High-level, versatile players — Humboldt vs. Algona

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The I-169 matchup between Humboldt and Algona started with intensity and pace, and the Algona Bulldogs made sure it finished that way. I was really impressed with their disciplined defense and their variety in scoring — each time down the floor, a different player seemed to be a threat to knock down a shot or cut to the hoop. Though the game ended in a lopsided score, 83-46, athletes on both teams stood out and brought a spark to their respective teams. Here are my key versatile contributors from last night's game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Gabby Venteicher","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2027","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'6u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"12125","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Algona","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-698cc676e7ace"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">I was pleasantly surprised with Gabby Venteicher's breakout game last night. Coming off the bench on a well-rounded offense, Gabby had an attack mentality early on and earned herself big minutes in this game. She started off with back-to-back tough finishes — one with the right off a euro step, and one with the left from step through, and then expanded her scoring to the three point line. She hit a flurry of kick-ahead threes by sprinting the floor hard and making herself available on the wing. She can score off the cut and through contact too, where she flexed a strong and-1 finish in the second half while getting knocked to the floor. Venteicher also showed her reliability on defense with solid footwork and solid blockouts.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["834563"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-698cc676e7b34"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">There is a lot to like about [player_tooltip player_id='834563' first='Hayden' last='McLaughlin'] — she made an impact in so many aspects of last night's game. She's a strong package of distributing, scoring, and defending. She has a very smooth jumper that she flashed a number of times, as well as the size and finishing ability to score off the dribble and with her back to the basket. I liked McLaughlin's basket cut and finish through body contact in the first half, as well as her dribble middle + drop step in the post in the second. I can tell Hayden has high IQ and understands how to draw multiple defenders — the second two players jumped to stop her drive, she fired a kickout pass to a teammate for an open shot. With such versatility and composure, [player_tooltip player_id='834563' first='Hayden' last='McLaughlin'] is a leader by example for her ranked Bulldogs squad.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Kate Limbaugh","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2029","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"6'1u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"12122","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Algona","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-698cc676e7bc0"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">I would start buying stock now in Algona freshman, Kate Limbaugh. The 6'1" power forward plays beyond her age, at her own pace, and with all the fundamentals. She did the little things well that you need from your post last night, like keeping the ball high on offensive rebounds for stick-backs and rim running hard on every possession. She's a mobile kid who can flash to the basket from the perimeter, finish off the pick and roll, and post up on the block (all of which led her to scores last night). Oh, did I mention she can shoot? She hasn't put up a ton of three point shots this season but she drained her one attempt last night in transition, and is shooting 67% from behind the arc on the year. Her versatility extends to the defensive end as well where she looks comfortable switching out to guards and contesting straight up while defending at the rim. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Bella Jo Dunning","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2027","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'7u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"12124","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Algona","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-698cc676e7c3c"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Bella Jo Dunning is another Algona Bulldog that played bigger than her size and was a threat at every level on the floor. She used smart body positioning to seal defenders in the post and finish through contact, which made her tough to stop in the paint. From the perimeter she exhibited a smooth, practiced jumper. She hit an impressive look off the backpedal early in the game to start Algona's barrage from behind the arc. Dunning does assists well too — she kept her eyes up with her dribble to find teammates relocating on her drive, and she did a great job relocating on her teammate's drives as well. When Dunning is on a roll for Algona, it's hard to know what team is going to slow them down come postseason. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Jada VandeWalle","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2027","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'7u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"12124","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Humboldt","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-698cc676e7cb1"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Jada VendeWalle showed her range as well as her strength in last night's matchup. She has a very quick trigger and was able to cash in in a number of different ways including from the kick-out, spotting up in transition, and by pulling up off of a ball screen. On at least two occasions VandeWalle dribbled around the screen and pulled up in a small pocket of space for a tough three pointer, and looked unfazed by the degree of difficulty. I also liked her ability to read defenders throughout the game — when defenders closed out too hard, she looked to attack the paint. Despite her size as a small forward, Jada did not shy away from getting in the mix for tough rebounds and stepping in to help defend the post.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["582811"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-698cc676e7cf4"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">As the only returning starter from last year's Wildcat team, there is a lot of pressure on [player_tooltip player_id='582811' first='Ava' last='Fischer'] this season. She has faced double teams all season long and last night's game was more of the same. But despite Algona's staunch defensive efforts, Fischer was able to find success in different ways, including behind the arc and by crashing the boards. She doesn't need much time to let it fly and she is more than capable from very deep (like, volleyball line deep). She also did a good job screening for other teammates and popping out for open looks. She looked strong attacking the glass for some tough putbacks, and also displayed her ability in the midrange with a tough turnaround fadeaway along the baseline. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->