Stars DeSart among last teams standing at the Boro

<p>It was a long week of basketball in Louisville for Minnesota girls, starting with the Run 4 the Roses and finishing up with the Battle of the Boro. Lots of teams stayed for both. But, after all was said and done, it came down to Thursday afternoon and there was just one Minnesota team still playing.</p> <p><strong>Josephson, Post lead Stars DeSart to division semis</strong></p> <p>Stars DeSart won Pool D in the Junior Primetime Division at 4-1. The big game was a 51-42 win over the previously undefeated TN Fury Boatman 51-42. That enabled them to tie the Boatman at 4-1 and win the pool on the tiebreaker (the head-to-head win). That advanced them to the championship bracket where they knocked off GA Sting Avery 54-50 and TN Lady Trotters 2018 50-30 on Wednesday. That meant a 9 a.m. game on Thursday.</p> <p>But, first, looking back over pool play…. The Stars opened with an easy win over the inaptly named Louisville Elite 52-26 as Haley DeSouza and Justine Watson scored 10 points each. Game #2 was exactly one point easier, a 58-31 win over SC Extreme 212. Noelle Josephson led the way with 17 points, while point guard Kylie Post added 10. Then came a 46-38 loss to Indiana Swish as Josephson again led the way with 16 points.</p> <p>Then came the big win over the TN Fury as Josephson and Post combined for 21 points. Finally, the Stars held serve with a 66-20 rout of the MS Lady Cardinals. Again it was Post and Josephson leading the way and again they combined for 21 points.</p> <p>The Stars followed up with 2 wins in bracket play as noted above. Once again (or, rather, twice again) it was Josephson leading the way with 16 and 13 points in the two games. Unfortunately, the Hoosier Premiere Red was a little too much in the division semi-final, beating Stars DeSart 52-43. The Hoosiers then defeated TCB Navy 2018 43-34 to win the Junior Primetime Division.</p> <p>Coach DeSart was quick to point out that the Stars were short-handed in their final loss as Mattea Peplinski became unavailable and only 7 players were available. But Stars DeSart made it to the final four in their division in both the Run 4 the Roses and the Battle of the Boro. Great trip.</p> <p>Coach DeSart added that while Josephson and Post have had great summers and especially a great trip to Louisville, both remain unsigned. Both, he said, are incredibly hard workers. “A college is going to get a great player” in Josephson or Post if their system is the right fit. They’re getting some looks but are deserving of more, DeSart said.</p> <p><strong>Lady Get Shook Walker and the Sophomore Showcase</strong></p> <p>LGSW lasted an hour and three-quarters longer than the Stars. LGSW played in the Sophomore Showcase Division, same as Stars Amundson and Stars Nelson. LGSW played in Pool D on Monday and Tuesday. On Wednesday they opened play in the Silver bracket with a forfeit win over NY Hoopers Bunkley. Later in the day they knocked off DME Daytona, FL, 15U 50-44. That meant a Thursday game at 10:45 a.m. against Empire State Hoops 2019, a game that they lost 48-23 to finish up at 3-3.</p> <p>In the interest of full disclosure, I must add that LGSW finished 1-2 in their pool and so they were in the second tier bracket. <strong>Stars Amundson</strong> and <strong>Stars Nelson</strong> each went 3-0 in their pool. In fact, Amundson and LGSW were in the same pool and Amundson won 69-31. Stars Nelson also went 3-0 in a different pool.</p> <p>From there, however, Amundson and Nelson both lost in the Gold bracket on Wednesday. Amundson lost to the IA Barnstormers 2019 70-65. Stars Nelson defeated Dayton Metro Connor 43-28, then lost to WV Thunder 2019 Johnson 51-43. No Thursday games there.</p> <p><strong>Taylor Hill 8th Elite is last team standing</strong></p> <p>That left <strong>Taylor Hill 8th Elite</strong> as the last Minnesota team standing in Louisville. They went 5-0 in Pool E of the Freshman Showcase, winning 5 times by a total of 65 points which tied for the most favorable scoring margin in the entire division. So, it was not until 12:45 p.m. that Tayler Hill bowed out by the score of 71-52 to TN Flight Silver, outlasting Lady Get Shook by a couple of hours.</p> <p><strong>They also "boro-ed"</strong></p> <p>So those are probably the top 5 teams at the Boro. Here, in order, are the rest of the Minnesota results.</p> <p><strong>Tayler Hill 11th Elite 4-1</strong>, won their pool in the Junior Showtime Division, but lost to Central IL Storm 44-39 in their 1st bracket game.</p> <p><strong>Stars Hersch 3-1,</strong> won their pool in the Junior Showcase Division at 3-0, but lost to Team Miller Lance 56-52 in the bracket.</p> <p><strong>Stars Antl</strong> (Freshman Showcase Division), <strong>Metro Stars Wiese</strong> (Junior Showcase), <strong>Stars McAlpine </strong>(Freshman Premiere) and <strong>Lady Get Shook Black</strong> (Elite 8th) all went 3-2. Antl’s 3-2 came in the pool and they did not advance to bracket play. MSW went 2-1 in their pool, good for 2nd, then defeated WPA Bruins 2018 Zeise 43-32 in the bracket before losing to George Hill Lady Stars 47-38.</p> <p>Stars McAlpine also went 3-2 in their pool and did not advance to bracket play. Lady Get Shook Black went 3-1 in their pool, then lost to Flight Select 2021 Navy 38-58 in the Silver bracket.</p> <p><strong>Stars Walters</strong> went 1-4 but 2 of their losses were by 2 and 3 points.</p>