A successful season is in the books for the Hastings girls basketball team.
After a big win in the Section 4A opener at Burnsville Thursday, the Raider season ended in the Section semifinal game at Rosemount Saturday afternoon.
Hastings’ season ended with a 19-9 overall record and second place in the Metro East Conference with an 11-3 mark. There were a lot of high points for the team and some big individual accomplishments. Its four seniors – Lindsey Wagner, Emma Bakker, Mara Jackson and Sophia Swanson – helped build a foundation for a strong Raider program going into the future.
Hastings came into Section play with something to prove. Despite their strong conference finish, they were relegated to a five seed and sent on the road in game one. Despite a 3-14 conference mark, Burnsville captured the higher seed.
The Raiders took a five-point lead into halftime, and everything clicked in the second half. Hastings downed Burnsville 56-31.
“What I told them briefly in our quick postgame as to celebrate. It was just a collective effort. Everybody chipped in a little bit. We were buying that we thought we were the better team. We thought we should have got the four (seed), and I think tonight proved it,” said Hastings coach Rick Tavernier. “The second game of the year, Burnsville knocked us off by one so it’s a little bit of redemption tonight. It felt good. I think everybody had a little more energy in the gym. I couldn’t be prouder of the team.”
The Raiders had three scorers in double figures, but it was a game won in the trenches. Haley Strain had 17 rebounds, Jillian McTague had 10 and Emma Bakker added 8.
Bakker, Strain and Keagan McVicker led the scoring attack with 16, 15 and 14 points, respectively. Lindsey Wagner scored 7, Kate Ruder 3 and McTague 1.
The Raiders then had a huge task in trying to contain Rosemount with just one practice day to prepare. Rosemount earned the top Section seed, and they showed why, taking care of Hastings by a 94-35 score.
Strain scored 15 points for the Raiders, while McTague and McVicker had 4, Wagner and Kayleigh Giesen 3 and Ellie Magnus, Ruder and Violet Schult 2 each.
Hastings is left to look to a bright future with that foundation forged by this year’s team leaders.
“It was a great season,” said Tavernier. “This is a great group of individuals,” said Tavernier.
