Wabasso whomps Kittson

By JEREMY BEHNKE

Journal Sports Writer

MINNEAPOLIS -- On a team where three of her teammates have already surpassed the 1,000 point mark for their careers and another one set to get it next season, it would be easy for Wabasso's Chelsey Wegner to feel left out on the offensive side of the ball.

Wegner has accepted her role, but she knows that she too can be a factor in an explosive offense.

Wegner hit a 3-pointer which gave the Rabbits the lead going into halftime, and the Rabbits held on to defeat Kittson Central 52-44 in the semifinals of the Class A state tournament Friday at the Target Center. She scored 11 points.

"I'm usually the one that they leave sitting out there by myself, and when I can hit my shots, it takes a lot of pressure out of Jessica [VanLoy] or Andrea [Fennern], and it also makes their guards come out on us, so the girls have an easier chance of rebounding," Wegner said.

The Watchmen were the No. 1 ranked team in state heading into the tournament, but the Rabbits were undaunted even as Kittson Central took leads of 8-2 and 11-4.

"We all knew that they were No. 1 -- they've been saying that a lot in the press," Wabasso's Jessica VanLoy said. "But we just knew that we had to come out and play our game and we believed in ourselves."

Kittson Central's Ashley Langen, a 6-foot-2 center, led her team with 15 points and 16 rebounds, but the Rabbits doubled her up and she scored eight of her points in the fourth quarter after the damage had been done.

"We did our normal 3-2, but we made sure that when they got to the corner, we would keep both our posts down on her to try and contain her a little bit," VanLoy said. "She's really good. It doesn't matter where she gets it inside, she can put it up. She did a really good job."

The Rabbits tied the game at 14 on Katie Schumacher's layup, but Ashley Bogestad's 3-pointer put the Watchmen up 17-14.

Wabasso went into its press and caused 10 first-half turnovers, and took a 19-17 lead when VanLoy scored a transition basket.

"We just knew that if we kept our press on, they would wear down and we had to get 'em," Wegner said. "Our trap's really tight, so then they can't see over us. I think once they got bothered by it, we started to pick it up."

Wabasso began to slowly pull away in the second half, and Kittson Central's lack of depth showed when the Rabbits went on a 6-2 run to start the third quarter on a pair of baskets by Andrea Fennern and a Schumacher short jumper, extending the Rabbit lead to 32-24.

"I think they started getting tired, so it really helped out our press," VanLoy said. "We've been going on that all year and it really helped us."

VanLoy, who was held scoreless in the first quarter, finished with 10 points.

"It seems like that's the thing these games -- I gotta start slow and then I can start hitting my shots," VanLoy said. "It's been working so far."

The Rabbits led 36-27 at the end of three after Wegner scored as time expired.

Both teams played bombs-away from outside to start the fourth quarter. Alisa Costin fired from long range and scored, cutting the Wabasso lead to 36-30. But the Rabbits responded with Fennern's three.

The Watchmen again went to the outside, but the Rabbits responded when VanLoy's trey from the NBA stripe hit nothing but net, reinforcing the 9-point lead the Rabbits built.

"They would make a three, but then one of girls would make a three, and it didn't matter if it was me, Andrea Fennern or Chelsey Wegner -- we all worked hard and it was really cool," VanLoy said.

The Rabbits continued to hustle when VanLoy chased down a rebound and dished to Prokosch, who hit a baseline jumper. Schumacher's basket on the next possession gave Wabasso a 46-35 lead.

Bogestad hit another 3-pointer late, but the Rabbits hung on. Wabasso will play for its first-ever state championship when it meets Underwood at noon today at the Target Center.

Wabasso 10 12 14 16 -- 52

Kittson 13 7 7 17 -- 44

Wabasso (52): Wegner 11, VanLoy 10, Schumacher 10, Fennern 11, Prokosch 10.

Gustafson (44): Gustafson 3, A. Costin 9, Bogestad 10, C. Costin 5, Langen 15, J. Lindegard 2.