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Tiger girls roar, knock out reigning champs
INCOLN, Neb. — What does it say when two majestic McKinzie Baney running bank shots double a defending state champs’ point total?
Answer: the Dundy County-Stratton girls were feeling right at home during Thursday’s Class D-1 state tournament.
“We were a little nervous getting on the bus,” senior Grace Frederick said. “But when we got there, it was like ‘okay, we’ve been here before.’
Indeed. They turned Lincoln North Star into DC-S East as Tiger fans cheered on an incredible turnaround.
Baney only outscored the North Central Knights, 4-2, but that covered nearly 11 minutes of basketball while DC-S took total charge.
They allowed 14 points in one quarter, then outscored the champs 36-14 through those next three periods of a 48-28 victory.
“That’s our trademark. That’s what we take the most pride in,” senior Adelene Krutsinger declared about the Tigers’ 23rd win this season.
Of course, Krutsinger’s 22 points had something to do with advancing her team into another state semifinal.
The senior post was admittedly a little “riled up” when North Central jumped into an early lead.
“I knew I had to step it up,” she said.
Sure enough, Krutsinger hit her first shot and didn’t really stop until the halftime break.
She scored eight points in the first quarter to pull her Tigers within 14-12.
A.K. added another eight and DC-S happy took a 24-16 lead into their midway break.
“It seemed like I barely blinked and we were down 5-0,” coach Matt Thomas revealed. “But we just had to get our footing. Adalene hit four or five shots when our eyes were THIS big.”
Plus when you rattle one DC-S senior, it usually wakes up the entire Tiger pack.
Guard Baney was soon banking in high arching shots over clearly surprised North Central defenders.
“That’s her shot,” junior backcourt partner Sable Lambley said. “I’ve seen it plenty. I just turn around and think ‘that one’s going in’.”
Sophomore Maggie Lutz soon hit a baseline jumper while helping the Tigers move ahead to stay at 18-14.
Lambley would fight foul trouble and eventually draw her fifth.
However, the tenacious defense from Tiger “gnats” like Lambley, Jessie Freeland and Baney frustrated defending state champs almost all game.
“Our seniors are great leaders, but it’s not a dictatorship,” Lambley explained. “We count on them and they relay on us. They listen to our ‘little people’.”
North Central leader Mia Wiebelhaus finished with 14 points, but only one made field goal during those final three quarters.
“She (Wiebelhaus) is an all-state player in my opinion,” Krutsinger said. “But getting help from Jessi, Sable and others definitely made the difference.”
The Tigers’ dominance didn’t stop following halftime. They went more than two minutes without a basket — yet North Central couldn’t score either.
Baney soon hit the one and only Tiger three-pointer that forged a 33-20 lead.
Momentum continued building even though Frederick and Lambley both faced bench time due to foul trouble.
Reserves like Sydney Reichert entered the state tourney pressure-cooker without a bit of sweat.
The mighty Knights (20-3 record) couldn’t really cut into their deficit no matter how much they tried.
Plus Frederick would re-enter, avoid any more fouls and eventually pull down a game-high 14 rebounds.
“My offense didn’t travel,” she said with just two free throws. “But my defense did.”
The Tigers’ margin soon reached 41-23 in front of familiar DC-S former players like Aubrey Frederick and Madison Lambley.
“I talk to Aubrey every day and did this morning. I told her I had butterflies,” Grace explained. “She said ‘good, that shows you are ready.”
The Tigers eventually put all their reserves in for more state tournament experience.
DC-S is playing its third state tournament in four seasons and eager to re-visit Pinnacle Bank Arena. The Tigers lost a double-overtime state final two years ago.
“That’s our goal is to get to Pinnacle,” Thomas concluded. “But with these seniors, we know we’ll be focused on Pleasanton (in the semifinals). They know what needs to be done.”