Continuing my theme of "firsts" during my first year with HLN, I'm enjoying my first Speedway Horizon League Women's Basketball Championship experience.
Obviously, I'm in Green Bay at the Kress Center. I say obviously because Green Bay has been the top-seeded team in this tournament for ten of the last eleven years. They have an impressive history. But at the end of tonight, two scores mattered, and history wouldn't get anyone into Sunday's game. Teams had to show up and play tonight, and all four of them did.
In the first match up of the night, (2) Butler faced (3) Detroit. The Titans took an early lead, and they held onto it through the first ten minutes of play. After that, Butler started hitting threes...and I mean hitting 'em. They started 7-for-7 from behind the arc. They tied the score at 15 near the start of their 3-point barrage, took the lead at 18-17, and never trailed again.
The Bulldogs hit the big shots all night. 46-percent from the field, and 55.6-percent from behind the arc. Detroit forced 21 turnovers in the meeting, netting 28 points off Butler miscues.
Surprisingly, this game wasn't ruled by Horizon League Player of the Year, Melanie Thornton. Detroit's All-League performer, Brigid Mulroy, was ineffective most of the night as well. Thornton hit 4-of-11, and Mulroy went 3-of-13 from the field, 2-of-9 from the 3-point line. Even with a tough night, Mulroy's impressive season brought a lot to the much improved Titans this year.
Newcomer of the Year Yar Shayok did lead the Titans with 19 points. Sixth Player of the Year, and tonight's U.S. Army Player of the Game, Susan Lester, led the Bulldogs with 26, including a 3-of-3 effort from behind the arc. But, Lester's performance was about more than just the numbers in the box score.
As a whole, in this game, Butler hit the shots. And I think that's how you win these things — putting the ball through the hoop. In this match up, the Bulldogs did it more than the Titans. And that's why they'll be playing on Sunday.
Next up, (1) Green Bay played (4) Cleveland State. And I mean they both PLAYED. The score was tied 11 times, and there were 17 lead changes. It was a battle for 45 minutes. Yes, 45. That's five minutes of overtime.
Angel Roque and Kailey Klein played all 45 minutes of the game for the CSU. Klein showed up for this game and tossed more than few into the net, scoring 28 points. Roque added 12 points to the total. Add in 37 minutes from Shawnita Garland, plus her 21 points, and it sounds like Cleveland State may have walked away with this one.
But Celeste Hoewisch, Kayla Tetschlag, and company weren't allowing anything like that to happen. I will say this... I saw Green Bay play some good basketball tonight. They run a great offense, and they get some nice looks at the basket. Unfortunately for them tonight, looks weren't turning into points. Even when they did, Cleveland State always seemed to have an answer. Coach Matt Bollant could feel the frustrations of his young team.
The Phoenix shot 41-percent for the game and 39.1-percent from behind the arc. Those numbers aren't extremely alarming unless you play the game of comparison. And if you're competing, that's all that matters.
The Vikings shot just over 59-percent from the field, and over 55-percent from behind the arc. That's 45 minutes of making a lot of shots. I'm about to go a little stat crazy, but these are big. The Titans shot 15-of-20 in the second half, which includes going 7-of-8 from the 3-point line. In the five extra minutes, they hit 5-of-6 shots, including going 2-of-3 from long distance. In the end, the totals boded well for them: 59-percent from the field, over 55-percent from beyond the arc.
The outcome would be comparable to the shocking upset Cleveland State pulled over Green Bay in 2008 in the very same semifinal match up. Coach Kate Peterson Abiad was obviously thrilled with her team's performance. But, she's happier about the way her team has slowly come around this year.
Both teams were forcing each other into turnovers. Green Bay ended up having 23, while Cleveland State had 22 of their own. The final score was 83-75, but the 8-point margin still doesn't even begin to explain the impressive fight and determination these ladies showed tonight in an effort to extend their respective seasons.
Just like game one of the semifinals, and every other basketball game you've ever seen, you have to score more to win. And the Vikings took care of that, which is why they'll stay in Green Bay until Sunday to face off with the Butler Bulldogs.
It was a great atmosphere tonight, and the crowd saw two outstanding games. All four teams played some good basketball. Of course, in the end, one team will make more shots than their opponent. The two winning teams that did that tonight, will attempt to repeat it on Sunday for a Championship.
Only one will succeed.
