By Jim Rueda
MANKATO — Nicollet coach Kevin Christenson has been around long enough to know that if you want to beat a good basketball team, you’re going to have to hit your free throws.
His Nicollet Raiders came up short in that department Monday and the result was a 58-42 loss to New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva in the first round of the St. Clair Holiday Classic girls basketball tournament.
Nicollet trailed by eight at the break and had a golden opportunity to get back in the game when NRHEG got into foul trouble early in the second half. The Raiders missed nine free-throw opportunities in the second frame, however, while the Panthers went 18 of 22 from the line over the final 18 minutes.
“It’s a different game with three and a half minutes left if we hit our free throws,” Christenson. “Instead of being down by nine maybe we’re only down by three, and that gives you a lot more options.”
Aside from the free throws, the game’s turning point came early. With eight minutes gone in the first half, and NRHEG holding a 12-11 lead, junior point guard Alyssa Kerkhoff keyed a 10-0 run by the Panthers.
Teammate Jade Schultz ignited the rally with a 3-pointer from the right side. Kerkhoff followed with a jumper from the right elbow and, 10 seconds later, had a steal near mid-court and delivered an uncontested lay-up for a 19-11 NRHEG lead.
Kerkhoff capped the surge by driving to the basket and hitting a short banker while getting fouled on the play. Her ensuing free throw gave the Panthers a 22-11 lead, and Nicollet was forced to play catch-up the rest of the way.
“We knew we had to be aggressive, we knew we had to put pressure on them,” said Kerkhoff, who finished with a game-high 23 points. “One of our starters (Anna Schlaak) isn’t here because of a band trip so that means the rest of us have to step it up. As the point guard it’s my job to make sure that happens.”
Nicollet never got closer than seven points the rest of the way. NRHEG closed it out down the stretch by hitting 8 of 10 free throws.
“We shoot 100 extra free throws every day in practice because we know they’re important,” NRHEG coach Mindy Sparby said. “It paid off for us tonight.”
NRHEG (7-1) finished 23 of 28 from the line while Nicollet (3-2) was 14 of 26.
Cole finished with 16 points for the winners. Hagen had a team-high seven rebounds.
Jenna Mettler led the Raiders with 10 points and Kasslin Swenson had 10.
Both teams are back in action today as the Panthers have a semifinal game at 8:15 p.m. Nicollet plays a consolation semifinal at 7:45 p.m.
