MINNEAPOLIS -- MACCRAY needed a lot to go right Wednesday night at the Target Center to have a chance at upsetting the Crookston Pirates.
After all, the Section 8AA champions had a certified phenom in the backcourt (sophomore Kamille Wahlin) heading an offense that averages 74 points per game.
But the Wolverines shot 31 percent in the first half under the bright lights and suffered 13 turnovers which combined to let the game get away.
Though the underdogs re-gained their form in the second half, it was too late to prevent the Pirates (28-3) from nabbing the state elimination-round game, 62-50.
Down 42-18 at intermission, the Wolverines scored 32 points in the second half to make the final score respectable.
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"We just wanted to play hard for our fans," said senior co-captain Tory Brouwer. "They were still in it and that helped us a lot in the second half."
Wahlin, a 5-8 guard and already a 1,000-point scorer, pumped in 21 points, hitting 10-of-17 shots.
"That Wahlin is awesome," said MACCRAY coach Dale Peterson. "I think we stood around a little in awe of her the first half. And they were so aggressive."
MACCRAY, which had a definite height advantage, got off to a good start, leading 5-3 with just under two minutes gone.
Then the game turned against the Wolverines. The Pirates couldn't miss while the MACCRAY's taller front line missed one close-in shot after another. Over the next eight minutes, Crookston went on a 20-2 run for a 32-9 lead with 3:50 left in the first half.
"If we just could have made half of those shots, it might have been different," said Wolverines' senior Hilary Groothius, who had 12 points and 11 rebounds. "But they were a quick team that pushed us defensively, so maybe that affected our offense."
Brouwer, who had 10 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, felt the Wolverines got caught up in the Pirates' up-tempo game.
"We needed to slow it down," she said.
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Also for MACCRAY, Danielle Goemen got eight points, while Ashley Alsum came off the bench to chip in two baskets, three rebounds, two steals and two assists.
The Wolverines never did adjust to the Target Center's free-throw lines, making just 3 of 14, compared to 8 of 9 by the victors.
Wahlin got support from two other sophomore starters, center Taylor Davis and guard Molly Simmons, who both scored 11 points.
"I think we had to work so hard defensively to keep up with them," said Peterson, "it may have hurt us on offense some."
The Wolverines applied a hard press in the second half that helped them outscore the Pirates 32-20.
That lifted the spirits of the team and when freshman Brandi Bodin sank a three-pointer with six seconds left to get MACCRAY to the half-century mark there were big smiles and raised arms up and down the bench. Those were Bodin's first varsity points.
MACCRAY (21-7), the smallest of six public schools in the AA field, was making it first state trip in 15 years.
Crookston 62, MACCRAY 50
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Crookstom (28-3).....................42 20 -- 62
MACCRAY (21-7)......................18 32 -- 50
CROOKSTON - 24-61 FG (6-22 3-pt); 8-9 FT; 36 rebounds; 12 fouls ... Scoring: Kamille Wahlin 10-17-0-0 20, Molly Simmons 4-9 2-2 11, Sydney Epema 3-10 0-0 9, Macy Hanson 0-6 0-0 0, Taylor Davis 4-8 3-3 11, Allison Schumacher 1-3 3-4 5, Brea Aamoth 1-7 0-0 3, Dani Gasper 1-1 0-0 2 ... 3-point shots: Wahlin 1-3, Epema 3-8, Simmons 1-4, Aamoth 1-5 ... Rebound leaders: Davis 5, Aamoth 5 ... Assist leaders: Wahlin 2, Gasper 2 ... Steal leaders: Three players with one each
MACCRAY - 23-55 FG (1-5 3-pt); 3-14 FT; 39 rebounds; 9 fouls ... Scoring: Brandy Woodring 0-2 0-0 0, Christine Condon 1-8 0-1 2, Danielle Goeman 4-7 0-0 8, Ashley Beseman 1-2 2-5 4, Tory Brouwer 5-11 0-2 10, Hilary Groothuis 6-18 0-4 12, Kari Caspers 2-2 0-0 4, Ashley Alsum 2-3 1-2 5, Brandi Bodin 1-1 0-0 3, Amanda Bonnema 1-1 0-0 2 ... 3-point shots: Bodin 1-1 ... Rebound leaders: Groothuis 11, Brouwer 7, Beseman 6, Condon 4 ... Assist leaders: Brouwer 7, Beseman 2, Alsum 2 ... Steal leaders: Alsum, 2, Brouwer 2 ... Blocked shots: Beseman 2, Groothuis 2
