•  Late run by Wildcats ends great season for Minnewaska Area girls

The NLS Wildcats held off the Minnewaska Area Lakers during the sub-section girls basketball finals at Willmar last Tuesday night, 52-42.

The Lakers, who ended the season with an 20-9 overall record, trailed by only two points, 31-29, with 15:18 left in the second half.  However, NLS outscored 13-4 over the next 10 minutes to take a 44-33 lead with just under six minutes left in the game before the Lakers mounted one last rally bid that fell short.

NLS moved on to face Windom Area for the Section 3AA title, winning 80-40, while the Lakers will take some time off before starting to figure out again what it will take to knock off the Wildcats in the Section 3AA Tourney.

Minnewaska Area reached the sub-section championship game by beating Litchfield (71-38) and KMS (66-29) in the first two rounds of the tourney.

“All of us coaches are so proud of the players and what they give throughout the season,” Laker head coach Sidney Barker said.  “The basketball season is long, but our players gave everything they had in the playoffs; they played relentless basketball and fought until the end.”

Sauk Centre won this year’s WCC title with a 12-0 record, followed by Minnewaska Area (10-2), West Central Area and BOLD (both 7-5), Morris Area-CA (4-8), Melrose Area (2-10) and Montevideo (0-12).

The only senior on this year’s Minnewaska Area girls basketball roster is Avery Fier.  NLS also beat the Lakers in a game earlier this season, 56-51.

When asked if it could be NLS and Minnewaska back in the sub-section finals again next year, Minnewaska Area head coach Barker was quick to answer, “I sure hope so! Our players will bring back so much experience with them, but we have to continue to work hard in the off season to get back where we want to be.  It won’t come easy!”

NLS 52, Minnewaska 42

Minnewaska Area had its season end with a 52-42 loss to NLS in the sub-section championship game last Tuesday night at Willmar High School.

The Lakers led early 3-0 on a 3-pointer by Alia Randt and 5-2 on an inbounds play shot by Sydney Dahl.

NLS took its first lead at 8-5, but Megan Thorfinnson connected on a 3-pointer to tie up the game at 8-8 with 13:44 left in the first half.  For the game, the Lakers scored 18 of their 42 points on 3-pointers and another six points from the line.

Almost four minutes went off the clock before the two teams added more points to the scoreboard as NLS scored again with 9:52 left in the first half to take a 10-8 lead and then, after Addy Kath sank two free-throws, the Wildcats took the lead for good at 12-10 with 9:12 left in the opening stanza.

The Wildcats, who have just one senior in their lineup, continued their surge, eventually building their lead to 24-15 before a 3-pointer by Randt stopped the NLS flurry and pulled the Lakers to within 24-18 with just over five minutes left in the first half.

The Lakers kept the score close to end the first half as Lauryn Ankeny and Olivia Danielson both went 1-of-2 from the line, Dahl made a nice 10-footer in the lane and Thorfinnson connected on a 3-pointer just before the halftime buzzer to pull the Lakers within 28-25 at halftime.

The second half would decide the outcome.

The Lakers crept to within 31-29 with two-straight baskets by Dahl to open up the second half, but the Wildcats would go on to outscore the Lakers 21-13 the rest of the way.

A pair of free-throws by Dahl kept Minnewaska close at 35-31, but with 10:13 left in the game, the Wildcats had a long 3-pointer bounce off the rim and hit one of the guide wires before going in, which should have been a turnover and the Lakers’ ball.

Instead, the referees did not call anything and the basket counted and the Wildcats were awarded three points for a 38-31 lead.

Those were the only points for NLS in a span of over six minutes midway through the second half, while the Lakers could only manage four points over that span.

“I thought we did a great job on defense; there were times we needed to recognize and find the shooters in transition much quicker than we did to eliminate those open looks, but our help-side defense and post presence was awesome, especially being the NLS guards love to attack the basket.”

Danielson made a couple of free-throws to close the gap to 38-33, but the Lakers missed two free-throws with 7:50 left in the game.

NLS took advantage, scoring six-straight points before a basket by Dahl and two free-throws by Addy Kath cut the deficit to 44-37 with 4:12 left.

The Lakers trailed 48-37 before scoring five-straight points to close the gap to six (48-42), but the Wildcats regrouped after missing the front end of two-straight one-and-ones to make four-straight free-throws for the final margin.

NLS lost six players from last year’s state tournament team, but the Wildcats are returning to state.  “NLS is a tough opponent, but we consider it an opportunity to play them in big games,” coach Barker said.  “NLS is such a well-coached team and have been in this position so many times over the years that it’s a motivator to play them, if anything.  They know what they have to do. They step on the floor, they know what they have to do, and they do that.”

Ava Carlson had 22 points to lead the Wildcats, while Dakota Rich added nine points and eight steals, and Ayla Caskey had seven points, five assists and five steals.

•  Sydney Dahl had 14 points and five rebounds to lead the Lakers offense, while Megan Thorfinnson and Alia Randt both made three 3-pointers for nine points with Thorfinnson also adding two assists, two blocked shots, four rebounds and three steals.

The Lakers shot 30 percent from the field (15-for-49), including 6-of-14 from 3-point range.  “We have been shooting the ball so well, but NLS did a real good job extending their zone to limit our looks beyond the arc,” coach Barker said. 

Addy Kath added four points, two assists, six boards and three steals for the Lakers, while Olivia Danielson had three points and six boards, Avery Fier had two points and Lauryn Ankeny had one point, two assists, three rebounds and four steals.

Overall, the Lakers had a great season with a 20-9 record and sub-section runner-up trophy and coach Barker was pleased with the efforts of her team.  She also expects them to continue to work in the offseason for the chance to move at least one step further next season. 

“Our team is such a wonderful group on and off the court and I have no doubt they will bring that same energy in the off season to get better for next season!”

NLS 52, Minnewaska 42

Waska (20-9) 25 17 — 42

NLS 28 24 — 52

WASKA stats:  15-49 FG (6-14 3pt); 6-12 FT; 8 assists; 6 blocks; 26 rebounds; 12 steals; 15 fouls; 27 turnovers . . . Scoring:  Sydney Dahl 14, Megan Thorfinnson 9, Alia Randt 9, Addy Kath 4, Olivia Danielson 3, Avery Fier 2, Lauryn Ankeny 1 . . . Rebounding:  Danielson 6, Kath 6, Dahl 5, Thorfinnson 4, Ankeny 3 . . . Assists:  Thorfinnson 2, Ankeny 2, Kath 2 . . . Steals:  Ankeny 4, Thorfinnson 3, Kath 3, Dahl 2 . . . Blocks:  Dahl 3, Thorfinnson 2

NLS stats:   Scoring:  Ava Carlson 22, Dakota Rich 9, Delaney Hanson 8, Ayla Caskey 7, Katelyn Delzer 4, Taylor Munsch 2. . . Reb:  Piper Barney 9, Delzer 8, Hanson 7 . Other stats not available

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