UW-Superior 60, Crown 28
SUPERIOR, Wis. (February 3, 2018) – It was another display of great Yellowjacket defense Saturday night as Superior dismantled the Crown College Storm for their 13th UMAC win, gaining the regular-season title.
The Yellowjackets started strong on defense in the first period, allowing only five points. Justine Larson (Stanchfield, Minn./Cambridge-Isanti) and Hannah Norlin (Litchfield, Minn./Litchfield) would get two points on the board for Superior around the eight-minute mark, going up 4-2. It soon became 8-4 after a Jade Tucker (White Bear Lake, Minn./White Bear Lake) assisted by Emily Carpenter (St. Peter, Minn./St. Peter) at 5:11 and then 10-4 at 4:44 on a Hailey Kontny (Superior, Wis./Superior) layup, assisted by Tucker. Back-to-back 3-pointers would end the quarter for the 'Jackets as Larson and Carpenter traded bombs and assists to make it 16-5.
Kontny soon had five more points on her line at the 7:36 mark of the second, getting the layup and then showed her range with the three, assisted by Norlin. Larson added a basket at 4:06 of the period to get a 29-10 'Jacket lead, and then Taylor Kane (Grand Rapids, Minn./Grand Rapids) hit the 2-point jumper to make it 31 Yellowjacket points. The 'Jacket lead was 25 points after one half, 35-10.
Crown got the lead down to 21 points to open the third quarter, but Superior soon stepped on the gas and made it a 28 point gap after a Kane jumper and a Norlin free throw. Eva Reinertsen (Duluth, Minn./Homeschooled) scored soon after at 3:14 on the layup, and Morgan Nepstad (Hendrum, Minn./Park Christian) hit the first of two free throws to get the lead to 31. A few rapid-fire baskets from Kontny, Brittany Laehn (Gilmanton, Wis./Gilmanton) and Nepstad soon made it a 55-19 game after three quarters.
The final quarter only saw five points from the Yellowjacket reserves, two from Reinertsen at the 9-minute mark, and then a 3-pointer from Lindsey Jalivay (Eagan, Minn./Rosemount) with 49 seconds remaining in regulation to seal the Yellowjacket win.
Kontny led all scorers with 17 points, while Larson scored 11 with six rebounds, three assists and a steal. Kane finished with eight points and Norlin six with seven rebounds.
Superior will look to continue their strong defense into this Wednesday, Feb. 7, as they host the Northwestern Eagles at 7:30 p.m.
