Women's basketball: Warriors can’t catch Riverland
OWATONNA — The Ridgewater women’s basketball team rallied from a 17-point deficit but ran out of steam and lost to Riverland 69-62 on Wednesday in a game between two MCAC Southern Division teams fighting for the division’s fourth and final playoff spot.
The Warriors trailed 62-45 with about seven minutes left and cut the margin to five points before Riverland sealed up the game.
“We just got down too much,” said head coach Carrie Ogdahl of the Warriors, who trailed by just one at halftime.
“We pressed and pressed and got them to turn the ball over,” she said. “But we were just too far behind.”
Jessica Kalenberg led the Warriors with 14 points, 9 rebounds and 3 steals, Kristin Phillip scored 12 points and Courtney Kramer scored 10.
Cameo McNeley had 9 points and 9 rebounds and Katie Knisley finished with 8 points and 9 boards.
Ridgewater, which has three regular-season games remaining and may be without the services of starter Lynsey Runke, who was hit on the head. She came out of the game and will have the injury evaluated.
The Warriors and Riverland are both 3-6 in the division and trail Anoka-Ramsey, Minnesota West, M-State Fergus Falls and Western Tech. The top four teams in the division earn postseason spots.
Western Tech is not eligible for the conference title can qualify for the playoffs. Tech entered Wednesday at 5-4.
The Warriors also must finish the season against Tech, Anoka-Ramsey and M-State.
“It’s still there (playoff hopes), but now it’s really slim,” Ogdahl said. “We’ve got the top teams coming up so it’s going to be tough.”
Riverland 69,
Ridgewater 62
Ridgewater (3-6 13-9) 29 33 — 62
Riverland (3-6 14-10) 30 39 — 69
RIDGEWATER – 19-67 FG (7-25 3-pt); 17-28 FT; 48 rebounds; 18 fouls … Scoring: Jessica Kalenberg 14, Lynsey Runke 3, Kristin Phillip 12, Cameo McNeley 9, Katie Knisley 8, Raeann Sorenson 6, Courtney Kramer 10 … 3-point shots: Kalenberg 3, Phillip 1, Sorenson 1, Kramer 2 … Rebound leaders: Kalenberg 9, McNeley 9, Knisley 9 … Assist leaders: Phillip 4 … Steal leaders: Kalenberg 3
RIVERLAND – 26-67 FG (4-10 3-pt); 13-22 FT; 54 rebounds; 23 fouls … Scoring: Skylar Anderson 5, Jazmin Wilson 4, Rebekah Aase 19, Victoria Larson 10, Morgan Lindenfelser 10, Sophia Hebrink 2, Brittany Zuniga 11, Nicole Swanson 8 … 3-point shots: Larson 3, Lindenfelser 1 … Rebound leaders: Aase 17, Lindenfelser 14 … Assist leaders: Lindenfelser 5 … Steal leaders: Lindenfelser 4
