Feb. 28—ROCHESTER — It seems surprising that someone as skilled as point guard Aaliyah Williams is, and her defense beyond reproach, that the junior multi-year starter could somehow be overlooked in games.
But it's happened, and that comes down to points. Lauren Hust and Amelia Truty are the Eagles' two biggest scorers, with Williams coming in third as she averages 14 per game to go along with her seven assists per game.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWell, on Saturday in the Section 1, Class 2A semifinals against Goodhue, there was no overlooking Williams. She did her usual incredible act of taking care of the most crucial ballhandling, finding open teammates and playing her tireless and physical defense. But she also used this day to light it up from the field.
Williams scored 23 points to go with the rest of her impeccable act.
"We just knew going into this game that they were so focused on me and Amelia and so we knew from the beginning that Aaliyah was going to have a big game for us," Hust said. "Aaliyah is a great shooter and she was a big piece to our puzzle today.
"I am so happy for her. We need her. She is going to take us places."
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWhere she is taking Lourdes next is to the Section 1, Class 2A championship game where the No. 2 seeded Eagles will meet No. 1 Red Wing. That will happen at 8 p.m. Thursday at Mayo Civic Auditorium, the winner advancing to the state tournament.
For her sake, Williams is just fine taking a slightly less high profile role than Hust and Truty. She knows how important all of her point guard tasks are, so she doesn't worry much about points.
"I think by staying calm and leading my team was important," said Williams, whose team won 70-67. "I knew I had to step up in this moment and give the team energy and get us going. Getting less attention never bothers me. I am happy for them and I love that they are getting recognition. And I know my defense and creating those shots for them is important, and even if I don't get recognition I am just happy that they are getting recognition."
Williams entered Saturday's game with a slightly different mindset. She was calling on herself to take up more of the scoring, just with a strong hunch it would be needed in this game.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementShe certainly came through, getting to the basket, hitting midrange pull-up jumpers and also burying a pair of 3-pointers. She was a difference maker, in every category imaginable.
"I think I came in with the mindset that I had to push the issue and have that attitude to get downhill," she said. "Especially against this team, to get people in foul trouble. But I do love playing point guard because you are playing for everyone else and just being a leader on the court and knowing all of our girls trust me to get them those shots."
Indeed, Williams turned in one of her most complete games of the season and it was the No. 1 catalyst to Lourdes getting past a team it had split with during the regular season, Goodhue.
Lourdes, ranked sixth in the state, rode Williams' brilliant point guard play, her defense and her ability to rise up and score in a big game with 23 points to the win over perennial power Goodhue in the Section 1, Class 2A basketball semifinals at Mayo Civic Auditorium.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementLourdes led the bulk of the game, but rarely by more than five points as it raised its record to 23-6. Goodhue finished at 20-9.
Williams was good for 15 points in the first half and eight in the second, including some massive free throw makes in the final two minutes as Lourdes had just enough to hold off Goodhue, which threatened mightily to close the game.
Williams was one of two Eagles to hit 23 points. The other was precocious eighth-grader Truty, who got 15 of hers on five 3-pointers. Hust added 15 points for Lourdes.
Lourdes will next face top seed Red Wing at 8 p.m. Thursday in the section championship at Mayo Civic Auditorium.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAva Wallaker led Goodhue with 20 points. Natalie Thomforde added 15 and Lola Christianson 12. Christianson had been averaging 21 points per game.
Lourdes 70, Goodhue 67
GOODHUE (67)
Mackenzie Lodermeier 11 P, 3 3-PT; Natalie Thomforde 15 P; Lola Christianson 12 P, 2 3-PT; Ashlee Barton 4 P; Ruby Schafer 2 P; Aubrey Christianson 2 P; Ava Wallaker 20 P, 4 3-PT; Aza Baartman 2 P.
LOURDES (70)
Lauren Hust 15 P; Lauren Wackel 3 P; Reese Espeseth 4 P; Aaliyah Williams 23 P, 2 3-PT; Amelia Truty 23 P, 5 3-PT; Wollbrink 2 P.
Halftime: LOUR 34, GOOD 28.
Free throws: GOOD 14-20, LOUR 16-20.
Three-point goals: GOOD 9, LOUR 7.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementROCHESTER — Pressure defense with a girl who can run all day at the head of it paid big dividends for the Red Wing basketball team.
This time the payoff happened in the Section 1, Class 2A semfiinals, the No. 1-seeded Wingers taking on a No. 4 seeded Caledonia team that just missed against the Wingers in the teams' only previous meeting this season.
This time that run-all-day-girl — Hanson — disrupted the Warriors enough at the head of their 1-2-2 zone defense that Caledonia coughed up what looked to be a great chance to possibly go ahead in a game that it trailed by just a single point with about 8 minutes left in regulation.
Instead, Hanson — also a cross country and track-and-field standout — helped force Caledonia into a pack of turnovers in the final minutes and it fueled the Wingers to a 58-48 win at Mayo Civic Auditorium on Saturday afternoon.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe win upped Red Wing to 25-4 overall, while Caledonia finished at 22-7.
"We've hung our hat on our defense all year," Red Wing coach Peter Johnson said. "They scored 26 points in the first half and 22 in the second. Our kids do a fantastic job (defensively) in adapting to what needs to be done. Our defense just continues to wear on teams. And (Hanson) is a cross country runner, so she can go for days."
The Wingers also showed off their versatility and adaptability on offense with with four players scoring at least eight points. They were led by star forward Izzy Guetzlaff with 17 points. Finley Kamps added 14, Hallie Johnson 13 and Alexa Guetzlaff eight.
Caledonia, which built an early first-half lead before Red Wing came charging back, also showed up a bit depleted. Star guard Aubrie Klug was dealing with a knee she'd injured in the previous round and it limited her mobility. She settled for all of her scoring happening from the outside as she still managed a game-high 24 points on eight 3-pointers.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementNobody else on the Warriors' roster managed more than eight points.
Red Wing 58, Caledonia 48
CALEDONIA (58)
Jessica Stendel 6 P; Aubrie Klug 24 P, 8 3-PT; Kensey King 8 P; Nicole Banse 8 P, 1 3-PT; Peyten Felten 2 P.
RED WING (48)
Hallie Johnson 13 P, 1 3-PT; Finley Kamps 14 P, 1 3-PT; Nora Hanson 6 P, 2 3-PT; Alexa Guetzlaff 8 P, 1 3-PT; Izzy Guetzlaff 17 P, 1 3-PT.
Halftime: RW 27, CAL 26.
Free throws: CAL 1-3, RW 8-11.
Three-point goals: CAL 9, RW 6.
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