Deck the court with lots of baskets,
Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!
'Tis the season for a victory:
Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!
Christmas came early for the Clipper varsity girls on Monday when they easily defeated visiting Mankato Loyola 49-26 for their third-straight triumph.
Greta Hahn (above), a 5-4 junior guard said the Crusaders were missing their best player but still hung around.
“They stuck with us in the first half for sure. We weren’t sure what the second half was going to bring us.”
The JV girls also gave the Crusaders a chunk of coal.
Kaylee Karels hit back-to-back freebies for the varsity game’s first baskets. The Crusaders responded with a bucket from three-point land, but Ava Hahn gifted Karels from one corner to the other, and Karels dropped in a three that put the Clippers in front for the rest of the game.
Sarena Remiger spun inside for a bucket, and Greta Hahn went dashing through the paint for two before icing a pair of threes that gave the Clippers a 15-7 advantage.
With a Grinch defense and tossing the ball in, out and about on offense, Cleveland kept the pressure on. Ava Hahn, Karels and Remiger made inside baskets, and the Clippers were ahead 26-11 at the break.
“We’ve been working on moving the ball around in practice, even making a drive or two and kicking out,” said head coach Joe Remiger. “For a lot of them, it’s new. I am glad we got to work on it in a game mode tonight.”
Ava Hahn scored from under the rim for the first bucket of the second half. Dominating the boards, Remiger grabbed her own rebound and scored to place the Orange & Black up 30-13. Later, Greta Hahn went down the chimney with a couple more threes.
While her sister Ava had a trio of baskets from beyond the arc in both the last game and the one before that too, Hahn surpassed that mark by one.
“I was feeling it today.”
Off the bench, Mollie Bowman sunk a jumper at the 3:30 mark. Taylor McCabe airmailed a three, and Bowman twisted in for two more before the Crusaders posted the last basket.
Karels and Greta Hahn each stuffed 14 points into the Clippers’ Christmas stocking. Remiger decorated the scoreboard with eight points. Ava Hahn trimmed the book with six points. Bowman wrapped up four points. McCabe sprinkled in three points.
The Clippers plopped in six threes and were three of nine from the foul line. Loyola had a trio of threes and were seven of 15 in free-throw shooting.
“I am excited where we are and where we are going,” said Remiger of his 3-4 Clippers.
It was an 11-11 draw at the B-Squad half, but paced by nine Bowman points, the Clippers outscored Loyola 25-11 in the second frame for the 36-22 win.
Bowman led the Clippers with 15 points. One of her baskets was a three-pointer. Delaney Thompson put in three baskets from the floor and two free shots for eight points. With a three, a two and a freebie, McCabe added six points. Entering in the second half, Lacey McCabe put in three free throws and a two pointer for five points. Addi Holden chipped in a bucket.
The varsity and B girls return to action on January 3 when they travel to non-conference Lester Prairie.
Sarena Remiger on the jumper.
Mariah McCabe has been tough on defense.
Lacey McCabe takes a look at the rim.
Ava Hahn on the drive.
Kaylee Karels takes the ball inside.
Delaney Thompson and Mollie Bowman on defense in the varsity game.
Taylor McCabe looks for a way around a Loyola defender.