Still looking for their first win this season, the varsity girls fell 70-47 to host Mankato Loyola on Monday and 61-41 to visiting Martin County West on November 26.
Ava Hahn scored the first two baskets for the Clippers in the Fitzgerald gym. Taylor McCabe, Kaitlyn Flowers and Addi Holden each added a basket, and the other half of the 20 points the Clippers had at the break were from on foul shots. With a pair of Crusaders trading buckets, Loyola led 35-20.
The second half was a chance for the Cleveland eighth graders to shine with Harper Rutz and Emma Kortuem each canning a pair of threes while their classmate Brook Bosse added a basket. Taylor McCabe made a three, a two and a free shot while Lacey McCabe put in a basket and a free throw, but Loyola outscored the Clippers 35-27 in the second half.
With a dozen points, Taylor McCabe was the only Clipper who scored in double digits. Hahn, Rutz, Kortuem and Holden each added six points. Lacey McCabe had five points. Flowers posted four points, and Bosse contributed a basket.
The Clippers made five baskets from behind the arc and 14 of 27 shots from the foul line. Loyola put in three three-point baskets and nine of 21 free shots.
A week earlier, Martin County West took the opening jump into the basket to set the tone.
Lacey McCabe made the first of two foul shots to get Cleveland on the board, but with a layup and a steal for a bucket, the Mavericks led 6-1.
Hahn drove in for a layup and capitalized on a McCabe steal for a three, and the Clippers were within 4, 10-6, but the Mavericks responded with a three. After Taylor McCabe parked a free throw, MCW spurted for a dozen more points to lead the Clippers 27-7.
Holden hit back-to-back threes, but the Mavericks still doubled up on the Clippers, leading 35-17 at the break.
Hahn and Holden each put in a two and a three in the second half, and the McCabe sisters along with Flowers each added a basket, and with made eight free throws, the Clippers scored 24 points, just two less than the Maverick’s did in the second half.
“We tried some two-on-two defense, and we kind of had a burst, because we got tired,” said head coach Joe Remiger. “We’re calling timeouts just to get a breath. We’re not where we need to be physically as far as toughness.”
And the Clippers had no answer for the Maverick’s tall center, who put in three twos and three threes in the second half en route to 33 total points to lead her team to the triumph.
“She works on basketball; she plays basketball; she’s got a good shot,” said Remiger.
Although their shot selections were generally appropriate, the Clippers had trouble guiding the ball through the hoop. By their nature, the inside missed inside shots particularly stood out.
“When they finish at the rim, we score, but a lot of our layups we’re pulling up a dribble too short,” Remiger said. “If we fight through contact, we probably draw the foul or make the layup.”
But overall, the Clippers need to keep up their shooting skills during the offseason, Remiger said.
“We had some decent shots, but they’re just going in, and a lot of them are not going in because we just started practicing shooting two weeks ago.”
With 14 points, including a pair of threes, Hahn was the top Clipper scorer. Holden put in three threes and a basket from the floor for 11 total points. Taylor McCabe added a bucket and four free baskets for six points. Flowers made a basket in each half for four total points. Lacy McCabe and Mollie Bowman each had three points.
“We have five girls who start, but we’re trying to figure out who we’ve got coming off our bench,” Remiger said. “That’s probably going to be our biggest struggle: whose going to be our six and seventh players who step up.”
The Clippers made five three-point baskets and 12 of 19 free shots. The Mavericks bagged six threes, all from their leading scorer, and five of eight free shots.
The varsity girls will look for their first win on Thursday when they host Madelia.
Above: Ava Hahn runs into a traffic jam.
