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It has been said that you are not defeated when you lose. You are defeated when you quit.
Even though the SWAL and WIAA Division 4 Regional Champion Mineral Point girls basketball team lost 62-56 to La Crosse Aquinas in the Sectional Semi-finals Thursday if you followed the above logic they were not defeated.
That's because they never quit. Not even when they faced a 15 point deficit with 10 minutes left to play against the number one ranked Blugolds.
The comeback the Pointers staged should go down as one for the ages as they made a gallant run to get within a three point shot of tying the game with 20 seconds left. McKenna Reichling banked in a clutch three pointer that snuck in to get the Pointers within striking distance at 59-56.
But with little time left and the ball in possession of the Blugolds the Pointers had to foul in hopes of missed free throws and get the ball back into their hands.
But two Blugold free throw shooters had different ideas as senior Megan Scheidt made one of two and junior Kayla Bahr two in double bonus to send the score to its final margin with five seconds left.
There were four runs that figured heavily into the game.
The first was an 8-0 start by Aquinas that was followed by the second, an 8-0 Pointer run that tied it. Both teams went at each other with the Pointers grabbing one of the few leads anyone has had against the Blugolds this season when they moved ahead 17-15 at the 9:30 mark of the first half.
The 11-0 run the Blugolds put together after that, keyed by 5-10 junior Lexi Donarski, made it 35-25 and helped Aquinas to the 10 point difference at the half.
A 9-4 run by Aquinas midway through the last 18 minutes sent their lead to 15 at 49-34 with a little over nine minutes to play.
Then came the last run which was by the Pointers and got the score within three. But that was a close as it got. Freshman sharpshooter Mallary Lindsey put down a trio of three pointers and Reichling scored nine points on her own during the run to key the last ditch effort.
Courtney Becker led the Blugolds with 20 points, 10 each half, and made all eight of her free throws. Donarski finished with 18 with her 12 the first half a big factor in the 11-0 run and the lead at intermission.
Reichling finished her senior season with 16 points. Fellow senior Morgan James added 10 as did junior Nicole Johnson. Reichling also had 14 rebounds for a double double.
First year Mineral Point coach Matt Austin told the Pointers after the game they have nothing to hang their heads about.
"You took the number one team in the state to the wire and got them nervous for the first time all season," Austin said. "To battle back like you did speaks volumes about the hard work and dedication you have shown all year."
Austin said turnovers played a slight role in the game as the Pointers had 22 to 10 for Aquinas.
But nothing would tarnish the effort and heart the girls showed throughout the game.
"We would like to thank all of our players for showing how team basketball can win games, especially the seniors: McKenna Riechling, Morgan James, Mara Aschliman, Kaitlyn Kinch, Kyla Lindsey, and Dana Schmitz for a fantastic season," Austin added. "Thank you all for leading us and putting the team first."
The Pointers finished the season 21-4. After their win Aquinas was 24-1.
SCORE BY HALVES
MP 25 31 56
LacA 35 27 62
BOX SCORE
MINERAL POINT 56: (fg-ft-tp) Johnson 5-0-10, K. Lindsey 0-0-0, M. Lindsey 3-0-9, Mara Aschliman 3-2-9, Macy Aschliman 1-0-2, Chambers 0-0-0, James 4-2-10, Reichling 5-5-16, Kinch 0-0-0, Schmitz 0-0-0 Totals 21-9/11-56 Fouls-13
Aquinas 62: T. Theusch 4-0-9, Scheidt 1-1-4, Bagniefski 0-0-0, K. Bahr 3-2-9, Donarski 8-1-18, Wiesbrod 0-0-0, Baker 6-8-20, Koblitz 0-0-0 Totals 23-12/18-62 Fouls-16
3 point goals:
MP-M. Lindsey 3, Mara Aschliman 1, Reichling 1
A-T. Theusch 1, Scheidt 1, K. Bahr 1, Donarski 1