shot attempt in the first 8 minutes, after that stretch Waconia led just 5-0. And while Waconia would create several turnovers they struggled to turn those steals into points making just 9 of their 30 two point attempts. Two missed layups off of steals in the final minute were symbolic of the game, but with 40 seconds left Sophie Osterberg made the front end of a 1 and 1 to put the Cats up 34-33 and provide the winning margin.
10 of the 12 players in uniform scored in the game led by Tess Johnson with 8 points. She also earned 5 steals. Estelle Marker was the leading rebounder with 7 boards.
Game 2 got off to an ominous start as the Cats trailed a very good Rush City team 10-0 after 13 minutes of action. Waconia would miss the first 14 shots of the game. But to say the Cats controlled the final 27 minutes is an understatement. Waconia went on an amazing 34-3 run and coasted to a 43-20 win.
The run looks even more impressive when one considers that Rush City returns everyone from last season's 26 and 1 team and they finished 2nd place in the class AA Breakdown Summer State tournament just 10 days ago.
Nine players put the ball through the hoop for Waconia again led by Johnson with 13 points. Courtney Freeberg netted 8 points. Ellie Damman was he leading rebounder with 8.
Waconia was looking at a deficit on the scoreboard for the first 39 minutes of their final game against St. Cloud Apollo. After a long three pointer just before the buzzer, the Eagles led 28-20 at intermission. But there was no quit in our Wildcats and with a minute to play they found themselves down 40-39.
With 40 seconds left Lexi Schermann knocked down a 5 foot baseline jumper to give Waconia it's first lead. On the next Apollo possession Courtney Freeberg jumped in front of a pass for a key steal, then she made a perfect pass ahead to Schermann who made a layup to provide the winning 43-40 margin.
Again 9 different players scored led by Ellie Dammann and Freeberg with 8 points a piece. Freeberg also had a team high 8 rebounds. Addy Salzer grabbed 3 steals.
The wins move the Wildcats' summer record to 15 and 5. The team will play six games at the Minnesota Invitational Tournament this weekend to end their summer season.
In other good news, the 8th and 9th grade Wildcats that went to Chanhassen to fill in for the final week of summer league earned wins over Jefferson and Kennedy so it was truly a great night to be a Wildcat!
Our Wildcats won their 2nd Breakdown Tournament in the month of July with a perfect 3 and 0 performance in Maple Grove.
The Cats won "ugly" in their first game against Becker. Thought the Cats limited Becker to only 1 shot attempt in the first 8 minutes, after that stretch Waconia led just 5-0. And while Waconia would create several turnovers they struggled to turn those steals into points making just 9 of their 30 two point attempts. Two missed layups off of steals in the final minute were symbolic of the game, but with 40 seconds left Sophie Osterberg made the front end of a 1 and 1 to put the Cats up 34-33 and provide the winning margin.
10 of the 12 players in uniform scored in the game led by Tess Johnson with 8 points. She also earned 5 steals. Estelle Marker was the leading rebounder with 7 boards.
Game 2 got off to an ominous start as the Cats trailed a very good Rush City team 10-0 after 13 minutes of action. Waconia would miss the first 14 shots of the game. But to say the Cats controlled the final 27 minutes is an understatement. Waconia went on an amazing 34-3 run and coasted to a 43-20 win.
The run looks even more impressive when one considers that Rush City returns everyone from last season's 26 and 1 team and they finished 2nd place in the class AA Breakdown Summer State tournament just 10 days ago.
Nine players put the ball through the hoop for Waconia again led by Johnson with 13 points. Courtney Freeberg netted 8 points. Ellie Damman was he leading rebounder with 8.
Waconia was looking at a deficit on the scoreboard for the first 39 minutes of their final game against St. Cloud Apollo. After a long three pointer just before the buzzer, the Eagles led 28-20 at intermission. But there was no quit in our Wildcats and with a minute to play they found themselves down 40-39.
With 40 seconds left Lexi Schermann knocked down a 5 foot baseline jumper to give Waconia it's first lead. On the next Apollo possession Courtney Freeberg jumped in front of a pass for a key steal, then she made a perfect pass ahead to Schermann who made a layup to provide the winning 43-40 margin.
Again 9 different players scored led by Ellie Dammann and Freeberg with 8 points a piece. Freeberg also had a team high 8 rebounds. Addy Salzer grabbed 3 steals.
The wins move the Wildcats' summer record to 15 and 5. The team will play six games at the Minnesota Invitational Tournament this weekend to end their summer season.
In other good news, the 8th and 9th grade Wildcats that went to Chanhassen to fill in for the final week of summer league earned wins over Jefferson and Kennedy so it was truly a great night to be a Wildcat!
Minnesota Invitational Tournament Schedule
All games of the MIT are played on the campus of St. Ben's. This tournament has always brought in top teams from across our state from all four classes. You'll see evidence of that below. That is why a successful performance at this event has always been a harbinger of good things to come.
Saturday Schedule
10am vs. Esko 24-8 last season (court 2)
12pm vs. Pine City 23-5 last season (court 2)
4pm vs. Stephen-Argyle 21-6 last season (Claire Lynch Gym)
Sunday Schedule
9am vs. Wheaton 29-1 losing to eventual state champ in their section final (court 2)
Final 2 games are TBD based on how we performed in the previous 4. The latest we would play our final game is about 5:15pm.
