GIRLS END BEST BASKETBALL SEASON IN SEVEN YEARS WITH LOSS IN SUB-SECTIONS

The MCC Rebel Girls Basketball team advanced to the Sub-Section 3A South title game by beating the Adrian Ellsworth Dragons. The Rebels played in the game twice before, winning in 1995 against the Fulda Raiders and losing to the Fulda Raiders in 2006. Friday night the Rebels played the Hills Beaver Creek Patriots, the team that beat the Rebels twice in the regular season and went undefeated in the Red Rock Conference. The Rebels played a terrific defensive game and led the majority of the game. In the end it wouldn’t be enough.

This would be a very defensive minded game in which both offenses struggled. The Rebels locked up the Patriots in the first half, holding them to just 15% shooting and just 13 first half points. The Rebels score 20 points in the first half, led by Ava Deacon, who scored 8 points and Kate Blankenship, who scored another four points. The Rebels failed to score the final three minutes. The Patriots were struggling to score, but the Rebels then stopped scoring and though the Rebels lead didn’t shrink, it didn’t grow, which is dangerous against a team that has been a second half team all year. The Rebels led at the break 20 to 13.

The Patriots started to climb back into the game, led by Brynn Bakken. The junior forward dominated the second half, scoring 15 points after only scoring 2 points in the first half. Ava Deacon continued her strong play, scoring 11 points in the second half. Hills Beaver Creek got the boost they needed from backup guard Hailey Moser. Moser scored 11 second half points, including three made 3 point shots to push the Patriots back in the lead. Then she put them up two possessions late in the game. The Patriots were able to make free throws down the stretch while the Rebels could not score over the final two and a half minutes. The Patriots won 48 to 40.

The Patriots turned the ball over 21 times compared to the Rebels 18. The Patriots out shot the Rebels from the field 30% to 23%. The Patriots made three more shots from the field than MCC, while also making six more free throws. The Patriots out-rebounded the Rebels by 16. Ava Deacon led the Rebels with 19 points in her final game as a Rebel. Kat Miller scored six points on a pair of three point shots. Brynn Bakken led the Patriots with 17 points and Moser added 11 to lead the Patriots to the win. The Section 3A Championship game will feature Hills Beaver Creek and Central Minnesota Christian Thursday at 5:00 pm. The Rebels’ Ava Deacon, Kate Blankenship, Calleigh Doeden, and Rachael Huso saw their careers come to an end on Friday. They helped lead the Rebels to their best season in seven years and their longest run in the playoffs in 20 years. It was a terrific season for the Rebels and hopes of the future are bright.