Girls B-Ball: A major improvement

Sofia Chadwick Most Outstanding Player and All-Missota Conference (photo by Jim Lindquist)

After a two-win season in 2013, the Tigers were looking for a step forward in 2014.  What they got was  a 500 percent improvement with a 10-16 overall record, including a 4-12 finish in the rugged Missota Conference.

"The girls have a lot to be proud of," coach Sondra Chadwick said. "The improvement they showed since last season was incredible. We had a very tough schedule again this season, and our conference was as strong as ever. 

"I felt we had kids who really worked on their skills during the off-season and that paid off this year, as we had six different players as high scorers in games and we were able to play a deeper bench than we had in the past. The girls were very supportive of one another and that showed in their level of trust and cohesiveness on the court.  

"I've never had a team that worked as hard as these girls did every day in practice. They were a focused group that was competitive with one another and committed to the team's goals."

Because Chadwick considered this season's reversal of fortune such a team effort, all 18 members on the varsity roster, half of them upperclassmen, were awarded varsity letters: senior Aly Grebner and juniors Sofia Chadwick, Alicia Hett, Abby Gallus, Kaitlyn Gorden, Jordyn Homeier, Leah Hammond and Sydney Speer.

Underclassmen letterwinners included sophomores Morgan Mach, Heidi Lambrecht, McKenna Mayer, Pieper Walton, Emily Hazelbaker and Madalyn Allison and freshmen Kamryn Corraro, Ali Saby and Ashley Steffes.

Sofia Chadwick, who led the team in scoring with a 16 points-per-game average and passed the 1000-point career mark, was selected the team's most outstanding player and also landed a spot on the all-Missota Conference squad. Hett received all-league honorable mention and won the team's Hustle Award.

Homeier was tabbed as "Most Improved" and Chadwick, Gallus, Grebner and Hett shared the Tiger Leadership Award.

Alicia Hett all-Missota honorable mention and Hustle Award Winner (photo by Jim Lindquist)

Coach Chadwick pointed to  a win over state-ranked New Prague and solid victories over Holy Angels, Apple Valley, Rochester John Marshall, Rochester Century and Princeton and a 5-1 run by the three high school teams at the Monticello Holiday Tournament as two key moments from the 2013-14 season.

"We had a letdown in the second half of the conference season when injuries and illness gave us a short bench," she said.

With a junior varsity that improved throughout the season and a ninth grade team that consisted mostly of eighth graders posting a 22-1 record, Chadwick feels the best is yet to come for her program.

"This group of girls has not yet reached its peak in terms of potential," she said. "I anticipate that with a strong core group of kids returning - our top scorers, top rebounders and top defenders - we will be competitive as we move into the South Suburban Conference.

"The South Suburban is a grind of a conference with some of the toughest players in the state. We will need to increase our strength in order to compete in such a physical conference...I expect that we'll continue our growth into a very strong program." 

Before completely putting the 2013-14 season in the rear view mirror, Chadwick said 
she wanted to pay a special tribute to the team's only senior, captain Grebner.

"Aly has been a contributor in this program since ninth grade and has a love for the game that I have not seen in any other player I've coached," she said  "I've had the opportunity to watch her grow as a leader on this team over the years.

"She took her role as captain seriously and demonstrated good choices both on and off the court, She was a model student-athlete. Aly is someone that the girls looked up to, and we enjoyed coaching her. We will miss her greatly."

Girls B-Ball: Rockets shoot Tigers out of section

Kaitlyn Gorden 9 points, 4 rebounds, 4 steals (photo by Jim Lindquist)

The Tigers were playing their fifth game in nine days and it showed in a lopsided 57-34 loss to Rochester John Marshall in the opening round of the Section 1AAAA tournament played Wednesday night in Rochester.

Farmington had scored a 64-57 victory over the Rockets when the two teams played earlier in the season at Tiger Gym.

"I think there is a fatigue factor in there, certainly," coach Sondra Chadwick said of the opening round loss. "JM went with a very big line-up and really stretched their zone out and we just had trouble connecting from outside.  

