Bruins win, advance to Championship game
It was #2 vs #3, it was the speed and quickness of Fargo South against the inside power of Bismarck Century, it was 21-2 vs 19-4, and in the end, in front of a large crowd, Fargo South's pressure defense made all the difference in a hard fought 60-51 win in the Class A Semifinals on Friday at the Bismarck Civic. South changed from their zone full court pressure in the first round game, to man pressure in an effort to counteract Century's superior size...the result: the Bruins exploded for 25 opening quarter points, including a 10-0 run to start the game, in a quarter where sophomore guard Cammi Greenheck quickly became the focus. Greenheck had a poke-check steal for a layup early, then as Century's Cyd Froelich tried to make a behind-the-back dribble, Greenheck reached in and took the ball away for another easy layup, then later stepped in front of an outlet pass and scored another easy layup. Meanwhile, McKenzie Mehlisch came in with a huge spark off the bench. "Mac" took two charges, was on the receiving end of a beautiful full court pass from Greenheck for a layup, and hit Katie Thingelstad on a similar pass for a three point play later on in the quarter. Century hit only 2 field goals in the opening frame as the Bruin defense didn't allow the Patriots many clean looks. However, both baskets were three pointers, keeping the Pats close, however Greenheck again managed to make a big play. As Century's Steph Pusc hit a shot with under 10 seconds left in the quarter to make it a 22-12 game, Greenheck dribbled the ball the length of the floor and calmly drained a 25 footer right as the quarter buzzer sounded, giving South a 25-12 lead and all of the momentum. That momentum was short lived though. Century was ranked high for a reason - they don't give up. Century began to handle South's pressure in the second quarter, and slowed down South's offense to creep back into the game. Mindy Vanderpan got things going offensively in the quarter from the outside, while Steph Peterson got going inside. Century went on an 11-3 run to get to within 28-23, then Vanderpan hit a three pointer to cut the lead to 28-26, the closest the Pats had been since the 2-0 score to start the game. The Bruins responded with a driving shot by Greenheck to make it 30-26. Century made one freethrow with under 20 seconds to go to make it 30-27, but Melanie Hageman dropped in her only basket of the game right before the halftime buzzer to give the Bruins breathing room again at 32-27. In the third quarter, the Bruins bench had a huge roll in expanding the lead. McKenzie Mehlisch knocked down a three pointer to go along with one from Amy Hannaher. And while Mel Hageman was relegated to the bench with foul trouble, Katie Thinglestad sprained her ankle. Joslynn Tharaldson continued her strong play as she scored inside for South, and the Bruins got important minutes from reserve Evi Demeter, who knocked down a shot from the short corner to give the Bruins a big lift. South took a 46-35 lead into the final quarter and went up 51-38 late with just under six minutes to go and looked to have the game in hand, but again, the Patriots would not give in. The Pats chipped away and crept to within 4 points late as Erica LaFrantz made Century's 4th three of the game with 2 minutes to go to make it a 53-49 game. South responded though. Greenheck continued to zip around Patriot defenders while protecting the ball, and South made 7 of 8 freethrows down the stretch to secure the win. Greenheck led all scorers with 14 points, while dishing out 5 assists and grabbing 5 steals. South improves to 22-2 and advances to the title game for the first time since 1994.
See the complete boxscore here
Boxscore:
Fargo South: Mehlisch 2 3-4 8, Greenheck 5 3-4 14, Hageman 1 10-13 12, Hannaher 1 0-0 3, Wagner 1 0-1 3, Thingelstad 3 2-3 8, Tharaldson 4 2-2 10; Totals 18 20-27 60, Three point goals: Hannaher, Greenheck, Wagner, Mehlisch
Bismarck Century: Vanderpan 4 1-2 11, Ledger 2 8-12 12, Clootan 0 6-8 6, Froelich 1 1-4 3, Peterson 3 5-7 11, Pusc 2 0-0 4, LaFrantz 2 0-0 4; Totals: 14 20-29 61, Three point goals: Vanderpan 2, Froelich
Fouled out: Hannaher, Ledger; Total Fouls: South 21, Bismarck 23; Rebounds: South 30(Wagner 5), Bismarck 29(3 with 4), Steals: South 12(Greenheck 5), Bismarck 11(Clooten 4), Turnovers: South 18, Bismarck 23; Assists: South 12(Greenheck 5)