MILLER – Aberdeen Roncalli went outside to extend a small edge, and then hit 10 of 12 free throws down the stretch to secure a girls’ basketball win Tuesday night.
The Cavaliers had watched their double-digit lead get sliced to four points before responding to close out a 60-48 non-conference victory over Miller.
Clinging to a 42-38 lead, Roncalli received a pair of 3-pointers from McKenna O’Keefe and Rylee Voeller to help extend the margin before five different players made key free throws in the closing minutes to ice the victory.
“That’s one positive. We did finish the game strong,” said Roncalli coach Derek Larson. “We made free throws the stretch when it mattered. A lot of girls did step up big and made some big free throws down the stretch.”
It appeared that Roncalli was on the verge of breaking the game open in the first half, leading 28-12, however, the Rustlers had a much different idea, going on a 14-3 surge.
“We said it at halftime. We let the (Morgan) Kolda girl get coast to coast for a layup, no one stepped in. We end up turning it over and they had an easy one right to the hoop, and then hit a transition three right at the end of the half,” Larson said. ” We talked about, we probably should be up 16-17 points and now we’re up 11, and they came back and Kolda hit back-to-back threes to start the second half to cut it to five.”
From there, it was a battle the rest of the way with the Cavaliers eventually putting the finishing touches on the victory.
Kolda finished with a game-high 31 points to pace Miller.
“We could not stop that Kolda girl from getting to the rim. Man, she did a good job of that in the second half. It seemed like everything she threw up went in,” Larson said. “We didn’t do a good enough job stopping the ball. She got into the paint too much.”
Ava Hanson powered Roncalli with 22 points, while O’Keefe followed with 13.
The Cavaliers, 13-3 on the season, are in a busy stretch of basketball. Roncalli has a game with Aberdeen Christian on Thursday, at Warner on Saturday, and at home against Florence-Henry on Tuesday.
“For us, I’m glad we’re playing these tough games the back half of the year,” Larson said. “Hopefully, it will prepare us for the postseason.”
ABERDEEN RONCALLI (13-3): McKenna O’Keefe 5 2-2 13, Camryn Bain 3 1-2 8, Maddie Huber 1 0-0 2, Claire Crawford 2 1-2 5, Ava Hanson 7 7-9 22, Morgan Helms 2 0-0 5, Rylee Voeller 1 2-2 5. Totals 21 13-17 60.
MILLER (10-7): Gracen Werdel 1 0-0 2, Jolie Palmer 1 0-0 2, Kate Lichty 1 0-0 2, Aleah Schlechter 1 0-0 3, Morgan Kolda 10 7-8 31, Paige Werel 3 2-2 8, Macklyn Saienga 0 0-2 0. Totals 17 9-12 48.
Aberdeen Roncalli 15 31 39 60
Miller 8 20 34 48
3-point field goals – O’Keefe, Bain, Crawford, Helms, Voeller; Schlechter, Kolda (4). Foule out – Lichty. Total fouls – Aberdeen Roncalli 9; Miller 17.