"On the other end, we did not have an answer for Jamie Ruden (27 points). We had some moments where we had some nice runs based on our defensive pressure and getting in transition, but we did not maintain those runs for very long."

The Rockets put the game to bed early with an opening 18-4 run and never looked back to advance to Saturday's semifinal match-up with second-seeded Owatonna.

"JM is very good team and clicking right now," Chadwick said. "They will give Owatonna a very good challenge."

Kaitlyn Gorden led the Tigers win nine points, four rebounds and four steals. Sofia Chadwick added eight points and three assists. Alicia Hett and Abby Gallus each chipped in with five points and Aly Grebner, playing her final game in a Tiger uniform, scored four. 

"Aly  has been a contributor on this team since ninth grade," coach Chadwick said. "We've had a chance to watch her develop into a leader on this team that the girls really looked up to. We will miss her tremendously next year."

Farmington finished the 2013-14 season with a 10-17 season record, including a 4-10 mark in the Missota Conference. 

Girls B-Ball: Tigers on to post-season

Sofia Chadwick leads the Tigers into the post-season (photo by Jim Lindquist)

Farmington played four games in the final five days of the regular season and the grind showed in back-to-back losses in the final two.

The Tigers turned in their lowest point totals of the season in the final two contests, losing Missota Conference games at Shakopee (58-26) and Chanhassen (43-30) Friday night and Saturday afternoon.

The losses left coach Sondra Chadwick's team with a final regular season record of 10-16 heading into this week's Section 1AAAA post-season tournament.

The Tigers turned in a solid defensive in the first half at Shakopee but shot poorly to trail 23-14 at intermission. The numbers went from bad to worse after the break as the offense could produce just a dozen second half points.

"Shakopee made nine three's in the second half and we couldn't get our open looks to fall," Tiger coach Sondra Chadwick said. "We didn't close out on their shooters and they took advantage."

Abby Gallus scored eight points and leading scorer Sofia Chadwick finished with five in the losing effort.

Fewer than 24 hours later the girls were back on the hardwood at Chanhassen where the effect of the non-stop games really took hold.

The offense managed just eight first half points (on only 12 shot attempts) with the only saving grace a hustling defense that limited the Storm to only 15.

The visitors found a little offensive rhythm in the second period, scoring 22 points, but could never come all the way back in the 13-point loss.

Once again, no Tiger cracked double figures with Chadwick (nine points) and Gallus (seven) topping the Farmington scoring charts.

The Tigers will have a couple of days of rest before opening the Section 1AAAA tournament on Wednesday night. They drew the No. 6 seed for the eight-team meet and will travel to Rochester to take on No. 3 Rochester John Marshall.

"Although we had been hoping for a higher seed, I feel like this is a good draw for us as beat them earlier in the season," coach Chadwick said.

Farmington beat John Marshall 64-57 behind Sofia Chadwick's 30 points when the teams met early in the season at Tiger Gym.

B-Ball: Tigers post win No. 10

Abby Gallus returned to the lineup wit 11 points, 8 rebounds (photo by Jim Lindquist)

Farmington rallied from a three-point halftime deficit to defeat Hastings Thursday night in Hastings to bring its season win total to 10, eight more than all of last season.

The victory in the Tigers' first of a hectic, three games-in-three days schedule also snapped a five game losing streak and boosted their overall record to 10-14.

Win No. 10 didn't come easily, however. Farmington's first half shooting percentage mirrored the frigid outside temperatures and thanks to a Raider three-pointer at the buzzer, the visitors went to intermission down 27-24.

"We told the girls at half if our shots aren’t falling, we needed to be more aggressive to the basket and get to the line more often," coach Sondra Chadwick said. "We ended up making 22 of 34 free throws which for us is an incredible amount."

An aggressive defense and control of the boards also helped key the second half turnaround. The Tigers finally wrestled back the lead with nine minutes to play and never gave it up.

