Thursday, May 1, 2008

Out & About: North Tartan 15s/Metro Stars 15s

#2 posting 5.1.2008
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

This game took place Sunday, April 27
MINNESOTA SEEDING TOURNAMENT
at Bloomington Kennedy
15 Championship
NORTH TARTAN 61, METRO STARS 49

North Tartan put the Big Hirt on the Metro Stars with a 61-49 win in the championship game between these long time rivals. The difference maker in this game was 6-2 Kayla Hirt of Bemidji as she keyed a 11-2 run with 9 points at the start of the second half. NT trailed at half time 33-30.

Early on NT established a 19-9 lead after a Gabrielle Boever trey. Metro Stars scored on eight straight possessions to close the gap to 27-25. Rachel Leitz started it off with 9 straight points. Leitz tied it at 30 with a long range bomb and then Ellen Edison, with 2.2 seconds left made a three from mid court with a hand in her face for a 33-30 Metro Stars lead. Leitz had 13 points in the half.

Neither team had much luck to start the second half. MS was stone cold. They had a six possession drought to begin the half and it soon became a 1/14 offensive string. That is a 14.3 pp100 and a floor % of .071. NT got rolling with a drive by Ameshia Kearney. Then Kayla Hirt put the hurt on MS. She scored the next nine points including the best play of the tournament when she raced out to pick up a rebound near the free throw line, sprinted down court and went behind her back full speed as she blew by a defender. She scored the lay up and was fouled. She added the free throw. That made the score 41-35 NT. The game stayed in four point limbo until Hirt ignited another NT surge by scoring the first four points in another 11-2 run to make it 54-41. There was less than three minutes remaining and NT maintained that advantage.

Both teams had players out with injury. For NT Angela Christianson was out, and Brooke Brown was out for MS.

North Tartan is now the #1 seed in the 15 division. Oddly enough Metro Stars is #3.
photos: #1. Sari Noga launches a three with Rachel Leitz defending. #2 Ameshia Kearney going up on a drive. photos by Teas.

key: player, school, points, possessions, pp100, floor %
NORTH TARTAN
STARTERS
Rachel Banham, Lakeville North 6, 8, 75.0, .375 perimeter. Nice pull up.
Sari Noga, Parkers Prairie 13, 14, 92.9, .357 3 point expert. also is able to find open players. went to the line three times.
Laura Melquist, Rochester Lourdes 3, 4, 75.0, .500 post. got into foul trouble. needs to ramp up speed. needs to get better defensive position in the post.
Ameshia Kearney, Mpls South 6, 10, 60.0, .400 point guard. likes to drive
Katie Winge, Minnetonka 7, 4, 175.0, .750 another 3 point weapon
BENCH
Kayla Hirt, Bemidji 21, 13, 161.5, .769 had a scintillating second half. moves and handles the ball (behind the back at full speed). uses her body well on posting up. has good hands. went to the line four times. Did tire toward the end. Defensively needs to get into better position.
Hannah Strop, New Prague 0, 3, 0.0, .000 taller perimeter
Gabrielle Boever, Worthington 3, 5, 60.0, .200 guard
Morgan Van Riper-Rose 2, 3, 66.7, .333 perimeter

METRO STARS
STARTERS
Rachel Leitz, Champlin Park 13, 15, 86.7, .400 aggressive perimeter. made two 3s. looked to drive. Went to the line three times. nothing in the second half.
Erica Gress, Apple Valley 13, 14, 92.9, .500 causes mayhem in the post. aggressive, physical, hard hat worker. draws plenty of fouls. went to the line four times. also gave fouls. had to sit during the NT run.
Julia Wiemer, Hopkins 5, 6, 83.3, .333 point guard. made a 3.
Ellen Edison, Maple Grove 3, 5, 60.0, .200 made the mid court 3.
Grace Veker, Edina 4, 9, 44.4, .222 bigger, strong perimeter. active defensively
BENCH
Haley Thomforde, Eastview 7, 10, 70.0, .400 perimeter. looks to score off the dribble.
Jean Theis, Shakopee 4, 4, 100.0, .500 post player. will face the basket.
Taylor Cullers, Eastview 0, 2, 0.0, .000 perimeter.

TRENCH PLAYER
Clearly it was Kayla Hirt

BY THE NUMBERS
North Tartan 61, 64, 95.3, .453
Metro Stars 49, 65, 75.4, .369
made 3s/&1s: NT 4/2; MS 4/1
ftm/fta-ft%: NT 17/27-.630; MS 13/17-.765
bench: NT 26, MS 11

DEFENSIVE WRAPS
NORTH TARTAN
Hannah Strop 5.5
Sari Noga 5
Laura Melquist 5
Gabrielle Boever 5
Kayla Hirt 4
Morgan Van Riper-Rose 4
Katie Winge 3.5
Rachel Banham 3
Ameshia Kearney 1
totals: 36

METRO STARS
Grace Veker 8
Erica Gress 5
Haley Thomforde 5
Rachel Leitz 4
Julia Wiemer 2
Jean Theis 2
Taylor Cullers 2
Ellen Edison 1
totals: 29

ASSISTS
NORTH TARTAN
Sari Noga 5
Rachel Banham 3
Ameshia Kearney 3
Katie Winge 3
Gabrielle Boever 2
Kayla Hirt 1
Morgan Van Riper-Rose 1
totals: 18

METRO STARS
Julia Wiemer 4
Haley Thomforde 4
Taylor Cullers 4
Jean Theis 3
Grace Veker 1
totals: 16

next up: later today with the 14 championship with Fury Haugen vs Midtown Lady Monarchs