All games of the MIT are played on the campus of St. Ben's. This tournament has always brought in top teams from across our state from all four classes. You'll see evidence of that below. That is why a successful performance at this event has always been a harbinger of good things to come.
Saturday Schedule
10am vs. Esko 24-8 last season (court 2)
12pm vs. Pine City 23-5 last season (court 2)
4pm vs. Stephen-Argyle 21-6 last season (Claire Lynch Gym)
Sunday Schedule
9am vs. Wheaton 29-1 losing to eventual state champ in their section final (court 2)
Final 2 games are TBD based on how we performed in the previous 4. The latest we would play our final game is about 5:15pm.
Varsity Cats Finish Chan League 6 and 4
Our varsity group had their final evening of the Chanhassen Summer League on Wednesday (a group of 10 younger players will fill in for the final Wednesday) and they lost narrowly to Chaska then bounced back to knock off the host Storm.
Against Chaska, it was a back and forth affair and Waconia led by 2 with just under a minute to play when Chaska hit a 3 to make the score 37-36. The Cats got two shots in the final minute but couldn't convert and one point was the final margin.
The Cats made 14 of their 32 two point attempts and just 1 of their 7 threes. They were a solid 8 for 13 at the free throw line though. 21 turnovers certainly cost the Cats some points and likely the victory.
Courtney Freeberg and Addy Salzer were the leading scorers with 10 points each. Taylor Flemming had a team high 5 rebounds. Tess Johnson grabbed 4 steals.
Waconia dug an early hole in the opening minutes against Chanhassen trailing 11 to 2 just 3 minutes into the game, but the Cats were the better team the final 37 minutes en route to a 42-37 win. The Wildcats made 14 of their 39 shots and 8 of their 14 free throws. The turnover number came down to 15 and Waconia would get an impressive 17 steals.
Jayda Lenz, Taylor Flemming, Tess Johnson, and Courtney Freeberg each scored 6 points to lead a balanced attack. Freeberg hauled down a game high 10 rebounds. Johnson grabbed 4 steals and created at least 4 other turnovers with her tenacity at the top of the Wildcat zone.
The Cats are now 11 and 6 on the summer with two tournaments to go. Wednesday July 26 the team travels to Maple Grove for another 3 game Breakdown Tournament and they close the summer season with a 5 game two day tournament on the campus of St. Ben's.
Our varsity group had their final evening of the Chanhassen Summer League on Wednesday (a group of 10 younger players will fill in for the final Wednesday) and they lost narrowly to Chaska then bounced back to knock off the host Storm.
Against Chaska, it was a back and forth affair and Waconia led by 2 with just under a minute to play when Chaska hit a 3 to make the score 37-36. The Cats got two shots in the final minute but couldn't convert and one point was the final margin.
The Cats made 14 of their 32 two point attempts and just 1 of their 7 threes. They were a solid 8 for 13 at the free throw line though. 21 turnovers certainly cost the Cats some points and likely the victory.
Courtney Freeberg and Addy Salzer were the leading scorers with 10 points each. Taylor Flemming had a team high 5 rebounds. Tess Johnson grabbed 4 steals.
Waconia dug an early hole in the opening minutes against Chanhassen trailing 11 to 2 just 3 minutes into the game, but the Cats were the better team the final 37 minutes en route to a 42-37 win. The Wildcats made 14 of their 39 shots and 8 of their 14 free throws. The turnover number came down to 15 and Waconia would get an impressive 17 steals.
Jayda Lenz, Taylor Flemming, Tess Johnson, and Courtney Freeberg each scored 6 points to lead a balanced attack. Freeberg hauled down a game high 10 rebounds. Johnson grabbed 4 steals and created at least 4 other turnovers with her tenacity at the top of the Wildcat zone.
The Cats are now 11 and 6 on the summer with two tournaments to go. Wednesday July 26 the team travels to Maple Grove for another 3 game Breakdown Tournament and they close the summer season with a 5 game two day tournament on the campus of St. Ben's.
Cats Win Championship at STMA
Our Wildcats won 3 games in impressive fashion to claim "Gopher" division championship at "The Breakdown" tournament Sunday in St. Michael.
In game one Waconia faced Sartell and earned a 48-28 win. The Cats shot 50% from the floor including 4 for 9 on threes and a strong 9 for 12 at the free throw line. Courtney Freeberg led the way with 15 points. Taylor Flemming added 10 and Ellie Dammann netted 8 points. Dammann also grabbed a team high 5 rebounds.
The second game was a matchup against AAAA Rogers. Waconia jumped out to a quick 10 point lead and never relinquished it on their way to a 56-42 win. Rogers would cut the lead to as little as 5 at one point in the second half but the Cats responded by making a couple of big shots to squelch the Rogers rally. The team shot 40% from the floor and made a terrific 12 of their 13 free throws. Every player scored for the Cats led by Sidney Zieske with 11 points. Freeberg had 8 points and 6 rebounds. Tess Johnson grabbed 6 steals.
