c.2016 all-area girls basketball - Duluth

2016 News Tribune All-Area Girls Basketball Team
FIRST TEAM
AVA
GONSOROWSKI
HEAVEN
HAMLING
CHELSEA
MASON
EVA
REINERTSEN
KASSIDY
STEEN
Esko
Junior guard
Grand Rapids
Sophomore guard
Mountain
Iron-Buhl
Junior guard
Duluth Denfeld
Senior forward
Cloquet
Senior center
• Polar League large-school MVP
averaged 16.5 points, four-plus assists
and 2.9 steals, guided Eskomos to 26
victories and a program-record 24-game
win streak
• Flashy point guard averaged 21.9
points for Section 7AAA champs and,
with 1,432 career points, already resides
in second place on program’s all-time
chart
• Three-year starter and coaches
association All-State honorable mention
pick has 1,116 career points and is on
pace to become Eskomos’ all-time
leader in assists and steals
• Added 3.9 steals, 3.5 rebounds and
3.4 assists while shooting 43 percent
from the field and 83 percent from the
free-throw line
• “Best defender in the area, best (point
guard) in the area,” said one opposing
coach of a player who, despite standing
5-foot-3, produced multiple double-digit
rebound nights
• Coaches association All-State
honorable mention pick is an excellent
ballhandler and is dangerous from the
outside and quick enough to blow by
defenders
• Two-time All-Area Player of the Year
has 2,322 career points and could finish
first all-time among Northeastern
Minnesota girls
• Potent scorer (24.7 points per game)
helped Hunters go 14-12, their first
plus-.500 finish in more than a decade
(2003-04)
• After scoring 1,645 points and
grabbing 926 rebounds in high school,
athletic, 6-foot-1 post player will
continue career at St. Cloud State
• Disruptive on both ends of the floor,
Mason scored 19.5 points and collected
6.9 assists, 6.5 steals and 4.3 rebounds
a night for the Northland’s best team
• Among program records set were most
points in a season (644), highest
single-season free-throw percentage
(81.7) and most points in a game (41)
• Steen, who averaged 19.5 points and
11.6 rebounds this winter, expanded her
game over past two seasons to become
more than just an inside threat
• 40 percent 3-point shooter was named
All-State by coaches association,
first-team All-Arrowhead Conference and
a Border Battle participant after guiding
MIB to third place in Class A
• Wisconsin-Superior commit averaged
5.3 rebounds and was named to All-Lake
Superior Conference first team
• All-LSC first-team honoree and Border
Battle participant was a career 56
percent shooter
SECOND TEAM
MEGAN
AHO
MYA
BUFFETTA
MACKENZIE
KMECIK
CHELSEA
SWATEK
JORDYN
THOMAS
Floodwood
Senior guard
Mountain
Iron-Buhl
Junior guard
Superior
Senior guard
Cromwell-Wright
Junior forward
Hermantown
Junior center
• Polar League small-school MVP was
chief reason behind Polar Bears’ 23-7
record and spot in Section 7A final
• Impressive stat line included 17.8
points, 8 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 5.8
steals for Border Battle pick and coaches
association all-star and All-State
honorable mention
• Became program’s all-time scoring
leader (1,678 points) with 29 points in
playoff upset of Cherry, which had
overpowered Floodwood by 37 points
two weeks prior
• Savvy floor general completed her fifth
season as starting point guard, and all
five ended with a Section 7A title and a
trip to Class A state tournament
• Three-year starter and All-LSC first-team
pick, who appeared in two state tournaments, led Spartans with 18.7 points and
3.5 steals per game
• Buffetta’s scoring (14.4 points),
passing (3.9 assists) and defense (2.5
steals) were solid, but her 50 percent
(80-for-161) 3-point shooting was
remarkable
• Set Superior’s single-game scoring
• Fired 8.4 3-point attempts a game and
record when she erupted for 39 points in a shot 38 percent (99-for-261) from beyond
February loss to Grand Rapids
the arc; also was an 87 percent
(78-for-90) free-throw shooter
• “Mackenzie is one of those rare true
• Coaches association All-State and
All-Arrowhead Conference selection also
played in Border Battle and will enter
senior year with 1,795 career points
scorers whose vast array of moves drive
opposing teams crazy,” Spartans coach
Phil Roe said
• Averaged 20 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3
steals as Cardinals won 27 games and
Section 5A to reach first state tournament
since 2004
• Coaches association All-State, Polar
League first-team and Border Batter
selection set school record of 619 points
in a season to surpass 1,000 in her career
• Athletic 6-footer scored 13 points a
game to go with 8.2 rebounds, 3.3
assists and 3 steals a night for Hawks,
who were 21-7
• All-LSC first-team selection helped
Hermantown win conference crown
• Three-sport standout has 892 points
and 585 rebounds through 74 career
games — good for a 12/7.9 average in
three varsity seasons