Five different players made good on free throw chances down the stretch to nail down the victory.

  

"I felt that the girls showed they can withstand a poor shooting night by picking up the defensive intensity and clearing the boards," Chadwick said. "Those two things generated offensive opportunities for us on the other end."

Sofia Chadwick scored a dozen points and added six rebounds to pace the Farmington scoring. Abby Gallus returned to the lineup after being out three games with concussion symptoms and contributed 11 points and a team-high eight boards.

"You can say I was very happy to have Abby back," coach Chadwick said.

Alicia Hett chipped in with eight points and three steals to go with a fine defensive effort that limited Hastings' leading scorer to just five points. Kaitlyn Gorden and Jordan Homeier each finished with seven points.

"I liked our balanced scoring tonight," Chadwick said.

The Tigers will pile up some more frequent rider bus miles over the next two days with Missota Conference road games Friday night at Shakopee and Saturday afternoon at Chanhassen. The Section 1AA tournament kicks off next week.

Girls B-Ball: Tigers give No. 4 Hawks a battle

Farmington gave No. 4 Chaska a game Tuesday night at Tiger Gym but in the end the Hawks interior size proved the difference in a 60-51 Missota Conference loss.

The Tiger sprang to an early 19-7 lead against the conference leaders behind the long-range shooting of Sofia Chadwick and Jordyn Homeier before the Hawks applied full court pressure that got them back into the game.

"We uncharacteristically struggled with the press and they went on a run, scoring easily in transition," Farmington coach Sondra Chadwick said.

The Tigers still trailed by just a basket (31-29) at halftime but in the second half the visitors took advantage of their superior height to extend their lead.

"We handled the press much better in the second half," Chadwick said, "but we did not get as many open looks and shots were harder to come by. On the other end, Chaska started going inside to their posts, exploiting our lack of size." 

Sofia Chadwick, the school's most recent 1000-point career scorer, had another big night in the losing effort, finishing with a game-high 24 points. The junior guard scored a dozen in each half and drained four three-pointers.

Senior Aly Grebner had nine points and Kaitlyn Gorden and Homeier each added six. Point guard Alicia Hett scored only two points but played solid defense, pulled down a team-high seven rebounds and handed out four assists.

"Overall the girls played very well against the top team in the conference," coach Chadwick said. "We are playing some good basketball right now. The kids stepped up on the boards and in their defensive intensity."

With the loss the Tigers dropped to 9-14 for the season and 4-8 in Missota Conference play.

The Tigers are hoping to have second leading scorer Abby Gallus (concussion symptoms) back in the lineup on Thursday when they begin a three games-in-three nights run at Hastings. Friday they head to Shakopee and Saturday afternoon they get back on the bus and go to Chanhassen for the regular season finale.

Girls B-Ball: Chadwick hits 1000-point mark

Sofia Chadwick hit the 1000-point mark (photo by Jim Lindquist)

Northfield's tall front line combined for 46 points but Tiger junior Sofia Chadwick put up the biggest numbers in Farmington's 63-52 Missota Conference loss to Northfield Tuesday night at Tiger Gym.

Chadwick's game-high 29 points boosted her career total over the 1000 mark, making her just the seventh Tiger to reach four digits in career scoring. Julie (Bauer) Mogensen (1987) holds the all-time mark with 1438 points.

The Tigers, playing without the services of second leading scorer Abby Gallus (concussion), kept with the taller Raiders for a half, leaving the floor at intermission locked in a 23-23 tie.

The Raiders controlled the final 18 minutes, however, dominating the offensive boards and the  scoreboard.

"We just struggled against their size," Tiger coach Sondra Chadwick said. "They had 18 points on offensive put-backs in the second half alone.

"We played a strong first half, but I felt that we did not maintain our aggressiveness on the offensive end in the second. We were just not strong on the boards."

