CROOKSTON GIRL’S BASKETBALL MAKES 15 THREE-POINTERS TO BEAT EGF IN PLAYOFFS

How did the Crookston Pirate Girls Basketball team respond after losing their final two regular-season games?  They only made two two-point baskets and one free throw in the first half………..……but they were red-hot from downtown while making 11 first-half three-pointers on their way to a 59-41 victory over the East Grand Forks Green Wave in a Section 8AA first-round game played in Crookston.  “I can’t say much more about the effort of the girls,” said Pirate Coach Darin Zimmerman. “They came out and played some great basketball.”

FIRST HALF –
The start of the game was a sign of things to come the rest of the game.  Crookston was patient on their first offensive possession of the game, and they worked the ball around before finding Abby Borowicz for a three-pointer.  Crookston’s Halle WInjum scored on a short jump shot in the lane on the next possession, and Crookston led 5-0 two minutes into the game.  Over30-seconds later, Crookston’s Emma Osborn buried a three-pointer for an 8-0 lead. “The energy in the game was really good,” said Osborn. “The student section was in it, the fans were in it, and the players were in it.  We were all back in our groove.” East Grand Forks finally got on the board with a three-pointer from Tatem Votava (an eighth-grader) a little over three minutes into the game.  Crookston responded with another three-pointer from Osborn and after four points from the Green Wave freshman post Addison Kujawa. “We didn’t like our defense in that stretch,” said Coach Zimmerman. “Ther girls weren’t happy with the defense either.” Crookston called a time out and responded with a 14-0 run with five points from Osborn and back-to-back three-pointers from Hayden Winjum, Borowicz, and Halle Winjum for a 25-7 lead. “The difference between our two losses last week and the game tonight was our offense,” said Coach Zimmerman. “Our offense was great, we were taking shots within rythm and I was pleased with our offensive execution.”  East Grand Forks’ Brynn Havis scored before Crookston’s Osborn followed with back-to-back three-pointers for a 31-9 lead with six minutes remaining in the half.  Crookston led 32-12 with two minutes left in the half when Hayden Winjum made a three-pointer and was followed by another Borowicz three for a 38-14 lead after the 11th Pirate three-pointer of the half.  East Grand Forks missed a shot, and Crookston’s Borowicz grabbed the rebound along the near sideline, in front of her bench and dribbled the ball to half court, and fired a shot that just missed off the front of the rim, and the Pirates took a 38-14 lead into halftime. “That was nice for Abby to make a great heads-up play,” said Coach Zimmerman. “She secured the defensive rebound and got the ball up the floor quick.  It didn’t go in, but she made a great play.  I was happy with the first half and the way we played for most of it.”

SECOND HALF –
“The message at halftime was we are tied 0-0 to start the half,” said Coach Zimmerman. Crookston came out strong in the second half at Hayden Winjum, Emma Osborn, and Halle Winjum made the 12th, 13th, and 14th three of the game for a 47-20 lead less than four minutes into the half.  On the Halle Winjum three-pointer, Emma Osborn made a great one-handed catch on the baseline and was able to spin and kick a pass out to Winjum for the three-pointer.  “Emma made a great catch and didn’t panic and was able to make an excellent pass the Halle,” said Coach Zimmerman. Crookston led 49-22 when Osborn converted a three-point play and followed it up with her seventh three and the 15th of the game for the Pirates to take a 55-22 lead with eight minutes left in the game.  Crookston went to the bench the rest of the game and was able to play five of the senior reserves together for the final minutes, as it was the last home game of their Pirate basketball careers, and Crookston won the game 59-41. “We got everybody good quality minutes tonight and to get all the seniors on the floor in the last home game, so that was nice,” said Coach Zimmerman. “It was a good game with a great atmosphere.  We had to delay the start of the game because there was a line waiting to get in, but that is a good thing.”   Crookston ended the game with 15 three-pointers, which accounted for 45 of their 59 points and Osborn, the Crookston Girls Basketball season three-pointer leader, added seven three-pointers in the game.  “I didn’t shoot very well in the last two games, so I went to open gym on Sunday and worked on my shot,” said Osborn. “Tonight was pretty fun and once one of us makes some shots we all follow.”

Crookston improves 22-5 on the year and will travel to Hawley on Saturday for a Section 8AA quarterfinal game.  It is scheduled to start at 7:00 p.m.  We will let you know if anything changes with a possible winter storm. 
East Grand Forks ends the season with an 8-15 record. 

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