In both the Sartell and Rogers games the Cats saw some full court pressure, which was a nice benefit. Rarely do teams get to work on handling full court pressure in the summer and it was a good opportunity for our Cats. They handled the pressure pretty well for the most part.
Waconia would need to beat another AAAA school, Mounds View, to claim the crown but the opening minutes of the game looked ominous. Mounds View jumped out to an 11-2 lead and led 17-7 before a 7-0 run by the Cats to close the half made it 17-14 at halftime. Most of the first half struggles were the result of 13 turnovers. But the Cats got their heads right in the 2nd half, cutting down to just 4 give aways. The score was tied at 30 with 8:45 to play when the crew of Tess Johnson, Jayda Lenz, Lexi Schermann, Natalie Meath, and Sophie Osterberg went on another 7-0 run to give the Cats some breathing room. Waconia would finish the game on a 20-2 run to earn a 50-32 win and the pool championship.
The Cats again shot 40% from the floor and made 13 of their 22 free throws. Freeberg had a big game with 18 points. Tess Johnson added 10 points and had 7 steals. Ellie Damman was the leading rebounder with 8 boards.
Waconia is now 10 and 5 on the summer season. They will take to the court again on Wednesday when they play Chanhassen and Chaska in Summer League.
Our Wildcats won 3 games in impressive fashion to claim "Gopher" division championship at "The Breakdown" tournament Sunday in St. Michael.
In game one Waconia faced Sartell and earned a 48-28 win. The Cats shot 50% from the floor including 4 for 9 on threes and a strong 9 for 12 at the free throw line. Courtney Freeberg led the way with 15 points. Taylor Flemming added 10 and Ellie Dammann netted 8 points. Dammann also grabbed a team high 5 rebounds.
The second game was a matchup against AAAA Rogers. Waconia jumped out to a quick 10 point lead and never relinquished it on their way to a 56-42 win. Rogers would cut the lead to as little as 5 at one point in the second half but the Cats responded by making a couple of big shots to squelch the Rogers rally. The team shot 40% from the floor and made a terrific 12 of their 13 free throws. Every player scored for the Cats led by Sidney Zieske with 11 points. Freeberg had 8 points and 6 rebounds. Tess Johnson grabbed 6 steals.
In both the Sartell and Rogers games the Cats saw some full court pressure, which was a nice benefit. Rarely do teams get to work on handling full court pressure in the summer and it was a good opportunity for our Cats. They handled the pressure pretty well for the most part.
Waconia would need to beat another AAAA school, Mounds View, to claim the crown but the opening minutes of the game looked ominous. Mounds View jumped out to an 11-2 lead and led 17-7 before a 7-0 run by the Cats to close the half made it 17-14 at halftime. Most of the first half struggles were the result of 13 turnovers. But the Cats got their heads right in the 2nd half, cutting down to just 4 give aways. The score was tied at 30 with 8:45 to play when the crew of Tess Johnson, Jayda Lenz, Lexi Schermann, Natalie Meath, and Sophie Osterberg went on another 7-0 run to give the Cats some breathing room. Waconia would finish the game on a 20-2 run to earn a 50-32 win and the pool championship.
The Cats again shot 40% from the floor and made 13 of their 22 free throws. Freeberg had a big game with 18 points. Tess Johnson added 10 points and had 7 steals. Ellie Damman was the leading rebounder with 8 boards.
Waconia is now 10 and 5 on the summer season. They will take to the court again on Wednesday when they play Chanhassen and Chaska in Summer League.
Waconia Splits in Chan League
Our Wildcats came back from the long MSHSL no-contact break with a win and a loss. In game one the Cats built a 7 point lead in the first half but found themselves up by only 1 at intermission. The Jefferson Jaguars had used a full court press throughout the game and played even more aggressive and physical in the 2nd half and with 7 minutes to go Waconia trailed by 6. But the older, wiser Cats responded to the adversity the right way and they fought back to take a 1 point lead with 2:45 to play. Then senior Lyndy Elvebak hit a big 3 in the corner to put the Cats up 4 with just over 2 minutes left. Waconia would hold on to win 41-40.
The win happened despite a summer high 21 turnovers, a startling number in a running time game. Fortunately Waconia made 50% of their two point attempts and 5 of their 6 free throws. The Cats were only 2 for 9 on threes.
Estelle Marker and Addy Salzer led the balanced scoring attack with 8 points each. Ellie Dammann added 7 points. Marker hauled down 6 rebounds to lead the team.
The Cats built another 7 point lead in the first half against Shakopee but the Sabres battled back and cut the Cats lead to at the half. Then Shakopee hit four big three pointers in the second half compared to zero by the Cats and Shakopee went on to a 48-42 win. The six point loss was the "biggest" margin in a loss for the very competitive Cats this summer.
Waconia was again a solid 44% on twos but only 1 for 14 on three point attempts. They were also a strong 11 for 15 at the free throw line.
Estelle Marker led the scoring again with 9 points. Addy Salzer and Lexi Schermann were next in the ledger with 6 points each. Salzer and Courtney Freeberg were the leading rebounders with 8 a piece.
The Cats are now 7 and 5 on the summer season. Next action will be Sunday morning at STMA High School for the Breakdown Summer Tournament. Waconia plays Sartell at 8am followed by AAAA schools Rogers and Mounds View.
