Class 1A Wrap Up and Evaluations
The first days’ games were not very competitive with Eastland and Lewistown both winning their games by large margins. Both teams were able to turn up the pressure and the speed to take their opponents out of the game quickly.…
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Continue ReadingThe first days’ games were not very competitive with Eastland and Lewistown both winning their games by large margins. Both teams were able to turn up the pressure and the speed to take their opponents out of the game quickly. Both teams put up 70 points, which was exciting. That did lead to more competitive games Saturday.
In the 3rd place game Tri County came away with the victory 64-59. They were led by Junior guard Tayler Barry with 30 points and Sophomore wing Bella Dudley with 19. Tri County jumped to a 10 point lead at half with a big third quarter. Aurora Christian made it close in the second half, but Tri County was able to maintain control of the game, Aurora Christian was led by Anna Griffin with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Lexi Lamanna got hot from behind the 3 point line and ended with 5 threes for 15 points.
In the Championship game Lewistown had a big finish to the first half and went into the locker room with a 10 point lead. By the TV timeout Eastland had completed a 10-0 run to erase their half time deficit. Eastland finished the second half shooting 52% and Lewistown was held to 23% in the second half. That was the edge Eastland needed to end up hoisting the championship trophy with a 62-57 victory. Erin Henze led Eastland with 20 points and Lydia Coatney had a big second half to finish with 15 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists. Lewistown was led by Anna Heffren with 22 points and Sydney Shaeffer had 16, all in the first half.
The Final 4 boasted some of the top talent in the 1A class. Here are a few of the names that you may already know and a few that may have opened some eyes this weekend.
- Erin Henze – Eastland is a 5’4 2020 guard. Henze would have to be considered the MVP of the Final 4. She was an incredible 11/16 from the 3 point line for the weekend. She had 49 points in the two games and was the driving force that brought home the championship trophy.
- Lydia Coatney –Eastland is a 5’6 2020 guard. Coatney is a very versatile player that contributed in many ways over the weekend. She had 23 points to go with 10 rebounds and 10 assists. She provided a spark in the second half of the championship game that helped Eastland take control of the game. Without her Sportscenter highlight play of hitting a game winning 3 to beat Amboy in the Sectional final, they would not have been here.
- Dani Rush–Eastland is a 5’7 2020 wing. Dani hit two 3-pointers and had 12 points in the championship game that provided a huge boost for the State champs.During the season leading up to the Final 4 she hit a total of 5 three pointers and averaged 3 points per game. So, her 2 threes in the championship game and 9.5 points per game average for the weekend were definitely right place at the right time for Eastland.
- Karlie Krogman-Eastland is a 6’0 2021 forward. Krogman is a big strong player that does a good job inside. She did not have a big tournament statistically with 12 points and 12 rebounds but during the season she average 11.5 points and 7 rebounds per game. Krogman is a 50% shooter and was able to get to the line over 4 times per game. She will be a main focus of the offense next year.
- Anna Heffren–Lewistown is a 5’6 2020 guard. Heffren was the leader of the pack for Lewistown all season and this continued over to the Final 4. She is quick and a relentless defender. She got 7 steals for the weekend and had 40 points for the weekend.
- Sydney Shaeffer–Lewistown is a 5’9 2020 forward. Shaeffer is an excellent athlete that can be good at anything she tries. For the weekend she had 27 points and 14 rebounds to be a big part of the Lewistown success. In the championship game she had all 16 of her points in the first half helping stake the team to the halftime lead.
- Macy Mikulich–Lewistown is a 5’6 2022 wing. Macy is fun to watch. If you are seeing her for the first time there isn’t a first impression that makes you know she is a player. Then she goes out on the floor and shows her effort and the relentless attitude she has and you know. Macy had 20 points in the opening round win and 12 in the championship game. That is a big increase from her 7.6 per game average during the season.
- Alex Ebert –Lewistwown is a 5’8 2020 guard. Alex was not a huge part of the offense during the season for Lewistown as she averaged 2.3 points per game. In the semi final game she came off the bench for 8 points and provided a real spark when Lewistown needed it. Her efforts got the team going and led to them taking control of the game. Alex did not score in the championship game, but she definitely put her stamp on the weekend on Friday.
- Tayler Berry–Tri County is a 5’5 2021 guard. Tayler led Tri County in scoring during the regular season at 18.6 per game. During the semi final loss Eastland was able to take her out of her game and only allow her to score 7 points. But the mark of a real competitor is often how they react to a below par game. Tayler showed what she is made of during the 3rd place game. She responded by scoring 30 points including 14/15 from the free throw line in a big victory for Tri County.
- Bella Dudley–Tri County is a 5’8 2022 wing. In times of adversity a player can often reveal what they are made of to the world. In a semi final game where the whole team was struggling, Dudley stepped forward with 14 points. It was not her best game but she was a bright spot on a tough day. In the 3rd place game she played even better with 19 points in helping to secure the 3rd place trophy for this young team.
- Melia Eskew–Tri County is a 5’6 2021 guard. Eskew is an excellent defensive player that provides toughness and grit to the team. She stepped up and scored 7 points in the 3rd place game including hitting 2 key free throws.
- Kaylenn Hunt–Tri County is a 5’11 2021 forward. Hunt is a long athletic forward that provides some inside scoring and rebounding for Tri County. She averaged 5 points and 4 rebounds per game in her 25 games during the regular season and looks capable of stepping up next year.
- Anna Griffin-Aurora Christian is a 6’1 2021 forward. Griffin can play both inside and out and is the go to player for Aurora Christian. She led the team with 42 points and 21 rebounds on the weekend. She hit 5 three pointers in the two days.
- Lexi Lamanna–Aurora Christian is a 5’5 2022 guard. Lamanna struggled in the opening game but really came to life in the 3rd place game. She hit 5 three pointers for 15 points. Her shooting played a big part in allowing Aurora Christian to hang in the game.
- Aspen Weeks–Aurora Christian is a 5’6 2023 guard. Weeks is a young guard that is consistently able to get in the lane. Her shot struggled all weekend as she was 5/28 from the field. Because she was able to get to the free throw line she was able to score 10 points in each game. She has the potential to be a special player.
- Thaya Luse–Aurora Christian is a 5’8 2022 forward. Luse is a strong player that did not back down all weekend. She had 17 points and 12 rebounds on the weekend and is very effective down low despite her only being 5’8.
This was a fun weekend for 1A basketball. With 3 teams making a return trip there were familiar faces, but there were also new names stepping to the forefront. Each of the returning teams moved up one spot from last year. The two teams in the championship game had strong senior leadership but both teams in the 3rd place were young and will be looking to comeback with a different agenda next year.