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March 7, 2000
Chargershold offCathedralBy PAUL DUNLAP Journal Sports Editor ST. PETER -- In the end, it was just too much Sarah Gronholz. The 6-foot junior post had 20 points, 15 rebounds, and five blocked shots Monday evening, helping the Minnesota Valley Lutheran girls basketball team hold off New Ulm Cathedral 48-40 to win the Section 2A, North Sub-section tournament at Gustavus Adolphus College's Gus Young Court. The Chargers, now 20-5 on the season, will face Nicollet Friday, 5 p.m., at MSU-Mankato's Otto Arena for the section crown. The Greyhounds end their season at 15-10. "We wanted it tonight," Gronholz said after the game. "We just went out and played MVL ball -- the way we know how to. We showed a lot of heart, and I give my team all the credit." MVL did open quickly as Gronholz hit a turnaround and a putback before Jessica Merseth's bucket off a pass from Leah Morgan gave the Chargers an 8-2 lead. After Jackie Wolfe's 3-pointer, Erin Czer hit two consecutive baskets and Gronholz followed with another jumper as the lead went to 14-5. It would be 16-9 at the end of one. "We came out ready to play," MVL coach John Barenz said. "I thought we held (Cathedral) off the boards and contested all of their shots, which is what we wanted to do." Buckets would go back and forth before two straight Gronholz hoops pushed the Charger lead to 24-13. Morgan would give MVL its largest lead of the game, at 26-14, before Kristin Beranek and Natalia Haala pulled the Hounds within eight at the break. "I told them it was going to be a battle, and I thought they'd be a little nervous," Cathedral coach Mary Dengerud said. "MVL didn't come out nervous. They came out pretty poised, and we came out a little timid. Shots didn't drop right away, and that took us out, but the kids put in a tremendous effort and played the whole floor the whole game." Cathedral's press defense would MVL fits in the second 16 minutes as they Hounds forced 15 second-half turnovers, 25 total in the game. Beranek, who ended with 14 points, and Laura Hazuka, who finished with 12, did all of the third-quarter damage as CHS pulled within five on a Hazuka basket. The lead would be cut to three, at 37-34, early in the fourth on a Wolfe 3-pointer. "We wanted to pressure the guards all the way up (the floor) and play matchup in the back," Dengerud said. "We were a little bit quicker than they were, and we tried to take advantage of that because if (MVL) got the ball underneath we were out-sized." It looked like the Chargers put the game away midway through the fourth as Morgan, Merseth, and Gronholz scored seven straight points to give MVL a 10-point lead with 2:34 left, but Beranek came up with two consecutive steals as the Hounds mounted a furious comeback. "It was a do-or-die thing -- somebody's going to go home and somebody's going to move on," Dengerud said. "We gave it everything we had with that little spurt, but just couldn't get over the hump." Beranek's basket cut the lead to eight, and the Chargers committed four straight turnovers that led to a Hazuka putback and two Beranek free throws that cut the lead to 44-40 with a minute left. "We lacked confidence when (CHS) went to the pressure," Barenz said. "We still haven't found somebody who's willing to step up, take the ball, and bring it down (the floor)." "It was nerve-racking," Gronholz said of the end of the game. "We have to work a little more on our press-break, stay calm, and get the ball down the court." Cathedral had a chance to get within two in the final minute, but went 0-for-2 from the free-throw line and Gronholz got the rebound. She hit both free throws with :30 left, and even when she missed Merseth was there for the putback with :09 left to give MVL the eight-point win and the subsection crown. "When a team focuses on Sarah, Jessica steps up and vice versa," Barenz said. "It was Sarah's turn tonight and she did a great job, especially on defense." Merseth ended the game with 11 points, eight boards, and two blocks. Czer had nine points, and Morgan added six points and seven rebounds. Wolfe was the third Hound in double figures with 10 points, including two treys. CHS 9 9 11 11--40 MVL 16 10 10 12--48 CHS (40): K.Beranek 14, Hazuka 12, Wolfe 10, N.Haala 2, Boettger 2. MVL (48): Gronholz 20, Merseth 11, Czer 9, Morgan 6, Enter 2. CHS 9 9 11 11--40 MVL 16 10 10 12-- 48 CHS (40): K.Beranek 14, Hazuka 12, Wolfe 10, N.Haala 2, Boettger 2. MVL (48): Gronholz 20, Merseth 11, Czer 9, Morgan 6, Enter 2.
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