Saxony Lutheran girls basketball team rolls into Delta New Year's final

~ The Crusaders posted a 60-27 victory over Scott County Central

DELTA -- In an uncharacteristically sloppy game that saw both teams combine for 55 missed shots, 10 missed free throws (out of 17) and 45 turnovers, the result was eerily familiar.

The Saxony Lutheran girls basketball team overcame a sluggish start and rolled to a 60-27 victory over Scott County Central on Thursday night in a championship bracket semifinal of the Delta New Year's Tournament.

The win propelled the Crusaders (8-2) into Saturday's 1:30 p.m. championship final, where they will face the winner of tonight's Oran-Woodland winner. That game, originally slated for Thursday night, was postponed to tonight because of slippery roads.

Saxony found itself in a 4-0 hole early, then quickly regained control with an 11-0 run on its way to a 19-7 lead after one period. The Crusaders stretched that lead to 34-10 by halftime on the strength of strong perimeter defense that not only prevented Scott County Central from getting the ball inside, but also forced 14 Bravette turnovers in the half.

"I thought it was kind of sloppy, but we worked on some new stuff and did some things we've been working on," Saxony coach Sam Sides said. "That kind of hurt us a little bit. And we've been out of school a little bit, and that kind of snowballs on you. But we can play a lot better than we played tonight."

That sentiment could put some fear in the hearts of Class 3 teams around the state as the Crusaders methodically picked apart a team regarded as one of the better Class 1 teams in the area.

"We definitely needed to take care of the ball better, but we executed on offense, so that definitely helped," said Saxony sophomore forward Brianna Mueller, who led the Crusaders with 15 points, including 10 in the first quarter. "We knew they were going to be good competition for us. They're a fast team. We knew we were going to match up well. We just knew that if we could press them and make them turn the ball over that it'd go our way."

Which it did, much to the dismay of Scott County Central coach Matt Limbaugh.

"We didn't play very well at all," said Limbaugh, whose team fell to 3-3 on the season. "We didn't do many things right tonight, and against a really good team like Saxony, they're gonna put it to you when you give them a ton of chances."

Limbaugh noted the number of second-chance points his squad allowed (22) prevented the Bravettes from keeping the mounting deficit to a manageable level.

"I felt our [lack of] rebounding was a big key," Limbaugh said. "We didn't rebound very well at all. And giving a team second, third and fourth chances every time down the floor can eventually come and bite you in the butt, and I feel that was a big key in the first half, not coming out and rebounding and being aggressive. You can't give a good team like Saxony very many chances. ... Their defensive pressure really gave us fits."

Whereas Mueller paced the Crusaders early, fellow sophomore Raegan Wieser dominated in the second and third quarters. The 5-foot-10 guard/forward had five points in each those periods, but it was her defense on the perimeter that caused the Bravettes fits. Wieser had three steals of her own, but it was her disruption of the Scott County Central offense that enabled her teammates to play the passing lanes and come up with steals of their own.

"Our goal is 'No passes inside,'" Wieser said. "Always contest the shots outside. [Coach] always pushed that and we work our hardest to do that."

Wieser finished with 14 points, and her stellar play on both ends of the court did not go unnoticed by her coach.

"She's a versatile athlete, smart athlete," Sides said. "She's one of our better ballhandlers and passers. She's also one of our tallest players, too. I tell her, 'Whatever we need you to do, go do it.' Sometimes she'll play the point, sometimes she'll play shooting guard, sometimes she'll play a forward, sometimes she'll play post man. ... I thought she had a real good game."

SCC 9 1 14 3 -- 27

Saxony Lutheran 17 15 20 6 -- 60

SCOTT COUNTY CENTRAL (27) -- Mikaela Blissett 9, Johniqua Fort 4, Derien Ditto 8, Abby Ross 6. FG: 12. FT: 1-5. Total fouls: 10. (3-pointers: Ditto 2. Fouled out: none.)

SAXONY LUTHERAN (60) -- Grace Mirly 2, Jordan Hecht 4, Maci Daniel 8, Ali Galemma 1, Brianna Mueller 15, Tess Daniel 4, Ashlynn Collier 6, Raegen Wieser 14, Maddie Mrune 8. FG: 26. FT: 6-12. Total fouls: 13. (3-pointers: Mueller 3, Wieser 1. Fouled out: T. Daniel.)

Consolation semifinals Delta 31, St. Vincent 28

Senior Chasity Taylor scored a game-high 13 points as the host Bobcats rallied to earn a spot in the consolation final today at 7:30 p.m.

Sophomore Erin Bond pulled down eight rebounds for the Bobcats, who outscored the Indians 15-3 over the final eight minutes.

Katie Mattingly topped St. Vincent with 12 points.

Delta 9 3 4 15 -- 31

St. Vincent 6 11 8 3 -- 28

DELTA (31) -- Tia May 3, Erin Bond 4, Chasity Taylor 13, Jamie Hodge 8, Rachel Birkman 3. FG: 11. FT: 5-14. Total fouls: 7. (3-pointers: Hodge 2, May 1, Birkman 1. Fouled out: none.)

ST. VINCENT (28) -- Kylie Baer 3, Alexana Koishor 2, Rachel Mudd 2, Casey Unterreiner 7, Katie Mattingly 12, Abby Ruessler 2. FG: 12. FT: 3-7. Total fouls: 17. (3-pointers: Baer 1. Fouled out: Paige Yamnitz, Courtney Brown.)

Meadow Heights 59, Puxico 57

Junior guard Kiana Hotop dribbled the length of the court, drove between two defenders in the lane and banked in a layup as the buzzer sounded to lift the Panthers past the Indians and into today's consolation final.

Meadow Heights (2-8) outscored Puxico 22-14 in the final period to cap a frantic rally. Emma Cook led the Panthers with 20 points, while Hotop added 17 and Hayley Thorne 14.

Danielle Roberts paced Puxico (3-5) with 15 points.

Meadow Hts. 16 13 8 22 -- 59

Puxico 9 21 13 14 -- 57

MEADOW HEIGHTS (59) -- Abi Bristow 3, Kiana Hotop 17, Emma Cook 20, Hayley Thorne 14. FG: 18. FT: 19-37. Total fouls: 20. (3-pointers: Cook 3, Bristow 1. Fouled out: Bristow, Thorne.)

PUXICO (57) -- Morgyn Nelson 12, Danielle Roberts 15, Brenna Hancock 4, Gabby Clark 8, Katelyn Pierre 14, Nikki Richmond 4. FG: 21. FT: 15-28. Total fouls: 27. (3-pointers: none. Fouled out: Nelson, Roberts, Hancock, Richmond.)