Finishing their regular season on a high note, the Clipper varsity girls topped visiting Le Sueur-Henderson for the second time this year, 49-28.
Ranked 10th in the subsection, the Clippers take on host New Ulm Cathedral on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. The Clippers lost at home to the Greyhounds 62-32 back on December 20.
The LSH Giants hung around for a half though, but the Clippers, who were coming off a hard 63-30 home loss to Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton on February 13, applied a full-court press early in the second half. With steals and three-straight threes from Greta Hahn, the Clippers pulled away for the win.
“We had better flow tonight,” said head coach Joe Remiger. “They switched to a man (player-to-player defense) at the end of the first half, and I think that helped us out too, setting screens. It helped us get Greta open. I don’t think she was wide open, but it helped enough.”
Mariah McCabe scored put in the first basket for the Clippers, Ava Hahn scored, and Lacey McCabe iced a pair of free throws and a bucket, and the Clippers led 8-7. Greta Hahn put in a free throw, but the Giants knotted the game 9-9.
Continuing to pound her way to the basket and picking up a few bruises along the way, Lacey McCabe (above) scored the next eight points. After a Greta Hahn steal and layup, the Clippers led 16-9.
“Lacey did a great job driving to the basket and picking up fouls,” Remiger said.
But the Giants scored eight of the next 12 points to pull within three, 20-17 at the intermission.
“I think some of the problem was we had two or three players trying to post up in the same area,” Remiger said.
After depositing a three, the Giants tied the game 20-20 early in the second half, but Addi Holden canceled it. The Giants put an offensive rebound up for a bucket, but Greta Hahn caught fire with a hat trick of threes, the second after her sister’s steal and assist.
On a Lacey McCabe steal and assist, Keira Schipper ran in a layup, Ava Hahn took an in-bounds pass in for a layup, and, after Schipper canned a three, the Clippers were comfortably in front 38-22.
“Ava Hahn did a good job on the press and getting steals,” Remiger said. “I think we did a better job rebounding in the second half too.”
The Giants went on a 5-point run from there, but with a pair of Ava Hahn baskets, a Schipper drive for two and a Taylor McCabe steal and shore-to-shore drive for a layup, the Clippers put the finishing touches on the win.
A trio of Clippers were in double figures. Lacey McCabe led her team with 13 points. Including a trio of threes, Greta Hahn totaled a dozen points, while her sister had 10 points.
Including one three, Schipper had seven points. Holden put in a three for three total points, and Mariah McCabe had two points.
The Clippers landed five three-point shots and eight of 15 foul shots. LSH made a pair of threes and six of 21 free throws.
“It was a good way to end at home,” Remiger said. “I’m going to miss Mariah and Greta.”
Vs JWP
Against JWP, Lacey McCabe turned the scoreboard on with a layup. The Bulldogs made the next six points, but Ava Hahn put in a bucket from near the rim and then made back-to-back foul shots. JWP scored again, but Greta Hahn bagged a three that put the Clipper in front 9-8 with 10 minutes until the break.
But it was all Bulldogs the rest of the half with the only other Clipper points coming from a pair of Taylor McCabe free throws at the 2:44 mark, and the Clippers went down to the locker room trailing 40-23.
Ava Hahn put in a pair of two-point baskets and a three in the second half, and Greta Hahn scored six points behind the arc. Schipper also made a three, Mollie Bowman put in a bucket, and Mariah McCabe made a free shot, but the Bulldogs outscored the Clippers 40-19 in the second half to run away with the victory.
The Clippers totaled five threes and were successful in five of 14 free throws. The Bulldogs made four threes and seven of 10 foul shots.
With 11 points, Ava Hahn led the effort. All from beyond the arc, Greta Hahn had nine points. Schipper totaled three points. Bowman, Lacey McCabe and Taylor McCabe each had two points. Mariah McCabe had one point.
Valley results and section picture
The winner of Cleveland vs NUC takes on second seed host Sleepy Eye on February 26. Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart is the top seed in the 2A North Subsection. Nicollet, which took seventh in the Valley Conference, is ranked eighth.
On the other side, T/GHEC/ML, which took second place in the Valley Conference behind St. Clair, is the number-one seed. Martin County West, third in the Valley, is ranked second. Also in the south subsection, Madelia, last in the Valley, is eighth, Mankato Loyola, fifth in the Valley, is fourth, and Alden-Conger/Glenville Emmons, sixth in the Valley, is fifth.
With an 11-1 record, St. Clair won the conference. Cleveland, which split with Loyola and beat Madelia twice, was in eighth place, next to last. LCWM, the only team in the Conference to beat St. Clair, was fourth.
Greta Hahn takes aim during the first half of the game against JWP.
Addi Holden confronts a JWP defender.
Greta Hahn pushes up a shot as an LSH defender reaches out.
Mariah McCabe on defense during the game against the Giants.
Ava Hahn extends for a shot during the LSH game.
Mariah McCabe dribbles the ball forward.
Keria Schipper takes the ball through a pair of LSH defenders.
Swifty fifty. The ubiquitous Taylor Swift wished athletic director Rich Kern a happy birthday from the tron.