Our Wildcats came back from the long MSHSL no-contact break with a win and a loss. In game one the Cats built a 7 point lead in the first half but found themselves up by only 1 at intermission. The Jefferson Jaguars had used a full court press throughout the game and played even more aggressive and physical in the 2nd half and with 7 minutes to go Waconia trailed by 6. But the older, wiser Cats responded to the adversity the right way and they fought back to take a 1 point lead with 2:45 to play. Then senior Lyndy Elvebak hit a big 3 in the corner to put the Cats up 4 with just over 2 minutes left. Waconia would hold on to win 41-40.
The win happened despite a summer high 21 turnovers, a startling number in a running time game. Fortunately Waconia made 50% of their two point attempts and 5 of their 6 free throws. The Cats were only 2 for 9 on threes.
Estelle Marker and Addy Salzer led the balanced scoring attack with 8 points each. Ellie Dammann added 7 points. Marker hauled down 6 rebounds to lead the team.
The Cats built another 7 point lead in the first half against Shakopee but the Sabres battled back and cut the Cats lead to at the half. Then Shakopee hit four big three pointers in the second half compared to zero by the Cats and Shakopee went on to a 48-42 win. The six point loss was the "biggest" margin in a loss for the very competitive Cats this summer.
Waconia was again a solid 44% on twos but only 1 for 14 on three point attempts. They were also a strong 11 for 15 at the free throw line.
Estelle Marker led the scoring again with 9 points. Addy Salzer and Lexi Schermann were next in the ledger with 6 points each. Salzer and Courtney Freeberg were the leading rebounders with 8 a piece.
The Cats are now 7 and 5 on the summer season. Next action will be Sunday morning at STMA High School for the Breakdown Summer Tournament. Waconia plays Sartell at 8am followed by AAAA schools Rogers and Mounds View.
Cats 4 and 2 at Mid-Way Point of Chan League
Our Wildcats were hot from start to finish as they blew past the host Chanhassen Storm 55-29 on Wednesday night. The Cats were keyed by solid defense and some terrific transition offense.
The lead at halftime was 31-19 and the gap never closed in the second stanza. Estelle Marker led the scoring with 18 points and Natalie Meath added 12. All 9 of the Wildcats scored at least 4 points. Addy Salzer was the leading rebounder with 6 and Jayda Lenz grabbed an impressive 7 steals. The Cats committed a total of 13 turnovers for the game while they grabbed 14 steals.
Waconia picked right up where they left off in game two as they raced out to a 13-4 lead in the first five minutes of action against Kennedy. As in the first game, many of those point came via easy baskets in transition. The Cats led 29-19 at halftime. In the second half a combination of a determined Kennedy team and some cold shooting by the Cats allowed the Eagles to claw back into the contest.
Our Cats were up 34-32 with 11:30 left to play then with 7 minutes left Kennedy hit a 3 to tie the game at 38. The Eagles took their first lead when they got a steal for a layup with 6:30 to play.
Down 44-40 with 1:13 to go Waconia would get a steal that looked to be leading to an easy layup when a Kennedy player came soaring in for a big block. Just 20 seconds later as Kennedy had the ball a Tess Johnson steal ended up in a converted layup and the Cats trailed 44-42 with 55 seconds left, but Kennedy made a couple of free throws and held on for a 48-44 win.
Marker had another big game with 14 points and 8 rebounds. Tess Johnson netted 10 and Lexi Schermann added 8 points.
The Cats get a long break from basketball courtesy of the MSHSL blackout period. After Thursday morning they'll have 11 days off before the team returns to the gym for practice the morning of Tuesday July 11th.
Our Wildcats were hot from start to finish as they blew past the host Chanhassen Storm 55-29 on Wednesday night. The Cats were keyed by solid defense and some terrific transition offense.
The lead at halftime was 31-19 and the gap never closed in the second stanza. Estelle Marker led the scoring with 18 points and Natalie Meath added 12. All 9 of the Wildcats scored at least 4 points. Addy Salzer was the leading rebounder with 6 and Jayda Lenz grabbed an impressive 7 steals. The Cats committed a total of 13 turnovers for the game while they grabbed 14 steals.
Waconia picked right up where they left off in game two as they raced out to a 13-4 lead in the first five minutes of action against Kennedy. As in the first game, many of those point came via easy baskets in transition. The Cats led 29-19 at halftime. In the second half a combination of a determined Kennedy team and some cold shooting by the Cats allowed the Eagles to claw back into the contest.
Our Cats were up 34-32 with 11:30 left to play then with 7 minutes left Kennedy hit a 3 to tie the game at 38. The Eagles took their first lead when they got a steal for a layup with 6:30 to play.
Down 44-40 with 1:13 to go Waconia would get a steal that looked to be leading to an easy layup when a Kennedy player came soaring in for a big block. Just 20 seconds later as Kennedy had the ball a Tess Johnson steal ended up in a converted layup and the Cats trailed 44-42 with 55 seconds left, but Kennedy made a couple of free throws and held on for a 48-44 win.
Marker had another big game with 14 points and 8 rebounds. Tess Johnson netted 10 and Lexi Schermann added 8 points.
