COLLEGEVILLE - Litchfield head coach Bill Huhner knew this season would be difficult after losing stars like Greta Walsh and Bailey Koch.
Nonetheless, while the season was not all the 8-18 Dragons hoped it would be, Huhner still wore a smile after the team’s season ended Saturday.
“Of all the teams I’ve had,” Huhner said, “this team made this one of my most satisfying years, because of how hard they worked all season and their tenacity.”
The Dragons, indeed, worked hard against Eden Valley-Watkins on Saturday, but that didn’t translate into nearly enough tangible assets as the Eagles won handily, 52-34, in the Section 6AA-South semifinals at St. John’s University.
The Eagles shot 50 percent from the field, outrebounded the Dragons and they also forced 20 Litchfield turnovers.
ADVERTISEMENT
EVW defeated Litch 37-31 in the first game of the season, but Huhner said the Eagles they faced Saturday comprised a different team.
“They were the more aggressive team,” Huhner said. “They were way more aggressive than the first time we played them, and they shot the ball better than we anticipated.”
Hannah Norlin led the Dragons with 11 points and 12 rebounds and Mariah Hoff hit both the Dragons’ two 3-point shots and finished with 10 points.
The Eagles, now 19-7, play New London-Spicer in the subsection championship game at 6 p.m. Tuesday at SJU. The Wildcats defeated EVW 53-40 in the second game of the regular season in Eden Valley.
EV-Watkins 52,
Litchfield 34
Litchfield (8-18) 15 19 - 34
EV-WatkinsHome (19-7) 25 27 - 52
ADVERTISEMENT
LITCHFIELD – 12-33 FG (2-12 3-pt); 8-15 FT; 24 rebounds; 17 fouls … Scoring: Mariah Hoff 10, Macy Huhner 4, Hannah Norlin 11, Kelsey Wattenhofer 4. Tasha Studeba 3, Kyndra Beavers 2 … 3-point shots: Hoff 2 … Rebound leaders: Norlin 12 … Assist leaders: Hoff 3, Beavers 3 … Steal leaders: Norlin 2
EDEN VALLEY-WATKINS – 20-40 FG (1-3 3-pt); 11-19 FT; 28 rebounds; 13 fouls … Scoring: Mikayla Kummet 15, B Perlberg-Cromwell 14, Greta Stommes 11, Dani Nelson 9, Maria Holdvogt 1, Brook Stang 2 … 3-point shots: Kummet 1 … Rebound leaders: Nelson 7, Perlberg-Cromwell 7 … Assist leaders: Perlberg-Cromwell 3 … Steal leaders: Kummet 5, Scherer 4
