ROCHESTER – The Hayfield Vikings season ended at the Class AA state girls’ basketball tournament on Tuesday.

Wednesday, March 15, 2000

ROCHESTER – The Hayfield Vikings season ended at the Class AA state girls’ basketball tournament on Tuesday. But it didn’t end where they wanted it to – Williams Arena in Minneapolis.

Instead, the Rochester Lourdes Eagles are going to Minneapolis to compete Friday night in the state semifinals.

The Eagles, behind the outside shooting of post player Monica Hake and a very stingy defense, defeated the Vikings 46-35 in the state quarterfinals at the Mayo Civic Center.

The Eagles will be going after coach Myron Glass’ sixth State title.

The Hayfield loss ended the outstanding careers of four Hayfield seniors who guided their school to its first trip to the state tournament in basketball.

"This was a good season for us," Kelly Thompson said. "It kind of hurts now, but I’m really proud of all that we did. We played our hearts out. We are the first Hayfield team to make it to state. The fifth and sixth-graders in Hayfield really look up to us."

Thompson along with three-year starters Kristin Peterson and Bonnie Thoe and two-year starter Kristin Petersen have probably not played their last competitive game of basketball.

"I’m either going to St. Cloud State or Dubuque to study aviation," Thompson said. "I will probably play basketball, but I don’t know at what level."

"I’m going to play in college," Thoe said. "I just don’t know where yet. There area few options out there for me."

"It could be that all four will be playing basketball next year," Hayfield coach Jay Klagge said. "Tall Kristin (Petersen) will compete in track at Gustavus Aldolphus, but could also play basketball. Little Kristin (Peterson) has a number of options. She could compete in college in any of three sports – volleyball, basketball or track."

Lourdes took a 10-2 lead at the outset of the game with Hake beginning to show her range with a couple of 17-foot jump shots.

"We have seen Hake stick that shot before," Klagge said, "so it was no surprise. It would have been nice if she would have missed one or two."

"She just kept nailing them," Thoe said.

"Hake is probably a little better outside shooter than from inside," Glass said. "We set some double screens for her and Nicole Taylor. Hake got open and hit a couple of shots, so we kept on going to her. They were playing Taylor a little tighter, because they knew they had to stop her outside shot too."

Hake finished with 20 points on the night including one three-pointer and 10 rebounds.

"I don’t think I have ever taken one," Hake said about her trey. "I didn’t know I had one until the referee put his arms in the air."

Her points were important, but even more important in this game was the Lourdes defense.

Lourdes held the Vikings 21 points below their 56 point-per-game scoring average. Only twice in the last 10 games has an opponent scored more than 40 points against Lourdes, both times by Winona Cotter. The Eagles went five games in a row giving up less than 30 points until they beat the Cotter Ramblers 46-44 in the Section 1AA finals.

"We will go down in Lourdes’ history because of our defense," Hake said. "Defense wins championships."

The Vikings started to get back into the game after that slow start. It was 16-8 at the end of the first quarter. By the end of the half the Vikings had pulled to within two, 22-20. Thoe scored eight of the Vikings’ 12 second-quarter points.

"We have been fighting back all year," Thoe said.

That fighting spirit looked to put the momentum on Hayfield’s side going into the half. Hayfield was further inspired when Michelle Melquist picked up her third foul of the game in the last 10 seconds of the half. Melquist, while she was in the game, was a scoring machine, going 5-of-7 from the field for 10 points. She came into the game as the Eagles’ second-leading scorer behind Hake.

But two points would be the smallest lead that Lourdes protected.

Momentum quickly switched back to Lourdes at the start of the third quarter. The Eagles scored six of the first seven points of the second half with Hake hitting her trey to put the Eagles up 28-21.

Hayfield then turned the tide, forcing two quick turnovers.

Petersen, Peterson, and Thompson hit buckets – offset by a Lourdes’ basket – to pull the Vikings to within three, 30-27. The Eagles then scored the final four points of the quarter – after a Hayfield turnover and two missed free throws – to pull ahead by seven, 34-27.

At the start of the fourth, the Vikings again pulled to within three on buckets by Thompson and Petersen.

After a turnover by Lourdes, the Vikings had a chance to pull to within one or tie the game up. Thompson got an open shot, but it was just off target. Wiste then hit two free throws to put the Eagles up five.

"We never were able to break on through," Klagge said.

On the other end, the Eagles’ defense forced a quick Hayfield turnover. The Lourdes offense, with Hake on the bench for a brief respite, then ran a motion offense that took 70 seconds off the clock.

Hake returned to the game after a Thompson foul. Melquist then hit a basket with 3 minutes, 50 seconds left in the game. The seven-point advantage, 38-31, was too much for Hayfield to overcome. Junior starter Kellie Krueger did hit a three-pointer to cut a nine-point lead by a third but no other shots – other than a lone free throw – dropped for the Vikings the rest of the way.

"It is sad to see this end," Thoe said. "Coming to state has been awesome, unbelievable."

The Vikings ended the year with a 19-8 mark. Lourdes heads to Minneapolis with a 26-2 record and a date with two-time defending champion Blake, a 40-36 winner over Jackson County Central.

Hayfield (35)

Bonnie Thoe 5-12 0-2 10, Kelly Thompson 3-7 0-0 6, Kristin Petersen 2-5 1-2 5, Kristin Peterson 3-10 1-2 8, Kellie Krueger 1-5 1-2 4, Nikki Kindschy 0-1 0-0 0, Sheri Swanson 1-4 0-0 2, Katie Berg 0-0 0-0 0, Kimi Petersen 0-2 0-0 0, Christi Crews 0-0 0-0 0, Jana Wohlers 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: FG 15-of-46, FT 4-of-8.

Rochester Lourdes (46)

Nicole Taylor 2-4 0-1 4, Monica Hake 8-19 3-5 20, Michelle Melquist 5-7 0-0 10, Leah Kodet 0-6 2-2 2, Holly Wiste 3-6 4-4 10, Lindsey Palen 0-0 0-1 0, Sarah Jensen 0-0 0-0 0, Ellen Hake 0-1 0-0 0, Marina Johnson 0-2 0-0 0, Laura Nigon 0-0 0-0 0, Danielle Vlazny 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 18-45, 9-13.

Hayfield 8 12 8 7 – 35

Lourdes 16 6 12 12 – 46

Three-point goals – Hayfield 1-of-6 (Krueger); Lourdes 1-6 (Hake). Fouled out – none. Rebounds – Hayfield: Offensive 10, Total 28 (Thoe 5, Thompson 5, Petersen 5); Lourdes: Offensive 14, Total 34 (Hake 10). Assists – Hayfield 5 (Petersen 2, Peterson 2), Lourdes 10 (Taylor 3, Wiste 3).

Total Fouls – Hayfield 12, Lourdes 7. Att. – 1,954.