|
Women's basketball rolls to third straight win
By Derek Sullivan
Christmas must be just around the corner, because SCSU and Bemidji State were in a giving mood. The two teams combined for 55 turnovers on Tuesday night.
In the end, SCSU pulled away and won their third consecutive game, 81-68.
SCSU came out very slow. Almost three minutes elapsed before sophomore Kellie Heinen opened the scoring. Heinen scored on a lay-up, while being fouled by Bemidji State's Shawne Koch. The free throw gave the Huskies a 3-0 lead.
Before the Huskies scored again, they would turn the ball over five times. Bemidji State took advantage of the miscues to take an 8-3 lead.
Fifth-year senior Jessica Abrahams finally ended the five-minute drought with a three pointer. Abrahams would finish the game with 16 points and five steals.
SCSU would take the lead for good at the 10:16 mark in the first half. Sophomore April Carlson scored an old-fashioned three-point play to give the Huskies a 13-10 lead. Carlson finished with eight rebounds and career high 12 points.
"I love playing down low," Carlson said. "I try to get every rebound and help the team."
First-year guard Laura Legge followed Carlson's three-point play with a three-point jumper. Legge's three-pointer gave the Huskies a six-point lead, with 9:36 left in the first half. After trailing 8-3 with 16:15 remaining, the Huskies rebounded with an 11-2 run.
The Beavers answered the Huskies' run with an 8-4 run of their own. After a jumper by Bemidji State's Shanette Thomas, the Beavers trailed only 20-18 with 7:45 left in the half.
Sascha Hansen then got hot. The sophomore hit both ends of a one-and-one, then sandwiched two three-pointers around a couple of Bemidji State free throws. Hansen would end the night hitting all four three-pointers she attempted, and scoring a career-high 22 points.
"I didn't know it was a career- high," Hansen said. "My shot felt good, but I feel this team can play better."
After Hansen's personal 8-2 run, the Huskies led 28-20 with seven minutes left in the half.
The two teams would exchange baskets until SCSU scored the final four points. Single free throws by Heinen and Abrahams and a lay-up by Carlson would give the Huskies a 40-29 halftime lead.
Both teams struggled to hold onto the ball. In the first half alone, SCSU committed 11 turnovers, while the Beavers committed 18 turnovers.
Beaver center Kellie Hooton quickly scored the first five points of the second half. The five points pulled Bemidji State with six, 40-34.
SCSU continued to turn the ball over in the second half. The Huskies would commit four turnovers in three minutes.
The Beavers took advantage pulling within five, 46-41, with 15:26 left.
Head Coach Lori Ulferts called a rare timeout to compose her team. The Huskies immediately responded. Heinen scored her final basket of the night, pushing the lead back to seven, at 48-41.
The game slowed down for the next five minutes as eight fouls were called. SCSU managed to keep the lead at eight, until an Abrahams jumper put the Huskies up 10. With 8:42 left in the game, the Huskies led 65-55.
Bemidji State play tough full court man-to-man defense that led to 15 steals, but also several fouls for hand checking. When Bemidji State picked up their 10th foul with six minutes to play, head coach Mike Power jumped off his seat.
"Coach prepared us for the press," Hansen said. "Coach wanted us to attack."
Less than a minute later, Bemidji State's Nancy McConkey was called for a foul. Power argued. After the referee walked away, Power kicked the scorer's table. Immediately, Power was called for a technical. Seconds later, Power threw a cup of ice water onto the court. This drew a second technical and Power was ejected.
Abrahams would connect on all four free throws building the SCSU lead to 76-59, with 4:53 to play.
SCSU scored only five more points the remainder of the game, including a jumper by first-year guard Shannon Francis and the fourth three-pointer of the night by Hansen.
The 81-68 win was the third in a row for the Huskies. Last weekend in Duluth, SCSU swept by Southwest Minnesota State and 19th-ranked Minnesota-Duluth.
In Friday's game, SCSU defeated the Southwest Minnesota State Mustangs 67-56.
Heinen, starting in place of Erika Quigley (mononucleosis), scored a career-high 18 points. Francis and Huschle each scored 11.
The win over the Mustangs put the Huskies in the Championship game of the American Family Insurance Classic. In the final, the Huskies would meet up with the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs.
The Bulldogs had just defeated the Huskies 85-75 a few days earlier in St. Paul, but the second game would be played in the Bulldog's home arena.
"Coach challenged us to 'D' up," Hansen said. "We all felt we were ready."
In the game the week before, SCSU got down early. In Saturday's game, the Huskies came out strong scoring the first bucket and never relinquishing the lead. Minnesota-Duluth managed to close within one on a couple occasions, including right before the half. The Bulldogs trailed 30-29 at the half.
SCSU pulled away in the second half behind Francis and Abrahams. Francis finished the tournament with 27 points and was named MVP. Abrahams finished with 23 points in the Classic and was placed on the All-Tournament team. Huschle continued to be a spark off the bench, and won the sixth-player award.
SCSU will put their three-game winning streak on the line Thursday against Winona State at Halenbeck Hall.
|
|
|
|
Privacy Policy Network Advertising Article Syndication
|
|
