Lyle-Pacelli girls keep season alive in play-in win
Published 8:59 pm Wednesday, February 23, 2022
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LYLE — The No. 14 seeded Lyle-Pacelli girls basketball team kept its season alive when it beat No. 19 Wabasha-Kellogg 75-54 in a Section 1A play-in game Wednesday.
Just when it looked like it may be a battle down the stretch, Alana Rogne hit a three to put the Athletics up 53-44. She drilled another trey to make it 56-45 with 7:30 left in the game. L-P all but sealed the win when freshman Lexi Lewis converted a steal for a lay-up right after Rogne’s second three to make it 58-45.
Rogne, a senior, finished with 16 points, seven rebounds, eight assists and seven steals for the Athletics and Kristen Koopal added 22 points, five rebounds and three blocked shots.
“We just pushed it way more than they had down the stretch,” Rogne said. “It felt good, but it was also sad, because this was my last time playing here. Communication was key.”
L-P (6-21 overall) led by as many as 21 early on, but the Falcons scored 11 straight points to creep within 47-42 with 12:16 left in the game.
L-P’s Kendahl Lewis knocked down a huge three-pointer from the baseline to put the Athletics up 50-42 with 11:05 left.
Kristen Koopal, a freshman, helped give L-P a big lead early on as she was able to use her athleticism to finish near the rim.
“We had to fight for it a little more in the second half,” Koopal said. “We just had to trust each other in the second half and know what we were trying to accomplish.”
L-P will play at No. 3 Grand Meadow at 7 p.m. Thursday.
“If we end up going out, we want to go strong,” Rogne said. “They’re a good team and we’re going to have to play hard.”
WK 25 31 — 54
Lyle-Pacelli 43 32 — 75
LP scoring: Kristen Koopal, 22; Alana Rogne, 16; Avari Drennan, 10; Kearah Schafer, 11; Olivia Heard, 8; Lexi Lewis, 5; Kendahl Lewis, 3; Lexi Lewis, 2; Metach Oman, 2; turnovers: 35