Mecker's big 3 lifts MACCRAY over RTRl

CLARA CITY - The MACCRAY girls basketball trailed nearly the entire second half but a six-second advantage was enough for the Wolverines.

Sage Mecker's 3-pointer with six seconds proved to be the winning points in the Wolverines' 51-50 win over Russell-Tyler-Ruthton in a Camden Conference game Friday night.

"As soon as I shot it I said, 'Please, please go in,' " said Mecker, who scored 13 points. "I know I needed to make that shot and I'm so glad I did."

Most of the capacity crowd was, too, exploding in the final seconds on "Jam the Gym" night at MACCRAY High School.

"The energy was great," Mecker said. "It was very intense but it was a great feeling."

The Wolverines traded blows with the Knights in the first half but RTR ended with a 4-0 run to take a 24-22 lead into halftime.

In the second half the Knights extended the lead, using a heavy pressure defense to stymie the Wolverines throughout much of the game. MACCRAY kept the game close, cutting the lead to three points a number of times, but it wasn't until Mecker's big shots that they finally broke through.

"They were really good at switching," said MACCRAY head coach Mike Dammann. "It threw our timing off and we gave them the ball a couple of times because we were anticipating something different."

Piper Asche was often MACCRAY's go-to player and it showed in a 21-point, 10-rebound scoreline. But it was a series of floaters from Sydney Schwitters that changed the game.

With 1:49 remaining, Schwitters drove the lane to hit a floater and cut the RTR lead to 48-45. Forty-three seconds later, Schwitters drained another shot to make it 48-47. Both teams traded free throws but it was those floaters by Schwitters that set up Mecker's game-winner.

"We were running a pick-and-roll through Schwitters and (Ellie) Thein but they were expecting it, which left Sage open," Dammann said.

The last three games between these two teams have been decided by a total of 16 points, with both of MACCRAY's wins in the series decided by a total of three points. That recent history helped keep the Wolverines in the game.

"I just told them we're OK," Dammann said. "The girls never thought that we were out of it. We haven't won much recently but a night like tonight helps our confidence for sure. It was a big win."

MACCRAY 51, RTR 50

RTR........................... 24 26 - 50

MACCRAY............................. 22 29 - 51

Russell-Tyler-Ruthton

Scoring: Tina Haroldson 18, Hallie Lingren 11, Jackie Dressen 6, Alexis Nelson 5, Mya Christensen 3, Jonni Biren 3, Chloe Hess 2, Morgan Johnson 2 ... 3-point shots: Haroldson 2, Lingren 1, Christensen 1, Biren 1 ... Rebound leader: NA ... Assist leader: NA ... Steal leader: NA

MACCRAY

Scoring: Piper Asche 21, Sage Mecker 13, Ellie Thein 7, Olivia Ruiter 6, Sydney Schwitters 4 ... 3-point shots: Asche 3, Mecker 2 ... Rebound leader: Asche 10, Mecker 6, Ruiter 6 ... Assist leader: Thein 5 ... Steal leader: Schwitters 2, Mecker 2