Morgan Mach chipped in with nine points (photo by Jim Lindquist)

Sofia Chadwick had a team-high four assist to go with her 29 points but didn't get a lot help offensively. Morgan Mach and Kailtyn Gorden each had nine points as those three accounted for all but five of Farmington's point total.

"Morgan gave us a spark tonight," coach Chadwick said. "and Kailtyn played tough defense and came up with three steals."

Coach Chadwick also complimented the work of McKenna Mayer who saw her first extended varsity floor time and pulled down a team-high seven rebounds.

Sofia Chadwick wasn't the only Tiger to be recognized Tuesday night. Aly Grebner was honored as the team's lone senior.

The loss extended the Tigers' losing streak to four games and dropped their overall record to 9-13, 4-7 in the Missota Conference. Friday night they head to Chanhassen for a conference game with the Storm.
 

Aly Grebner had Senior Night all to herself (file photo by Jim Lindquist)

Girls B-Ball: Second half rally falls short

Jordyn Homeier scored 18 points (photo by Jim Lindquist)

For the second time this week a cold shooting first half cost the Tigers a Missota Conference victory, this one a 55-52 setback at Holy Angels Friday night in Richfield.

Farmington outplayed the Stars through most the first 18 minutes but could not convert solid defense and strong offensive rebounding into points.

The Tigers made just eight of 30 (27 percent) shot attempts in the first half and trailed 24-19 at intermission.

Several times in the second half the visitors cut their deficit but could never quite get over the hump.

The closest they would come was 31-30 early in the half on a pair of free throws and a three-pointer by Jordyn Homeier.

Alicia Hett's three-pointer with 33 seconds to play pulled the Tigers to within a basket at 54-52 and a missed back half of a none-and-one free throw opportunity gave them one final chance.

Holy Angels knocked the ball out of bounds with with fewer than four seconds left before Homeier's corner three as time expired missed the mark.

"We can't say we didn't have our chances at the end of the game," coach Sondra Chadwick said. "The girls played a tough game but we struggled against their size again and we were not physical enough on the boards in the second half." 

The Tigers played most of the second half without the services of starter Abby Gallus who suffered a concussion in a collision under the Stars' basket.

Farmington shot better in the second half (11 for 23) to finish the night at 36 percent (19 of 53).

Homeier finished with 18 points to lead the Tiger scorers. Sofia Chadwick joined her in double figures with 10 and also handed out a team-high eight assists.

Gallus added seven points and Hett, Leah Hammond and Kaitlyn Gorden each had five. Gorden led in rebounds with 10; Gallus added six boards before leaving the game.

Farmington (9-12) will look to get back on the winning track Tuesday night when it entertains Northfield night in a Missota Conference game at Tiger Gym.

Girls B-Ball: First half tells the story

Farmington dug itself a big first half hole and could never quite recover in a 56-44 Missota Conference loss at New Prague Tuesday night. The win avenged an earlier season loss to the Tigers when the teams met at Tiger Gym.

The Trojans used a trapping defense that although didn't result directly in turnovers did produce a flurry of rushed shots. New Prague led by a dozen at intermission, 33-21.

Forced and missed shots weren't the only problems for the visitors in the opening period.

"We got in some early foul trouble and were already missing Morgan Mach due to illness," coach Sondra Chadwick said. "That gave us a short bench and some tired kids.

"However, we played them evenly in the second half.  New Prague is a good team that is peaking at the right time, but we again need to overcome some of our lapses and be able to play a full game."

The Tigers played the Trojans even up over the final 18 minutes but were not able to significantly cut into the deficit.

The final shooting numbers told the tale of the game with the Tigers hitting only 15 of 46 from the floor for 32 percent.

Sofia Chadwick put up her second straight 20-plus points scoring performance, finishing with a game-high 22. The all-Missota Conference guard also accounted for six of the team's 13 steals. Abby Gallus scored six points and Alicia Hett had four.

The Tigers battled the taller Trojans to a draw on the boards (26-26) with Sarah Gorden leading the way with six rebounds.

