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Knowing the Mineral Point girls basketball team didn't muster a single field goal in the fourth quarter, while scoring just three points, it might be difficult to believe the Pointers were able to scrape out a hard-fought 43-42 SWAL victory over visiting Southwestern. But that's exactly what happened as the Pointers climbed back from a 10 point second quarter deficit to claim the win in their home opener for 2011-12 Thursday.
The game was a battle from the start, with the teams trading baskets during the opening quarter, but the Wildcats put a bit of distance between them and the Pointers with two three pointers in the final 1:25, one each from Zoe Vaassen and Abby Kunkel, to take a 15-11 lead after one.
The Pointers quickly found themselves down by 10 with 6:50 left in the second quarter. Mineral Point put the defensive pressure on and turned that into six quick points--four from Hannah Lawinger and two from Tessa Wainwright, to narrow the gap to just four. A bucket from Caitlyn Qualley got the Pointers within two with 54 seconds left, but Morgan Kuhl's hoop with 16 seconds to go made the halftime score 27-23 in favor of the Wildcats.
Mineral Point retook the lead on a hoop from Emily Mitchell at the 6:34 mark, but Vaassen kept things close for the 'Cats, drilling back to back threes. Lawinger answered with a three of her own, and Mitchell--not to be outdone--also dialed from long range. In fact, she did so twice to end the Pointer scoring in the third and give the home team a 40-37 lead.
Points were at a premium in the fourth. The Pointers held a 42-39 lead for the final 2:54, until Lawinger hit the front end of a one and bonus with nine seconds left to put the game out of reach for Southwestern, even though Kunkel hit a three for the visitors as the horn sounded. The Wildcats had several chances to tie the game in the final minute, but a huge steal from Mitchell helped set up what would prove to be the winning free throw.
Lawinger led the way for Point with 13 while Mitchell chipped in 12.
Southwestern had three in double digits--Vaassen had 11, Kunkel 11, and Katelyn Hoppman 10.
"How did we go from scoring 17 points in the third quarter to just three in the fourth?" asked Pointer coach Mitch Wainwright. "Granted we had the lead and didn't shoot as much, but we also missed several baskets down close."
"Even though we didn't score a lot in the fourth, we played pretty well that quarter. This is the first time this year we've been able to put together four good quarters in the same game."
"The kids played very hard, and I'm very happy, but this is one of those games that, if you lose, what do you say to your team? Both teams fought really hard tonight, and we earned it," concluded the coach.
SCORE BY QUARTERS
SW: 15-12-10-5--42
MP: 11-12-17-3--43
BOX SCORE
SOUTHWESTERN (fg-ft-tp) 42: Barclay 1-0-2, Hoppman 5-0-10, Kuhl 3-0-6, Kunkel 4-1/2-11, Pearce 0-2/2-2, Vaassen 4-0-11. Totals: 17-3/4-42. Fouls: 13. Three pointers: Vaassen 3, Kunkel 2.
MINERAL POINT 43: Qualley 2-0-4, L. Graber 2-0-4, Pilling 1-0-2, Mitchell 4-2/5-12, Wainwright 1-0-2, Lawinger 5-1/3-13, Goninen 3-0-6. Totals: 18-3/8-43. Fouls: 12. Three pointers: Lawinger 2, Mitchell 2.