The Cats get a long break from basketball courtesy of the MSHSL blackout period. After Thursday morning they'll have 11 days off before the team returns to the gym for practice the morning of Tuesday July 11th.
WACONIA STOPS SABRES, COMES UP SHORT VERSUS HAWKS
The Wildcats got off to a great start in their game against Shakopee on Wednesday night as they built a quick 6-0 lead. The Sabres responded with a 6-0 burst of their own, but Waconia would score the next 16 points to build a 22-6 lead and they controlled the contest the rest of the way earning a 42-36 victory.
Two numbers jump out: The Cats shot over 50% from the floor (19 for 37) in part because they were able to get some easy transition layups in the first half. The other key number was 8, as in 8 total turnovers for the game. Waconia had only 1 give away at halftime as they built a double digit lead. They weren't as efficient in the second half which helped Shakopee cut into the lead. The Sabres hit a 3 at the buzzer to make the score look closer than it was.
Natalie Meath made 5 of her 6 shots to score 10 points. Sophie Osterberg hit a couple threes en route to her 10 point performance. No Wildcat grabbed more than 4 rebounds.
Game two against Chaska was a close, competitive contest from start to finish with the biggest lead of the game for either team being 6 and with the margin being just a possession for most of the 40 minutes. The Hawks shot the ball extremely well making 7 threes compared to just 2 for the Wildcats. And after a hot shooting game one the Cats cooled off making only 14 of their 42 shots (33%). The team was 9 for 12 at the free throw line though. For the first time in their 8 summer games the Cats had trouble with turnovers, committing 11 in the first half and 19 for the game. The turnover bug was the biggest glaring weakness of the team last season and the 19 against Chaska needs to be an anomaly.
Sophie Osterberg had another solid game with 9 points on 4 for 6 shooting. She also grabbed 5 rebounds. Estelle Marker hauled down 7 boards.
In the end Chaska prevailed 45-39 but the Cats certainly had plenty of chances even with the too high turnover number.
Waconia is now 5 and 3 on the summer season. Their next game action is a week from today when they face Chanhassen and Kennedy in the Chan Summer League.
The Wildcats got off to a great start in their game against Shakopee on Wednesday night as they built a quick 6-0 lead. The Sabres responded with a 6-0 burst of their own, but Waconia would score the next 16 points to build a 22-6 lead and they controlled the contest the rest of the way earning a 42-36 victory.
Two numbers jump out: The Cats shot over 50% from the floor (19 for 37) in part because they were able to get some easy transition layups in the first half. The other key number was 8, as in 8 total turnovers for the game. Waconia had only 1 give away at halftime as they built a double digit lead. They weren't as efficient in the second half which helped Shakopee cut into the lead. The Sabres hit a 3 at the buzzer to make the score look closer than it was.
Natalie Meath made 5 of her 6 shots to score 10 points. Sophie Osterberg hit a couple threes en route to her 10 point performance. No Wildcat grabbed more than 4 rebounds.
Game two against Chaska was a close, competitive contest from start to finish with the biggest lead of the game for either team being 6 and with the margin being just a possession for most of the 40 minutes. The Hawks shot the ball extremely well making 7 threes compared to just 2 for the Wildcats. And after a hot shooting game one the Cats cooled off making only 14 of their 42 shots (33%). The team was 9 for 12 at the free throw line though. For the first time in their 8 summer games the Cats had trouble with turnovers, committing 11 in the first half and 19 for the game. The turnover bug was the biggest glaring weakness of the team last season and the 19 against Chaska needs to be an anomaly.
Sophie Osterberg had another solid game with 9 points on 4 for 6 shooting. She also grabbed 5 rebounds. Estelle Marker hauled down 7 boards.
In the end Chaska prevailed 45-39 but the Cats certainly had plenty of chances even with the too high turnover number.
Waconia is now 5 and 3 on the summer season. Their next game action is a week from today when they face Chanhassen and Kennedy in the Chan Summer League.
YELLOW JACKETS STING CATS AT XCEL ENERGY CENTER
While both teams had a hard time adjusting to the different shooting background at the 15,000 seat Xcel Energy Center (summer home of the Minnesota Lynx while renovations happen at Target Center) Perham was able to adjust enough to knock down four three pointers compared to zero for the Wildcats and that was enough to propel the Yellow Jackets to a 37-33 victory.
Perham held a 22-19 lead at halftime and it would take Waconia just over 8 minutes to score their first point of the 2nd half. During that time Perham built their lead to 29-19. Waconia was able to finish the game on a 14-8 run but it was too little, too late.
Waconia was consistent making 7 of 21 shots in the first half and 7 of 22 in the second half (32% for the game) and the team went a combined 0 for 8 on the deeper WNBA three point line. One positive was the team going 5 for 7 at the free throw line.
Another big positive was yet another game with a low turnover number. The Cats committed only 1 turnover in the first half and a total of 8 for the game. That low turnover number has allowed the team to stay competitive in every game this summer even though the team has consistently shot around 30%.
Courtney Freeberg led he scoring with 9 points. Estelle Marker added 8 points, and Jayda Lenz contributed 7. Marker had a team high 6 rebounds. No other player had more than 3 boards.
The Cats fall to 4 and 2 on the summer season. Their next game action is Wednesday night in the Chanhassen Summer League.
