After New Ulm Cathedral walloped the host varsity girls 62-32 on December 19, the Clippers flipped the outcome around two days later to easily beat visiting Immanuel Lutheran 68-22.
Head coach Joe Remiger said the second game was an opportunity for the Clippers to up their drive on both sides of the floor, something that they lacked against Cathedral.
“Our big thing was to have some kind of intensity tonight, having some intensity period. Practice went well yesterday, and they brought the intensity from there to here.”
After Immanuel opened the game with a basket, the Clippers, heavy on the press, scored the next 13 points, starting with a Greta Hahn three. She then assisted her sister Ava Hahn’s two baskets, and Delany Thompson made a quick steal near the Cleveland net and put it in for a basket.
Mariah McCabe and each of the Hahns plopped in threes before the break, Ava Hahn added seven more baskets, and the Clippers took a 48-15 lead into the locker room.
Greta Hahn and Thomson each bagged a three in the second half, and Ava Hahn scored three more baskets from the floor as the Clippers cruised to the decisive triumph.
Ava Hahn marched the Clippers with 25 points. Greta Hahn added 23 points. Thompson posted seven points. McCabe and Addi Holden each scored six points. Mollie Bowman put in a free throw.
The Clippers put in six threes and made eight of 15 free throw attempts. Lutheran had one three and made three of 12 free throws.
“I think the win will be good for them to gain some confidence,” Remiger said. “I was hoping with the win in Madelia we would go from there into the next, but it didn’t work out that way. It’s a good game to go into the new year and start out from there.”
Two days earlier, with the Clippers not starting out with a ton of ambition, Cathedral opened the game with a three and scored 14 of the game’s first 16 points. Greta Hahn’s layup got the Clippers on the board.
After Bowman put in a free throw, Greta Hahn assisted McCabe’s jumper from the baseline. Greta Hahn followed with a steal and coast-to-coast drive for a layup and then pulled down an offensive rebound and put it back up for a bucket.
Thompson stole and drove the floor for a bucket, and the half closed with Lacey McCabe taking an Ava Hahn assist down the baseline for a basket and the Greyhounds up comfortably 37-13.
Holden dropped in a basket from near the top of the key for the Clippers’ first basket of the second frame. Following up, she spun inside the lane for another basket. Ava Hahn drove through the lane for her first basket of the night, but NUC led 49-19 by then.
As the clock wound down, Greta Hahn sunk a three, and Taylor McCabe scored off the bench.
Greta Hahn led the effort with nine points. Ava Hahn had six points. Holden and Lacey McCabe each contributed four points. Bowman had three points, and Mariah McCabe, Taylor McCabe and Thompson each had two points.
The Clippers were lackluster from the foul line too, only making three of 12. Cathedral put in three threes and was nine of 18 in free throw shooting.
The varsity girls will start the new year with a 6:00 p.m. home game against Lester Prairie on January 2.
Above: Ava Hahn takes the ball inside on Immanuel Lutheran.
Greta Hahn swings toward the bucket during the game against New Ulm Cathedral.
Ava Han passes to Mariah McCabe with a NUC defender stepping in.
Lacey McCabe tosses inside during the game vs NUC.
Delaney Thompson slips by an Immanuel Lutheran defender.
Lacey McCabe puts up a one-hander with an IL player reaching out for a block.
Addi Holden and Mariah McCabe—and a giant inflatable snowman—on defense.
Keira Schipper takes the ball inside.