(photo by Jim Lindquist)
Farmington coach Sondra Chadwick said early in the season the return of injured Taylor Meyer to the floor would help make her teammates better. Chadwick's point was proven Friday night when the three time-all-conference forward hit the floor for the first time since undergoing knee surgery in July.
Meyer's debut in a 70-68 loss at Red Wing wasn't quite enough to get the Tigers their second win but it offered hope that the second half of the season could look much different than the first.
"With Taylor's return, Red Wing had to focus on her," Chadwick said. "The other girls were able to take advantage of their match-ups and they knocked down their shots.
"She also provided a stronger defensive presence in the paint and her rebounding limited put-backs which have been a problem for us all year."
The Wingers jumped to a quick 9-0 lead before Sofia Chadwick got the visitors on the board with a three-pointer. From there until the end of the half the teams jockeyed back and forth with the score tied 33-all at the break.
The score stayed in the two-to-five point range for most of the second period. Meyer's two-pointer with 1.5 seconds to play cut the Farmington deficit to two before Red Wing was able to run out the clock.
The Wingers won the game at the foul line where they converted 23 of 36 chances. The Tigers only went to the line eight times the entire contest.
"They were in the bonus with 7:51 left in the second half," Chadwick said. "I knew that disparity would be an issue for us in a close game and it was."
Sofia Chadwick 18 points, 4 assists, 3 steals
(photo by Jim Lindquist)
Meyer scored 18 points on nine-for-14 shooting in her 2011-12 debut but just as importantly the Tigers reached a season-high in points, 14 more than their previous best, and a total of four Farmington players scored in double figures.
Sofia Chadwick matched Meyer's total, hitting eight of 11 from the field. Mariah Mincke drained all five of her two-point shots and added a pair of treys for 16 points and Isis Alexander chimed in with an even dozen.
Meyer pulled down a team-high nine rebounds. Alexander led in assists with five while Chadwick added four assists and a a trio of steals.
"This game puts us on everyone’s radar in the conference and section," Chadwick said. "To play this game on Red Wing’s home court, with that kind of foul count disparity, and still only lose by two means that we can compete with and beat anyone in the conference."
Farmington opens its Missota Conference home season Tuesday (Jan. 10) when it entertains Chanhassen at Tiger Gym. Tip-off is 7:30.
