After senior center Sarena Remiger left the game with five fouls and later her sophomore protégé Addi Holden did the same, the Clipper varsity girls’ 16-point lead over visiting Nicollet had faded, but they still managed to hang on for a 46-41 triumph on Thursday.
“The girls who needed to step up tonight stepped up,” said head coach Joe Remiger. “We did what we needed to do. I’m super proud of them for finishing it out.”
The win avenges an earlier season loss to the Raiders. The Clippers, who finished Valley Conference play with a 9-7 record, have beaten every team in the Valley at least once except 16-0 LCWM and third-place 11-5 GHEC/T/ML, a team they lost to by four points in the first meeting and five points in the second. With a 12-3 record, St. Clair will take second in the Valley, even with one game remaining.
Kaylee Karels put in a free throw for the game’s first point. Nicollet made two free throws, and after a series of turnovers, Ava Hahn sunk the back end of two foul shots to tie the game 2-2.
Greta Hahn flung in the first of four threes she would have for the night, and Sarena Remiger scored from near the rim.
The Raiders made two baskets to deadlock the game 7-7, but Greta Hahn hit a pair of free shots to regain the Clipper lead. After Remiger pulled down an offensive rebound and scored, Ava Hahn hit a three from the corner to put the Clippers up 14-8 .
Later, after Karels put in three-straight Clipper buckets, Greta Hahn plopped in a three from the corner, Micah Peterson, starting for Mariah McCabe, who missed the game due to illness, drove the baseline for a basket, and the Clippers led 27-19 at the break.
Peterson expected her role this year to be mostly based on the B-squad and more of a cheerleader beyond that.
“Coming in, it was my senior year, but I thought it was just going to be another basketball season, and I just really wanted to keep the energy up from on the bench.”
But she has become important to the varsity defense, especially against teams that lean away from guards and towards post players.
“I was thinking I would get a little bit of playing time on varsity, but I wasn’t sure, and when coach Remiger started me for the first time I was really excited and felt like part of the team. It’s been a lot of fun growing my friendships on the court.”
“Micah has done a really good job doing what she needs to do,” Remiger said. “Like tonight, I don’t know how many times I heard (assistant coach) Chris (Seely) say to her ‘great box out.’ Even if she didn’t get the ball, she had her girl covered, so we had the chance to get the ball somewhere else.”
After a Greta Hahn steal and assist, Karels put in a layup for the first basket of the second half. Remiger scored twice from inside, Greta Hahn posted a pair of threes, and the Clippers had their biggest lead of the night, 41-25.
But after the Raiders put in a pair of free shots, Remiger picked up her fourth foul midway through the half. While she took a break, the Raiders went on a 5-point run.
A minute later, Remiger was back out on the floor and got in front of a Raider driving to the rim. The Clipper side of the gym wasn’t overly fond of the charge infraction that followed, but it didn’t matter as Remiger took the bench with five fouls.
While the Clippers were still stuck at 41, the Raiders made three trips to the foul line and netted three points there and a basket from the floor to pull within four.
Karels made an underhand basket, but the Raiders scored two and then stole and put in a couple of free shots to narrow their deficit to a basket, 43-41 with a minute and a half remaining.
“You look at the length of them,” Remiger said. “You try to throw a pass over them, and they remind me of Jaiden (Zishka, CHS boys basketball 2017) with those long arms, and they’ll get their hands on it.”
Holden, a sacrificial lamb for the Clippers, fouled out with 1:19 left, but her contact paid off as the Raiders missed both the ensuing foul shots and their chance to tie.
Back on the other end of the court, Lacey McCabe made both of her free shots to provide a cushion with 34 seconds left. Greta Hahn made a foul shot to put the finishing touches on the victory.
With four threes and a trio of free baskets, Greta Hahn’s 15 points was the most of any participant. Karels had 11 points, Remiger had 10 points, and Ava Hahn had six points, half of them coming on a three-point shot. Peterson and McCabe each had two points.
The Raiders didn’t convert a three-point attempt and made 50 percent of their 30 foul shots. The Clippers were successful in 11 of 19 free shots.
The Clippers are back in action tomorrow (Tuesday) when they road trip to Randolph.
Above: After the game, coach Joe Remiger and teammates honored seniors Sarena Remiger, Kaylee Karels, Sam Wondra and Micah Peterson.
Greta Hahn reaches for a jump shot.
Kaylee Karels takes aim.
Addi Holden and Ava Hahn on defense.
Sarena Remiger dishes off.
Micah Peterson pivots away from a defender.
Lacey McCabe takes the ball toward the basket.
The Clippers line up for the National Anthem.
Some of the senior class gathered after the game. They include, front row: Emma Sweere, Henry Strobel, Kaylee Karels, Sarena Remiger, Micah Peterson and Sophie Shouler. Back row; Jack Schloesser, Jacob Rohlfing, Max Mettler, Harley Connor, Lexi Waldron, Lilly Draheim, Katie Cink and Jack Voit.