Packers fall to Scarlets
Published 10:15 pm Friday, February 18, 2011
Austin's Nina Carney slips past Mankato West's Emily Doyle during the first half Friday night in Ove Berven Gym. -- Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
The Austin girls basketball team had its chances, but it couldn’t put together a big enough rally in a 64-52 loss to Mankato West in Ove Berven Gym Friday.
Austin led 19-18 with nine minutes to go in the first half after Stephanie Justice got free for a lay-up but West scored the next nine points as the Packers didn’t score for a seven-minute spurt.
Austin's Mary Kate Barinka pulls up to shoot against Mankato West in the first half Friday night in Ove Berven Gym. -- Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
By halftime, the Scarlets led 36-25 as they scored four points in the last 33 seconds.
“In the first half we just didn’t play with the energy we had last night (in a win over Waseca),” Austin head coach Gary Peterson said. “We had more energy in the second half. That’s been typical of us, we’ll play hard one game and not hard the next game.”
Austin senior Sophia Hebrink, who finished with 11 points, eight rebounds, and two blocks, hit a three and a pair of free throws to cut West’s lead to 55-52 with 2:19 left in the game.
But as they did all night, the Scarlets (11-13 overall, 8-9 Big Nine) had an answer when Emily Doyle pulled up for an off-balanced three pointer on a press break and knocked it down to put her team up 58-52 and the Packers (9-14 overall, 7-10 Big Nine) never scored again.
Doyle, who had 16 points, sat for a six-minute stretch in the second half, but the Packers couldn’t take advantage. Doyle’s back-up, Cara Christensen had 18 points and 12 rebounds as she went 7-for-11 from the field.
“We had their best player in foul trouble and we couldn’t take advantage of it,” Peterson said. “We were attacking the basket and not getting anything.”
West 36 28 — 64
Austin 25 27 — 52
Austin scoring: Sophia Hebrink, 11; Jenna Svoboda, 10; Meredith Molhusen, 9; Stephanie Justice, 7; Nina Carney, 6; Babaye Oja, 4; Taylor Lady, 3; Mary Kate Barinka, 2; field goals: 30 percent (18-for-61); three-pointers: 35 percent (8-for-23); free throws: 53 percent (8-for-15); rebounds: 32 (Svoboda, 9); turnovers: 23
Mankato West scoring: Cara Christiansen, 18; Emily Doyle, 16; Clarissa Ahlquist, 13; Brianna Christiansen, 5; Morgan Klaustermeier, 4; Jessica Makela, 2; Dani Sukalski, 2; Emmalei Huber, 2; Jessica Goerger, 2; field goals: 35 percent (22-for-66); free throws: 75 percent (15-for-20); three-pointers: 38 percent (3-for-8); rebounds: 43 (Christiansen, 12); turnovers: 23
