Portland St. Patrick at Morrice – – Girls Basketball – – The Bleacher Denizen – – January 3, 2022 – – by Chuck Krafft

Tonight, the Bleacher Denizen is heading out to Morrice High, where the Orioles will host the Shamrocks from Portland St. Patrick. The Bleacherdenizenmobile was fortunately able to get from Lansing to Morrice without much of a problem. While Coach Al Schrauben no longer drives the bus for St. Patrick, it was great to see that the Shamrocks got to the game, too. (Thanks to Mick McCabe from the Detroit Free Press for contributing that bit of information!)

Morrice enters the game with a with a 5-1 record. Abi Beem is an athletic perimeter player who can score from the three point line or slash to the basket. Aubrey Rogers is another athletic player who can defend well anywhere on the court. She does a lot of scoring inside on slashes to the basket. Lily Nowak’s quick hands make ball handling a challenge for most of her opponents. Makenzie Doerner has a great basketball IQ and works hard. She always knows where to be on defense and moves the ball well on offense.

Kaylee McGowan plays in the post and rebounds well. Mallory Munro is a good perimeter defender and midrange scorer. Marlaina Ash works hard on defense and helps stop opponents in the post.

Portland St. Patrick is 6-0 and rated number 1 in Division 4 after their big win against rival Fowler just before the Christmas break.

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Lydia Meredith, a four year senior starter, leads St. Patrick. She is really quick, extremely athletic and taller than most guards. Thus, she is a real problem for all her opponents on defense. She gets a lot of steals and causes many, many turnovers for the opposition. She is also strong on defense in the post and rebounds well. On offense, she is an excellent ball handler and passer. She uses her quickness and excellent ball handling to aggressively attack the basket whenever possible. When open, she can also shoot from the three point line.

Senior Katelyn (Swish) Russell is also in her fourth year of starting. She played a huge role in the win over Fowler with her accurate three point shot. She hit three of them in the first quarter against Fowler as the Shamrocks opened a big lead. She led the team in scoring as she hit five treys on her way to 19 points against one of the finest teams in the state. Because I have not asked Swish about her possible new nickname, I guess I’ll refer to her as “Katelyn” in the rest of this article!!! In addition to her three point scoring, she is a strong defender inside or on the perimeter.

Mara Schrauben is the epitome of a tough inside player. She is strong on the boards, defends with great toughness inside and very difficult to stop from scoring when she catches the ball inside. She is another senior in her fourth year of varsity basketball. Carly Scheurer is a tough perimeter defender who keeps the ball moving and makes few mistakes on offense. Natalee Teachworth is an excellent leaper and defender inside. She also is difficult to stop inside whether she has just caught a pass or pulled down an offensive rebound.

Ellayna Meredith is a ball of energy and an extremely persistent perimeter defender. She is a threat to steal the ball from anyone at any time. Rylee Scheurer is long and tall; she defends well on the perimeter or in the lane. Addison Scheurer gives the Shamrocks another threat from the three point line.

St. Patrick rolled to a 56-12 win in the JV game. Albri Larner put in 8 points for the Oriole JVs and Lexi Rose added 4 points.

For St. Patrick, Isabella Russman led the JVs with 14 points. Mattie Honsowitz put in 11 points and Hannah Weller joined her teammates in double figures with 10 points. Megan Myers and Sophia Schrauben each added 7 points. Tori Sandborn contributed 5 points. Lily Sandborn tallied 2 points.

It is now time to reveal the events of this contest through the eyes of an aging Bleacher Denizen who was never able to get past church league when he attempted to hoop back in the previous century. After the armed forces learned of his poor shooting ability, they refused to trust him with a gun, so your Bleacher Denizen has the distinction of not being drafted by the army or by the NBA!!

St. Patrick wins the opening tap. Mara Schrauben passes to Lydia Meredith, who hit a layup to give St. Patrick the first basket of the game. Lydia Meredith steals an Oriole pass. St. Patrick misses a layup and three putbacks. Lydia Meredith steals the ball for the Shamrocks; St. Patrick misses a reverse layup. Morrice misses a layup. Carly Scheurer passes to Lydia Meredith, who hits a shot from the side with her foot on the three point line. St. Patrick has a 4-0 lead.

