Lady Pioneers fall in another close game

In the midst of the season-plus slump we've been in, close games have honestly been a rarity. If you've followed the Lady Pioneers during that time, you know the impact injuries, multi-sport athletes, and youth have had to make consistency and continuity a challenge. In fact, it's been rare that we've had opportunities to win games in the final ten minutes, much less, be "in" games the second half. The fear of a coach is that this becomes the culture.

If the last two games are any indication, we have nothing to fear.

Playing against NCAA III Finlandia University at home Tuesday night, a team the Northland women have never defeated, we started slow but played them evenly the rest of the game, dropping a 51-45 decision. We trailed 6-0, 10-2, and 15-4 before going on a 10-1 run to cut the lead to 16-14 with six minutes left in the first half. But the Lions dominated the boards and second chance points, as well as hit some key 3-pointers down the stretch to lead 29-22 at the break.

Finlandia extended the lead to 11 in the second half, but our girls refused to quit. Sparked by good defense and steals, we were able to cut the lead to 43-40 on free throws by Kate with 3:49 left. But four turnovers in our next five possessions eliminated any hope of a rally and win.

My honest assessment is we turned it over too many times (25) and missed too many high percentage shots we normally make (including several layups) to come away with a win. On the positive side, our defensive intensity was great, and as usual, continues to build during the game. Kate had her third consecutive great game offensively, leading us with 19 points. She added eight rebounds, three assists, and a steal while playing all 40 minutes. She also played great defense, limiting their second-leading scorer to just four points on the night. Allie continues to play a vital role, scoring 12 points, with 10 rebounds, four assists, and four steals. Brooke added nine points and four steals. C.J. (Chelsea Goodreau) gave us some good minutes off of the bench with a tremendous defensive effort.

Anyway, it's onward from here with two key regional games this weekend. We host the Midwest Tip-Off event here at Northland Thurs-Sat, with all seven teams from our region in action in our gym. We play Lincoln Christian University on Thursday at 7 pm, and Kuyper College on Saturday at 1pm.

Thanks for reading.