Cyclones upset Maple River in first round of sections
After suffering two losses to Maple River in the regular season, the third time was definitely the charm for the St. Clair Lady Cyclones as their full court press caged the Eagles throughout a thrilling 64-53 victory in the first round of the Section playoffs.
Maple River won the previous two matchups on January 14 and February 6 by five points each; they used their dominant post player, Kelsey Jaeger, to great effect in the first matchup. St. Clair adjusted their strategy in the rematch by collapsing the interior, but the Eagles took to the sky and landed countless three-pointers to take the win. As they went through their warmups for this third battle, the Cyclones looked determined to flip the script during the most critical time of the year–the playoffs.
The playoffs added an extra layer of intensity and focus during warmups, and Coach Noyes understood this was the moment for his team to get some payback on the court, “Our kids were disappointed with how they played in those two games, and we’re excited to get the chance to play them again.” An emphasis on full court pressure and slick ball movement would be the plan out of the gates for the Cyclones. Speaking of intensity, Brooklin Hinze motivated her teammates to commit to the game plan, and spoke on avenging the two losses against Maple River, “They were our only two losses in the conference this year, so that and playing for the seniors on this team…we play for them in moments like this and we’re ready to go out there and take what’s ours.”
Hinze delivered on that statement from the opening tip as she endured some punishment in the paint to net the team’s first score. The Cyclones implemented an oppressive full court press to great effect; they clipped the Eagles’ wings on offense as turnovers led to another Hinze drive while Payton Blount ignored a notable height difference to convert a basket over Jaeger. Maple River looked rattled as St. Clair imposed their will on the defensive end…everyone has a game plan until they get popped. They eventually got on the board, but Aubree Mathiowetz swung momentum back with a three to bring the game 10-2. There was no fear in the eyes of these Lady Cyclones as Hinze swiped a ball away and finished at the other end while Madison Winkler challenged both bigs, Jaeger and Claire Cavendish, for a chance at the foul line.
There would be some balancing out for both teams as St. Clair failed to capitalize on wide-open looks as Maple River began to claw their way back into the game until Mathiowetz hit from three and received an audible groan from the Eagle fans…which put a smile on her face as she got back on defense. The Cyclones began to blow by the Eagles as the half came to a close after Hinze delivered an eight-point barrage from the floor, followed by a three by Mathiowetz and Meng each. A stunned home crowd watched silently as the visiting team entered the break up 34-18.
The second half started out fast and furious as the Eagles went on a 10-5 run highlighted by back-to-back threes; their defensive pressure intensified as they denied any access to the interior until Blount nabbed an offensive board for a putback. Blount was certainly the X factor in this contest as the freshman brought some much needed tenacity off the bench. Maple River began to chip away at the deficit, bringing the game within seven points until Blount knocked down a three pointer to make it 44-34 then would strip the ball away which set up a deep three by Hinze. That would ignite her fury toward another eight point swing for the Lady Cyclone–St. Clair would take a commanding 52-34 lead.
As the game entered the final stretch, the Cyclones found themselves in foul trouble with six minutes to go and the Eagles began to take advantage of that aggression, taking countless trips to the foul line. St. Clair started to feel the pressure as they came up empty on several possessions and their once 17 point lead (58-41) began to shrink with each set of free throws by Maple River. Meng did what she could to stem the tide with six straight points which included a high-arcing floater over Jaeger. With two minutes remaining, the Cyclones held onto a slim 60-53 lead.
Desperate to wake her team up and clinch the victory, Hinze took matters into her own hands by playing keep away from Eagle defenders until they had no choice but to foul three straight times. This would put the Cyclones into bonus territory with roughly a minute to go…Hinze would sink enough to keep the game out of range but relentless will to win led to an offensive board off her own missed free throw…that second chance helped clinch the victory for St. Clair.
As the final seconds ticked down, reality set in for both squads as one team would continue their basketball journey while the other would have to ruminate about what they could have done differently. The Cyclones would take the contest 64-53. Hinze finished the night with 26 points, Meng & Mathiowetz had 13 each, Blount with 10. The four combined for 62 of St. Clair’s 64 points.
A captivating performance by the Lady Cyclones as they learned from mistakes made in the previous two games to seize victory when it matters the most–the playoffs. Coach Noyes was ecstatic over the win, thanking his team for committing to the game plan and maintaining composure during the final few minutes, “We came out with high energy right out of the gate which set the tone for us all night. Give credit to Maple River for the late game push, but our team regained our balance and fended off the late rally.”
As a result of the win, the Cyclones advance to the second round and face another familiar foe in the JWP Bulldogs. The two faced off on February 1st during the Coaches v Cancer event, and the Cyclones chased the tails of these ferocious Bulldogs all game. If their victory over the Eagles proved anything, the playoffs can be a new slate for a team hungry to win. This reporter looks forward to a rematch in what will surely be hostile territory.