Morrice misses a five foot shot from the side of the lane. Aubrey Rogers knocks a pass out of bounds to stop a possible Shamrock fast break layup. St. Patrick misses a six foot shot from the baseline. Carly Scheurer and Ellayna Meredith disrupt the Oriole offense and cause a tieup. The Possession Arrow was munching on leftover Christmas cookies and missed the play; the ball is awarded back to the Orioles.

Lydia Meredith blocks a Morrice driving layup. The ball goes out of bounds and the Orioles get another opportunity. Morrice misses a layup; the ball goes out of bounds at St. Patrick takes possession. Katelyn Russell inbounds to Lydia Meredith, who is behind the three point line this time; she launches and makes a trey for the Shamrocks. Abi Beem passes to Aubrey Rogers, who makes a strong post move, is fouled and hits two free throws to trim the Shamrock lead to 7-2 with 4:57 remaining in the first quarter.

Carly Scheurer passes to Katelyn Russell, who spins and hits a layup for the Shamrocks. Ellayna Meredith steals an Oriole cross court pass. Aubrey Rogers gets her hand on the ball to stop a Shamrock fast break; the ball goes out of bounds and Morrice takes possession. Katelyn Russell steals the ball for the Shamrocks. St. Patrick misses a jump shot. Lydia Meredith hits the floor to secure a long offensive rebound for St. Patrick. Mara Schrauben is fouled on a driving layup and hits two free throws to boost her Shamrocks to an 11-2 lead with 4:11 to go in the first quarter.

Morrice misfires on a triple try from the wing. The rebound goes out of bounds and the Orioles get another possession. Ellayna Meredith knocks a Morrice pass out of bounds; the Orioles get the ball back. Morrice misses a banked hook shot. St. Patrick misses an eighteen foot jumper from the side. Morrice misses a reverse layup. Lydia Meredith hits a driving fast break layup for the Shamrocks.

Natalee Teachworth steals the ball for the Shamrocks. St. Patrick misses an eighteen foot jump shot from the wing. Lydia Meredith steals the ball and hits a fast break putback for St. Patrick. Abi Beem is fouled on a driving layup and hits two free throws to shave the Shamrock lead to 15-4 with 2:02 to play in the opening quarter.

Rylee Scheurer passes to Natalee Teachworth, who hits a layup for the Shamrocks. Morrice misses a three point shot from the wing. The rebound goes out of bounds and the Orioles get the ball back. Natalee Teachworth knocks the ball away from the Orioles and there is a tieup. The Possession Arrow must have finished its cookies as it sees the play and awards the ball to St. Patrick. St. Patrick misses a ten foot shot in the lane. Natalee Teachworth pulls down the offensive rebound for the Shamrocks. Lily Nowak steals the ball for the Orioles.

Morrice misses a layup. St. Patrick loses a pass out of bounds. Morrice misses a ten foot shot from the side of the lane. St. Patrick misses a driving layup; the rebound goes out of bounds and Morrice takes possess. Morrice misses a reverse layup. Savannah Miles pulls down the offensive rebound for the Orioles. Jamelyn Forist steals the ball for the Shamrocks. Makenzie Doerner steals the ball for the Orioles. Rylee Scheurer steals the ball for the Shamrocks. The first quarter buzzer sounds to end this on-court crime spree!!

After one quarter, St. Patrick has a 17-4 lead.

Morrice inbounds the ball to get the second quarter underway. Ellayna Meredith blocks an Oriole shot. Mara Schrauben passes to Katelyn Russell, who swishes a threeball from the wing for the Shamrocks. Mara Schrauben steals an Oriole pass. Lydia Meredith hits a hook/layup for the Shamrocks. Makenzie Doerner passes to Aubrey Rogers, who hits a layup for the Orioles to trim the Shamrock lead to 22-6.

Aubrey Rogers steals a St. Patrick pass. Mara Schrauben knocks a pass away from the Orioles; Morrice is able to recover. Katelyn Russell steals the ball for the Shamrocks. Savannah Miles knocks the ball away from St. Patrick and Aubrey Rogers picks it up for Morrice. Rylee Scheurer’s aggressive defense forces Morrice to call time out to avoid a tieup. Morrice throws a pass out of bounds. St. Patrick misfires on a triple try from the side. Morrice misses a layup. St. Patrick misses a fourteen footer in the lane. Ellayna Meredith is fouled on a putback and hits one of her two free throws to give St. Patrick a 23-6 lead with 5:12 left in the first half.

Mara Schrauben pulls down the offensive rebound for the Shamrocks. St. Patrick misses a layup. The rebound goes out of bounds and the Shamrocks get another opportunity. St. Patrick misses a three pointer from the corner. Mara Schrauben secures the offensive rebound for the Shamrocks. St. Patrick misses a layup. Morrice misses a three point shot from the wing. Katelyn Russell passes to Rylee Scheurer, who hits a layup to give the Shamrocks a 25-6 lead.

Rylee Scheurer knocks a Morrice pass out of bounds; the Orioles retain possession. Ellayna Meredith steals the ball and hits a fast break layup for St. Patrick. Morrice misses a fast break layup. Mallory Munro gets the offensive rebound for the Orioles. Morrice misses a layup. Ellayna Meredith hits a fast break layup for the Shamrocks, is fouled and makes her free throw to push St. Patrick to a 30-6 lead with 3:54 to play in the first half.

Morrice misses a three point shot from the side. Marlaina Ash snares the offensive rebound for the Orioles. Addison Scheurer steals the ball for the Shamrocks. St. Patrick misses a threeball from the corner; the rebound goes out of bounds and St. Patrick gets another opportunity. St. Patrick misses a three point shot from the corner. Marlaina Ash is fouled and hits one of two shots in a one and one free throw opportunity. With 2:57 to go in the half, St. Patrick holds a 30-7 lead.

Hayley Fleischer passes to Natalee Teachworth, who hits a layup for St. Patrick. Addison Scheurer knocks the ball away from Morrice and Jamelyn Forist picks it up for St. Patrick. St. Patrick misses a three point shot from the side and a putback. The rebound from the putback is tied up by Sydney Wyzga; the Possession Arrow is impressed with her toughness and awards the ball to her Orioles.

Morrice misses a fifteen foot shot from the baseline. Rylee Scheurer passes to a teammate, who is fouled on a layup, but misses her free throws. Hayley Fleischer gets the offensive rebound for St. Patrick. Addison Scheurer inbounds the ball to Natalee Teachworth, who hits a layup to give the Shamrocks a 34-7 lead.

Morrice misses a fifteen foot shot from the baseline. St. Patrick loses a cross court pass out of bounds. Carly Scheurer steals the ball for the Shamrocks and passes to Addison Scheurer for a fast break layup. Addison Scheurer ties up the ball and the Possession Arrow decrees that St. Patrick shall have the ball. Makenzie Doerner gets her hand on the ball, but the Shamrocks recover. Hayley Fleischer hits a fifteen foot shot from the side for St. Patrick. Morrice misses a shot at the buzzer.

At halftime, St. Patrick has a 38-7 lead.

Aubrey Rogers has 4 points to lead Morrice.

Lydia Meredith has 13 points for St. Patrick. Ellayna Meredith and Natalee Teachworth each have 6 points.

Morrice has the ball to start the third quarter. Lydia Meredith knocks the ball away from the Orioles and Katelyn Russell grabs it for the Shamrocks. Mara Schrauben hits a putback for St. Patrick. Morrice misses a driving layup. Ellayna Meredith passes to Mara Schrauben, who is fouled as she shoots a layup and makes one of her two free throws to push the Shamrock lead to 41-7 with 6:58 remaining in the third quarter.