While both teams had a hard time adjusting to the different shooting background at the 15,000 seat Xcel Energy Center (summer home of the Minnesota Lynx while renovations happen at Target Center) Perham was able to adjust enough to knock down four three pointers compared to zero for the Wildcats and that was enough to propel the Yellow Jackets to a 37-33 victory.
Perham held a 22-19 lead at halftime and it would take Waconia just over 8 minutes to score their first point of the 2nd half. During that time Perham built their lead to 29-19. Waconia was able to finish the game on a 14-8 run but it was too little, too late.
Waconia was consistent making 7 of 21 shots in the first half and 7 of 22 in the second half (32% for the game) and the team went a combined 0 for 8 on the deeper WNBA three point line. One positive was the team going 5 for 7 at the free throw line.
Another big positive was yet another game with a low turnover number. The Cats committed only 1 turnover in the first half and a total of 8 for the game. That low turnover number has allowed the team to stay competitive in every game this summer even though the team has consistently shot around 30%.
Courtney Freeberg led he scoring with 9 points. Estelle Marker added 8 points, and Jayda Lenz contributed 7. Marker had a team high 6 rebounds. No other player had more than 3 boards.
The Cats fall to 4 and 2 on the summer season. Their next game action is Wednesday night in the Chanhassen Summer League.
WILDCATS START UNDEFEATED IN CHAN SUMMER LEAGUE
Our Wildcats overcame an ice cold first half and had some last second heroics to force over time in their opening game of the Chanhassen Summer League. The Cats faced an always solid Bloomington Kennedy crew and the Eagles held a 13-9 halftime lead after Waconia made only 3 of their 15 first half shot attempts and only 2 of their 7 free throws.
The Cats would take a few brief leads in the second half but they trailed by 3 with ten seconds to play when Tess Johnson tipped a pass that created a steal. Coach Neibauer was alert to the situation instructing the team that they need a "three" and after a couple of dangerous passes the ball ended up in the hands of sophomore Lexi Schermann who calmly delivered the game tying 3 pointer at the buzzer.
The two teams battled to an even 3 minute overtime so the game went to a second overtime where the rule was "first team to 3 points wins". While Kennedy got several 3 point attempts the Cats were the first to 3 the "old fashioned" way as Courtney Freeberg scored a layup and Tess Johnson made another to earn the win.
Estelle Marker was the "player of the game" with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Courtney Freeberg added 10 points and 5 boards. Johnson scored all 7 of her points in the 2nd half and overtime. As a team the Cats were a combined 12 for 52 from the floor (23%).
A competitive first half eventually turned into a comfortable second half lead as Waconia would beat Bloomington Jefferson 33-27 in a game that was not quite as close as the score would suggest. The Cats built a 21-15 first half lead behind a strong 9 for 10 performance at the free throw line. In the second half the Cats held the Jaguars to just 4 points in the first 18 minutes to build a 33-19 lead. Jefferson hit a few shots in the final 2 minutes to cut the gap but they never really threatened.
The Cats featured nice balance as no player netted more than 6 points. Lauren Van Sloun had a team high 7 rebounds and Taylor Flemming grabbed 4 steals.
The team was 9 for 32 from the floor (32%) but they were a stellar 11 for 12 at the free throw line, a stat that proved to be the key to the victory. The Wildcats are now 4 and 1 on the summer with their next action being under the bright lights of the Xcel Energy Center when they face the Perham Yellowjackets at 2:45pm.
CATS OPEN SUMMER SEASON WITH WINS
Our Wildcats hosted a 4 team round robin tournament to kick off the summer season on Sunday and despite not being in "mid-season form" the Cats had some positive outcomes.
In the first game Waconia faced Lester Prairie and both teams struggled to score. The score was tied at 13 at halftime and the Cats made only 4 of their 24 shot attempts in the opening 20 minutes of action (14.8%). A few more shots would fall for Waconia in the second half as they went on to win 36-32. Courtney Freeberg and Lexi Schermann led the scoring with 8 and 7 points respectively. Freeberg also grabbed 10 rebounds. Estelle Marker added 7 boards.
The shots fell more easily in game two as the Cats took on Mayer Lutheran. The squad was 26/68 overall (38%) and also worth noting was that the team got 68 shot attempts, a high number even in a regulation game but a particularly high number in a game with running time. This high number of attempts is attributable to a key stat: only 8 turnovers for the entire game. In fact, low turnover numbers were a key all day (as we'll point out later).
Jayda Lenz lit up the scoreboard with 23 points. Natalie Meath added 11 points and Sidney Zieske and Sophie Osterberg contributed 9 each. Zieske got an impressive 7 steals. Meath was the leading rebounder with 8. Marker again added 7 boards as the Cats coasted to a 28 point win.
In the final game of the day the two unbeaten teams went head to head as the 2 and 0 Cats faced TCU. The Titans were hot from the 3pt line in the first half knocking down six triples, but the Cats hung in there and trailed by only two at the half, again despite a poor shooting performance. Waconia shot just 26.6% from the floor overall and left a lot of points at the free throw line. Lenz again led the way with 13 points. The next leading scorer netted only 6 as the Cats fell 41-39. Freeberg had 8 rebounds and Schermann grabbed 5.
