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After winning a rubber game from SWAL co-champion (with them) Cuba City to win a D4 regional championship, the Mineral Point girls basketball team faced another rubber game - this time with another SWAL team they knew all too well in Darlington.
Monroe was the scene of the match-up and what a match-up it was.
This rubber game didn't go the way the previous one went as the Lady Redbirds came out on the top end of a 52-48 final.
Darlington trailed 24-21 at halftime, but tied it at 33 with 12 minutes remaining. From there on out the last pointer lead came at 7:35 when McKenna Reichling hit two free throws for a 35-33 score.
A Syd Staver three pointer pulled them to 40-38 at 7:35 and a Cassie bossert trey made it 50-46 at 4:12.
The Redbirds ran clock to 1;40 and the Pointers had a turnover on their next possession.
After a missed Darlington free throw, Staver's lay-in made it 50-48.
Another Redbird missed free throw gave the Pointers life, but a missed three pointer at ;29.3 forced a foul on the rebound and Redbird Sadie fitzsimons made one of two for a 51-48 score. With two seconds remaining, Redbird Kennedy Rankin made one of two for the 52-48 final.
Staver led all scorers with 18 points, scoring nine each half.
Junior Mara Aschliman hit 10 coming of the bench.
"We swung into a 1-3-1 in the first half and that seemed to confuse them," said Mineral Point coach Mitch Wainwright. "In the second half we just got caught flat footed too often. That gave them too many easy looks and put backs. And offensively we didn't move well"
"They play aggressive defense and make you earn your points," he added. "Our defense cot caught watching the ball and that gave them layups. It made for a hard hole to dig out from."
The Pointers say goodbye to seniors Syd Staver, Haley Chubb, Destinee Kruser and Cassie Bossert, all sho have been a mainstay of the team and are starters. Staver passed the 1000 point mark this season.
"They will be missed a lot, "Wainwright said.
Darlington had nine players score with only Kennedy Rankin in double figures with 11. She had seven in their 31-point second half.
Fitzsimons had eight of her nine in the first half while Kaylee Meyers popped in six of her nine in period two. Taryn Rankin scored all six of her points in the second half.
SCORE BY HALVES
D 21 31-52
MP 24 24-48
BOX SCORE
DARLINGTON 52 (fg, ft, tp) Norton 3-0-6, Fitzsimons 3-1/2-9, McDonald 1-0-2, Mathias 2-1/2-5, T. Rankin 3-0/2-6, Douglas 1-0-2, K. Rankin 5-1/2-11, Meyers 4-0/3-9, Golackson 1-0-2. Totals 23-3/12-52. F-15. 3-pointers: Fitzsimons 2, Meyers 1.
MINERAL POINT 48 Reichling 2-2/2-6, Bossert 2-0-5, Staver 7-3/4-18, Kruser 0-1/2-1, Chubb 0-1/2-1, Aschliman 3-2/3-10, M. James 1-0-2, M. Johnson 2-0/2-5, N. Johnson 0-0-0. Totals 17-9/15-48. F-17. FO-Kruser. 3-pointers: Bossert 1, Staver 1, Aschliman 2, M. Johnson 1.