Left: Although she was guarded closely, Kaitlynn Linnell dribbled around her defender and scored two points from the paint. Kaitlynn was named Vikings’ defensive player of the game for her play against Two Harbors. Above left: Up, up and away! Leaping like Super Girl, Leah Utities, No. 4 landed on the dark side of the moon after making this two-point jump shot against Two Harbors. Above right: Shooting wasn’t much of an option, so Jami Sjogren looked to pass the ball on this play. Jami scored 3 points against the Two Harbors Agates.
The Cook County High School girls’ basketball team started the week with a loss to McGregor but came back to defeat North Shore rival Two Harbors.
The Vikings’ record fell to 2-1 after losing 73-46 to the McGregor Mercs on Friday, December 7 in a game played at home.
While the Vikings came out strong early, once McGregor took the lead the Mercs never let up. Hot-shooting Abby Hawkinson, who scored 39 points, many of them on 3-point shots, led the Mercs. Overall McGregor players converted 11 of 25 shots from behind the 3-point line, a high percentage for any team.
Senior guard Breana Peterson shot the ball well and led Viking scorers with 16 points. Kaitlynn Linnell scored 3 points and pulled in 9 rebounds while Lily Gruber- Schulz netted 12 points and had 10 rebounds. Other Vikings to score included Kaylee Cronberg with 4 points; Leah Utities added 3 points and Theresa Morrin hit for 8 points.
“We out rebounded them 32-31, but lost the turnover battle 24-16,” said Head Coach Todd Toulouse.
“We weren’t able to close out fast enough on their shots. We gave up 24 field goals in this game and gave up a total of 23 in the previous two games. They are a good team, but we didn’t play to our potential.
“I think we will come out against Two Harbors and play better man and zone defense,” said Toulouse.
Vikings pound Two Harbors 68-35
On Tuesday, December 11 the Vikings hosted the Two Harbors Agates and played their best game to date, beating the Agates 68-35.
The young Vikings are now 3-1 on the year.
Senior guard/forward Theresa Morrin led her teammates with 25 points and earned Vikings’ offensive player of the game.
“She didn’t miss a shot all night long and was 11 of 11 from the field and 3 for 3 from the line to score 25 points,” said Coach Toulouse.
Viking defensive player of the game honors went to Kaitlynn Linnell.
“Kaitlynn earned defensive player of the game because she pulled down 9 defensive rebounds and had 10 overall. She played great help side defense,” Toulouse said.
Leah Utities with 12 points, Breana Peterson, 10 points and Linnell with 13 points were top scorers for the team. Rounding out the scoring was Kaylee Cronberg, Lily Gruber-Schulz, and Shauna Blake, who each had 2 points, and Jami Sjogren, who had 3 points.
The Vikings used a pressure match-up zone defense to disrupt the Agates, and many of the points they scored came off of steals.
Toulouse said, “As a team we had 19 assists on our 27 baskets, which is pretty good since we only had a total of 18 assists in the first 3 games we played. We also shot 81 percent from the free throw line (13 of 16). My goal is to hold our opponents to 35 points or less and we did.
“The real negative that is plaguing us right now is turning the ball over (27 times last night to only 26 turnovers for Two Harbors).”
As a new coach with a young team Toulouse has been learning about his players and the kids have been learning his system and his style of coaching. Against Two Harbors Toulouse played eight players. At the beginning of the year he played the starting five the whole game. His motto is “Good. Better. Best. Don’t let it rest until your good gets better and your better gets best!” So far his team is living up to that motto.
The Vikings play Esko on Thursday, December 13 at home at 4:45 p.m. Esko is led by 6’8’ UCLA-bound center Savanna Trapp and hot-shooting guard Marissa Shady. Holding Esko to less than 35 points will be next to impossible, but the game will be one no Vikings’ fan will want to miss.
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