Hornets Rattled by Rim, Lose Heartbreaker to Hill-Murray

Sometimes, for a basketball team, a play can unfold exactly as it was drawn up. Passes are made in quick succession and a player gets an open shot right where her coach envisioned she would.

And sometimes, that shot just doesn't fall.

That's what happened for the Edina girls basketball team on Tuesday night against Hill-Murray. Sophomore M.C. McGrory's three-pointer from the corner went in and out with three seonds left, allowing the Pioneers to hang on for a 39-37 win at Edina High School.

"We couldn't have asked for a better shot," Hornets coach Matt Nilsen said. "She's a great shooter."

Both teams entered the game undefeated, and the game produced all the drama a fan could want from two top teams.

The Hornets (#7 in Class 4A) jumped out to a 6-0 lead after capitalizing on early turnovers by the Pioneers (#1 in Class 3A). During that stretch, senior co-captain Katybeth Biewen jumped in the passing lanes for a pair of steals that led to a layup and two free throws.

Biewen finished the game with 10 points. Senior Jaime Breshnahan, the Hornets' other captain, led the team in scoring with 11 points.

Hill-Murray climbed back in the game thanks largely to the play of junior Tessa Cichy. The guard's own explosive speed and ability to create turnovers drew the Pioneers closer, and the half ended with the game tied at 20.

"They're a physical team," Nilsen said of Hill-Murray. "We wanted to exceed their physicality. A lot of [those teams], you can out-skill them, but (Hill-Murray's) really talented."

Edina held Hill-Murray's star senior post player Bethany Doolittle, a University of Iowa signee who entered the game averaging a team-high 17.5 points per game, to eight points on Tuesday night.

Despite that small victory, the Pioneers started the second half on a 7-0 run.

"We just went cold," Nilsen said. "Our shots weren't falling."

With the game tied at 35, Cichy, who finished with a game-high 18 points, made two free throws. Hill-Murray junior Claire Van Dyk then added her only points of the game, a lightning-quick, left-handed layup to avoid an Edina block.

Biewen hit a jumper from the free throw line to make the game 39-37 with about a minute to play. Neither team could score despite some a few good opportunities. Nilsen called a timeout with 9.9 seconds remaining and drew up the play that concluded with McGrory's shot rattling in and out.

"This was the best game we've played this year," Nilsen said. "And the first four games were wins."

The Hornets fall to 4-1 on the season, while the Pioneers move to 5-0.

UP NEXT:

The Hornets host Rochester John Marshall at 2 p.m. Saturday at Edina High School.