Beyond the cold shooting the two stats that jumped out on the day were turnovers and free throws. The Cats committed 12, 8, and 11 turnovers in the three games, a considerable improvement from what they showed last season. Particularly impressive was Jayda Lenz as she had only 4 total turnovers despite playing point guard for all but about 5 minutes of the 120 the Cats played on the day. The other stat that jumped off the page was free throw shooting. Waconia was just 10 for 25 at the line. Clearly the Cats need to focus on shooting the next several months but today demonstrated that when the team keeps their turnover number down they can win even when they don't shoot well. So imagine how dominant the Wildcats can be if they keep the turnover number low AND shoot with better proficiency!
Next game action for the Cats will be Wednesday when they travel to Chanhassen to face Bloomington Kennedy and Bloomington Jefferson in night one of the Chanhassen Summer League. Games are at 6 and 7pm.
Our Wildcats overcame an ice cold first half and had some last second heroics to force over time in their opening game of the Chanhassen Summer League. The Cats faced an always solid Bloomington Kennedy crew and the Eagles held a 13-9 halftime lead after Waconia made only 3 of their 15 first half shot attempts and only 2 of their 7 free throws.
The Cats would take a few brief leads in the second half but they trailed by 3 with ten seconds to play when Tess Johnson tipped a pass that created a steal. Coach Neibauer was alert to the situation instructing the team that they need a "three" and after a couple of dangerous passes the ball ended up in the hands of sophomore Lexi Schermann who calmly delivered the game tying 3 pointer at the buzzer.
The two teams battled to an even 3 minute overtime so the game went to a second overtime where the rule was "first team to 3 points wins". While Kennedy got several 3 point attempts the Cats were the first to 3 the "old fashioned" way as Courtney Freeberg scored a layup and Tess Johnson made another to earn the win.
Estelle Marker was the "player of the game" with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Courtney Freeberg added 10 points and 5 boards. Johnson scored all 7 of her points in the 2nd half and overtime. As a team the Cats were a combined 12 for 52 from the floor (23%).
A competitive first half eventually turned into a comfortable second half lead as Waconia would beat Bloomington Jefferson 33-27 in a game that was not quite as close as the score would suggest. The Cats built a 21-15 first half lead behind a strong 9 for 10 performance at the free throw line. In the second half the Cats held the Jaguars to just 4 points in the first 18 minutes to build a 33-19 lead. Jefferson hit a few shots in the final 2 minutes to cut the gap but they never really threatened.
The Cats featured nice balance as no player netted more than 6 points. Lauren Van Sloun had a team high 7 rebounds and Taylor Flemming grabbed 4 steals.
The team was 9 for 32 from the floor (32%) but they were a stellar 11 for 12 at the free throw line, a stat that proved to be the key to the victory. The Wildcats are now 4 and 1 on the summer with their next action being under the bright lights of the Xcel Energy Center when they face the Perham Yellowjackets at 2:45pm.
CATS OPEN SUMMER SEASON WITH WINS
Our Wildcats hosted a 4 team round robin tournament to kick off the summer season on Sunday and despite not being in "mid-season form" the Cats had some positive outcomes.
In the first game Waconia faced Lester Prairie and both teams struggled to score. The score was tied at 13 at halftime and the Cats made only 4 of their 24 shot attempts in the opening 20 minutes of action (14.8%). A few more shots would fall for Waconia in the second half as they went on to win 36-32. Courtney Freeberg and Lexi Schermann led the scoring with 8 and 7 points respectively. Freeberg also grabbed 10 rebounds. Estelle Marker added 7 boards.
The shots fell more easily in game two as the Cats took on Mayer Lutheran. The squad was 26/68 overall (38%) and also worth noting was that the team got 68 shot attempts, a high number even in a regulation game but a particularly high number in a game with running time. This high number of attempts is attributable to a key stat: only 8 turnovers for the entire game. In fact, low turnover numbers were a key all day (as we'll point out later).
Jayda Lenz lit up the scoreboard with 23 points. Natalie Meath added 11 points and Sidney Zieske and Sophie Osterberg contributed 9 each. Zieske got an impressive 7 steals. Meath was the leading rebounder with 8. Marker again added 7 boards as the Cats coasted to a 28 point win.
In the final game of the day the two unbeaten teams went head to head as the 2 and 0 Cats faced TCU. The Titans were hot from the 3pt line in the first half knocking down six triples, but the Cats hung in there and trailed by only two at the half, again despite a poor shooting performance. Waconia shot just 26.6% from the floor overall and left a lot of points at the free throw line. Lenz again led the way with 13 points. The next leading scorer netted only 6 as the Cats fell 41-39. Freeberg had 8 rebounds and Schermann grabbed 5.
Beyond the cold shooting the two stats that jumped out on the day were turnovers and free throws. The Cats committed 12, 8, and 11 turnovers in the three games, a considerable improvement from what they showed last season. Particularly impressive was Jayda Lenz as she had only 4 total turnovers despite playing point guard for all but about 5 minutes of the 120 the Cats played on the day. The other stat that jumped off the page was free throw shooting. Waconia was just 10 for 25 at the line. Clearly the Cats need to focus on shooting the next several months but today demonstrated that when the team keeps their turnover number down they can win even when they don't shoot well. So imagine how dominant the Wildcats can be if they keep the turnover number low AND shoot with better proficiency!
