Fowler at Portland St. Patrick – – CMAC Girls Basketball Game of the Week – – The Bleacher Denizen – – February 2, 2024 – – by Chuck Krafft

Tonight, your Bleacher Denizen is off to St. Patrick High, where the Shamrock Girls will battle the Eagle Girls from Fowler to compete for first place in the CMAC. These teams are tied for first place in the CMAC with 9-1 records. Both teams also have overall records of 11-2. When these teams played at Fowler earlier this season, Fowler won. Fowler’s only loss in the CMAC was a double overtime home loss to Dansville.

While we wait for the game to start, I hope you will enjoy this Christian four-part Gospel harmony tune from my You Tube Channel!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTcOako-a-w

Grace O’Hare is a strong perimeter defender who can also play in the post. She is a good ball handler and passer and shoots a nice mid-range shot. Izzy Halfmann has an incredible basketball IQ for a freshman. She is quick enough to defend the perimeter and tall enough to defend in the post. She is an fine three point shooter who can also slash to the basket or score on putbacks. Katie Spicer is a fine ball handler who is really creative when she slashes to the basket; she can also score from the three point line.

Selena Stump is a sophomore sharp shooter with an excellent three point shot. Rebecca Smith is a tough, energetic post defender. Brooke Weber is an intelligent player who defends well in the perimeter or the post; she is also a threat from the three point line.

St. Patrick has many players who can score, so the opponent has to defend everyone at all times. Laynie Meredith is an incredibly energetic defender who can steal the ball from anyone at any time. She is a good ball handler and passer who can use her energy and determination to get to the basket. She is also a three point threat. Rylee Scheurer is a tall perimeter defender who is fast enough to be a track star. (Actually she IS a track star who will run track in college next year.) Her height, speed and quickness make her a formidable perimeter defender. She can score on slashes to the basket; this year, her three point shot has also become a major weapon.

Even though Grace Rockey is just a freshman, this is her second year on the St. Patrick varsity. She is a tough post defender who can also cause problems for opponents when she defends the perimeter. Addie Scheurer is a fine perimeter defender who handles the ball well; she has a fine three point shot and opponents are advised to guard her closely on the perimeter. Mattie Honsowitz is a post player who is tough on defense inside. She has great footwork on offense and is able to create room to shoot her accurate mid-range shot or to get layups.

Tori Sandborn defends well on the perimeter and can shoot the three point shot. Hannah Weller is a strong midrange shooter. Bella Russman and Megan Myers defend well in the post and are dependable rebounders.

In the JV game, Fowler took an 8-7 lead at after one quarter. The teams each scored 10 points in the second quarter and Fowler had an 18-17 halftime lead. St. Patrick outscored Fowler 13-3 in the third quarter to take a 30-21 lead going into the final quarter. Fowler came back to within two points at 32-30 in the fourth quarter, but St. Patrick scored the next six points and went on to win 43-34.

Neelah O’Rourke led the Fowler JV scoring with 12 points. Saige Miller chipped in with 8 points. Kerigan Pung tossed in 5 points and Karstyn Lackscheide added 4 points. Payton Rademacher and Selena Stump each added 2 points and Jadyn Feldpausch tallied 1 point.

Macie Smith led the victorious Shamrock JVs with 21 points. Lily Sandborn supported her teammate with 7 points. Marian Davlin scored 6 points. Morgan Krieger tossed in 4 points. Maria Austen added 3 points. Joanna Dugan put it 2 points.

It is now time to look at the results of this game through the cloudy lenses of an aging Bleacher Denizen who was never able to escape church league when he attempted to hoop in the days of yore. He thought he had found a way to contribute when he invented a crane that would hold him up near the rim so defenses could not block his shots. This worked for a few games, but then an opposing coach built a crane for the Bleacher Denizen’s defender. This limited the Bleacher Denizen’s playing time so severely that he was never able to climb the basketball ladder.

