MFL MarMac girls 2-1 as they wrap conference schedule
Grace Anderson led MFL MarMac with 16 points in the team’s overtime loss to North Fayette Valley on Feb. 2. (Photos by Audrey Posten)
Kacie Picha provided a spark off the MFL MarMac bench last week.
Autumn Shaw puts up a shot in MFL MarMac's conference loss to NFV.
Hannah Bogdonovich surges past a TigerHawk defender in the Feb. 2 game.
Kaitlin Picha searches for an open Bulldog teammate in the loss to NFV.
Brooklynn Moon fights for a rebound in the Bulldogs' overtime loss to the TigerHawks.
By Audrey Posten, Times-Register
The MFL MarMac girls basketball team went 2-1 last week, in what were its final Upper Iowa Conference games this season.
In a Jan. 31 match-up at Clayton Ridge, the Bulldogs turned a four-point first quarter deficit into a four-point lead at halftime. The team then went on a 15-10 third quarter run and held off the Eagles in the final period to win 50-43.
Both squads shot just over 30 percent from the field, but MFL MarMac had a keen advantage from the free throw line, making 17 of 22 attempts. The Eagles got to the line a similar 21 times, but hit just four free throws. Clayton Ridge was additionally hurt by turnovers, committing 16 compared to the Bulldogs’ nine.
Grace Anderson led all scorers with 20 points, and added four rebounds, a steal and a block. Hannah Bogdonovich was responsible for 12 points—eight of which came from the free throw line—along with eight rebounds, three assists and a steal. Brooklynn Moon picked up six points, five rebounds and a steal, while Kaitlin Picha netted six points, two assists, a rebound and a steal.
MFL MarMac couldn’t keep that momentum going in a tough 68-64 overtime loss to North Fayette Valley on Feb. 2. The Bulldogs trailed by double digits, but stormed back in the second half, closing the gap in the final minute with a pair of three pointers from sisters Brooklynn and Caydence Moon.
In overtime, the Bulldogs managed just one bucket, and the TigerHawks separated themselves with some key free throws. That was a major statistic in the game, as NFV got to the line 16 times, making 12. MFL MarMac only connected on two of six free throw attempts.
Rebounds were equally hard to come by for MFL MarMac, who was at a 48-34 disadvantage.
Anderson led the team with 16 points. Her stat line also included five rebounds and two steals. Bogdonovich added 14 points, five assists, four rebounds and the Bulldogs’ lone block. Brooklynn Moon followed with 11 points, four rebounds, three steals and two assists, while Ashley Shaw contributed nine points and a team-high six rebounds along with two steals and an assist.
The Bulldogs got back on track the following night, in a 54-37 victory at South Winneshiek. They led by only two points at halftime, but pulled away in the final two quarters after holding the Warriors to just 26.8 percent shooting.
MFL MarMac, meanwhile, hit 40 percent of its shots, and out-rebounded South Winn 34-25. The Warriors also coughed the ball up a whopping 25 times.
Shaw’s 14 points topped the scoring column, and she added four rebounds, two steals and an assist. Anderson was next up with nine points and four rebounds. Kacie Picha sank a pair of threes for six of her nine points, in addition to chipping in two rebounds and a steal. Kaitlin Picha finished the night with eight points, three rebounds, two steals and an assist.
The win improved MFL MarMac to 13-7 overall and 11-5 in the Upper Iowa Conference. That is good for fourth place behind champion Central, then Turkey Valley and NFV.
The Bulldogs will begin the postseason Tuesday, Feb. 14, in a Class 2A - Region 5 match-up with Beckman Catholic. The game will start at 7 p.m. in Monona.
