Cougars come back to defeat Sleepy Eye

By JEREMY BEHNKE

Journal Sports Writer

ST. PETER -- Even though she was the smallest player on the floor in Monday night's North Subsection championship game, Cedar Mountain's Ashley Kokesch stood the tallest after her fourth-quarter performance against Sleepy Eye.

Kokesch stepped up when her team needed a spark and hit three 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and led the Cougars to a 43-40 win over the Indians. The Cougars advance to the Section 2A championship against Granada-Huntley-East Chain at 5 p.m. Friday at Gustavus Adolphus College.

"I'm so happy for her," teammate Katie Gewerth said. "I'm just happy that she picked it up. She's a really great shooter and I'm glad she picked it up."

"I really thought it was the third quarter, so I just put them up," Kokesch said.

Kokesch scored 12 of her 14 points in the final quarter.

The win for the Cougars ended the Cinderella story for the Indians, who had beat Cleveland, upset No. 2 seed Buffalo Lake-Hector, and defeated Springfield to get to the title game.

"I'm very proud of my girls," Sleepy Eye coach Shane Heiderscheit said. "We will be back next year."

The Indians looked like they were going to add another chapter to their remarkable story and pounded the ball inside to their twin towers Allie Renberg and Elisabeth Piotter. The 6-foot junior centers combined for 23 points, but only four in the second half.

"They kinda took it away," Heiderscheit said. "We kind of forgot how to run our offense. But we didn't play defense and we let some easy threes go in."

Another thorn in the Indians' side was turnovers. The Indians had trouble with Cedar Mountain's ball pressure and threw the ball away often. The Indians committed 24 turnovers and 15 in the second half.

"They doubled the ball, and they got one girl running behind them," Heiderscheit said. "All we gotta do is look up the floor, and when we did do it, we scored."

The Indians led 13-7 after the first quarter and they continued to frustrate the Cougar defense by getting the ball to Renberg, who scored 12 points in the first half but only two in the second half.

Kelly Gewerth's 3-pointer cut the Sleepy Eye lead to 20-14, but Piotter's short-range jumper gave the Indians a 24-14, a lead they would carry into the half.

Katie Gewerth's 3-pointer in the third quarter brought the Cougars to within four at 30-26. The Indians scored only six points in the third quarter.

"We've always been a pretty good defensive team, but then our defense turns into our offense, so it works out in the end," Kokesch said.

The Cougars clawed their way back into the game and took their first lead on Kokesch's 3-pointer, making it 39-38 with 1:55 left in the game.

But Sleepy Eye's Samantha Widmer answered with a jumper, giving the Indians a 40-39 lead. Kokesch's third 3-pointer of the quarter put the Cougars back up 42-40, and Kokesch calmly sank a free-throw for the final 43-40 margin.

"We were really excited and enthusiastic when we came into today's game," Katie Gewerth said. "We really wanted to beat them and we just kept with them in the game."

The Cougars (15-11) are one game away from the state tournament.

"Last year we were the worst and this year we we're the first," Kokesch said. "I think we worked hard this year, so I think we deserve it."

Sleepy Eye 13 11 6 10 -- 40

Cedar Mt. 7 7 12 17 -- 43

Sleepy Eye (40) Widmer 4; Schieffert 7; McMullen 4; Hoffmann 2; Renberg 14; Piotter 9.

Cedar Mt. (43) A. Kokesch 14; Kelly Gewerth 7; Katie Gewerth 12; Hoffbeck 2; Madsen 8.