St. Patrick wins the opening tap. The Shamrocks miss a driving layup. Fowler misses a three point attempt from the wing. The rebound goes out of bounds and St. Patrick takes possession. The Shamrocks miss a three pointer from the wing. Fowler misses a jump shot off the dribble from the free throw elbow. Addie Scheurer forces a Fowler rebounder to travel. Grace Rockey drives and is fouled on a layup. She hits two free throws to give the Shamrocks the first two points of the game with 6:28 to play in the opening quarter.

Addie Scheurer steals the ball and passes to Laynie Meredith, who hits one of her two free throws for St. Patrick. Fowler misses a fourteen foot shot in the lane. St. Patrick misses a layup. (OK, it was one of the Shamrock players, not the Saint, himself!) Addie Scheurer grabs the offensive rebound for the Shamrocks. St. Patrick misfires on a triple try from the wing; the rebound goes out of bounds and Fowler gets the ball.

Fowler passes the ball out of bounds. St. Patrick politely reciprocates and passes the ball out of bounds. Fowler misses a threeball from the top of the key. St. Patrick misses a fast break layup. The rebound goes out of bounds and the Shamrocks get another opportunity. Addie Scheurer inbounds the ball to Grace Rockey, who is fouled on an eight foot shot in the lane. Grace Rockey hits two free throws to give the Shamrocks a 5-0 lead with 4:20 to play in the first quarter.

Fowler misses a ten foot shot from the baseline. Paige Thelen gets the offensive rebound for Fowler. Fowler misses a layup. St. Patrick misfires on a triple try from the wing. Fowler fouls on the rebound. St. Patrick misses a layup. Fowler commits a traveling violation with the rebound. St. Patrick commits an offensive foul. Izzy Halfmann tosses the ball to Katie Spicer, who tosses in a three pointer from the wing to cut the Shamrock lead to 5-3.

Tori Sandborn passes to Addie Scheurer, who hits a three point shot from the top of the key for St. Patrick. Fowler misses a three point shot from the side. Grace O’Hare blocks a St. Patrick layup. Grace O’Hare gets into the lane and hits an eight foot shot for Fowler to trim the St. Patrick lead to 8-5.

St. Patrick misses a three point shot from the wing. Katie Spicer and Rebecca Smith tie up the offensive rebound. The Possession Arrow looks up from its serving of tea and crumpets and decides to award the ball to Fowler. Katie Spicer drives and scoops in a layup for Fowler as she falls to the floor to chop the Shamrock lead to 8-7.

Rylee Scheuer passes to Grace Rockey, who hits a layup for St. Patrick. Rylee Scheurer hits the floor to steal the ball for the Shamrocks. Grace Rockey passes to Laynie Meredith, who hits a three point shot from the corner to boost St. Patrick to a 13-7 lead.

Laynie Meredith steals the ball for the Shamrocks. St. Patrick misses a three pointer from the wing. Fowler commits an offensive foul. Katie Spicer steals the ball for the Eagles just before the first quarter buzzer announces its presence.

After one quarter, St. Patrick has a 13-7 lead.

St. Patrick inbounds the ball to open the second quarter. Grace O’Hare and Katie Spicer tie up the ball. The Possession Arrow and its Christmas Decoration Committee meet and decide to award to ball to Fowler. Fowler misses a six foot shot in the lane. St. Patrick misses a three point shot from the side. Izzy Halfmann hits a layup for Fowler. St. Patrick misses a layup. Katie Spicer launches and hits a three pointer off the dribble from the top of the key to slash the St. Patrick lead to 13-12.

St. Patrick misses a three point shot from the corner. Katie Spicer passes to Brooke Weber, who hits a reverse layup to give Fowler a one point lead. Laynie Meredith is fouled on a shot and hits two free throws to give her Shamrocks a 15-14 lead with 5:37 remaining in the first half.

