Lady Samsons sweep at Lindquist Classic

By PAT KRAUSE

sports@yourdailyglobe.com

Ironwood — Gogebic Community College built a big lead and then withstood a Hibbing second half rally to carve out a 72-53 victory in their second win at the 22nd Annual Lindquist Classic on Sunday afternoon.

The Lady Samsons were the only women's team to finish 2-0 on the weekend and have won five consecutive games to improve their record to 7-3.

“Yesterday, we played our best 40 minutes of basketball, but we didn't have nearly the effort or intensity today,” GCC coach Mark Movrich said. “After the way we started the year in North Dakota, I never thought we'd be 7-3. We've shown a lot of improvement, but all I'm asking for is consistency in the effort and intensity. We got a big lead and then we relaxed, we letdown.”

The Lady Samsons played well much of the first half and built a 30-17 halftime lead.

Kisul started the second half with a 12 foot jumper and then Baldwin took a sharp pass from Ofstad and scored. Kissel scored again when Ofstad hit her in stride with a laser-like pass as she got behind the defense and GCC went up 37-21. Spurred on by a triple from Ofstad from the left corner, Gogebic was out running again and and pulling away from Hibbing.

Ofstad made a 3 the hard way when she dribbled the length of the floor, made a lay-up and a foul shot as the Lady Samsons went ahead 47-28 with 12:44 remaining. GCC had out-scored the Cardinals 17-11 since halftime.

When Saunders went up strong in the lane for two and Trudgeon buried a 3 at the 11:13 mark, GCC led 54-33 and appeared to have the game under control.

“Gogebic's a good squad,” Hibbing assistant coach Brau said. “No. 41 (Kisul) and No. 43 (Sanders) are really tough down there. We're usually have a good defensive team, but there were times they just went by us. We played against a real good offensive team.”

But as Movrich said, this is the stage of the game GCC has a tendency to relax. Hibbing hit a few shots, began to feel the momentum switch and went on a 13-2 run to pull within 56-46 with 8:21 remaining.

“We made it interesting and I thought we could do it,” Brau said. “We won two games like that before. We just try to gut it out.”

Movrich admitted he was getting upset.

“When they cut the lead to 10, I was more frustrated than anything,” Movrich said. “We were allowing this to happen and they were out-working us. Nobody was moving on offense and that's why we weren't scoring.”

After the game, Kisul was asked why these lulls seem to happen to the Lady Samsons and she had a hard time explaining it.

“Yesterday, we really wanted that game,” Kisul said. “Sometimes we seem to play to the level of our opponents. We have our moments.”

But it was Kisul and Ofstad that answered back with baskets to rebuild the lead. Ofstad zipped a pass to Baldwin for a score and then Ofstad dribbled the length of the court for a lay-in that put GCC up 66-51 with 2:08 left.

A minute later, Trudgeon inserted the dagger as she drove down the middle of the lane and made a left hand layup to push the lead to 70-53.

It was time for Movrich to relax.

Melissa Weisbrick led Hibbing's scoring with 17-points.

Kisul was the top gun for GCC with 15-points, while Baldwin notched 12. Ofstad had 10-points and 11 assists and Kohegyi also finished with 10-points.

Gogebic travels to Itasca on Wednesday for a 5 p.m. game and then returns to the Lindquist Center on Saturday for a 1p.m. contest with UW-Marathon County.

Hibbing — Megan Vidas 12, Melissa Weisbrick 17, Sarah Stolp 4, Christina Wickingson 10, Danni Bruns 6, Kailey Wirtanen 2, Ashlyn Norman 2. FTs: 10-13, Fouls:14, Fouled out: none, 3-pointers: Megan Vida 1.

Gogebic — Darian Vinkemeier 8, Samantha Robl 4, Ale Kohegyi 10, Jourdan Baldwin12, Sam Ofstadt 10, Sarah Trudgeon 5, Brittni Kisul 15, Tierra Sanders 8. FTs: 10-17, Fouls: 15, Fouled out: none, 3-pointers: Sam Ofstad 1, Sam Ofstadt 1.

