Sports
St. Michael-Albertville Girls Come Up Short at State
The Eastview Eagles build a 16-point first-half lead, and held off a second half rally by the Knights to advance at the State AAAA Girls Basketball Tournament in Minneapolis.
St. Michael-Albertville played a strong defensive game, holding the Eastview Eagles to 30 percent shooting in the second half, but couldn't overcome their own offensive woes in the first half in order to advance.
Eastview (Apple Valley) built a 26-14 lead by the end of the first half, and led by as much as 16 en route to a 55-41 win.
But the second half showed some STMA spunk, as the Knights cut the Eagles' lead down to eight on two occaisions.
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"That first half–I don't know. It was a blur. We just came out really slow and that's what cost us," said senior Christine Thorn, who wrapped up her STMA career with a 19-point win. "We came back in the second half, but we just couldn't get all the way back."
Head coach Kent Hamre said Eastview's zone defense took the Knights out of some of their offensive schemes in the first half.
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"We had them scouted well, but they're very athletic. (Amber) Mehr kind of makes them go, and she had a nice first half for them and can really play almost like a guard, even though she's a post player," he said. "Our girls never quit."
The Knights wrap up the season at 22-8 after winning the Section 8-4A championship last week.
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