PARK RAPIDS TAKES ADVANTAGE OF PIRATE GIRLS BASKETBALL’S MISSED LAYUPS AND FREE THROWS

The Crookston Pirate Girls Basketball team’s missed layups and free throws in the second half proved to be costly in a 64-56 loss to the Park Rapids Panthers in a Section 8AA game played in Park Rapids.

The Pirates had a great start with Emma Borowicz making the first shot of the game on a three-pointer and added two free throws on the next possession and Crookston led 5-0 in the first minute of the game. “It was good to come out tonight and establish ourselves,” said Pirate Coach Darin Zimmerman. “We made some shots and ran a good offense early.” The teams went back-and-forth for the next five minutes and Borowicz made another three-pointer to give the Pirates a 16-8 lead with 10:39 left in the half.  Park Rapids trimmed the Pirate lead down to 21-19 with 5:05 remaining, but Crookston answered with a Kylie Solheim basket, Kasey Cwikla added two more points and Dani Boyle made two free throws to cap a 6-0 run for a 27-19 lead.  Park Rapids dominated the final three minutes of the half and went on a 9-2 run to end of the half to cut Crookston’s lead down to one point (29-28) at halftime. “I thought we had a couple lapses late in the first half,” said Coach Zimmerman. “But overall we played pretty well and it was nice going into halftime with a lead.”

Park Rapids carried the momentum of the end of the first half run into the start of the second half by going on another 9-2 run behind Rilee Michaelson’s (5’10 junior post)  seven points and the Panthers led 37-31 over three minutes into the half.  Crookston’s Borowicz answered with four straight points, only to be answered by four straight Panthers points.  Crookston battled back over the next two minutes and tied the game at 43 after two Hayden Winjum free throws with 10:04 remaining.  Park Rapids countered with a free throw to regain the lead before the teams exchanged leads three times and after a Cwikla free throw, Crookston led 50-48 with over five minutes left in the game.  On the ensuing possession, Park Rapids’ Kaisa Corborn hit a cold-blooded three-pointer right in front of her bench and gave the Panthers the lead, a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.  Crookston trailed by one point (55-54) with over two minutes remaining, but Park Rapids’ Michaelson scored four straight points in the paint for a 59-54 lead and the Panthers hit their free throws in the final seconds to hold on for a 64-56 victory.  Crookston made 3 of 11 free throws in the second half after making 5 of 8 in the first half.  “I felt like we did a good job of making the tough shots, but we didn’t do a good job of making some of the easy ones, there was a lot of them and that’s what makes it sting a little bit.  We had good offense and good defense, but we just didn’t make the easy shots tonight.  You have to finish plays and we didn’t do that tonight,” said Coach Zimmerman. “It was a one or two possession lead most of the second half and we were in it until the end.  The story is missing those shots.  We missed the front end of the bonus a couple times and their post had a nice game.  She is a good athlete and give her credit for having a good game.”
Crookston drops to 11-5 on the year and will travel to Perham on Thursday and you can hear the game on KROX Radio.  Park Rapids improves to 10-3 on the year.
J.V. – Crookston won 35-31        C Squad – Crookston won 29-20