Sports
Knights Girls Coaches Expect Back-n-Forth Affair With Buffalo
The teams bring into the conference championship game identical conference (13-1) and overall (21-3) records.
The St. Michael-Albertville Knights girls basketball team tonight takes on the Buffalo Bison (7:30 p.m. in Buffalo) to determine the winner of the Mississippi 8 Conference.
The teams share identical records of 13-1 in conference play with overall records of 21-3. The Knights, however, have been in and out of the state rankings this season, enjoying a no. 9 ranking as recently as a week ago.
Knights' head coach Kent Hamre expects a similar style of play from both teams.
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"I expect to see an end-to-end ballgame. They like to push the ball and so do we," Hamre said at practice on Monday afternoon. "I think it will be a little bit of a feeling out process because this is likely to be a team we'll see again in the sectional tournament. Possibly even a set up for a third game (at state)."
Assistant coach Steph Lahr is hoping to utilize the same strategy that led to a 65-55 victory the first time the teams played each other on Jan. 20.
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"We're focusing on the best way to defend (Molly) Muntifering and (Kendra) Wycoff," Lahr said at the Monday practice. "Last time we played them we doubled down on Muntifering every time she got the ball and we'll probably do something similar this time."
Assistant coach Derek Johnson is not planning for either team to show its proverbial hand so close to the must-win part of the season.
"It'll be a lot of just playing basketball. I don't think either team is looking to show each other a whole lot. It'll just be our five on the floor against their five. It's the no. 1 versus the no. 2 seed in the region. It's winner take all," Johnson said.
Tonight's game will determine the Mississippi 8 Conference champion and will likely lead to a similar ranking in the section. Hamre is very clear about his team's goals for the rest of the season.
"The next goal is the section championship. Our final goal is to get to the back end of the state tournament. For us to do those things we need to stay focused and stay healthy," Hamre said.