Cougars top Austin girls
Published 11:29 pm Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Austin's Sophia Hebrink reaches for a rebound with Mankato East's Minisha Childress-Frederick during the first half Tuesday night in Ove Berven Gym. - Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
Mankato East dared the Austin girls basketball team to hit the perimeter shot and the Packers couldn’t do it in a 61-50 loss in Ove Berven Gym Tuesday.
The Cougars (4-7 overall, 4-2 Big Nine) zone defense played well off the Austin shooters, but the Packers hit just five of 27 from downtown.
“They were giving us the outside shots by sinking in on defense and we’ve got to just set our feet and get our legs into the shot,” Austin head coach Gary Peterson said.
Sophia Hebrink had three of Austin’s threes and she hit one to pull her team within 45-40, but the Cougars scored the game’s next 13 points to put it away.
“We always have a point in the game, where we let teams get a run and then we’re in a hole,” Peterson said.

Austin's Meredith Molhusen pressure Mankato East's Minisha Childress-Frederick during the first half Tuesday night in Ove Berven Gym. - Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
Austin (4-7 overall, 4-3 Big Nine) trailed by six early in the first half, but they responded by tying the game up at 35 when Mary Kate Barinka hit a lay-up with 16:15 left in the game.
However, Cougars point guard Minisha Childress-Frederick proved too much too handle down the stretch as she finished with 17 points and five steals.
“We let her drive by us all night and we needed someone to step in and take charge because she was out of control,” Peterson said.
East 33 28 — 61
Austin 29 21 — 50
Austin scoring: Babaye Oja, 12; Jenna Svoboda, 9; Sophia Hebrink, 9; Taylor Lady, 6; Merdedith Molhusen, 5; Mary Kate Barinka, 5; Stephanie Justice, 2; Nina Carney, 2; field goals: 24 percent (18-for-76); three-pointers: 18 percent (5-for-27); free throws: 64 percent (9-for-14); rebounds: 39 (Oja, 12); turnovers: 19
East scoring: Minisha Childress-Frederick, 17; Abby Connell, 14; Claire Zielger, 11; Grace Benzkofer, 8; Kelsey Mosher, 7; Coley Ries, 2; Emmaline Crawford, 2; field goals: 30 percent (17-for-57); three-pointers: 31 percent (4-for-13); free throws: 72 percent (23-for-32); rebounds: 48 (Ziegler, 12); turnovers: 26