COON RAPIDS -- For three quarters, in spite of everything, the Minnesota West Community and Technical College women’s basketball team fought Anoka-Ramsey to a standstill.
Then the fourth quarter happened, and the Golden Rams outscored the Lady Jays 25-15 to secure an 85-75 victory in the first round of the Minnesota College Athletic Conference Region 13A tournament on Saturday.
“We just played our guts out. I’m terribly proud of our effort,” said West head coach Rosalie Hayenga-Hostikka.
It was a matchup of Minnesota West’s size against Anoka-Ramsey’s quickness. The Lady Jays dealt with foul trouble in the first half as three of their big players, Tanner Gunnink, Andrea Hinkeldey and Katherin Ihnen, were whistled with two.
Turnovers played a part, too. Hayenga-Hostikka wanted to keep her team’s turnover total to 15 against the aggressive Rams. The Jays turned the ball over 23 times in the game.
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“I think maybe half their points in the first half came from transition,” said the Lady Jays coach.
Even so, the two teams -- who split a pair of games during the regular season -- played to a 60-60 tie entering the fourth quarter.
Anoka-Ramsey, the tournament’s top seed, was tied with fourth-seeded Minnesota West with about five minutes remaining in the game. It was at that point that the Rams missed a free throw, got the rebound, and kicked it out for a 3-pointer. West then turned the ball over on the ensuing possession and, quickly, A-R meshed a 2-point shot for a five-point lead. The Lady Jays went cold after that, said Hayenga-Hostikka.
Rashonna Thomas scored 21 points to lead Anoka-Ramsey, while teammates Alyssa Correll had 16 points, Amanda Lindsay 15 and Lateah Turmon 14.
Gunnink led Minnesota West with 18 points. Ihnen finished with 12, as did point guard Taylor Noid. Hinkeldey scored 11 and Emily Haubrich had 10.
Noid, a 5-5 sophomore, dished out seven assists and pulled down 10 rebounds. Gunnink had 16 rebounds and Hinkeldey had nine.
Minnesota West, which finishes its season with a solid 19-8 record, out-rebounded Anoka-Ramsey 45-34 for the game but committed 10 more turnovers.
Lady Jays 19 36 60 75Anoka-Ramsey 19 40 60 85
