PIRATE GIRL’S BASKETBALL LOSES TO EGF ON LAST SECOND SHOT

The East Grand Forks Green Wave scored with three seconds left in the game to beat the Crookston Pirate Girls Basketball team 50-48 in a Section 8AA game played in East Grand Forks.

The first half was close with East Grand Forks taking a lead before Crookston got in their offensive groove to tie the game and keep within a possession or two and trailed 21-19 at halftime. “We hit our offensive groove about halfway through the half and I thought we played well defensively,” said Pirate Coach Darin Zimmerman. “If we could have played better offensively earlier in the game we would have had a lead at halftime.  We weren’t strong with the ball.”

In the second half, East Grand Forks built a double-digit lead with about 11 minutes left in the game. “That was the biggest lead of the game,” said Coach Zimmerman. “We weren’t playing very well and they took advantage.”  Crookston called a time out and answered with four straight points to get within a seven-point deficit and slowly chipped away at the deficit the rest of the game.  The game down to the final seconds and Crookston’s Kylie Solheim made a three-pointer and was fouled and made the free throw for a rare four-point play to tie the game.  East Grand Forks came back and was fouled on a drive and made two free throw shots.  Crookston called a time out to discuss the upcoming play and they got the ball to Solheim who missed the three-pointer and Rachel Hefta grabbed the offensive rebound and missed the shot before Gretchen Theis grabbed the rebound and scored to tie the game at 48-48.  East Grand Forks got the ball to Chloe Torgerson who hit a contested runner on the baseline to take a 50-48 lead with three seconds left in the game.  Crookston called a time out and got the inbound pass to half court and got a shot off, but it was off the mark and East Grand Forks held on for the 50-48 victory.  “We played really, really good the last 10 minutes of the game.  I thought the girls played how we needed to play,” said Coach Zimmerman. “It was a fun game, but it was kind of frustrating because we have had a chance to beat three good teams with Park Rapids, Perham and now East Grand Forks and we were really close in all three of them.  Now we have to learn from them and find a way to win the close games against good opponents.”
Crookston drops their fourth straight game and are 11-7 on the year and will travel to the Fargo Civic Center to play Pelican Rapids at 6:45 p.m. on Saturday.  East Grand Forks improves to 12-6 on the year.