After the varsity girls 90, host Madelia 50 on Friday for their third win this season, Ava Hahn got word that her 41 points were five short of a Cleveland girls single-game scoring record.
“I didn’t really know where I was, but I didn’t get it,” said the senior. “I did beat my sister’s record though.”
While Hahn was correct when she referred to the 32 points Greta Hahn (CHS 2024) racked up when the Clippers hosted Madelia last year, when it came to the overall record, she was misinformed.
As the record was set after Joe Remiger took over as head coach early in the 2018/19 season, he knew with certainty it was 40 points and set by Karna Ziebarth (CHS 2019) when the Clippers beat host Granada-Huntley-East Chain in February 2019 and that Hahn was the Clippers’ new single-game scoring leader.
The Blackhawks, 3-19, 0-12 in the Valley and coming off a win over Mountain Lake Area/Comfrey the night before, buried a three to get on the scoreboard. Hahn responded with a pair of free shots, but Madelia sunk another three, a free shot and a two-pointer for a 9-2 advantage.
Scoring inside, Mollie Bowman stared a seven-point Clippers spurt, which also featured a Taylor McCabe triple and drive for a bucket.
The Blackhawks put in a free shot to lead 10-9, but Lacey McCabe, who beat Madelia off the glass all night, sunk a pair of free shots before Hahn started her reign of terror with a three from the top of the arc, and the Clippers, who defeated Madelia 75-58 earlier in the season, never looked back.
“We started out a little slow, but ultimately the defense and rebounds stuck with us,” Remiger said. “And then any time we got a rebound, we said ‘let’s go. We have a bench. We didn’t have a B-Squad game. Let’s push ball.’”
The Clippers, who had lost 80-50 to host St. James Area 24 hours earlier, were in front 40-25 at the half.
Hahn rained four threes in each half while adding a two-point basket and five free throws in the first half and four two-pointers and two free throws in the second half.
Running like a Rolex, the Clippers were zipping the ball around well, Remiger said, and that contributed to Hahn’s success.
“Lacey backed her girl in and got shut down and it was right back out to Ava, who was wide open. Even Ava said people were kicking the ball around and getting her the ball when she was open. I told them at the half, we’re rebounding l really well tonight, so it you’re open, let’s shoot it.”
Taylor McCabe scored 28 points with nine of them coming from three-points range. Harper Rutz put in a two and a three in the second half for five points. Lacey McCabe had six points. Bowman had a basket in each half for four total points. Kaitlyn Flowers, Addi Holden and Brooke Bosse each chipped in a bucket in the second half.
“I was proud of the girls who came in,” Remiger said. “Kaitlyn, Emma (Kortuem), Harper of the bench. They’re getting more confident with the ball. I know we picked up some fouls with their 22 (Alicia Lugo, who had 19 points), but I said ‘let’s be in her grill.’ I’d rather foul her than just letting her go to the hoop.”
The Clippers totaled a dozen threes and made half of their 20 free shots while Madelia put in six threes and eight of 14 foul shots.
St. James Area 80, Cleveland 50
With St. James Area, 15-5 coming into the game, dumping in six threes, the Clippers trailed 31-19 at halftime although kept up the intensity, Remiger said.
“Their coach, who was the coach at Waterville before, called three quick time outs. We were pushing ball really well and getting down court. In the second half, halfway through, we were just out of gas.”
With 21 points, Hahn led the Clippers. She had one three and made six free throws. Holden put in a three in the first half and three threes and a two-point basket in the second half for 14 total points. Lacey McCabe had a basket in the first half and three baskets in the second for eight points. Taylor McCabe had two first-half baskets for four total points. Bosse chipped in three points in the second half.
The Clippers made five threes and made half of their 14 free shots while the Saints added another six threes in the second half and made six of a dozen free shots.
GHEC/T/ML 82, Cleveland 52
With nine threes in their mix, the Jaguars led 46-25 at the half.
Hahn had 18 points, 11 of them in the second half, including one of the Clippers’ two triples. Taylor McCabe had 13 points. On the floor in the first half only, Holden had three baskets for six total points. Lacey McCabe had five points. Flowers put in a three in the second half. Bowman also totaled three points as did Kortuem. Kiya Sohn added a second-half bucket.
The Clippers were eight of 11 from the free throw line. The Jaguars ended the night with 15 threes and made 11 of 14 fouls shots.
Before Ziebarth set the Cleveland single-game record, it was 37 points, set by Taylor Holicky in December of 2013.
Hahn and company host non-conference Sibley East today (Monday). Tomorrow, they host Waterville-Elysian-Morristown.
The Wolverines are 8-13. The only team they played in common with the Clippers was Mankato Loyola, which beat them 54-49. The Buccaneers are 13-10 and have wins over Faribault BA, Maple River, Nicollet and USC, all teams that beat the Clippers.
Above: Ava Hahn sets up for one of her eight triples against Madelia.