"I was impressed with the fact that despite being pressed the whole game, we only had nine turnovers," coach Chadwick said. "They simply just shot better than us from the field."

Farmington (8-10) will try to get its shooting eye back Friday night the Tigers travel to Richfield for a Missota Conference contest with Holy Angels. Farmington prevailed 62-56 when the two teams meet earlier in the season at Tiger Gym.

Girls B-Ball: Tigers fall to Raptors

Sofia Chadwick 20 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds (photo by Jim Lindquist)

Seventeen hours after walking away from Tiger Gym following a Friday night win over Red Wing the Tigers were back on the floor, this time dropping a 60-49 decision at East Ridge.

The game was decided in the first half when after Farmington jumped to a quick 12-6 lead the visitors closed on a 31-15 run to build a 37-21 cushion.

"The last five minutes of the first half were very flat for us," Tiger coach Sondra Chadwick said. "We were not defending the interior well and offensively, we did not take care of the ball.  We stressed at halftime our need to help on the inside and to be more aggressive offensively."

The Tigers heeded their coaches' advice and played much better after the break. They closed the gap to five points with two minutes to play but East Ridge made their free throws down the stretch to stretch its lead.

"Other than that 5 minute run, we outplayed a very good team," Chadwick said. "The girls need to understand that if we can limit these lapses, we can compete against some very good teams.  

"We talked about being able to sustain our level of play and being both mentally and physically tougher. That’s what it will take for us to succeed in the second round of conference play."

Sofia Chadwick topped the Farmington scoring charts with a game-high 20 points, eight assists and five rebounds.

Abby Gallus and Jordyn Homeier each finished with nine points and Alicia Hett chipped in with seven.

Gallus defended East Ridge's leading scorer Jamie Swanson and limited her to seven points. Hett added four steals and strong defensive effort.

The loss dropped back the Tigers' season record to 9-10. Tuesday they will take their 4-4 Missota Conference record to New Prague. Friday they take on Holy Angels in Richfield.

Girls B-Ball: Back to .500

Alicia Hett scored a team-high 16 points (photo by Jim Lindquist)

Farmington used a balanced offense and a strong second half defensive effort to down Red Wing 54-48 in a Missota Conference game played Friday night at Tiger Gym.

The victory raised the Tigers' record back to the .500 mark both for the season (9-9) and conference (4-4).

"The first half was kind of ugly, but I thought we played much better in the second," Tiger coach Sondra Chadwick said. "Our help-side defense wasn't there in the first half and we gave up too many points inside.

"In the second half we closed that down and contested their outside shots. Our press hurt them and I liked the way we were able to get the ball out in transition."

Red Wing led 28-27 at the end of a back-and-forth first half, largely due to the efforts of McKenzie Muelken who torched the Tigers for 17 points.

At the other end of the floor, the Wingers shadowed Tiger leading scorer Sofia Chadwick, holding her to just three points.

"We have matured as a team and other girls have stepped up to score," coach Chadwick said. "We had nice balance tonight."

Alicia Hett scored the first two Farmignton baskets after intermission, one a three-pointer, to give her team a 33-31 lead the Tigers never surrendered.
 
Later the Wingers pulled back to within 43-39 before Sofia Chadwick scored five straight points to stretch the led back to nine.

Farmington helped itself at the foul line down the stretch. The Tigers converted 10 of 11 free throws in the second half.

"We have shown the composure to win these close games," coach Chadwick said.

Hett led a trio of Tigers in double figures with 16 points, Jordyn Hoemier netted 11 and Chadwick finished with 10.

Muelken, who was limited to just three second half points, finished with a game-high 20 points.

The Tigers don't have much time to savor the win. They return to Tiger Gym this afternoon (Saturday) for a matinee meeting with East Ridge. Next week they hit the road for two conference games, Tuesday at New Prague and Friday at Holy Angels.

Girls B-Ball: Tigers fall to Sabers

Kaitlyn Gorden 8 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists (file photo by Jim Lindquist)

Shakopee got off to a quick start and the Tigers could never recover in a 66-43 Missota Conference loss Friday night at Tiger Gym.

