This has been one of the craziest days I've experienced in a long, long time.
As news continues breaking from around North American and across the globe that COVID-19 is in retreat mode, life as we know it here in our corner of the world that we call Jaguar Country continues to amaze, surprise and inspire me. This is especially true today as news is coming at me from everywhere like a tidal wave (thankfully - mostly good news). Then something truly special takes place tonight at the B-B-E high school.
As close followers of our B-B-E Jaguars girls' basketball team know, they are pushing through a trying period of the season where junior Abby Berge is unavailable to due an injury. On the plus side, junior Harley Roering has returned to action following her own injury that kept her sidelined from last May until a week ago. While Berge's temporary spot on the sideline has hurt the team's stride in the middle of the season, the team stepped up in grand fashion tonight against Royalton in a game that was clearly going south early in the second half.
In the game's opening minutes, the Jaguars built an 11-5 lead through the first six minutes of play. A three-pointer by Tiyana Schwinghammer with just over 10 minutes left put the Jaguars ahead 16-11.
Then the wheels fell off for about the next 16 to 18 minutes of the game before and after halftime.
For the latter part of the first half, Royalton could not miss. They began draining three-pointers and paint shots and went on a 14-2 run over a six-minute stretch. With 4:38 left, the Royals scored in the paint to lead 25-18. Unfortunately, it was going to get worse from that point until the first buzzer sounded.
Schwinghammer scored on a fast break, and Allie Dingmann scored in the paint to cut the deficit to 28-22 with 3:05 left. Then the Jaguars went stone cold. Six-foot Royalton senior Autumn Schoenrock buried a three-pointer with 1:20 left to stretch the lead to 35-22. They scored in the paint with 16 seconds left to take a 38-22 lead into halftime. The Jaguars had their work cut out for them.
The Jaguars got exactly what they needed when Schwinghammer knocked down an eight-footer a minute into the second half to cut it to 14 points. A comeback was still a pipe dream at that point, however, as Schoenrock buried another three-pointer to push the lead to 17 points. The game began to grind out in a defensive battle, with each team denying the other on offense. Minutes passed by, and with 11:32 left, the Royals had a 42-25 lead.
Enter junior reserve Anna Jaeger, who calmly sank two free throws - nothing but net each time - on the very next possession. With 11:20 left, the Jaguars trailed 42-27. The Royals scored in the paint on the next possession for a 44-27 lead. It felt like time was about to run out on hope for a comeback.
Junior Brooklyn Fischer, also off the bench, provided a spark on B-B-E's next possession after getting fouled and calmly sinking two free throws with 10:28 left. She scored a minute later in the paint to cut the deficit to 44-31. After Royalton went empty on a second straight possession, Schwinghammer drained two free throws with 9:05 left to cut the deficit to 11 at 44-33.
Energy levels for B-B-E fans, players and coaches ramped up in grand fashion, and Royalton promptly threw the ball away while trying to inbound the ball after Schwinghammer's second made free throw. B-B-E regrouped, and junior Harley Roering drove the lane for a layup with 8:45 left. The game was down to single digits! Royalton called a timeout, but they stumbled on their next possession, and Jaeger stole a pass in the high post area. She passed quickly to Roering across the half court line, and Roering drove in a fast break layup with 8:20 to go for a 44-37 score.
The game began to grind again with both defenses trading shots and limiting good looks at the basket. Over two scoreless minutes passed by before the Jaguars chipped away at the hole they were in with Schwinghammer driving through Royalton's tall front line for a layup with 5:53 to go. Suddenly the Jaguars were trailing by just two possessions.
Royalton continued to sputter offensively and play out of sync. The Jaguars got another boost from a key reserve, this time in freshman Bree Thieschafer, who drained two free throws with 5:21 left for a 44-41 score. On cue, Royalton threw the ball away on their next inbounds attempt. The turnover was costly, as B-B-E then got two free throws by Schwinghammer on the next possession with 4:44 left to make it a one-point game.
On Royalton's next possession, they were fouled and had a bonus opportunity in which they missed the front end shot. Across the next 30 seconds, both teams traded baskets. Schwinghammer hit a floater in the lane to put the Jaguars ahead 45-44. Just seconds later, Royalton scored in the paint to regain the lead at 46-44 with 4:07 left.
