Five Takeaways: Des Moines Christian v. Roland-Story in the state quarterfinals
In the nightcap of the state tournament’s opening day, No. 3 Des Moines Christian (23-2) topped Roland-Story (19-6) 49-41. The game began at 9:16 p.m., but it was far from a yawner, as the Norse cut an 11-point DMC lead…
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Continue ReadingIn the nightcap of the state tournament’s opening day, No. 3 Des Moines Christian (23-2) topped Roland-Story (19-6) 49-41. The game began at 9:16 p.m., but it was far from a yawner, as the Norse cut an 11-point DMC lead into a one-point game with just three minutes. However, the Lions made the plays down the stretch to advance to the semifinals against No. 2 Center Point-Urbana. Here is what stood out:
A well-oiled machine
In winning there 23rd — yes, 23rd — straight game, Des Moines Christian showed how good they can be as they operated as a smooth unit. It wasn’t the best game from sophomore point guard Moriah Prewitt, who finished 0 of 6 from the field with 6 turnovers, but she still piloted the offense effectively. Her ability to handle the ball, guide the offense, create for others (she had 4 assists) was evident.
And although she wasn’t hitting her shots, the rest of the Lions were, as they spread the ball around and found openings. The result was 9-of-16 3-point shooting and 12 assists on 16 made buckets.
“They won 22 games in a row for a reason,” Roland-Story coach Justin Morton said. “They’re very well-coached. They’re very disciplined. They move the ball well. They find the open girl, and when all five of them are hitting shots, I mean, they can beat anybody.”
The closer
It probably wouldn’t be fair to call senior Emma Veenstra a ‘glue’ player, because her impact is pretty overt, but she was essential in tying together DMC’s win. Down the stretch, Veenstra was absolutely clutch.
The versatile player entered the game leading the team in assists and second in rebounds, but was only 3-of-18 from 3-point range. However, it was her 3-point make (followed by a fist pump) with 2:20 left that gave DMC a 4-point lead and some breathing room. She then forced a steal and scored again to preserve the Lions’ win. She finished with a game-high 15 points (on 4 of 5 shooting, including 2 triples) plus 6 rebounds and 3 assists.
The 5-foot-10 wing did a little bit of everything.
Good luck stopping Kaili Lawson
The Lions’ leading scorer and rebounder, Kaili Lawson, was a handful on Monday night. The 6-foot-1 senior hit a top-of-the-key 3-pointer, a mid-range jumper and was effective in the paint. She displayed great patience in waiting for openings inside and scored over a double-team, finishing with 14 points, 7 rebounds and a block.
With good size and a solid jumper, Lawson is a handful and made her presence known on both sides of the ball.
A 3-point barrage
In what is becoming a common trend, both teams let it fly from deep. Each team hit more 3-pointers than 2-pointers and 57 percent of the game’s total points came on treys.
That’s to be expected. Roland-Story finished with the most 3-point makes of any team in 3A, and DMC currently ranks fifth.
Megan Miller, a 5-foot-11 DMC sophomore, confidently shot the ball and knocked down 3-of-5 triples, while Roland-Story senior Susie Weaver kept the Norse in it with her shooting, as she lit it up for 14 points on 4-of-6 shooting from deep.
The future of Roland-Story
Roland-Story, in some ways, exceeded expectations by making the state tournament this season — their first since 2011. But they project to be an even stronger team next season. They return 80 percent of their scoring and although they will miss Weaver and 6-foot-1 post MaKayla Geise, a future Valparaiso volleyball player, they return the rest of their team.
5-foot-11 Reagan Barkema showed the ability to be aggressive both offensively (14 points on 6-of-13 shooting) and defensively (3 blocks) on Monday night. The freshman is a bit raw, but has the looks of a player who could make a big leap next year. She was good this season. Expect her to be great next year.
The Norse also return some key guards in Juliann Clark and Kylie Tjernagel. Clark is a good scorer and a solid all-around guard (3 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists), while Tjernagel has elite quickness.
“I’m confident that this isn’t the last time that we’ll be heard of, and we have a lot of girls coming back next year, and we’ll keep plugging away,” Morton said.