ROCHESTER -- No more having to share first place in the Southern Division for the Minnesota West Lady Jays basketball team.
At least, not for now.
In a showdown of teams with identical 15-4 overall records, and both 6-0 in the Southern Division of the MCAC, the Lady Jays defeated host Rochester Wednesday night, 69-61, to move into sole possession of the league's top spot. Katherin Ihnen scored 30 points and had 10 rebounds, and Andrea Hinkeldey scored 22 points and pulled down 12 boards as the Jays prevailed.
"It was just a really good basketball game between two good basketball teams," said Minnesota West head coach Rosalie Hayenga-Hostikka. "A pretty high-intensity game. It always is over there."
The game was tight throughout. West led at every quarter stop along the way, but never by much. It was 21-18 at the end of the first quarter, 31-30 at halftime and 52-46 after three quarters. Rochester, with its quick and talented guards, put pressure on the Lady Jays in the first half, forcing the visitors into six turnovers in the first quarter. But the Jays got better with the basketball after that, and though they were charted with 20 turnovers for the game, Hayenga-Hostikka said they controlled the game's tempo to their own satisfaction. And defensively, she said, they did a good job rotating and providing "help side" support.
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Ashlynn Wabeke added nine points for the winners. Two other players who often score in double digits, guard Emily Haubrich and forward Avery Van Roekel, scored just four and two points, respectively. But Haubrich was credited with 11 assists.
Minnesota West also enjoyed a 48-32 rebounding advantage.
Lady Jays 21 31 52 69
Rochester 18 30 46 61
