Lake vs. Lake is our Game of Week #9
White Bear led Prior Lake 33-26 at the half and then 40-28 as senior power forward Adri Perron scored the Bears first 7 points of the 2nd half. At that point, Lakers coach Mike Gidley subbed 5 players in in…
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Continue ReadingWhite Bear led Prior Lake 33-26 at the half and then 40-28 as senior power forward Adri Perron scored the Bears first 7 points of the 2nd half. At that point, Lakers coach Mike Gidley subbed 5 players in in place of his starters, who had started that 2nd half making 1-of-8 shots. His subs went on a 14-7 run as freshman Ela Schnackenberg and sophomore Alexandra Wiskow each scored twice.
Upon their return the Laker starters continued the run as McKenna Hofschild scored a 2 off the bounce and then a 3 from the right corner, and Riley Wheatcraft scored on the dribble drive and then on a back cut and a pass from Hofschild. Suddenly it was 53-51 White Bear at 3:58. But the Lakers didn’t score another field goal until inside of 20 seconds. The Bears made 6-of-8 throws and Jordan Ferrand and Claire Odmark each scored twice.
Junior post Jordan Ferrand led White Bear with 14 points and 11 boards, and Perron added 9 and 7. The Bears shot 42 percent. Wheatcraft and Hofschild led the Lakers with 17 and 13 points, and Hofschild added 6 assists and 3 steals. But the 2 Lakers shots just 11-of-38 (29 percent) between them and their teammates 9-of-29 (31 percent). White Bear's defense was quick and aggressive and hurried Prior Lake's shooters, and that was the game.
MVP—Ferrand. I have never seen her so active, clearly outjumping her opponents to get jump ball-type rebounds. That didn’t stop coach Jeremy Post from yelling at her at one point, “Don’t settle. You’re settling. Get to the rim.” And Ferrand shot just 2-of-7, but she was around the ball all night and also shut down the Lakers inside game.
Best Play—The Bears Michaela Craigan grabbed an offensive board away from a Prior Lake player on pure hustle, then shoveled it out to Perron at the top of the key for a 3 that got the White Bear lead into double digits for the 1st time at 38-26.
Best Offensive Performance—Nobody wasn’t up and down but Brooke Glass managed to shoot 3-of-3 including a pair of 3s for the Lakers.
Best Defensive Performance—Ferrand, who clogged up the lane for White Bear and grabbed 9 defensive boards.
Best Under-the-Radar Performance—Laker freshman guard Schnackenberg, just 5-7, was effective as part of that 2nd platoon that got Prior Lake back into the game. She shot just 0-for-4 but had 6 boards.
Best Underclassmen—5-6 White Bear freshman guard Ella Janicki made things happen in limited minutes. She attacks the rim, and scored her only FG on a transition pass from Perron. But she also penetrated in the half court getting to the line 3 times and making 5-of-6 throws.
Best Player off the Bench—Ella Janicki.
Best Rebounder—Ferrand soared.
Best Passer—McKenna Hofschild is one of the state’s best. Wheatcraft’s normally reliable jump shot was off, so she went back door a bunch and Hofschild threw her a whole series of perfect passes.
Best Coach’s Move—Gidley going to his bunch for a full 2nd platoon down by 12. His 2nd platoon got him within 5 over 6 minutes of the 2nd half.