Next game action for the Cats will be Wednesday when they travel to Chanhassen to face Bloomington Kennedy and Bloomington Jefferson in night one of the Chanhassen Summer League. Games are at 6 and 7pm.
SUMMER TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE AND ROSTERS
June 11 at Waconia High School Varsity Roster: Jayda Lenz, Tess Johnson, Sophie Osterberg, Lexi Schermann, Sidney Zieske, Sophie Klitzke, Lauren Van Sloun, Estelle Marker, Alli Christians, Natalie Meath, Courtney Freeberg JV Roster: Addy Salzer, Olivia Drey, Hailey Williams, Paige Young, Melissa Honnold, Sydni Olson, Dani Dykstra, Ellie Gove, Allie Zimmer, Lydia Bruggemeier
June 17 at Lynx Game vs. Perham ($20) Natalie Meath, Sophie Osterberg, Estelle Marker, Sophie Kliztzke, Lexi Schermann, Jayda Lenz, Courtney Freeberg, Lyndy Elvebak, Tess Johnson, Paige Young, Hailey Williams, Morgan Giesen, Anna Reichenberger, Ellie Gove, Olivia Drey (room for 1 more)
June 18 at U of M Tournament ($25) Natalie Meath, Sophie Osterberg, Estelle Marker, Sophie Klitzke, Lexi Schermann, Jayda Lenz, Courtney Freeberg, Lyndy Elvebak, Tess Johnson, Morgan Giesen, Anna Reichenberger
July 16 at STMA Breakdown Tournament ($15) Tess Johnson, Lyndy Elvebak, Courtney Freeberg, Sidney Zieske, Jayda Lenz, Ellie Dammann, Lexi Schermann, Taylor Flemming, Sophie Klitzke, Estelle Marker, Sophie Osterberg, Natalie Meath
July 26 at Maple Grove Breakdown Tournament ($15) Natalie Meath, Lauren Van Sloun, Estelle Marker, Sophie Klitzke, Lexi Schermann, Ellie Dammann, Jayda Lenz, Alli Christians, Courtney Freeberg, Lynday Elvebak, Tess Johnson, Morgan Giesen
July 29-30 at St. Cloud MN Invitational Tournament (varsity only) $25 Roster TBD by July 4th
June 11 at Waconia High School Varsity Roster: Jayda Lenz, Tess Johnson, Sophie Osterberg, Lexi Schermann, Sidney Zieske, Sophie Klitzke, Lauren Van Sloun, Estelle Marker, Alli Christians, Natalie Meath, Courtney Freeberg JV Roster: Addy Salzer, Olivia Drey, Hailey Williams, Paige Young, Melissa Honnold, Sydni Olson, Dani Dykstra, Ellie Gove, Allie Zimmer, Lydia Bruggemeier
June 17 at Lynx Game vs. Perham ($20) Natalie Meath, Sophie Osterberg, Estelle Marker, Sophie Kliztzke, Lexi Schermann, Jayda Lenz, Courtney Freeberg, Lyndy Elvebak, Tess Johnson, Paige Young, Hailey Williams, Morgan Giesen, Anna Reichenberger, Ellie Gove, Olivia Drey (room for 1 more)
June 18 at U of M Tournament ($25) Natalie Meath, Sophie Osterberg, Estelle Marker, Sophie Klitzke, Lexi Schermann, Jayda Lenz, Courtney Freeberg, Lyndy Elvebak, Tess Johnson, Morgan Giesen, Anna Reichenberger
July 16 at STMA Breakdown Tournament ($15) Tess Johnson, Lyndy Elvebak, Courtney Freeberg, Sidney Zieske, Jayda Lenz, Ellie Dammann, Lexi Schermann, Taylor Flemming, Sophie Klitzke, Estelle Marker, Sophie Osterberg, Natalie Meath
July 26 at Maple Grove Breakdown Tournament ($15) Natalie Meath, Lauren Van Sloun, Estelle Marker, Sophie Klitzke, Lexi Schermann, Ellie Dammann, Jayda Lenz, Alli Christians, Courtney Freeberg, Lynday Elvebak, Tess Johnson, Morgan Giesen
July 29-30 at St. Cloud MN Invitational Tournament (varsity only) $25 Roster TBD by July 4th
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALLY FULLER
The Wildcat's record setting senior Ally Fuller officially signed her letter of intent to continue her basketball career on St. Olaf next season. Fuller played on the Waconia varsity for three seasons and set a new team record with 84 made three pointers her senior season. St. Olaf is an NCAA III school that competes in the MIAC.
The Wildcat's record setting senior Ally Fuller officially signed her letter of intent to continue her basketball career on St. Olaf next season. Fuller played on the Waconia varsity for three seasons and set a new team record with 84 made three pointers her senior season. St. Olaf is an NCAA III school that competes in the MIAC.
Wildcat Alumni Lauren Deadrick (Northern State University) and Anna Schmitt (Concordia-St. Paul) faced off on Saturday and several current Wildcat players came out to cheer them on. Schmitt's Golden Bears beat the first place Wolves. (Deadrick was not available for a photo)
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