MVL downs Hounds

By BOB VARMETTE

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM -- Size helps in basketball, but it isn't everything.

With a distinct height advantage, the Minnesota Valley Lutheran Chargers are the favorites in just about every game they play. They were Monday night.

But the smaller New Ulm Cathedral Greyhounds refused to surrender based solely on the heights listed in the program.

MVL got its win -- a 55-43 Tomahawk Conference victory over Cathedral in girls basketball.

But the taller Chargers still had to fight for it.

"We know that Cathedral is a team that's always out to get us," said Jessica Merseth, the Chargers' 6-foot sophomore post. "They're always scrappy. We knew we had to get out and hustle and control the boards."

Merseth led MVL (11-1, 9-0 Tomahawk) with a game-high 21 points, and also grabbed eight rebounds. The Chargers' other post -- 6-foot-1 senior Sarah Gronholz -- grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds, blocked five shots and scored 12 points before fouling out in the last minute of the game.

The Chargers dominated the boards against the smaller Greyhounds 47-31. But despite the height disparity, they never could put away Cathedral (6-6, 5-4).

"We don't go in saying we're taller," Merseth said. "It's not our game plan. Being taller is not a game plan."

Merseth is right. You still have to play.

MVL relaxed in the second half, Cathedral played.

"We fought hard," Cathedral coach Mary Dengerud said. "We got outrebounded, but I'll take this on this court. ... The girls played very hard. No matter what the score is, they're going to play till time runs out."

MVL went on a 9-1 run to start the game with Merseth getting four of the Chargers' points. Cathedral was shooting miserably -- 0-for-6 from the field to start the game.

The Greyhounds trimmed the MVL margin to 14-8 going into the second quarter, but the Chargers outscored Cathedral 18-9 in the second quarter. Merseth and Gronholz both played big roles -- Merseth scoring, and Gronholz rebounding and blocking shots.

After tallying nine points in the first eight minutes, Merseth scored six more in the second quarter. Gronholz only had five points in the first half, but had eight rebounds and three blocked shots.

Starting the second half with a 32-17 lead, it looked like a Charger rout was on. But the Greyhounds fought on, taking advantage of five MVL turnovers and six offensive rebounds in the third quarter .

The MVL lead was 45-27 heading into the final quarter. It didn't get any bigger as the Greyhounds kept picking away at the Chargers.

"I'm a little bit frustrated," MVL coach Dave Biedenbender said. "I thought we could have played better. We could have took care of the ball better. We need to do that otherwise we're going to lose some games because of that."

MVL's lead was never seriously threatened, but some lackadaisical play on the boards and careless turnovers -- 11 in the second half -- kept the Chargers from putting on the rout.

"I think we maybe thought we had them," MVL junior guard Leah Morgan said. "We kind of relaxed. We just threw it around a little too much and we threw it away too much."

Senior Erin Czer also reached double figures for the Chargers, adding 10 points despite going only 2-for-8 from the line.

Senior Tessa Hodapp led the Greyhounds with 14 points. Cathy Boettger added nine points for Cathedral, eight in the second half, before fouling out with a little more than three minutes remaining.

Boettger also picked up three offensive boards in the final two quarters. The Greyhounds found their way around the taller Chargers for 10 offensive rebounds in the second half.

"In the second half, we got some offensive boards," Dengerud said. "I just wish we would have got a few more defensive boards. I think our defense, at times, was very sharp. We tried some new things and, at times, we were confused."

Cathedral will play Friday at Springfield. MVL will host McLeod West Friday.

In the junior varsity game, MVL thrashed Cathedral 71-11.

CATHEDRAL 8 9 10 16 -- 43

MVL 14 18 13 10 -- 55

CATHEDRAL (6-6, 5-4)

Beranek 2-11 3-6 7, Genelin 4-11 0-0 9, Hodapp 5-9 3-4 14, Boettger 3-10 3-5 9, Lewis 1-1 1-2 3, Miheve 0-5 0-0 0, Gieseke 0-1 0-1 0, Waibel 0-1 2-2 2. Totals 15-51 11-20 43.

MVL (11-1, 9-0)

Nelson 1-2 0-0 2, Grams 0-0 0-0 0, Bruns 0-0 0-0 0, Morgan 1-2 0-0 3, Standing 0-1 0-0 0, Czer 4-13 2-8 10, Gronholz 5-10 2-3 12, Dzwonkowski 3-8 1-3 7, Merseth 10-15 1-2 21, Unke 0-1 0-0 0, Doehling 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 24-54 6-15 55.

3-Point Goals--NUC 2-5 (Hodapp 1-1, Genelin 1-2, Beranek 0-2), MVL 1-1 (Morgan 1-1). Fouled out--Boettger, Gronholz. Rebounds--NUC 31 (Beranek 8), MVL 47 (Gronholz 15). Total fouls--NUC 17, MVL 18. Turnovers--NUC 15, MVL 20. JV--MVL 71, NUC 11.