After walking into the Class 1A state tournament undefeated, St. Paul High School left the tournament with two consecutive losses.
“That is what makes the state tournament crazy,” St. Paul head coach Doug Tuck said. “You come out of the first game with a win and then you lose your final two. If you get into that final four, games are going to be tough.”
In the third-place game on Friday, St. John defeated the Indians 43-35.
There was not much celebration from St. John after the win, as the Tigers’ Ariel Smith left the court on stretcher after taking a charge late in the fourth quarter.
“It changes things,” St. John head coach Danny Smith said. “We are more worried about her than being happy about the win.
“… She does unselfish things. She does anything to help us win.”
Ariel Smith ended the game with five points. St. John’s Teresa Wade had team-high 13 points and Jamie Waters had 11.
“We have great people that give you the ball,” Wade said. “It is not just me, they have to give me the ball to score.”
St. Paul’s Morgan Westhoff led all scorers with 14 points.
Westhoff and teammate Allison O’Brien helped carry St. Paul to a 7-3 lead to end the first quarter.
Early in the second, St. John accumulated points three at a time.
Ariel Smith started the quarter with a 3-pointer, and Teresa Wade got fouled during a made field goal and converted the 3-point play to give St. John a 9-7 lead as the Tigers went on a 15-2 run.
Trailing 18-10, Westhoff nailed a 3-pointer to place the score 18-13.
The Indians went into the locker room down 20-16 after St. Paul’s Jessica Tuck made a long 3-pointer at the buzzer.
The Tigers had four steals in the first half, two coming from Waters.
St. John walked into the fourth quarter leading 30-24.
Early in the fourth, O’Brien helped cut into the Tigers’ lead.
She started the quarter by going to the free-throw line attempting to convert a 3-point play, and she succeeded.
After a basket from Tuck, Wade scored again to place the score at 32-29 in St. John’s favor.
With three minutes remaining, St. John looked like it was trying to kill the clock, taking its time on offense and passing the ball around.
Before St. John could get a shot off, Kennedee Borum intercepted a pass and moments later Westhoff made a basket to place the score at 34-31.
With two minutes remaining, Smith took a charge, but she did not get back up.
On the Tigers offensive possession, O’Brien got a steal to give St. Paul a chance to tie the score with a 1:17 left.
St. John played tight defense and got the ball back leading 34-31 with just under a minute to play.
Waters was sent to the free throw where she made two.
Trailing by seven, Westhoff made a basket with 30 seconds remaining.
The Indians could not comeback because Waters made enough free throws to hold onto the lead and walk off the court with the win.
Waters finished the game shooting 7-of-8 from the free-throw line.
“I just did it for the girls,” Waters said. “For the seniors, who are playing their last game, it was for them.”
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After walking into the Class 1A state tournament undefeated, St. Paul High School left the tournament with two consecutive losses.
“That is what makes the state tournament crazy,” St. Paul head coach Doug Tuck said. “You come out of the first game with a win and then you lose your final two. If you get into that final four, games are going to be tough.”
In the third-place game on Friday, St. John defeated the Indians 43-35.
There was not much celebration from St. John after the win, as the Tigers’ Ariel Smith left the court on stretcher after taking a charge late in the fourth quarter.
“It changes things,” St. John head coach Danny Smith said. “We are more worried about her than being happy about the win.
“… She does unselfish things. She does anything to help us win.”
Ariel Smith ended the game with five points. St. John’s Teresa Wade had team-high 13 points and Jamie Waters had 11.
“We have great people that give you the ball,” Wade said. “It is not just me, they have to give me the ball to score.”
St. Paul’s Morgan Westhoff led all scorers with 14 points.
Westhoff and teammate Allison O’Brien helped carry St. Paul to a 7-3 lead to end the first quarter.
Early in the second, St. John accumulated points three at a time.
Ariel Smith started the quarter with a 3-pointer, and Teresa Wade got fouled during a made field goal and converted the 3-point play to give St. John a 9-7 lead as the Tigers went on a 15-2 run.
Trailing 18-10, Westhoff nailed a 3-pointer to place the score 18-13.
The Indians went into the locker room down 20-16 after St. Paul’s Jessica Tuck made a long 3-pointer at the buzzer.
The Tigers had four steals in the first half, two coming from Waters.
St. John walked into the fourth quarter leading 30-24.
Early in the fourth, O’Brien helped cut into the Tigers’ lead.
She started the quarter by going to the free-throw line attempting to convert a 3-point play, and she succeeded.
After a basket from Tuck, Wade scored again to place the score at 32-29 in St. John’s favor.
With three minutes remaining, St. John looked like it was trying to kill the clock, taking its time on offense and passing the ball around.
Before St. John could get a shot off, Kennedee Borum intercepted a pass and moments later Westhoff made a basket to place the score at 34-31.
With two minutes remaining, Smith took a charge, but she did not get back up.
On the Tigers offensive possession, O’Brien got a steal to give St. Paul a chance to tie the score with a 1:17 left.
St. John played tight defense and got the ball back leading 34-31 with just under a minute to play.
Waters was sent to the free throw where she made two.
Trailing by seven, Westhoff made a basket with 30 seconds remaining.
The Indians could not comeback because Waters made enough free throws to hold onto the lead and walk off the court with the win.
Waters finished the game shooting 7-of-8 from the free-throw line.
“I just did it for the girls,” Waters said. “For the seniors, who are playing their last game, it was for them.”
