After leading by just three points at halftime, visiting Nicollet eased ahead early in the second half and held off a late Clipper varsity girls rally to win 70-58 last Tuesday.
Two days later, in a similar scenario in Alden, the Clippers hung on until a third of the way into the second half but lost to the Knights 69-59.
“If we would rebound the ball and not turn it over, it would have been a whole different game,” said head coach Joe Remiger after the Nicollet game.
Nicollet scored right after the tipoff. Addi Holden’s jumper from the baseline tied the game 2-2.
Opening the back door, the Raiders went ahead by a bucket, but Lacey McCabe found her sister Taylor McCabe open from outside the arc for a three-point basket, and Ava Hahn took a Taylor McCabe pass in for a layup to put the Clippers in front 7-4.
The Raiders responded with a three, but the Clippers led 10-7 after a Lacey McCabe free throw and a Holden drive through the lane for a bucket.
The Raiders were hauling in O boards but not converting them to points, but after drives for buckets by the McCabe sisters and a Holden score on an inbounds pass, they went in front of the Clippers 17-16.
Off the bench, Emma Kortuem bagged a three to get regain the Clipper lead. Later, Mollie Bowman scored inside and then took a Kaitlyn Flowers pass up and in from the paint, but the Raiders parked a pair of threes to pull ahead 28-25.
Taylor McCabe scored from underneath, and Hahn took a Kortuem pass in for a basket, but the Raiders score the last three points of the half to lead 32-29 at the beak.
With baskets by Hahn and Taylor McCabe, the Clippers hung around early in the second half, but ahead 38-37, the Raiders plopped in a three and then converted a couple of steals to pad their lead.
Later, Nicollet made a pair of three-point baskets to go in front 58-45. With baskets by the McCabe sisters, the Clippers scored 10 of the next 12 points. While Holden made a three down the stretch, the Raiders made enough free shots to hang on for the win.
Taylor McCabe had 15 points, including one three. Hahn had 12 points. Bowman added four points. Lacey McCabe had 10 points. Harper Rutz put in four free shots. Kortuem bagged a three and a free shot for four total points. Addi Holden scored nine points, including one three.
The Clippers made three threes and 13 of 22 foul shots. The Raiders bagged six threes and 16 of 22 foul shots.
“I do feel like we are taking steps forward,” Remiger said. “Yeah, you want to come away with a win, but that’s a good thing.”
Later, in the old gym, the Raiders whipped up on the JV girls 46-6.
Kortuem’s two baskets from the floor were the only Clipper points in the first half, and they trailed 23-4 at the break. A Kiya Sohn bucket accounted for the only Clipper points of the second half.
The Clippers missed all four of their free shots. Nicollet put in a pair of three-point baskets and three of nine free shots.
Against Alden-Conger/Glenville-Emmons, the Knights also scored right off the jump. Lacey McCabe converted a pair of fouls shots to get the Clipper son the board, but the Knights responded with a three for a 5-2 lead and then grabbed a defensive rebound and scored inside.
Lacey McCabe reached up under the rim for two, but the Knights scored twice on fast breaks to extend their lead. Taylor McCabe made the back end of a pair of foul shots and then made a steal and shore-to-shore drive for a layup, and the Clippers narrowed their deficit to two, 9-7, but the Knights stole, scored inside and put in the ensuing free shot to go in front by five.
Later, Rutz canned a three off the bench to pull the Clippers within four, 18-14. The Knights scored inside twice. Hahn bagged a three, the Knights cancelled it, but, hot from outside, Hahn scored back-to-back baskets from behind the arc, and the Clippers were only behind by two, 25-23.
As the half wound down, Rutz and Hahn each added another three, and with a Taylor McCabe three, the game deadlocked 34-34. Taylor McCabe stole and made a long outlet assist for a Hahn layup, and the Clippers were only behind by two at the break, 38-36.
With the Clippers trailing 42-36 early in the second half, Holden scored on an inbounds play, and, in the Knight paint, Lacey McCabe tipped back a steal to Hahn, who took the ball down court for a bucket, and with a Holden jumper from near the free throw line, the Clippers stalemated the game at 42, but, starting with a three, the Knights eased away from there.
With 21 points, a dozen of them from three-point range, Hahn led the Clipper effort. Taylor McCabe added 15 points, including a pair of threes. Rutz had eight points, including a pair of threes, Holden contributed seven points, Lacey McCabe totaled six points, and Kortuem chipped in a pair of free shots.
Taylor McCabe grabbed 10 rebounds, two assists and two steals. Lacey McCabe had eight rebounds and five assists. Hahn had five rebounds, two assists, two blocks and a pair of steals. Holden had five rebounds, one assist and two blocks. Bowman had two rebounds and a steal. Flowers had one rebound. Rutz had one rebound and three assists. Kortuem had two rebounds, two assists and three steals.
The Clippers were successful in nine of 14 free throw attempts and made a third of their 24 three-point shots. The Knights were 13 of 17 from the foul line and six of 32 from behind the arc.
The Clippers had 19 turnovers, five more than the Knights. The Knights made 12 steals, four more than the Clippers. They outrebounded the Clippers 42-35.
The Knights came into the game with one win, over Madelia, and conference losses to GHEC/T/ML, MCW and Nicollet.
The 1-5 Clippers close out 2024 on Friday when they travel to Mapleton to take on the 1-7 Eagles.
Above: From the floor, Harper Rutz gets off a pass to Emma Kortuem during the Nicollet game.
