Beleaguered by a hip injury in 2019 and then a hurt shoulder last season, Alex McCabe (above) has had a frustrating varsity basketball career.
But from top to bottom this season, the 5-10 senior guard is back together. So with starters Elijah Sullivan and Isaac Mueller fouled out 11 minutes into the second half against visiting Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial on Friday, McCabe was everything he needed to be.
His two free throws at the 6:31 mark handed the Clippers a lead they would never relinquish. Scoring on drives, at the free throw line and behind the arc, his nine points afterwards sealed the 76-60 victory.
“He was amazing,” said head coach Dan Fredrickson. “It was an incredible effort by him. Defensively, he’s always where he should be, but we’ve got guys fouling out, and he just takes over the game. He drives the ball. He finds open players. He was all over the floor. He was the number-one reason we saved the ship in the second half. We needed someone to step up to be a leader, and of course it is Al. He quarterbacks the football team, a senior. He was absolutely awesome, and I couldn’t be more proud of him.”
With a reverse layup, Ben Holden scored the game’s first points. Wide open, McCabe scored from under the rim, and Mueller vaulted a three for a 7-1 Clipper advantage.
But midway through the half, the Knights worked their way back to knot the game at 14. After a couple of threes, they led 28-20.
Sullivan and Mueller scored from three-point territory, and Mueller hit a freebie to put the Clippers within a point, 28-29. When Holden made a steal and an outlet pass to Sullivan, and then Sullivan tossed back to Holden for an inside basket, the Clippers led by a point with a minute and half until the break.
The Knights hit a couple of free throws, but McCabe, foreshadowing his efforts in the second half, drove the paint for a basket, and Holden sunk the first of two foul shots. The Knights hit a free shot just before the break, and the Clippers went into the locker room up 33-32.
Sullivan assisted Eric Rohlfing’s backdoor basket to start the second half. Later, the Knights hit a three to go up 42-39, but Mueller’s basket with an and-one free throw tied the game at 42.
LCWM broke away at the 45 mark and, with Sullivan and Mueller both benched with five fouls, held a lead until Cameron Seely’s jump shot from the free-throw stripe tied the game at 54. From there, McCabe’s two free baskets put the Clippers ahead.
It was all Clippers from then on. Holden looped in a couple of free shots, and McCabe drove the lane for a layup. Rohlfing made a layup too. LCWM came back with a basket, but McCabe made a trifecta with a three, a two and a free shot to widen the Clipper advantage.
McCabe said he has been overshadowed by his classmates over the last couple of years, and injuries didn’t help his cause, so this was his best game since he put in 18 free throws for the JV a few years ago.
“With Isaac and Elijah in there—they’re both good scorers—and I don’t have to do quite as much, but with both of them fouling up, I kind of had to step up and play my game and play my best. I was working hard and just trying to get anything I could get. It was a good team effort.”
“What an amazing game for Al to do this in,” Fredrickson said, “because last year we played them at Lake Crystal, and they put a big on Al and they doubled Ben every single time, showing no respect for Al offensively. So this year, he takes the ball and sticks it down their throats the entire second half.”
Holden scored twice from inside, and the Clippers made their free throws to put the finishing touches on the triumph.
Holden led all scorers with 27 points and hauled in 14 rebounds. Mueller posted 17 points. McCabe finished the night with 15 points. Rohlfing chipped in 10 points.
“Isaac got us off to an amazing start,” Fredrickson said. “Al finished it, and our bigs. I thought we rebounded well. Cameron stepped up and made some really nice hustle plays, but Al was the story tonight.”
The Clippers, now 2-0, return to action on Tuesday when they host 0-1 Madelia. JWP edged the Blackhawks by a point in the opener.
Cleveland 33 43 76
LCWM 32 28 60
Points 76 (Ben Holden 27, Eric Rohlfing 10, Isaac Mueller 17, Alex McCabe 15, Elijah Sullivan 3, Cameron Seely 2, Jackson Meyer 2)
Rebounds 32 (Holden 14, Rohlfing 8, Mueller 3, McCabe 2, Sullivan 1, Meyer 1, Seely 3)
Assists 17 (Holden 3, Rohlfing 4, Mueller 3, McCabe 3, Sullivan 2, Meyer 2)
Steals 8 (Holden 3, McCabe 3, Sullivan 1, Seely 1)
Blocks 1 (Holden 1)
Turnovers 10
2FG 16-36 (44%)
3FG 7-20 (35%) (Holden 1, Rohlfing 1, Mueller 3, McCabe 1, Sullivan 1)
FT 23-33 (67%)
Ben Holden fights his way to the basket.
Eric Rohlfing dribbles inside.
Isaac Mueller looks for a move inside.