L-B faces Woodbury Central in regional final
By Steven Allspach, Journal sports writer | Posted: Monday, February 18, 2008
That target on the collective back of the Lawton-Bronson girls basketball team will be blinking like a neon sign tonight when the state's second-ranked Class 1A team squares off with neighboring arch-rival Woodbury Central in a regional tourney final at East High.
"The girls have handled extra pressure very well all year long,'' says Lawton-Bronson Coach Kevin Mills. "These kids have always been pretty cool, calm and collected with games on the line.
"Obviously, there's even more pressure involved when you play an excellent team like Woodbury Central.''
Tonight's winner claims a state tourney berth with Lawton-Bronson, 20-3, gunning for its second straight trip to Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.
Last year, in the school's initial state tourney appearance, L-B defeated Guthrie Center in the first round, but lost to eventual state runner-up Manilla IKM in the semifinals.
Lawton-Bronson began the season ranked No. 1 in 1A, but lost the lofty ranking after demanding losses to Class 4A East (76-59), Heelan (58-51) and reigning state champion North (67-46). The Eagles, though, have soared back to the No. 2 spot (unbeaten Dunkerton is No. 1) with 15 straight wins since falling to North.
The two Woodbury County rivals have met twice with L-B winning 63-37 Maple Valley Conference Tournament semifina on Jan. 25. But, Coach Bryan Alfredson's Wildcats reduced the difference significantly in a 51-40 loss a couple of weeks ago in Moville.
"If Lawton-Bronson does what its has in the past against us I expect they'll run a zone at us, trying to force us outside with the shot,'' said Alfredson, whose team takes a 17-4 record into the third-time meeting.
The 51-40 contest was tied at 39-39 before Lawton-Bronson went on 12-1 run to decide the issue.
L-B relies on scoring balance with Brooke Williams averaging 15 points, forward Alyssa Brockhaus and point guard Katie Sorensen at 13.7 point each and guard Mandy Wagner at 10.4 points. Wagner gunned in 29 points, sinking four three-pointers, in a 72-54 semifinal victory over George-Little Rock Friday in Orange City.
Mills figures Woodbury Central will try to slow the pace of the game and collapse its defense around the 6-foot Williams and 5-11 Brockhaus in the paint.
"Our guards will have to make plays, that's certain,'' said Mills.
Brittany Alfredson, a 5-11 senior who will play collegiately at Morningside, averages 17 points and 11 rebounds for Woodbury Central.
"We'll play Brittany out front and on the wing and sometimes post her up, but she's a more effective rebounder when she's not around the low block,'' said her father, the coach.
Point guard Randi Ebert has been a consistent performer for the Wildcats, along with forward Jordan Grell and 5-11 sophomore Katie Steffen, who has made major contributions in the paint the past 10 games. The 11th-ranked Wildcats, who have also lost to East (71-61), whipped Galva-Holstein 54-26 in a regional semifinal Friday at Northwestern College.
In the second meeting between the two rivals, L-B's Williams was limited to six points, but Alyssa Brockhaus tallied 17.
Last year in the regional final in Cherokee, Lawton-Bronson won 66-48.
In Siouxland's only 2A regional final tonight, Orange City Unity Christian and Hull Western Christian collide at MOC-Floyd Valley High School.
Unranked Western (15-10), one of the smaller schools in the predominately 3A Lakes Conference, beat Okoboji in a semifinal, 49-48, on Kayla Gesink's jump shot with four seconds to play.
Unity, ranked 13th, is 22-2 after rolling 71-47 past War Eagle Conference rival Hinton in the other semifinal. Kendra DeJong paced Unity with 17 points.
"The girls have handled extra pressure very well all year long,'' says Lawton-Bronson Coach Kevin Mills. "These kids have always been pretty cool, calm and collected with games on the line.
"Obviously, there's even more pressure involved when you play an excellent team like Woodbury Central.''
Tonight's winner claims a state tourney berth with Lawton-Bronson, 20-3, gunning for its second straight trip to Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.
Last year, in the school's initial state tourney appearance, L-B defeated Guthrie Center in the first round, but lost to eventual state runner-up Manilla IKM in the semifinals.
Lawton-Bronson began the season ranked No. 1 in 1A, but lost the lofty ranking after demanding losses to Class 4A East (76-59), Heelan (58-51) and reigning state champion North (67-46). The Eagles, though, have soared back to the No. 2 spot (unbeaten Dunkerton is No. 1) with 15 straight wins since falling to North.
The two Woodbury County rivals have met twice with L-B winning 63-37 Maple Valley Conference Tournament semifina on Jan. 25. But, Coach Bryan Alfredson's Wildcats reduced the difference significantly in a 51-40 loss a couple of weeks ago in Moville.
"If Lawton-Bronson does what its has in the past against us I expect they'll run a zone at us, trying to force us outside with the shot,'' said Alfredson, whose team takes a 17-4 record into the third-time meeting.
The 51-40 contest was tied at 39-39 before Lawton-Bronson went on 12-1 run to decide the issue.
L-B relies on scoring balance with Brooke Williams averaging 15 points, forward Alyssa Brockhaus and point guard Katie Sorensen at 13.7 point each and guard Mandy Wagner at 10.4 points. Wagner gunned in 29 points, sinking four three-pointers, in a 72-54 semifinal victory over George-Little Rock Friday in Orange City.
Mills figures Woodbury Central will try to slow the pace of the game and collapse its defense around the 6-foot Williams and 5-11 Brockhaus in the paint.
"Our guards will have to make plays, that's certain,'' said Mills.
Brittany Alfredson, a 5-11 senior who will play collegiately at Morningside, averages 17 points and 11 rebounds for Woodbury Central.
"We'll play Brittany out front and on the wing and sometimes post her up, but she's a more effective rebounder when she's not around the low block,'' said her father, the coach.
Point guard Randi Ebert has been a consistent performer for the Wildcats, along with forward Jordan Grell and 5-11 sophomore Katie Steffen, who has made major contributions in the paint the past 10 games. The 11th-ranked Wildcats, who have also lost to East (71-61), whipped Galva-Holstein 54-26 in a regional semifinal Friday at Northwestern College.
In the second meeting between the two rivals, L-B's Williams was limited to six points, but Alyssa Brockhaus tallied 17.
Last year in the regional final in Cherokee, Lawton-Bronson won 66-48.
In Siouxland's only 2A regional final tonight, Orange City Unity Christian and Hull Western Christian collide at MOC-Floyd Valley High School.
Unranked Western (15-10), one of the smaller schools in the predominately 3A Lakes Conference, beat Okoboji in a semifinal, 49-48, on Kayla Gesink's jump shot with four seconds to play.
Unity, ranked 13th, is 22-2 after rolling 71-47 past War Eagle Conference rival Hinton in the other semifinal. Kendra DeJong paced Unity with 17 points.
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AM! wrote on Feb 18, 2008 3:19 PM: