MAYER – When the Mayer Lutheran and Lester Prairie/Holy Trinity girls basketball teams get together, you can count on a big crowd and a hard-fought game. Despite a 62-35 blowout win for the Crusaders, Saturday’s matchup was just that.
After a sluggish start on offense for both teams to begin the game, it was Mayer Lutheran’s defense and their pressure that turned things around for the Crusaders. With the Crusaders leading 9-6 with just over nine minutes left in the first half, it was a dominant run by the Crusaders that ended the half. They finished the first half on a 26-4 run, holding the Bulldogs to just four points in the final nine minutes of the first half.
Mayer Lutheran’s Olivia Tjernagel knocks down the jump shot over the outstretched arm of LP/HT’s Kayla Weinzierl.
“I was really pleased with our defensive effort,” Mayer Lutheran coach Kris Gustin said. “It really hasn’t been there the last few games. We had a talk at practice about our need to defend better if we want to accomplish our goals. I thought our defensive effort from start to finish was really good tonight.”
“We all want to get steals,” Sophie Heuer said. “We’re all working hard. When we went back into zone, they got a few points. Then, we went back to man, and all got back to working hard and hustling. That’s what we’re all about. We’re really gritty.”
Despite the struggles offensively for the Bulldogs, their defense was a bit better, but head coach Mike Lee knows there are plenty of things to work on.
“Our offense is really struggling,” Lee said. “I thought we did OK defensively first half. Mayer is a very good team. They have good senior leadership on that team that is very skilled, too. I’m not saying we don’t have good leadership, but their skill level is very high. I thought we did OK on Hucky the first half. I thought we did OK with Chmielewski the first half. 35 against this team isn’t too bad.”
After taking some tough losses on the chin against Norwood Young America and Lyle-Pacelli, the Crusaders have bounced back nicely with wins over LeSueur-Henderson and now LP/HT. Not only was it a big win for the Crusaders to keep things rolling forward, it was also a big win come seeding time for Section 4A.
“It feels good,” Heuer said about picking up a big section win. “I think we’re really coming together as a team on and off the court. That game just showed it.”
The Crusaders, according to QRF presented by Minnesota Scores, sits in the No. 2 seed for Section 4A following the win. They’ll get a chance to move up even more when they host current No. 1 seed Heritage Christian Friday, Jan. 26.
“If you want to be the one seed, you got to beat the team that’s ahead of you,” Gustin said. “Their QRF is higher right now, and we know that it’s going to be a tough week.”
Along with Heritage Christian and Mayer Lutheran, LP/HT will also be looking to improve their seed as the season progresses. Currently, the Bulldogs are seeded seventh by the QRF. Although the loss comes with disappointment, the Bulldogs know they can improve, and improvement will come by simply making the shots they are getting.
“We have lots to work on,” Lee said. “We have to make the shots that we get. We’re getting layups. It’s not the greatest offense in the world, but we’re getting layups and we’re just not making them. We’re getting shots that we should make, and we’re not.”
Heuer and the Crusaders know that the win over the Bulldogs is just the beginning if they want to get where they want to go.
“It’s a good starting point,” Heuer said about the win. “We can grow from this. We have a big week ahead of us, with a lot of competition. We’re ready to take it on.”
For more photos from the matchup between the Bulldogs and Crusaders, click here.