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March 18, 2000
MVL holdsoff Ogilvieto gain 1Atitle gameBy PAUL DUNLAP Journal Sports Editor MINNEAPOLIS -- Talk about pressure. Minnesota Valley Lutheran senior reserve Hannah Enter stood at the free-throw line, 8.2 seconds left on the clock. If she made both it would be a three-point game, but any miss would give Ogilvie a shot to win. No problem. Enter sunk both free throws, along with the Lions, as MVL advanced to the Class 1A championship game with a 55-52 win in semifinal action at the University of Minnesota's Williams Arena Friday afternoon. The Chargers, now 23-5 on the season, will face Fosston (27-1) at 1 p.m. today for the state title. Ogilvie (23-5) will take on Rothsay (22-6) at 11 a.m. today at the U of M's Sports Pavilion for third place. "It was the kind of game we've been playing all through the tournament," MVL coach John Barenz said. "We get a lead, then we're not able to hold on to it and we have to battle back. I don't know if it's due to our youth or not, but we have to come back in the fourth quarter and play fundamental basketball to win it. I'm just thankful we were able to do that again today, because it's tough." The Chargers would start off the game as they hoped they would as Erin Czer and Sarah Gronholz had the Lions on their heels early. Gronholz hit a pair of buckets, and Czer's hoop midway through the first quarter pushed the MVL lead to 8-2. The duo combined for 14 of the Chargers' 16 points as they held a five-point edge after one. With Jessica Merseth on the bench with three fouls, Czer scored seven more points in the second, giving her 15 of MVL's 27 points at the break. "I thought Erin could take the ball to the hole, I really did," Barenz said. "That's what she does really well, and that was part of our gameplan. Without our big people in, we switch and have (Czer) go to the hoop. She drew fouls, made some shots, and hit her free throws." The Lions battled back in spite of Czer's effort, scoring seven of nine points midway through to take a 24-23 lead with 3:19 left. Czer gave MVL the lead back, but a Lindsay Johnson 3-pointer spurred Ogilvie to a 31-27 lead at the break. A Czer jumper momentarily tied the game early in the third, but Jill Gerber hit a pair of baskets to give the Lions their largest lead of the game at 37-31. Gronholz then started getting hot, scoring six points late in the third to pull the Chargers within 43-40 going into the final eight minutes. Then Merseth, just a freshman, stepped up big. She scored five straight points four minutes in to give MVL a 49-46 lead, and answered a Johnson basket with one of her own to keep the lead at three. Merseth ended the game with 12 points, 10 in the fourth quarter. "Jessica was a big part (of the comeback)," Barenz said. "We switched up our defense a little bit at the end to show (Ogilvie) something we hadn't shown them, and I think it rattled them. We contested every shot, and gave them just one shot before pulling down the board." MVL had the advantage as Czer sunk a free throw with 1:24 left, but the air went out of the Charger faithful as Stephanie tenCate hit a prayer 3-pointer and Johnson followed it up with a steal. Her drive to the basket resulted in Gronholz's fifth foul, and one of two free throws knotted the game with 45.5 seconds left. "Nothing was easy in this game," Barenz said. "We had a slight edge there (at the end), but when you let down, even a little bit, things like that can happen." The Lion comeback fell short, though, as Merseth's free throw with 33.2 left gave the Chargers the lead for good. A steal by Enter on an inbounds pass set up her two clinching free throws. "I pulled (Enter) over to the side," Barenz said, "and I said, 'Hannah, I just can't think of a better person to have at the free-throw line in what will be your second to last game (at MVL). Can them both.' And she did ... it was awesome." Czer led MVL with 19 points. Gronholz added 16 before fouling out, and sophomore Leah Morgan added six points from her point-guard spot. Johnson's 14 points led the Lions. Gretta Stritesky added 10 points, and tenCate added nine. "We'll treat (Friday) night like any other night," Barenz said. "We'll go out to eat with the parents, get back to our rooms, hit the bed about 9:30, and be ready to go (today)." MN VAL LUTHERAN (23-5) Czer 6-15 7-10 19, Gronholz 7-10 2-4 16, Merseth 5-9 2-5 12, Morgan 3-5 0-0 6, Madson 0-2 0-0 0, Dzwonkowski 0-0 0-0 0, Enter 0-0 2-2 2. Totals 21-41, 13-21 55. OGILVIE (23-5) tenCate 4-10 0-0 9, Wallskog 0-2 2-2 2, Johnson 2-14 9-11 14, Gerber 2-5 0-0 4, Stritesky 3-11 4-6 10, Olson 3-6, 0-0 7, Spears 1-1 0-0 2, Mjelde 1-2, 0-0 2, Remer 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 17-53 15-19 52. MVL 16 11 13 15 -- 55 Ogilvie 11 20 12 9 -- 52 3-Point goals--MVL 0-3 (Czer 0-3), Ogilvie 3-19 (Johnson 1-8, tenCate 1-5, Olson 1-4, Gerber 0-1, Mjelde 0-1). Fouled out--Gronholz. Rebounds--MVL 28 (Gronholz 7), Ogilvie 33 (Stritesky 12). Assists--MVL 12 (Czer 4), Ogilvie 11 (Johnson 5). Total fouls--MVL 15, Ogilvie 17. A--NA.
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