Almost a minute later, Royalton connected on two bonus free throws to build a 48-45 lead. After B-B-E had an empty possession, the Royals got one of two free throws with 2:35 left to regain a two-possession lead. The Jaguars had yet another empty possession, and the Royals made them pay with a fast break shot with 2:15 left to push their lead to 51-45.
Out of a B-B-E timeout, the Jaguars used a bit of patience and a huge dose of great court sense on their next possession. At the top of the key, Harley Roering threw a bullet-like pass to a wide-open Schwinghammer on the left block. Her quick paint shot went in with 1:50 left to make it a four-point game. Royalton successfully inbounded the ball, but they failed to get the ball down court against B-B-E's press when Roering and Kailey Fischer converged on Royalton junior Mya Wolbeck near half court. Roering forced Wolbeck to change course before crossing the half court line, and Fischer swooped in to knock the ball free, tipping it towards B-B-E's basket. Kailey took two big steps to recover the loose ball and dribbled in for a layup shot. Wolbeck stuck with her to the left block, and the ball rolled across the rim. Roering was Johnny-On-The-Spot to grab the weakside offensive rebound and put it back up for a field goal with 1:32 left...now it was a two-point game! You can watch that sequence play out in the video below.
Here's a video recorded with 2 minutes remaining in regulation play:
As Royalton tried to push the ball inside on their next possession, Jaeger swatted the ball out of Schoenrock's hands at the free throw line. As the ball bounced towards the left wing, Schwinghammer scooped up the ball and sped down court. Her well-guarded layup banged off the glass to tie the game with 1:02 left in regulation play at 51-51!
Royalton got the ball down court and swung it over to a wide-open Schoenrock, who launched a three-pointer from the left wing. With B-B-E fans, players and coaches holding their breath, the ball clanked off the front of the rim and came down on the weak side. Royalton mishandled an offensive rebound attempt and pushed the ball out of bounds! The clock showed 47 seconds left, and the Jaguars had a shot at retaking the lead.
After getting the ball down court, the Jaguars suffered a turnover when Royalton disrupted a pass on the left wing. Royalton eighth grader Haylie Wolbeck scooped up a loose ball, dribbled down court and crossed the half court line with 32 seconds left as her head coach called a quick timeout. Out of the timeout, the Royals attempted to penetrate B-B-E's zone, but Thieschafer intercepted a pass to the low post area and sped out of the back court. Coach Anderson called a timeout with 15.8 seconds left just as she passed the half court line.
A video is being uploaded that shows the final ticks of regulation play...and that video can be found here!
Final score: B-B-E 59, Royalton 57. The Jaguars, who led by as many as five points in the overtime session, improve to 8-3 in the CMC and 14-8 overall. Royalton is 11-10 overall and 7-3 (fourth) in the CMC.
Around the CMC tonight...
Kimball Area (16-6, 9-2) thrashed last-place Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City 79-33 tonight to maintain their grip on first place in the Central Minnesota Conference. In a key CMC match up, Holdingford narrowly edged visiting Eden Valley-Watkins 56-55 tonight to remain in a second-place tie with B-B-E. The Huskers and Jaguars are both one game out of first place. The EV-W Eagles are now 7-4 in the CMC in fifth place.
Area girls’ basketball scores on February 10:
Osakis 56, Browerville 55 (the Silverstreaks take control of the Prairie Conference)
New London-Spicer 69, Dassel-Cokato 26
Canby 46, Yellow Medicine East 45
Braham 65, East Central 25
Swanville 58, Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 51
Central MN Christian 50, MACCRAY 39
Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg 66, Dawson-Boyd 45<br />
Lac qui Parle Valley 59, Renville County West 17
Hancock 74, Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley 24Tracy-Milroy-Balaton 50, Minneota 46 (the T-M-B Panthers avenge a 58-41 loss at Minneota on December 21 with this tight win over the No. 4-ranked Vikings, who suffered just their third loss of the season; T-M-B and Minneota ended the Camden Conference schedule as co-champions of the Camden North division)