Laynie Meredith steals the ball for the Shamrocks. St. Patrick misses a fast break layup. Fowler misses a driving six foot hook shot. Laynie Meredith hits a fast break layup for St. Patrick. Rylee Scheurer steals the ball for the Shamrocks. St. Patrick misses jump shot. Fowler misses a threeball from the side. St. Patrick misses a layup. Grace Rockey hits a putback to give the Shamrocks a 19-14 lead.

Addie Scheurer gets her hand on the ball, but Fowler is able to recover. Fowler misses a three point shot from the side. Rylee Scheurer passes to Grace Rockey, who hits a layup for the Shamrocks. Fowler misses a driving layup and St. Patrick fouls on the rebound. Grace Rockey gets her hand on the ball and knocks it out of bounds; Fowler retains possession. Fowler misses a three pointer from the wing. St. Patrick reciprocates and misses a three pointer from the wing; the Shamrocks foul on the rebound. Paige Thelen hits two free throws to trim the Shamrock lead to 21-16 with 2:05 left on the first half clock.

Tori Sandborn passes to Mattie Honsowitz, who hits an eight foot shot in the lane for the Shamrocks. Selena Stump answers with a made jump shot (two point) for Fowler. St. Patrick misses a driving layup. Mattie Honsowitz pulls down the offensive rebound and passes to Rylee Scheurer, who throws in a threeball from the wing to give St. Patrick a 26-18 lead.

Tori Sandborn ties up an Eagle pass. The Possession Arrow and polls its janitorial staff. All agree that Ms. Sandborn’s defense was quite impressive; the ball is awarded to St. Patrick. The Shamrocks miss a ten footer off the dribble from the baseline. Elizabeth Hufnagel goes coast to coast to hit a layup for Fowler. She is fouled, but misses her free throw. With 34.1 seconds remaining in the first half, the Shamrock lead is at 26-20.

St. Patrick holds the ball for the last shot. Katie Spicer draws a charging foul from the Shamrocks. Fowler misses a driving layup. Rebecca Smith pulls down the offensive rebound for the Eagles. Fowler misses a layup just before the second quarter buzzer decides to end the half.

Katie Spicer has 8 points to lead the Eagle scoring at halftime. There are six other Fowler players who all have 2 points.

Grace Rockey leads St. Patrick with 10 points and Laynie Meredith has 8 points.

As there is no halftime entertainment, I hope you will enjoy this duet of “This Land is Your Land” sung with my friend Mark Wilcox, from my You Tube Channel!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQ9XoJtKIbE

Here’s Mark and I in a novelty song duet of “Too Old to Cut the Mustard! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6GOgZAHqxI

Fowler inbounds the ball to get the third quarter underway. The Eagles miss a driving layup. The Scheurer Connection comes through for St. Patrick as Rylee passes to Cousin Addie for a three point basket from the top of the key that gives the Shamrocks a 29-20 lead.

A Fowler dribbler loses the ball out of bounds. St. Patrick misses a layup and fouls on the rebound. Fowler misses a layup. St. Patrick misses a three pointer from the wing. Laynie Meredith blocks a Fowler layup; the ball goes out of bounds and the Eagles get another opportunity. Fowler misfires on a threeball from the wing. Paige Thelen pulls down the offensive rebound for the Eagles. Fowler misses a layup. The rebound goes out of bounds and Fowler gets the ball back.

Laynie Meredith steals Fowler’s inbound pass. St. Patrick misses a three pointer from the wing. Grace Rockey pulls down the offensive rebound for the Shamrocks. Addie Scheurer passes to Grace Rockey, who is fouled on a layup and hits one of her two free throws to give St. Patrick a 30-20 lead with 5:43 remaining in quarter number three.

Izzy Halfmann passes to Paige Thelen, who hits a layup for Fowler. Rylee Scheurer drives and hits a layup for St. Patrick. She is fouled on the play, but misses her free throw. Fowler misses a three point shot and the rebound goes over the backboard. St. Patrick takes possession. Selena Stump steals the ball for the Eagles. Fowler misses a fast break layup. St. Patrick reciprocates and misses a fast break layup. Laynie Meredith steals the ball and hits a fast break jump shot from the free throw line to boost the Shamrocks to a 34-22 lead.

