Rabbits make Wabasso history

By JEREMY BEHNKE

Journal Sports Writer

MARSHALL -- Talk about waiting until the last second.

Wabasso sophomore Andrea Fennern needed nine points to surpass the 1,000 point mark for her career.

And it appeared that she'd have to wait another game until Jessica VanLoy picked up a long rebound, dribbled upcourt and found Fennern, who scored from underneath the basket as time expired.

The Rabbits defeated Hills-Beaver Creek 54-42 Friday in the Section 3A championship at Southwest Minnesota State University and will play in the state tournament for the first time ever.

"At first I wasn't doing very good, I didn't think I was going to come out with it, and I don't know, I just did I guess," Fennern said. "I knew she was going to pass it to me, she heard him. She didn't know what was going on -- she was like 'okay, whatever he says.'"

VanLoy, who scored 18 points, got a little help from her coach Neil Dolan, who yelled at her to get the ball to Fennern as VanLoy drove to the basket.

"He's just like 'get it to Andrea, get it to Andrea,'" VanLoy said.

"It's just awesome," VanLoy said. "It's been a lot of frustration these last few years, and we finally got past this point, and we have to do good up there."

Fennern also becomes the third girl to accomplish the feat this year for the Rabbits and the fifth at Wabasso as two boys also surpassed the 1,000 point mark.

"I thought it was a pretty awesome moment right there, and she did it," Dolan said. "It makes coaching pretty easy when you have three girls who can score a 1,000 points.

"We were bridesmaids three times in a row, and I knew we had a good chance this year if we came out loose and ready to play, and we did," Dolan said.

The Rabbits got off to a fast start in the first quarter, and VanLoy's steal led to a basket, putting Wabasso up 18-8 after one quarter.

But the Patriots chipped away at the lead after Kerri Fransman's 3-pointer cut the lead to 25-19. Later, a jumper by Cassi Tilstra cut the deficit to five at 30-25. The Rabbits led by that margin at halftime, holding on to a 32-27 lead.

"They just gave up the momentum, and we knew we couldn't give up, and we came right back at them again," Fennern said.

Stacy Bush's 3-pointer and Kelly Mulder's basket trimmed Wabasso's lead to 34-33, but the Rabbits took a five-point lead on Katie Schumacher's steal and layup. Schumacher finished with 14.

The Rabbits defensive trap limited the Patriots to only six points in the fourth quarter and Wabasso slowly pulled away on a couple of VanLoy baskets.

"Defensively we picked it up -- the trap made a difference, but the difference was VanLoy getting it to the basket and dishing it," Dolan said. "Her penetration was the difference-maker in the fourth quarter."

Erin Boeve, who had a team-high 14 for the Patriots, hit a turnaround jumper, but it was too late as the Rabbits held on and celebrated at midcourt.

"We've been here three times and we wanted it so bad," Schumacher said. "We had it in us."

Wabasso (26-4) plays Barnesville, the Section 7 champion, at 3 p.m. Thursday at Williams Arena.

HILLS-BEAVER CREEK (42): Rozeboom 4, Fransman 3, Bush 3, Tilstra 10, Boeve

14, Olson 4, Mulder 4.

WABASSO (54): Wegner 8, VanLoy 18, Schumacher 14, Fennern 9, Prokosch 3.