Maple River (Amboy, Good Thunder, Mapleton, Minnesota Lake) scored 24 points from behind the arc in a 63-48 win over the varsity girls on Friday (December 20) in Mapleton.
But despite the loss, head coach Joe Remiger said the Clippers are still taking steps forward on both sides of the court.
“If that first flash wasn’t there, how many times did we hit Lacey (McCabe) or Ava (Hahn) cutting through, and we’re getting layups, at least an attempt at a layup. Even our man-to-man defense intensity is taking steps forward.”
The Eagles, who used to be in the Valley Conference, lastly as a conglomerate in the 2012/13 season and before that as the Mapleton Scots, opened the game with a three. Addi Holden responded right after with a three for the Clippers, but the Eagles, who are now in the newly formed South Central Conference (with MVL, St. Clair, LCWM, Sibley East and LSH—all 2A schools), came back with another three.
Holden took an inbounds pass up and in and then scored from the top of the key, but the Knights made a layup between them to maintain a one-point advantage before going on a seven-point spurt that put them in front 15-7.
Continuing to roll, Holden scored again before Taylor McCabe stole and Hahn grabbed an offensive rebound and put it in for a basket on the play. With a pair of McCabe free baskets and free basket from Emma Kortuem, the Clippers cut their deficit to one, 15-14.
The Eagles scored from inside, and it was Hahn the rest of the way for the Clippers with four made free throws and a pair of baskets from the floor, but the Knights scored 13 points, including a three after a steal, to take a 30-22 lead into the locker room.
Holden bagged a pair of threes early in the second half, and Lacey McCabe went to work with three baskets from the floor and a four-for-four record at the free-throw stripe.
Remiger said that the Clippers did a good job getting the ball inside
Eighth graders Kortuem and Harper Rutz each contributed a basket, but the Clippers never got back in the game, and the Eagles went into the holiday break with a 63-48 win.
“That second half we had a lot of turnovers,” Remiger said. “We tried to run the zone in the beginning, but we couldn’t rebound out of it.”
With 15 points, including all three of the Clippers’ baskets from behind the arc, Holden led the Clipper effort.
“She seemed more settled and just let it flow,” Remiger said.
Hahn added a dozen points, and Lacey McCabe contributed 10 points. Taylor McCabe had six points. Kortuem totaled three points, and Rutz chipped in a basket.
The Clippers made 15 of 22 foul shots. The Eagles, 2-10 with the win, were 11 of 17 from the foul line.
The varsity Clippers will look to start 2025 on an upbeat when they host 2-4 Randolph today (Thursday). A year ago, the Rockets bombed the Clippers 61-23.
Above: Addi Holden stretches for a shot. She led the Clippers with 15 points.