Fowler misses a three pointer from the wing. St. Patrick misses a driving layup. Mattie Honsowitz grabs the offensive rebound for the Shamrocks. St. Patrick misses a twelve foot shot off the dribble from the side of the lane and fouls on the rebound. Fowler misses a driving layup. Grace Rockey is fouled and hits two free throws to push her Shamrocks to a 36-22 lead with 2:02 left in the third quarter.

Fowler misses a layup. St. Patrick misfires on a three pointer from the corner. Grace Rockey blocks a Fowler fast break layup. Cali Thelen recovers the loose ball for the Eagles. Fowler is fouled on a layup, but misses two free throws. St. Patrick misses a driving layup. Grace Rockey is fouled getting the offensive rebound and hits two free throws to give St. Patrick a 38-22 lead with 3.1 seconds left in the quarter.

Fowler misses a half court heave.

With three quarters in the books, St. Patrick has a 38-22 lead.

Fowler inbounds the ball to start out the final quarter. Fowler misses a twelve foot shot in the lane. Grace O’Hare ties up the rebound for the Eagles. The Possession Arrow and its Exercise Committee are stretching and miss the play. The ball is awarded to St. Patrick. St. Patrick throws a pass along the baseline and out of bounds; Fowler gets the ball. Mattie Honsowitz knocks the ball away from Fowler and Grace Rockey picks it up for St. Patrick. Laynie Meredith drives and dishes the ball to Mattie Honsowitz, who hits a layup to give St. Patrick a 40-22 lead.

Mattie Honsowitz blocks a Fowler layup. The Shamrocks are fouled on a driving layup, but miss two free throws. Katie Spicer hits a fourteen foot shot off the dribble from the side of the lane for Fowler. Paige Thelen steals the ball for the Eagles. Fowler misses a three point attempt from the wing. The rebound goes out of bounds and the Eagles get the ball back. Izzy Halfmann inbounds the ball to Paige Thelen, who hits a layup to shave the Shamrock lead to 40-26.

Kelcie Pung knocks the St. Patrick inbound pass loose and there is a chaotic scrum for the ball; Fowler comes out with it. Mattie Honsowitz gets her hand on a Fowler pass into the lane; the Eagles are able to recover. Fowler misses a three point shot from the wing. Elizabeth Hufnagel hits a putback to cut the St. Patrick lead to 40-28.

St. Patrick misses a layup. Fowler misses a three point shot from the wing. Mattie Honsowitz is fouled and hits two free throws for St. Patrick. Fowler misses a ten foot shot from the side. Mattie Honsowitz is fouled and hits one of her two free throws to give St. Patrick a 43-28 lead with 1:48 left on the clock.

Rylee Scheurer steals a Fowler pass. Izzy Halfmann’s defense forces St. Patrick into an over and back violation. Mattie Honsowitz’ tough defense causes an Eagle traveling violation. St. Patrick is fouled, but misses two free throws. Elizabeth Hufnagel hits a jumper off the dribble from the free throw line for Fowler. Laynie Meredith is fouled and sinks two free throws to give St. Patrick a 45-30 lead with 57.4 seconds to go.

Fowler misses a three point shot from the side and the rebound goes out of bounds. St. Patrick takes possession and runs out the clock.

St. Patrick wins this game 45-30 to claim first place in the CMAC!! These teams will probably meet for a third time in the district final as each team has been each other on the home court.

Katie Spicer scored 10 points to lead the Fowler scoring. Paige Thelen and Elizabeth Hufnagel each tossed in 6 points. Selena Stump, Grace O’Hare, Brooke Weber and Izzy Halfmann each scored 2 points.

Grace Rockey had 15 points to lead the Shamrock scoring. Laynie Meredith joined her teammate in double figures with 12 points. Mattie Honsowitz added 7 points. Addie Scheurer scored 6 points and Rylee Scheurer had 5 points.