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Foley loses again at the hands of North BranchBy Danielle Strenke It doesnít get any better than this. The kind of heart-pounding, bleacher-stomping game that makes participants and spectators alike feel fortunate to have been a part of it all. The North Branch girls basketball squad picked up a huge win in grand fashion against Foley last Thursday, all but firming up first place in the Rum River Conference. The Falcons came to town with only one previous conference loss, which happened to be to the Vikings. At 7-1, Foley is nipping at the heels of North Branch for the top slot in the RRC. The Falcons came out and proved why they are in second place, battling back from a 20-15 first quarter deficit to take the 39-36 edge at halftime. It was one of just a couple of games where the Vikes went to the lockerroom trailing their opponent. ìOur halftime focus was on making defensive adjustments,î head coach Dan Schindler said. ìWe were not pleased with giving up 39 first half points, or that we let Foleyís best player score 18 first half points.î That player, Ali Chmielewski, was held scoreless against a pumped up Vikings defense in the second half, although Foley racked up a 10-point lead at one point in the third. Senior point guard Errin Koehler stepped it up and hit a huge three-pointer to stop Foleyís momentum, and then drove in a lay-up following a steal by Jamie Schlagel to narrow the gap at 49-45. ìI was really proud of the way our kids kept their poise and didnít panic,î Schindler said. As the clock ticked down, Christina Sampson hit a big three-pointer to narrow the gap, and baskets at the foul line also contributed as the Vikes tied it at 60-all with less than one minute remaining. As overtime loomed, Kelly Lines drove to the hoop with 13 seconds remaining. The shot just missed, bouncing off the rim and into the hands of Megan OíHern, who promptly put in the rebound to give the Vikes the go-ahead basket with seven seconds left. Foley took over, with one shot to tie the game again. Their last shot hit the boards, then the rim, and bounced wide, as North Branch celebrated in front of a gym packed with ecstatic fans. Koehler had a big night for the Vikings, ending with 15 pointsñincluding four field goals. Jamie Schlagel also had a strong finish, racking up 11 points and nine rebounds. Lines led in scoring with 21. OíHern picked up eight in the game. Earlier in the week, North Branch downed North Suburban Conference favorite St. Francis 58-36. North Branch jumped out to a quick 17-8 lead in the first, behind Lines who racked up 10, including two 3-pointers. At halftime, their lead increased to 29-13. St. Francis went on a run in the third, narrowing the gap, before the Vikings retaliated to end the quarter with a 40-26 lead. They outscored St. Francis 18-10 in the fourth for the win. Lines led the scoring with 20 points, while Traci Reimann added 13 points and 12 rebounds. OíHern chalked up 10 points, seven rebounds, and six steals. Rounding off the week in perfect fashion, the Vikes won their third game of the week with a close 48-44 win over Hill-Murray. It was another significant game for North Branch, as they faced the team they defeated last year to advance to the state tournament. The team was missing Reimann at center, who went out in the second half against Foley with an ankle injury. Sheena Devine earned her first varsity start for the team, and turned in a tremendous defensive effort. The Vikes jumped out quickly to a 16-5 lead in the first, and a 27-17 lead at the half. Hill-Murray battled back to within three points on two separate occasions in the second, outscoring the Vikings 15-10 in the third, and 12-11 in the fourth. Key free throws from Devine and OíHern late in the game led to the four-point win. Devine racked up seven rebounds for the cause. OíHern led offensively with 20 points, while Schlagel notched 11. ìI am happy with the way our team played this week. We played three quality teams and came away with three nice wins,î Schindler said. The victories give North Branch a 19-2 record overall, and 10-0 in the conference. Schindler said the teamís immediate goal is to capture the conference title, which can be done with three wins in the remaining four conference games. This week, they were scheduled to take on Milaca Tuesday, and will host Princeton Friday. ©ECM Post Review |