Newell-Fonda pulls upset in tourney opener
By Steven Allspach Journal sports writer | Posted: Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Newell-Fonda's Susan Kies puts up a shot against Southeast Webster-Grand during action at the Iowa Girls' State Basketball Tournament in Des Moines Monday, February 25, 2008. (Jim Lee/Sioux City Journal)
DES MOINES -- It took exactly one game for the 2008 Iowa State Basketball Tournament to define a Cinderella.
In the first game of the four-class week-long affair at the Wells Fargo Arena, unrated Newell-Fonda stunned fifth-ranked Southeast Webster-Grand, 80-75.
It was the highest-scoring game in Class 1A tournament history since the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union initiated a four-class system in 1994.
Southeast Webster-Grand featured 5-11 senior Jennifer Jorgensen, the second-leading scorer in Iowa five-player history.
Jorgensen, averaging 30.4 points a game, was limited to 13 points in the first half, but wound up with 34 as she led a stirring comeback that eventually fell short.
The University of Pacific signee finished her career with 2,708 points, second only to Debbie Remmerde of Rock Valley, who collected 2,756 points from 1999-2003.
Southeast Webster-Grand would have had to make it to the title game for Jorgensen to have a shot at erasing Remmerde's record.
"We felt our only chance was to play our pressure game from end to end and try to take advantage of our depth,'' said Newell-Fonda Coach Dick Jungers. "Jennifer Jorgensen is such a great player, you really don't stop her.
"I was proud of the way our kids took charge and proud of the way they kept their poise and composure when Southeast Webster rallied to take the lead in the second half.''
Newell-Fonda led 42-29 at halftime and still held sway at 52-35 with 5:04 left in the third quarter.
But, Jorgensen spurred a charge and her three-point play with 6:46 left in the game tied the score at 60-all. She followed moments later with a layup that gave her team a 62-60 lead.
Newell-Fonda responded with seven straight points, including the fifth and last three-point bucket by junior non-starter Ellen Gruntorad, who scored 15 points.
Two Jorgensen free throws with 1:55 left got it back to 75-73, but a basket and free throw by junior Susan Kies kept the Eagles at bay.
"We were the underdog, but we liked that. It gave us extra incentive,'' said Kies, who led N-F with 23 points and eight rebounds. Katelyn Laursen chipped in with 12 points and Lauren Devereaux 10.
The Mustangs connected on 10 of their 26 three-point attempts and also took advantage of 29 Southeast Webster turnovers. Jorgensen sank 11 of 17 shots from the field.
Newell-Fonda will take a 22-3 record into 1A semifinal Wednesday (6:30) against unbeaten and No. 1-ranked Dunkerton (25-0), which escaped unranked Woden-Crystal Lake-Titonka's upset trap, 70-68, in the other morning contest.
WCLT, which finished 22-4, was unranked despite returning 6-foot all-stater Stacey Schutjer, who was averaging 23.2 points and 13.7 rebounds. Kayla Waskow led Dunkerton with 31 points and Schutjer had 16 points and 22 rebounds, two shy of her own state tourney record of 24 set last year against Riverside Highland.
"It's sad to see high school basketball come to an end, especially this way with a loss, but it has been a blast for four years,'' said Jorgensen, choking back tears while trying to retain her composure after the game. "My teammates played great in the second half and when we came back to take the lead we all thought we had chance to win.
"But they (Newell-Fonda) made their shots when it counted.''
Jorgensen, Iowa's 1A state long jump champ the past two years, also grabbed 13 rebounds, handed out seven assists and made three steals. She was charged with 10 turnovers, but most of those came when teammates couldn't handle some deft passes.
SE Webster-Grand (75)
Min FG-A FT-A RB A PF TP
Maddisen Hansen 32 3 5 0 2 3 0 4 7
Jennifer Jorgensen 30 11 17 12 16 13 7 3 34
Michelle Pals 25 5 7 4 5 2 1 1 15
Alyssa Lundgren 26 0 10 0 0 6 0 3 0
Kaci Stoneburner 26 1 5 4 4 7 1 4 6
Morgan Hansen 14 4 10 5 5 5 0 4 13
Renee Carstenson 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Whitney Lundberg 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Team 7
Totals 160 24 54 25 32 46 9 19 75
Newell-Fonda (80)
Min FG-A FT-A RB A PF TP
Susan Kies 27 6 11 9 12 8 3 2 23
Karina Overgaard 26 1 2 2 4 4 0 2 4
Katelyn Laursen 16 5 13 0 1 4 1 4 12
Rachel Culp 30 2 7 0 0 3 5 2 4
Lauren Devereaux 17 4 6 2 3 2 1 2 10
Ellen Gruntorad 14 5 15 0 0 1 2 4 15
Alisa Christensen 9 2 5 0 0 2 2 3 5
Katie Kaufman 6 0 2 0 0 1 0 2 0
Becky Seivert 14 2 3 1 2 2 0 1 5
Jacki Peters 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 2
Team 0
Totals 160 28 65 14 23 28 14 22 80
Score by quarters:
SE Webster-Grand 13 16 26 20 75
Newell-Fonda 15 27 18 20 80
Southeast Webster 2-11 (Pals 1-2, Ma. Hansen 1-3, Stoneburner 0-1, Lundgren 0-5), Newell-Fonda 10-26 (Gruntorad 5-14, Kies 2-3, Laursen 2-3, Christensen 1-3, Devereaux 0-1, Culp 0-2).
