GIRLS BASKETBALL: Cass Lake-Bena rallies, but can't finish off Hayfield in state opener
Mar. 17—MINNEAPOLIS — The Cass Lake-Bena girls basketball team that showed up for the first half of the Class A quarterfinal was not good enough to win a game at the state tournament.
The one that showed up for the second half was plenty good enough to do so. Unfortunately for fourth-seeded CLB, the energy it took to climb out of a 13-point halftime deficit made it much harder to finish the game in the final four minutes.
Fifth-seeded Hayfield took full advantage of CLB's fatigue and closed out the contest with a 15-4 run, earning a 67-57 win on Thursday at Maturi Pavilion in Minneapolis and clinching a ticket to the state semifinals.
"It was heartbreaking," senior forward Amira LaDuke said. "Our community showed out. And we know they still support us, but it hurt to see us let them down."
Cass Lake-Bena (28-3) whipped their well-traveled fans into a frenzy with a furious second-half comeback that saw them turn a 39-26 halftime deficit into a 49-46 second-half lead. The Panthers pressured the Vikings' ball-handlers relentlessly, forcing turnovers of all kinds and getting out in transition.
"It felt really good," LaDuke said of the second-half surge. "The energy was unmatched."
But CLB couldn't match Hayfield's execution down the stretch, and their valiant comeback effort couldn't keep them out of the consolation bracket.
Making matters more difficult for the Panthers, star point guard Taryn Frazer fouled out in the final minutes, capping an effort marred by foul trouble throughout. Coupled with Krisalyn Seelye's ejection after picking up a second technical foul, Cass Lake-Bena had to rely on other players to complete the game.
"We didn't play good the first half," head coach Martin Wind said. "But our bench, they stepped up like they did all year long, and that's all we can ask of them. ... They're getting experience at the state tournament with the full fans and a full support (section). So it means a lot to us that they got the opportunity to be on the big stage and then they did good on the big stage."
Gabby Fineday led the Panthers with 17 points, while Frazer — despite missing a third of the game with foul trouble — finished second with 13. Seven players scored for Cass Lake-Bena.
The dynamic duo of Kristen Watson and Natalie Beaver powered Hayfield (32-0) with 29 and 22 points, respectively. Watson sealed the Vikings' victory with clutch free throws down the stretch, while Beaver contributed two layups to expand Hayfield's lead.
Despite the disappointment of the defeat, CLB's season isn't over yet — the Panthers will return to the floor to face top-seeded Mountain Iron-Buhl in the consolation bracket on Friday at Concordia-St. Paul. And if they duplicate their second-half performance in both halves on Friday, they should have an excellent chance of advancing to the consolation championship on Saturday.
"That's just how we normally play the second half," Wind said. "Hopefully we can start on the jump tomorrow and then finish the game strong tomorrow."
Cass Lake-Bena faces MIB at 10 a.m. on Friday, March 18, on the campus of Concordia-St. Paul. If the Panthers win, their season will continue with the fifth-place game on Saturday. If not, their season will come to a close.
