After a tough previous week where they dropped two games, first to Edina and then St. Paul Como Park, the Girls Basketball Team righted the ship defeating St. Croix Prep (SCP) 58-48 in overtime. Minneapolis Washburn was the girls second game of the week, and they dominated that game 67-38.
Versus St. Croix Prep
SCP jumped out to a decent lead into the first, largely due to Hastings missing some pretty basic shots. The ball just did not want to bounce Hastings way in the first half and SCP held a 27-22 lead at the intermission. Hastings stepped up big defensively in the second half holding the Lions to just 17 points. Slowly, Hastings was carving into the Lions lead, and with just seconds left, the Raiders were down 44-42. Brooke Mace took the final shot of regulation with less than a second left and the shot was good. Mace’s buzzer beater tied the game and sent it to overtime.
In overtime, the Raiders defense continued to control the pace of play allowing only four points by the Lions. Keagan McVicker had four assists in extra time and Hastings outscored SCP 14-4 to earn the win.
McVicker and Haley Strain led the Raiders in scoring, both had 16 points. Violet Schult contributed eight points, Mace and Piper Brockman each scored six. Strain had another monster night in the paint with 17 rebounds and three blocks. McVicker had nine rebounds and Brockman had seven.
At Washburn
The game at Minneapolis Washburn was one of those where the outcome was never really in doubt. Hastings grabbed the lead early and held on with little worry, scoring 36 first half points to Washburn’s 19. In the second half, Washburn doubled their point total to 38, but it was nowhere near enough to catch the Raiders who won easily 67-38.
McVicker had a spectacular night shooting 11-of-13 with four three pointers enroute to 27 points. Strain did what she always does, nabbing double digit rebounds in the paint, tallying 14 rebounds and adding eight points on her own. Brockman and Kate Ruder both had seven points in the win.
Up Next
The girls have two game days left, plus a two-day tournament in 2024, home against Mahtomedi on Dec. 17 and at Two Rivers on Dec. 20, both at 6:30. The girls will host the Hastings Holiday Tournament on Dec. 27 starting at 5:15 p.m. against Park of Cottage Grove to close out the 2024 portion of the schedule.