|
|
|
March 10, 2000
Wildcats stun MVLBy PAUL DUNLAP Journal Sports Editor NEW ULM -- It wasn't supposed to end this way. Andy Schmidt's baseline floater with :06 left in the game led the fourth-seeded Le Center boys basketball team to a stunning 63-61 upset win over top-seed Minnesota Valley Lutheran in Section 2A, North Sub-section semifinal action at Martin Luther College Thursday evening. Travis Christensen, a 6-foot-8 senior, led the Wildcats with 15 points and eight rebounds. Teammate Ross Chadderdon scored 12 points and Schmidt added 10, including eight of Le Center's final 11 points. Dan Unke had a game-high 22 points along with seven boards to lead the Chargers, who end their season at 19-5. Justin Ohm scored 15, and Jesse Pfeifer added 14. "It's tough," a disappointed coach Craig Morgan said following the game. "Everybody played hard, but it's that time of year where you have to give it your all and not leave anything behind. (Le Center) made a nice run there at the end, and we weren't able to take care of the ball. We had a few turnovers in the last minute, and they came down and scored -- that's what it comes down to." It looked like MVL would be off and running as Pfeifer, Unke and Jay Wendland built the Charger advantage to 11-1 off the opening tip. Wendland's second trey of the contest made the score 18-9, but foul trouble by Pfeifer and Unke allowed Le Center to score nine of the last 12 points to pull within 18-15 at the end of one. "We weren't rotating over quick enough, weren't playing defense well enough, and we got caught at it," Morgan said. "You can't make those types of mistakes -- you have to play well the whole time." The two teams traded baskets throughout much of the second quarter until a pair of Brady Schmidt 3-pointers spurred the Wildcats on an 11-2 run for the three-point edge at 30-27. The Chargers would go into the break down one point. "Going into halftime, I told them we had to watch out for 31 (Brady Schmidt)," Morgan said. "He had hurt us with three 3's to that point, and we had to know where he was on the floor. We had to anticipate on defense ... get that half-step back." MVL looked to regain control, and behind Unke's eight third-quarter points it seemed to happen. His floater, finger roll, and alley-oop off an inbounds pass ignited a 14-3 Charger run which gave the No. 1 seed a 45-36 lead. That lead would rise to 55-45 early in the fourth quarter on a pair of Unke baskets and a Tom Metzger free throw. "We seemed to have the advantage," Morgan said, "but from that point on I don't know what went wrong. We just didn't take care of the ball." Chadderdon started the rally with a 3-pointer, and Andy Schmidt's steal and lay-up would get Le Center within three at 57-54. His bucket with 1:29 left made the score 58-57, but Wendland answered with :56 left. That set up consecutive baskets by Andy and Joel Schmidt to give the Wildcats the lead back, and Wendland's free throw with :17 left tied the score and set up Andy Schmidt's game-winner. Joel Schmidt and Brady Schmidt each added nine points for the Wildcats, who now face Nicollet or Cedar Mountain, 5 p.m. Monday, at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter for the sub-section championship. Wendland added nine points for the Chargers. LE CENTER 15 15 15 18--63 MVL 18 11 21 11--61 LE CENTER (63): Christensen 15, Chadderdon 12, A.Schmidt 10, J.Schmidt 9, B.Schmidt 9, Closser 4, Harmeyer 4. MVL (61): Unke 22, Ohm 15, Pfeifer 14, Wendland 9, Metzger 1.
|