With quick outs and drives to the hoop, Sleepy Eye rolled over the varsity girls 71-21 on Friday.
The game was on the first day of the Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s Invitational. The Clippers take on SESM today (Saturday) at 1:00 pm.
“We just have to get back on D,” said head coach Joe Remiger. “I don’t know how many fast break points they had, but it was probably about three quarters of their points.
The Clippers hung around for the first few minutes. After five turnovers between the two teams, the Indians took the ball inside for a basket. Greta Hahn responded with a jumper for two. Sleepy Eye posted the next six points, but Kaylee Karels (on the drive above) took an inbound pass and spun in the lane for a basket to break the streak.
Karels went to the outside for the next Clipper basket when she took a Hahn assist up and in for a three and a 10-7 score. But the Indians went on a rampage after with steals and conversions inside on almost every trip down the floor to lead 36-7 before Hahn sunk the front end of two foul shots.
Later, Karels’ three caromed off the rim, but she ducked inside and put up the rebound for a bucket. The senior also made all of four free-throw attempts down the stretch, and sophomore center Addi Holden made one freebie, and the Clippers trailed 44-15 at the break.
Sleepy Eye converted on their first five trips down court in the second half to keep the pressure on. Karels made a steal under the Clipper basket and put it up and in for the first Clipper points of the second half. Later Hahn drove the baseline for a basket, and her sister Ava Hahn hit both ends of a two-shot foul, but, with the bench clearing, that was all the scoring the Clippers could muster.
“At the end, we were making some good V cuts, but there are things we have to take care of,” Remiger said. “We didn’t box out on inside presence early. It’s game number one. Let’s get that out of the way and come play tomorrow, which will be another tough game.”
Karels, a senior, led the Clippers with 13 points. Greta Hahn, a junior had five points. Ava Hahn, a sophomore, added two points. Holden chipped in a free throw.
The Clippers were nine of 12 from the foul line. Karel’s put in the Clippers’ only three. Sleepy Eye had one three pointer and were two of two from the free-throw line.
Kanence Hesse, the SE coach’s daughter, pounded in 24 points for the Indians.
“We were facing one of the best players we will see all year with her,” Remiger said.
Besides the scorers, sophomore Lacey McCabe was a starter for the Clippers. Her sister Mariah McCabe, a junior, was the first Clipper off the bench. Others who had floor time were senior Micah Peterson, sophomore Kamryn Lindsay, freshmen Mollie Bowman and Olivia Reinhardt and eighth graders Delany Thompson and Taylor McCabe.
Senior Sarena Remiger was out with an injury and is not expected to return to the lineup until next week.
Addi Holden extends for a shot.
Greta Hahn leaps for a jumper
Ava Hahn drives inside while her sister wrestles with the defender.
Micah Peterson makes a move toward the bucket.
Lacey McCabe searches for an open teammate.