Inside Indian presence blocks Springfield

By JEREMY BEHNKE

Journal Sports Writer

SLEEPY EYE -- Ever since volleyball season, Sleepy Eye junior Allie Renberg has been sitting on the bench with a knee injury.

The Indians struggled in the first half of the season without their 6-foot center, but Thursday the Indians looked like a completely different team and now have a lot of optimism heading into the playoffs.

Sleepy Eye defeated the Tigers 51-34 and improved to 6-15 on the season.

Renberg, who was playing in her fifth game of the season, making her first start of the season, blocked five shots and altered several others. She also had five points. She said that it was difficult watching her teammates play while she was nursing the injury.

"Definitely. I feel like I could do something," Renberg said.

Also benefitting from her return was forward Elisabeth Piotter, who scored 13 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, and Charlotte McMullen, who scored 11 points and had 10 rebounds.

"It's nice, because there's not too many girls who can get rebounds over the top of her," Sleepy Eye coach Shane Heiderscheidt said. "As you can see, it helps Elizabeth Piotter. She had an awesome game, because they're not doubling down on her. And Charlotte played well. Charlotte's an all-over-the-place kind of girl, and with Allie back, she doesn't have to be."

"It feels good, because now I have another teammate that is able to do the same, so I don't have to worry so much," Renberg said.

Sleepy Eye outrebounded the Tigers 38-25 and the Indians had 10 blocks as a team.

"They rebounded really well and we couldn't block out," Springfield guard Naomi Timm said. "We just got beat on the boards." Timm scored seven points for the Tigers.

"They were blocking them, and we tried to go through them and draw the foul," Timm said.

Springfield took a 9-8 lead after the first quarter, and the Tigers went up 15-13 on baskets by Kim Weedman and Christa Reiner.

But the Indians regained the lead in the second quarter after McMullen put back the Indian's fifth attempt of the possession to go up 19-17. Then, Heather Schewe stole the ball in the Springfield backcourt and scored. Sleepy Eye led 23-17 at halftime.

Timm's basket brought the Tigers to within 25-23, but Piotter's short jumper and a basket from Lauren Hoffmann put the Indians up 38-26.

Mandi Stark's basket brought the Tigers to within 10, and the score was 38-28 after three quarters. Stark scored five points for Springfield.

"I think we really wanted this win, so we went out and tried our hardest to move the ball up the floor," Renberg said.

Weedman led Springfield with eight points. Danielle Feser scored seven points and had five rebounds and Mel Guttum scored six points and had seven rebounds.

Schewe scored eight points and sophomore Samantha Widmer scored nine for the Indians.

Springfield (7-13, 4-12) hosts Minnesota Valley Lutheran tonight.

Sleepy Eye is at Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop tonight.