The Crookston Pirate Girls Basketball team’s second-half rally fell short in a 49-44 loss to #5 ranked and the undefeated Pelican Rapids Vikings in the Section 8AA quarterfinals played at Concordia College in Moorhead.
FIRST HALF –
Pelican Rapids scored the first basket of the game before Crookston’s Gretchen Theis answered with back-to-back baskets for a 4-2 lead over two minutes into the game. “Pelican Rapids responded with a 6-0 run with baskets from three different players (Greta Tollefson, Ryley Paulson, and Anna Stephensen) for an 8-4 lead. The teams exchanged baskets for several minutes and with Crookston trailing 12-8, the Pirates went on a 6-0 run with an offensive rebound and putback from Kasey Cwikla, a basket from Theis after a pass from Halle Winjum, and a Hayden Winjum layup for a 14-12 lead with 8:03 left in the half. The teams exchanged points and Crookston led 17-14 when Pelican Rapids exploded for a 10-0 run behind our points apiece from Tollefson and Ryley Paulson and a basket from Stephensen for a 24-17 lead with 1:38 remaining in the half. After two Crookston free throws, Pelican Rapids ended the half with a Stephensen basket before the buzzer for a 26-17 lead at halftime. “I was more pleased with our offense than I was on Thursday,” said Pirate Coach Darin Zimmerman. “We played a pretty good half and defensively we were solid except for the five-minute span where they went on the run.”
SECOND HALF –
The teams exchanged baskets with Pirate seniors Cwikla, Theis, and Dani Boyle combining to score the first eight Crookston points, but Pelican Rapids had a 37-27 lead with 10:37 left in the game. Crookston responded with a 7-0 run with a Boyle three-pointer and back-to-back baskets from Cwikla to get within a 37-34 deficit. “There is something about being a senior that has put some time in and has a good work ethic like our three seniors,” said Coach Zimmerman. “They got us going and played great tonight. That was a nice way to start the half.” Pelican Rapids led 39-36 with seven minutes left when they made three straight free throws. Crookston started to heat up with a Hayden Winjum three-pointer followed by a Cwikla basket in the paint to get within a 44-41 deficit with three minutes left in the game. Pelican Rapids’ Maddie Guler made two free throws before Hayden Winjum answered with another three-pointer to bring the Pirates within a 46-44 deficit with less than two minutes left. Crookston wasn’t able to score the rest of the way and Pelican Rapids made enough of their free throws to win the game 49-44. “Pelican Rapids plays good defense. We started to get things going late in the game and had some open looks, but couldn’t get them to go and that is how it goes sometimes,” said Coach Zimmerman. “I thought we played great defense the entire game. We did what we needed to do, we battled back, we rebounded better and I thought we played a good game. We made some big shots to get within one possession, but we missed some looks. Pelican Rapids is undefeated for a reason. They play a tough schedule and have a very good team. I am extremely proud of this team and what they did. This group never made an excuse, they knew they had to work hard and get better. The resolve and toughness they showed this year goes well beyond winning. I am very proud of these girls and what they did this year.”
Crookston’s season comes to an end with a 21-7 record and they say goodbye to three seniors, Dani Boyle, Gretchen Theis, and Kasey Cwikla. “We are going to miss our seniors,” said Coach Zimmerman. “They played hard, worked hard, and will be able to look back at their careers and realize they did something special.”
Not having Emma Borowicz made it tough for the coaches and players. “It gave you a sick feeling,” said Coach Zimmerman. “Emma is a difference-maker for us and you can’t replace her knowledge of the game and how she plays the game. It will be a huge boost when we get her back next year!” Pelican Rapids improves to 27-0 on the year and will play Hawley in the Section 8AA semi-finals on Wednesday, March 4 at 6:00 p.m.
| 1st | 2nd | Final | |
| CROOKSTON | 19 | 25 | 44 |
| Pelican Rapids | 26 | 23 | 49 |
| For Crookston | Points | Rebound | Steals/Assists |
| Kasey Cwikla | 13 | 3 | |
| Gretchen Theis | 12 | 4 | 2 steals |
| Hayden Winjum | 10 | 5 | 3 steals |
| Dani Boyle | 5 | 3 | 2 assists |
| Halle Winjum | 4 | 4 | 3 assists/2 steals |
| For Pelican Rapids | Points |
| Anna Stephensen | 17 |
| Greta Tollefson | 14 |
| Ryley Paulson | 10 |
| Chloe Paulson | 4 |
| Maddie Guler | 2 |
| Abby Syverson | 2 |