Technical foul: Seivert.
In the first game of the four-class week-long affair at the Wells Fargo Arena, unrated Newell-Fonda stunned fifth-ranked Southeast Webster-Grand, 80-75.
It was the highest-scoring game in Class 1A tournament history since the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union initiated a four-class system in 1994.
Southeast Webster-Grand featured 5-11 senior Jennifer Jorgensen, the second-leading scorer in Iowa five-player history.
Jorgensen, averaging 30.4 points a game, was limited to 13 points in the first half, but wound up with 34 as she led a stirring comeback that eventually fell short.
The University of Pacific signee finished her career with 2,708 points, second only to Debbie Remmerde of Rock Valley, who collected 2,756 points from 1999-2003.
Southeast Webster-Grand would have had to make it to the title game for Jorgensen to have a shot at erasing Remmerde's record.
"We felt our only chance was to play our pressure game from end to end and try to take advantage of our depth,'' said Newell-Fonda Coach Dick Jungers. "Jennifer Jorgensen is such a great player, you really don't stop her.
"I was proud of the way our kids took charge and proud of the way they kept their poise and composure when Southeast Webster rallied to take the lead in the second half.''
Newell-Fonda led 42-29 at halftime and still held sway at 52-35 with 5:04 left in the third quarter.
But, Jorgensen spurred a charge and her three-point play with 6:46 left in the game tied the score at 60-all. She followed moments later with a layup that gave her team a 62-60 lead.
Newell-Fonda responded with seven straight points, including the fifth and last three-point bucket by junior non-starter Ellen Gruntorad, who scored 15 points.
Two Jorgensen free throws with 1:55 left got it back to 75-73, but a basket and free throw by junior Susan Kies kept the Eagles at bay.
"We were the underdog, but we liked that. It gave us extra incentive,'' said Kies, who led N-F with 23 points and eight rebounds. Katelyn Laursen chipped in with 12 points and Lauren Devereaux 10.
The Mustangs connected on 10 of their 26 three-point attempts and also took advantage of 29 Southeast Webster turnovers. Jorgensen sank 11 of 17 shots from the field.
Newell-Fonda will take a 22-3 record into 1A semifinal Wednesday (6:30) against unbeaten and No. 1-ranked Dunkerton (25-0), which escaped unranked Woden-Crystal Lake-Titonka's upset trap, 70-68, in the other morning contest.
WCLT, which finished 22-4, was unranked despite returning 6-foot all-stater Stacey Schutjer, who was averaging 23.2 points and 13.7 rebounds. Kayla Waskow led Dunkerton with 31 points and Schutjer had 16 points and 22 rebounds, two shy of her own state tourney record of 24 set last year against Riverside Highland.
"It's sad to see high school basketball come to an end, especially this way with a loss, but it has been a blast for four years,'' said Jorgensen, choking back tears while trying to retain her composure after the game. "My teammates played great in the second half and when we came back to take the lead we all thought we had chance to win.
"But they (Newell-Fonda) made their shots when it counted.''
Jorgensen, Iowa's 1A state long jump champ the past two years, also grabbed 13 rebounds, handed out seven assists and made three steals. She was charged with 10 turnovers, but most of those came when teammates couldn't handle some deft passes.
SE Webster-Grand (75)
Min FG-A FT-A RB A PF TP
Maddisen Hansen 32 3 5 0 2 3 0 4 7
Jennifer Jorgensen 30 11 17 12 16 13 7 3 34
Michelle Pals 25 5 7 4 5 2 1 1 15
Alyssa Lundgren 26 0 10 0 0 6 0 3 0
Kaci Stoneburner 26 1 5 4 4 7 1 4 6
Morgan Hansen 14 4 10 5 5 5 0 4 13
Renee Carstenson 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Whitney Lundberg 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Team 7
Totals 160 24 54 25 32 46 9 19 75
Newell-Fonda (80)
Min FG-A FT-A RB A PF TP
Susan Kies 27 6 11 9 12 8 3 2 23
Karina Overgaard 26 1 2 2 4 4 0 2 4
Katelyn Laursen 16 5 13 0 1 4 1 4 12
Rachel Culp 30 2 7 0 0 3 5 2 4
Lauren Devereaux 17 4 6 2 3 2 1 2 10
Ellen Gruntorad 14 5 15 0 0 1 2 4 15
Alisa Christensen 9 2 5 0 0 2 2 3 5
Katie Kaufman 6 0 2 0 0 1 0 2 0
Becky Seivert 14 2 3 1 2 2 0 1 5
Jacki Peters 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 2
Team 0
Totals 160 28 65 14 23 28 14 22 80
Score by quarters:
SE Webster-Grand 13 16 26 20 75
Newell-Fonda 15 27 18 20 80
Southeast Webster 2-11 (Pals 1-2, Ma. Hansen 1-3, Stoneburner 0-1, Lundgren 0-5), Newell-Fonda 10-26 (Gruntorad 5-14, Kies 2-3, Laursen 2-3, Christensen 1-3, Devereaux 0-1, Culp 0-2).
Technical foul: Seivert.
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Dana wrote on Mar 3, 2008 6:02 PM:
Great Job At STATE Mustangs, you should be very proud! "
Alan & Dana Kies wrote on Feb 26, 2008 2:34 PM: