Dansville at Pewamo-Westphalia – – CMAC Girls Game of the Week – – The Bleacher Denizen – – December 14, 2022 – – by Chuck Krafft

Our basketball season keeps progressing; it is now time for your Bleacher Denizen to do his first official CMAC Girls Game of the Week for the 2022-23 season. The Dansville Aggies are visiting the Pirates from Pewamo-Westphalia.

The trip to Westphalia is always a bit spooky as Grange Road wraps by at least one cemetery and is generally really dark at night. However, it was not icy, so your Bleacher Denizen made it to Westphalia to make his personally required stop at Ox Market for some sausage and some jerky. YUM.

I got to the gym in time to see most of the preliminary game. As Dansville does not have a JV team, Pewamo-Westphalia’s JVs played against the freshman team from Grand Blanc. P-W rolled to a 13-0 lead after one corner and won the game 50-3.

Lilly Anderson led the Pewamo-Westphalia JVs with 10 points. Emerie Smith scored 6 points. Leah Miller, Sophie Hengesbach and Ellie Farmer each tallied 5 points. Maddy Weber, Ally Nurenberg and Carlee Fox each tossed in 4 points. Julia Klein, Maria Klein and Elyse Thelen each added 2 points. Taylor Nurenberg scored 1 point.

While we wait for the game to start, we can listen to some Christmas music from my You Tube Channel. Here is my rendition of “Holly Jolly Christmas”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msk3US5xeZc

Dansville enters this game with a 2-0 record in the CMAC and a 4-0 record in all games. They have an excellent team with many players back from last year’s team that won a Regional Title.

Megan Zeitz is an excellent player with no glaring weaknesses in her game. She is tall and competitive enough to defend in the post; she is quick enough to be an excellent perimeter defender as well. On offense, she is an excellent ball handler and passer. When it’s time to score, she can hit the three point shot or drive to the basket where she is extremely difficult to stop with her combination of height, coordination and excellent ball handling skills.

Kourtney Mack is an excellent three point shooter who also contributes ball handling, fine perimeter defense, passing and some inside scoring to the Aggies. Emily Tringal and Elizabeth Carpenter rebound and defend well in the post. Izzy Joseph brings an accurate three point shot to the Aggies. Alaina Broyles gives Dansville another strong post defender and rebounder.

Pewamo-Westphalia (hereafter mostly abbreviated as “P-W” to save wear and tear on your aging Bleacher Denizen’s aging fingers) brings an 0-1 record in the CMAC and a 1-1 overall record into the game.

Sierra Schneider uses her height and solid athletic ability to frustrate Pirate opponents in the paint. She is a fine shot blocker and overall defender. She also scores well in the post either on post moves or quite frequently on putbacks.

Brynn Bauer is a strong ball handler and perimeter defender who runs the point for the Pirates. Mackenna Weber is an athletic and persistent perimeter defender. Logan Drake is a fine post defender who gives the Pirates another talented shot blocker. Kambrie Thelen is a versatile defender who is strong either in the post or on the perimeter. Elly Bengel is a freshman who can hit shots from the perimeter. Kiersten Griesmer and Alonna Thelen are threats from the three point line.

It is now time to review the events of this game from the occasionally intense perspective of an Aging Bleacher Denizen who was never able to escape church league in the ancient times when he attempted to play basketball. Alas, he was never completely able to understand some basic concepts.

There was a time when he scored fifteen points in one quarter, but his coach angrily informed him that he was scoring for the other team! (No wonder they weren’t guarding me very carefully – – sigh.) The mind boggles.

Dansville wins the opening tap. Elizabeth Carpenter passes to Megan Zeitz, who hits a layup to give Dansville the first two points of the game. P-W misses a three point shot from the corner. Sierra Schneider steals an Aggie pass. P-W travels and a driving layup is disallowed. Sierra Schneider knocks the ball away from Dansville and Mackenna Weber picks it up for P-W. The Pirates throw a pass too high and it goes out of bounds. Gracie Taylor gets the ball to Megan Zeitz, who is fouled on a layup. She hits two free throws to make the score Megan Zeitz 4 Pewamo-Westphalia 0 with 5:12 remaining in the first quarter.

Gracie Taylor ties up the ball for Dansville; the Possession Arrow defiantly ignores her fine defensive play and decrees that P-W shall have the ball. Kourtney Mack knocks a P-W pass out of bounds; the Pirates retain possession. P-W misses a fifteen footer off the dribble from the wing. Megan Zeitz passes to Elizabeth Carpenter, who hits a ten foot shot from the wing to give Dansville a 6-0 lead.

P-W misses a three point shot from the corner. Dansville misses a three point shot from the wing. Alaina Broyles knocks the ball away from P-W and Megan Zeitz grabs it for Dansville. Megan Zeitz is fouled on a jump shot and hits two free throws to boost the Aggie lead to 8-0 with 2:45 left in the quarter.

P-W is assessed with a traveling violation. Elly Bengel plays tough defense to cause a Dansville traveling violation. P-W misfires on a triple try from the side. Dansville bounces a pass out of bounds. P-W misses a three pointer from the wing; the rebound goes out of bounds and the Aggies get the ball.

Mackenna Weber knocks the ball away from Dansville and Alonna Thelen grabs the ball to tie it up. The Possession Arrow ignores the fine P-W defense and awards the ball to Dansville. Dansville is assessed with a traveling violation. Izzy Joseph steals the ball for the Aggies; there is no time for Dansville to get a shot.

After one quarter, Dansville has an 8-0 lead.

P-W inbounds the ball to start out the second quarter. Megan Zeitz kicks the ball out of bounds; P-W retains possession. Kourtney Mack steals the ball for the Aggies. Kambrie Thelen steals the ball for the Pirates. P-W misses a three point shot from the side. Brynn Bauer is fouled on a putback and hits one of her two free throws to trim the Dansville lead to 8-1 with 7:32 remaining in the second quarter.

Dansville misses a fifteen foot shot from the side. The rebound goes out of bounds and P-W takes possession. Megan Zeitz passes to Elizabeth Carpenter, who hits a jump shot from the free throw elbow for Dansville. P-W misses a three point shot from the corner. Kambrie Thelen plays tight defense to cause an Aggie travel. Megan Zeitz steals a pass and hits a fast break layup for Dansville. She is fouled on the play, but misses her free throw. With 5:35 to go in the first half, Dansville has a 12-1 lead.

Megan Zeitz nearly steals the ball, but Elly Bengel is able to recover it for the Pirates. Elizabeth Carpenter blocks a Pirate layup. The ball goes out of bounds; P-W retains possession. P-W loses a pass out of bounds. Sierra Schneider and Taylor Nurenberg team up to block an Aggie layup. P-W misfires on a threeball from the corner. Kourtney Mack outraces everyone to the Dansville basket to hit an Aggie layup. She is fouled on the play and hits her free throw. With 4:25 to play in the half, Dansville has a 15-1 lead.

Megan Zeitz knocks the ball away from P-W, but Sierra Schneider recovers it for the Pirates. P-W misfires on a triple try from the side and fouls on the rebound. Megan Zeitz is fouled on a driving reverse layup and hits two free throws to push the Aggie lead to 17-1 with 2:39 left on the first half clock.

P-W misses a three point attempt from the corner. Megan Zeitz throws the ball to Kourtney Mack, who hits a fast break layup for the Aggies. Brynn Bauer is fouled on a driving layup and hits one of her two free throws for P-W. With 1:19 to play in the half, Dansville has a 19-2 lead.

Brynn Bauer knocks the ball out of bounds, but the Aggies retains possession. Alonna Thelen blocks a Dansville layup; the Aggies recover the ball but miss a layup. P-W loses the ball out of bounds with 2.6 seconds left. Dansville does not have time to shoot before the halftime buzzer makes its presence known.

Dansville has a 19-2 lead at halftime.

Brynn Bauer has scored the only two points for P-W.

Megan Zeitz leads the Dansville scoring with 10 points. Kourtney Mack has 5 points and Elizabeth Carpenter has 4 points.

As there is not any halftime entertainment, perhaps we can listen to this video of “O Holy Night” from my You Tube Channel!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-t_hOWhFfE

Dansville has the ball to open the third quarter. Megan Zeitz drives and hits a layup for the Aggies. P-W misses a three point shot from the side. Kourtney Mack hits a fast break layup for Dansville to give her Aggies a 23-2 lead.

Mackenna Weber responds by hitting a three point shot from the side for the first P-W made field goal of the day. Dansville misses a three point shot from the side. Kourtney Mack knocks a Pirate pass out of bounds; P-W retains possession. P-W throws a pass out of bounds. Dansville misses a threeball from the top of the key.

Gracie Taylor ties up the ball for Dansville. The Possession Arrow is addicted to Tik Tok and misses the play; it hastily awards the ball to P-W. Mackenna Weber passes to Sierra Schneider who hits a layup for P-W and is fouled on the play. She misses her free throw. With 5:30 remaining in the third quarter, the Dansville lead is at 23-7.

The rebound from the missed free throw goes out of bounds and Dansville takes possession. Mackenna Weber knocks the ball away from Dansville; Brynn Bauer picks it up and hits a fast break layup for P-W. Elly Bengel steals the ball and hits a layup for the Pirates. Kambrie Thelen knocks a Dansville pass out of bounds; the Aggies retain possession. Sierra Schneider steals the ball for the Pirates. P-W misses a sixteen footer from the side. The rebound goes out of bounds and Dansville gets the ball. Alonna Thelen steals the ball and hits a layup for the Pirates to trim the Aggie lead to 23-13.

Mackenna Weber knocks the ball out of bounds; Dansville retains possession. Dansville misses a layup. Megan Zeitz ties up the ball. The Possession Arrow has finally started paying more attention to the game than the internet and awards Dansville the ball. Dansville misses an eight footer in the lane. Kourtney Mack pulls down the offensive rebound for the Aggies. Kierstyn Griesmer ties the ball up for P-W. The Possession Arrow awards the ball to the Pirates.

P-W misses a three point shot from the side. Dansville misses a sixteen foot shot from the corner. P-W misses a threeball from the side; the rebound goes out of bounds and P-W gets another opportunity. The Pirates miss a threeball from the side. Taylor Nurenberg gets the offensive rebound for P-W. There is a tie up and the Possession Arrow gives the ball to Dansville.

Kierstyn Griesmer steals the ball for the Pirates. P-W is fouled on a driving layup and misses both free throws. The rebound is tied up; the Possession Arrow decrees that P-W shall have the ball. Izzy Joseph steals the ball for Dansville. Brynn Bauer steals the ball for P-W. The Pirates are fouled on a fast break layup and miss two free throws with 9 seconds to play in the quarter. Dansville does not shoot before the third quarter ends.

After three quarters, Dansville has a 23-13 lead as Pewamo-Westphalia has scored the last eleven points of the game in a row.

Dansville inbounds the ball to begin the fourth quarter. Sierra Schneider gets her hand on the ball and the Aggies lose it out of bounds. P-W misses a three point shot from the corner; the rebound goes out of bounds and Dansville takes possession. Megan Zeitz drives and dishes the ball to Elizabeth Carpenter, who hits a fifteen foot shot from the side to push Dansville to a 25-13 lead.

A P-W pass goes astray and the Pirates commit an over and back violation. Brynn Bauer steals the ball for P-W. The Pirates miss a fast break layup. Sierra Schneider pulls down the offensive rebound for P-W. She passes to Mackenna Weber, who hits a three point shot from the wing for the Pirates. Brynn Bauer steals the ball for P-W. The Pirates miss a layup and foul on the rebound. Brynn Bauer steals the ball and hits a fast break layup to chop the Dansville lead to 25-18. P-W is on a 16-2 run.

Alonna Broyles hits a five foot shot from the baseline and is fouled; she misses her free throw. Elizabeth Carpenter knocks the ball away from P-W and Megan Zeitz picks it up for Dansville. Mackenna Weber closely guards an Aggie ball handler for five seconds, which causes Dansville to turn the ball over. Brynn Bauer passes to Alonna Thelen, who hits a three point shot from the side to cut the Dansville lead to 27-21.

Dansville misses a threeball from the corner. P-W reciprocates and misses a threeball from the corner. Brynn Bauer gets the offensive rebound for the Pirates. P-W misses a threeball from the side. Dansville reciprocates and misses a threeball from the side. Kourtney Mack kicks the ball away from P-W; the Pirates have to take the ball out. P-W is fouled on a driving layup, but misses two free throws. With 2:48 left on the clock, Dansville has a 27-21 lead.

Dansville misses a jumper from the free throw line and fouls on the rebound. P-W misses a three point attempt from the side. The rebound goes out of bounds and Dansville takes possession. Dansville is fouled, but misses the first shot of a one and one free throw opportunity. With 1:17 left in the game, Dansville’s lead is still at 27-21.

Elizabeth Carpenter ties up the ball; the Possession Arrow is at lunch and misses the play; the ball is awarded to the Pirates. P-W misses a three point shot from the wing. The rebound goes out of bounds and the Pirates get the ball back. Izzy Joseph partially blocks a P-W triple try from the side. Kourtney Mack is fouled and hits both shots of a one and one opportunity to give Dansville a 29-21 lead with 17.6 seconds remaining.

Mackenna Weber is fouled on a threeball from the wing and hits two of her three free throws with 9.9 seconds left to draw P-W to within six points. Dansville is fouled, but misses two free throws with 2.7 seconds left. P-W does not shoot before the final buzzer sounds.

Dansville holds on to win this CMAC matchup by a 29-23 score.

Mackenna Weber had 8 points to lead the P-W scoring. Brynn Bauer supported her with 6 points. Alonna Thelen had 5 points. Sierra Schneider and Elly Bengel each tallied 2 points.

Megan Zeitz led Dansville with 12 points. Kourtney Mack scored 9 points including two clutch free throws late in the game. Elizabeth Carpenter tossed in 6 points and Alaina Broyles had 2 points.



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