Girls basketball: Lake is providing tough tests for Rosemount

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Rosemount girls basketball coach Sam McDonald anticipated much tougher, tighter games in the Lake Conference than the Irish had experienced in non-conference play.

How tight the games have been might be the most amazing aspect.

Rosemount (9-3, 1-2 Lake) has played three games in the Lake Conference. Tuesday’s three point loss at Apple Valley was the biggest point differential in the three games.

And that came after overtime.

The Irish have been playing in tight games. Late last week, they beat No. 3 Chaska, 62-61, on a buzzer-beating shot. Rosemount lost 74-71 in overtime against Apple Valley.

“We knew this was the way it was going to be,” McDonald said. “What makes the season is how you deal with the ups and downs of things. That’s part of basketball, in conference play, being able to handle the highs and the lows. The highs are the fun part. A loss like (Tuesday) is the difficult piece that you have to maneuver through and discuss and figure out what needs to improve.”

So this week, McDonald was dealing with the “lows” after a tough loss at Apple Valley.

It was made tougher because the Irish had just experienced one of the true “highs” after beating Chaska.

The Hawks led 39-31 at halftime, but Rosemount climbed back and won when Ashley Roup connected on a shot as the buzzer sounded. Micaella Petrich drove and passed to an open Roup for the game-winner.

“It was about as exciting a game as I’ve been involved in,” McDonald said. “Just knowing the level of competition and playing on our home floor, making it come down to the wire and having the last shot, it was very exciting. It was a great pass from Micaella to Ashley and Ashley knocked it down for the win.

Rachel Hoeppner scored 19 points for the Irish, and Elaine Warner added 18 points.

But the good feelings were trumped this week with the tough loss against Apple Valley.

Rosemout led for much of the game, but ended up in overtime where the Eagles managed to pull it out by three points.

“It’s tough to regain or gain momentum in that situation,” McDonald said. “They rode the momentum. Credit to Apple Valley, they made the plays down the stretch. We just didn’t finish very well.”

The Irish had four players in double figures, led by Warner’s 16 points. Petrich had 15 points. Sara Feeser scored 14 and Hoeppner chipped in with 11.

“Following the losses is always tough,” McDonald said. “It’s tough to bear down and work on the things in the next practice. But that’s where we’re at. It’s what we have to do. We have a long stretch of season here. The good teams battle through the tough losses and stay focused.”

Tags: girls basketball, prep sports, sports, rosemount, prep