WILLMAR -- Following last week's loss to Minnesota West, no one would have given a 37 cent stamp for Ridgewater's chances of reaching the state tournament.
Three tough games were up ahead and the Warriors needed all three.
Anoka-Ramsey, a team they'd lost to in Coon Rapids, fell at the college gym in Willmar last Saturday. The next game was a road trip to Fergus Falls, a notoriously difficult place to win. Incredibly, the Warriors snuffed the Spartans for a sweep of the season series that vaulted them into a tie for fourth place and the last post-season spot with Anoka-Ramsey, both 5-6.
Today first-year coach Shawn Kopischke takes his Warriors (10-13 overall) to Minneapolis to face the first-place Marauders (10-1, 22-2). Ridgewater took the Southern Division champions to overtime in Willmar before falling.
"We definitely do (feel we can beat them)," said Kopischke. "We had the ball out under our basket with three seconds left in regulation and missed a shot off the glass and a tip in that would have won it. They came out and outscored us 13-6 in overtime."
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Minneapolis has won six straight division titles. Coach Jay Piece writes on the team Web site that he believes 6-5 sophomore forward Amole Obadiah is the best player in the Minnesota Community College Conference. He's one of four 6-5 or 6-6 forwards the Marauders can draw on for points and rebounds. Bobby Harris, a 6-3 sophomore, is another major threat.
"They'll have a bigger starting lineup so rebounding for us will be a challenge," said Kopischke. "We still have to attack inside and shoot threes over their zone. We like to do that inside-out. Passing to the post and back out instead of just around the perimeter."
If Ridgewater wins and Anoka-Ramsey loses to Riverland (2-10, 7-16), the Warriors are in -- and vice versa.
If both win, they're would be a playoff on Monday, just like a year ago when Ridgewater earned its way in as the South's No. 4 seed. If third-place Fergus Falls (6-5, 17-8) were to lose and Ridgewater win, the Warriors would get the No. 3 seed by virtue of its Spartan sweep.
Ridgewater's 83-69 win at Fergus Falls on Wednesday was led by guard Wesley Kitt, the sophomore transfer from Highland (Kans.) Community College. He scored 42 points following a 27-point game last Saturday in the victory over the Rams.
Also starting is Preston Looman at post, Travis Epema and Dante Bogard (15 ppg) at forwards and defensive specialist Tony Kley, who usually is assigned to cover the opposing team's top scoring threat. Larry Player is the first forward off the bench.
Kopischke says the reason for the team's surge is that the players have learned how to attack the zone successfully.
"When we have success against a zone, teams may come at us man and nobody can guard us man-to-man," said the Ridgewater coach.
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The Lady Warriors, who play the first game at 1 p.m., are already assured of no less than a No. 2 seed in the South Division at the state tournament in Willmar Feb. 25-27.
