St. Thomas JV team pounds Warriors
WILLMAR -- St. Thomas for years has produced some of the best small-college women's basketball teams in the country, so it stands to reason that the Tommies' junior varsity would sport some pretty decent players.
Ridgewater found that a fairly painful truth, losing 90-46 to the St. Thomas JV on Friday in the opening game of the Ridgewater Classic.
The Warriors, now 0-2, play the Gustavus JV at 4 p.m. today in the final game of the two-day Classic.
"I've been beat by 20 before," said Warriors head coach Carrie Ogdahl. "I haven't gotten beat like this in a long time. We have a lot to learn."
Four players on the Tommies' eight-player JV roster are 5-foot-10 or taller, including 6-3 Abbey Knisely, a former New London-Spicer post player. The Warriors have one 5-10 player. The Warriors shot just 30 percent from the field and were outrebounded 52-27. The Tommies held a 28-9 edge on the offensive boards.
Ridgewater also went in to the game down two players, with Bobbie Uecker out because of a family illness and former starter Hannah Smith deciding to not play this season, Ogdahl said.
"We were down to seven people and we're not big scorers and we're not big people," Ogdahl said. "We're young and we've got to figure out different ways to do things. We know we're going to take some knocks and we have a lot to learn in terms of the smarts of basketball. But the team has good heart."
The Tommies' Elaine Warner scored 20 points - one of four UST players in double figures -- and she had 11 rebounds. They hit 12 of 26 3-point shots and shot 42 percent overall compared to the Warriors' 30 percent.
Ridgewater's Shantel Kelly, of Willmar, led the team with 15 points and Lynsey Runke and Annie Winter both scored 7. Cameo McNeley led the Warriors with 7 rebounds.
Ridgewater has spent so much time learning the game, Ogdahl said, that conditioning has taken a back seat, but she's confident the team's physical and mental games will begin to flow as the season progresses.
"I think it's that the kids are so nervous," Ogdahl said. "They're worried about getting to their spots, they're worried about playing defense right, they're worried about doing the right thing on offense. We just need to play, and I think that will come."
St. Thomas JV 90,
Ridgewater 46
St. Thomas JV 51 39 -- 90
Ridgewater 27 19 -- 46
ST. THOMAS JV - 32-76 FG (12-26 3-pt); 14-19 FT; 52 rebounds; 18 fouls ... Scoring: Danielle Dreier 0-1 2-2 2, Laura Margarit 5-11 1-2 13, Hannah Hughes 5-13, 4-4 17, Carley Emery 6-12 2-2 18, Elaine Warner 7-18 3-5 20, Lauren Gordhamer 3-7 1-2 7, Alyssa Favilla 3-7 0-0 6, Abbey Knisely 3-6 1-2 7 ... 3-point shots: Margarit 2-5, Hughes 3-8, Emery 4-8, Warner 3-4 ... Rebound leaders: Warner 10, Knisely 10 ... Assist leaders: Gordhamer 4, Warner 3, Hughes 3 ... Steal leaders: Margarit 5, Hughes 3
RIDGEWATER - 14-46 FG (5-14 3-pt); 13-14 FT; 27 rebounds; 18 fouls ... Scoring: Lynsey Runke 3-4 1-2 7, Bobbie Jo Deal 1-2 0-0 2, Mikell Melius 1-4 2-2 4, Annie Winter 2-16 2-2 7, Cameo McNeley 1-3 2-2 4, Shantel Kelly 4-11 4-4 15, Alicia Koenen 2-6 0-0 5, Sam Cunningham 0-0 2-2 2 ... 3-point shots: Winter 1-8, Kelly 3-4, Koenen 1-2 ... Rebound leaders: McNeley 7, Koenen 4 ... Assist leaders: Melius 2, Winter 2, McNeley 2 ... Steal leaders: Melius 1, Winter 1, Cunningham 1