Lydia Meredith steals the ball for the Shamrocks and hits a fast break layup. Morrice misses a three point shot from the side. Lydia Meredith hits a fast break layup for the Shamrocks. Morrice misses a three point shot from the wing. Lily Nowak secures the offensive rebound for the Orioles. Morrice misses a driving layup. Lydia Meredith hits a fast break layup for St. Patrick. Morrice misses a short hook shot. Ellayna Meredith passes to Mara Schrauben, who hits a layup to give St. Patrick a 49-7 lead.

Morrice misses a layup. The Shamrocks reciprocate and miss a layup. Lydia Meredith snags the offensive rebound for the Shamrocks. St. Patrick misses a three point shot from the side. Morrice turns the ball over. Lydia Meredith passes to Mara Schrauben for a Shamrock layup. Morrice misses a twelve foot shot from the baseline; the rebound goes out of bounds and St. Patrick takes possession. Aubrey Rogers blocks a Shamrock layup; the ball goes out of bounds and St. Patrick gets another opportunity. St. Patrick misses a threeball from the side. Makenzie Doerner hits a putback. The Shamrock lead is at 51-9.

Makenzie Doerner knocks a Shamrock pass out of bounds; St. Patrick retains possession. Aubrey Rogers ties up the ball; the Possession Arrow is impressed by her defense and awards the ball to Morrice. The Orioles miss a layup. St. Patrick misses a sixteen foot shot from the side. Marlaina Ash passes to Savannah Miles, who is fouled on a layup at the buzzer. She makes one of her two free throws.

With three quarters in the books, St. Patrick has a 51-10 lead.

St. Patrick inbounds the ball to start the fourth quarter. Mallory Munro gets her hand on the ball; St. Patrick recovers. The Shamrocks lose a pass out of bounds. Morrice misses a three point shot from the side. Savannah Miles gets the offensive rebound for the Orioles. Morrice misses a shot. Makenzie Doerner pulls down the offensive rebound for Morrice. Morrice misses a shot. Makenzie Doerner ties up the ball and the Possession Arrow gives it to her Orioles.

Jamelyn Forist knocks the ball away from Morrice; the Orioles recover. Morrice loses the ball out of bounds. St. Patrick misses a sixteen foot shot from the side. The Shamrocks secure the offensive rebound. Jamelyn Forist is fouled on a shot and hits one of her two free throws for St. Patrick. With 5:26 to play, the Shamrock lead is at 52-10.

Tori Sandborn steals the ball for her Shamrocks. St. Patrick misses a layup. Addison Scheurer gets the offensive rebound for the Shamrocks. St. Patrick misses a shot; Addison Scheurer gets another offensive rebound. After ST. Patrick misses another shot and gets another offensive rebound, Addison Scheurer hits a threeball from the wing for the Shamrocks. Tori Sandborn steals the ball and hits a fast break layup to boost the Shamrock lead to 57-10.

Aubrey Rogers passes to Makenzie Doerner, who hits a ten foot shot from the baseline for the Orioles. St. Patrick misses a shot. Tori Sandborn grabs the offensive rebound for the Shamrocks. Makenzie Doerner ties up the ball, the but Possession Arrow gives the ball back to St. Patrick. Mallory Munro steals the ball and hits a fast break layup for Morrice. Aubrey Rogers steals the ball for Morrice. Abi Beem is fouled and hits two free throws for the Orioles. St. Patrick misses a three point shot from the side. Morrice misses a short jumper from the side at the buzzer.

St. Patrick wins by a 57-16 score.

Makenzie Doerner, Abi Beem and Aubrey Rogers each had 4 points for Morrice. Mallory Munro scored 2 points. Marlaina Ash and Savannah Miles each tallied 1 point.

Lydia Meredith led the victorious Shamrocks with 19 points. Mara Schrauben supported her with 9 points. Ellayna Meredith and Natalee Teachworth each pumped in 6 points. Addison Scheurer and Katelyn Russell each added 5 points. Tori Sandborn, Hayley Fleischer and Rylee Scheurer each had 2 points. Jamelyn Forist scored 1 point.