Lady Bombers top Rebels

Photos by: Rod Behm

Dwight Cadwell-NSO

Barnum Head Coach Katie Moench was a tab nervous before yesterdays quarterfinal with the Moose Lake-Willow River Rebels saying “I don’t know why but it’s so hard to beat a team three times and to play the Rebels again in the playoffs and having to beat them a third time will be tough.”

Moench and her nerves were tested most definitely Saturday when the Bombers and the Rebels met for the third time this season as it took a late second half surge to come away with a two point 63-61 win and advance to the section semi-finals Thursday night at UMD.

The Bombers sand the Rebels would battle back and forth in the first half as Emily Miletich sparked the Bombers offense which struggled to get things going, and Adri Jusczak who controlled the offense for the Rebels creating shots and good looks at the basket which created free throw opportunities for the Rebels.

Jusczak who finished 18-19 from the free throw line didn’t have enough let as the Bombers who trailed by 11 points with 8 minutes left seemed that the Rebels would earn the most important win of the three meetings this season.

A timeout by Moench and a full court press that created 5 points for Barnum in less than 15 seconds, followed by Cheyanne Johnson lighting up the scoreboard both form behind the three point line and the free throw line.

The Bombers chipped away over the next few minutes and took the lead with a little over two minutes to play, it was the Rebels who now were forced to foul and put Barnum at the line. The Bombers struggled some down the stretch for the charity stripe but managed to hang on as the Rebels last second shot was not put up in time and the Bombers hung on for the two point win.

“This game tested my nerves” Moench said following the dramatic victory Saturday afternoon, “I knew I needed to stay calm and poised and we gave ourselves a chance to win and we did.” Moench added “we made a few mistakes in the final 15 seconds but we won and we are moving on.”

Moose Lake-Willow River — Morgan Prachar 9, Hannah Walker 4, Holly Mattison 4, Jodi Michalski 2, Adri Jusczak 26, Ava Szczyrbak 7, Kayla Radel 9. Totals 14 33-36 61.

3-point goals — None.

Barnum — Megan Nelson 1, Daron Mainville 17, Cheyanne Johnson 27, Emily Miletich 13, Lauren Hultgren 5. Totals 19 20-28 63.

3-point goals — Mainville, Johnson 3, Hultgren.

Dwight Cadwell can be reached at Dwight@northlandsportsonline.com