Gogebic 83

Vermilion 37

The Gogebic Community College Lady Samsons won their fourth game in a row with a dominating win over Vermilion 83-37 in the 22nd Annual Lindquist Classic on Saturday.

GCC was never behind or tied in the contest.

Gogebic's record now stands at 6-3 after getting off to a sputtering start with a 2-3 record.

"This was as good a 40 minutes of basketball as we've played," GCC women's coach Mark Movrich said. "I know it was the best defense we've played. We played with focus and concentration. We got out on the ball screens and we were always on the ball and after the ball.

"On offense, we were aggressive going to the basket and not just shooting jumpers. That's why we shot 21 of 29 in free throws (72.4%). "

The Ironwomen sank only five free throws and made only 13-66 (19.7%) of their total shots.

There was also a big disparity in points scored off turnovers as the Gogebic women outscored Vermilion 24-3.

Ale Kohegyi, who had a big afternoon scoring 25-points, said it was the way the Lady Samsons played defense that created all the turnovers.

"Our defense pressured their guards and the defense creates offense when we get out and run," Kohegyi said. "It's a style we like to play. We have a lot of talent and we're definitely coming together as a team everyday. The plan is to keep it going."

Vermilion coach Tomi McDonald said it was a combination of factors that dragged her team down on Saturday.

"GCC is a pretty good team," McDonald said. "They're a hard team to beat. They shoot well, their big girls can play and their transition game is real good."

When the game started, both teams must have thought there was a lid on the rim. GCC missed their first six shots and Vermilion's shooting was even more anemic as they misfired on their first 10 attempts.

Kohegyi broke the ice with a top of the key 3 and followed that up with a pair of free throws. Sam Ofstad drained a 3-ball at the 16:40 mark to put the Lady Samsons up 8-3.

Gogebic's Jourdan Baldwin made a steal under GCC's basket and dished off to Ofstad for an easy score. Sarah Trudgeon found herself open in the lane and sank a jump shot giving the green and white a 12-3 advantage with 12:34 remaining.

Vermillion's Lela Horne drilled an NBA length 3 with 14:50 left to narrow GCC's lead to 13-6.

But the Lady Samsons showed they were all business when they clamped down on defense and prevented the Ironwomen from getting off a shot as the 30 second clock expired at the 12:38 mark.

Kohegyi started a Gogebic surge by splashing a triple from the right wing to expand the lead to 22-13.

GCC's pressure defense forced more turnovers and the Lady Samsons were out and running in their transition game.

The Lady Samsons were equal opportunity scorers as Brittni Kisul, Darian Vinkemeier, Trudgeon, Ofstad, Kohegyi, and Tierra Sanders all converted on scores.

By half-time, Gogebic had built a 46-20 lead and teams don't often come back from 26-deficits.

Ofstad's pull-up jumper got Gogebic rolling again in the second half and GCC made a 22-1 run to put the game out of reach.

Vermilion's first field goal of the second half did not come until the 11:31 mark.

Although the Lady Samsons turned in an impressive performance, Movrich was especially pleased with the play of two players.

"First, Tierra Sanders is a difference-maker out there offensively and defensively," Movrich said. "And Ale Kohegyi presents big match-up problems for teams."

Gogebic had balanced scoring as Kohegyi led the offensive assault with her 25-points as well as an 8-8 from the free throw line. Ofstad garnered 17-points while Sanders chipped in with 12 and Baldwin added 10-points.

Vermilion — Lola Horne 3, Lela Horne 11, Krystal Brodeen 4, Lindsay Zeitler 8, Erin Muhvich 6, Madeline Massey 3, Dominque Thompson 2. FTs: 5-8, Fouls: 18, Fouled out: none, 3-pointers: Erin Muhvich 2, Lola Horne 1, Lela Horne1, Lindsey Zeitler 1, Madeline Massey 1.

Gogebic — Darian Vinkemeier 7, Ale Kohegyi 25, Jourdan Baldwin 10, Sam Ofstad 17, Sarah

Trudgeon 5, Brittni Kisul 6, Tierra Sanders 12, Samantha Norback 1. FTs: 21-29, Fouls: 10, Fouled out: none, 3-pointers: Ale Kohegyi 3, Sam Ofstad 1.

Half: Gogebic 46-20.