The defeat was the third straight for Farmington which saw its season record dip below the .500 mark at 8-9. The Tigers are 3-4 in the conference through the first round of league play.

"It was not our best showing tonight," Tiger coach Sondra Chadwick said. "We came out very flat and did not adjust well to Shakopee’s defense in the first half.  They are a very good team who I am sure will be competing for the conference title as the season goes on."

The Sabers used their pressure defense to force several early turnovers and score the first nine points of the night. Shakopee led 30-17 at the halftime break.

"I thought we played better in the second half," coach Chadwick said. "We took better care of the ball and moved well to get better shots against their zone."  

The Sabers featured a balanced scoring attack with five players in double figures while no Farmington player reached double digits. 

Sofia Chadwick, Jordyn Homeier and Kaitlyn Gorden tied for team scoring honors with eight points apiece. Gorden had a big night on the boards, pulling down 11 rebounds, and also led the team in assists with five.

"I thought both Morgan Mach and Leah Hammond also played well off the bench for us tonight." Chadwick said.

The Tigers will be looking to get back on track next Friday when they kick off the second round of Missota Conference play with a home game against Red Wing.

Girls B-Ball: Beating Chaska a tall order

Sofia Chadwick scored a game-high 21 points (photo by Jim Lindquist)

The Tigers knew heading into their Tuesday night game at Chaska and its two Division I-recruited post players that beating the Hawks would literally be a tall order.

"Basketball is a game of match-ups and Chaska is a very tough match-up for us because of their size and deep bench," Tiger coach Sondra Chadwick said.  "But we countered that with some solid perimeter play and made it a competitive game."

Chaska broke open a close game with a strong second half on the way to a 71-57 Missota Conference victory.

The smaller Tigers countered Chaska's size with some strong perimeter shooting to trail just 29-26 at intermission. The visitors connected on six of their game total of eight three-pointers, four by Jordyn Homeier, in the opening period.

"That is what we needed facing such a tough interior presence and it was good to see the girls shooting with confidence after such a cold-shooting night last Friday," Chadwick said.

Farmington tied the count at 31-31 early in the second half before the Hawks went on a run that would at one time stretch their lead to 18 points.

The Tigers cut the deficit to 10 in the final two minutes but the Hawks hit their free throws down the stretch to extend their final margin of victory.

Jordyn Homeier 14 points (photo by J. Lindquist)

Sofia Chadwick scored 19 of her game-high 21 points in the second half and added five assists and three steals to lead the Tiger effort. Homeier finished with 14 points.

Alicia Hett added seven points and pulled down five rebounds.Kaitlyn Gorden chipped in with six points and six rebounds.

"I was worried how the girls would respond after having another long weekend without practice," coach Chadwick said, "but they came out ready to play and didn’t let the fact that Chaska has been in the top ten throughout the season intimidate them.  

"I thought that we played well overall, took care of the ball and played as a team. We kept ourselves in a game with a very good team."

The loss dropped the Tigers' season record to 8-8 overall and 3-3 in Missota Conference play. They close out the first round of league play Friday night with a home game against Shakopee.

Girls B-Ball: Late Storm flurry sinks Tigers

Abby Gallus career-high 8 rebounds (photo by J. Lindquist)

Chanhassen outscored the Tigers 20-6 over the final seven minutes of the game on the way to a 52-37 Missota Conference win Friday night at Chanhassen.

The loss ended a three-game Tiger win streak and left them with an 8-7 season mark; 3-2 in the Missota Conference.

"There was literally a lid on the basket tonight for us ," Tiger coach Sondra Chadwick said. "We had great open looks. It was the kind of night you were just waiting for the lid to come off and someone get a spark going and it just never happened. 

"When those open shots didn't fall the girls became less aggressive. That's how we found ourselves on the losing end of that run at the end."

The Tigers trailed the Storm 28-23 at intermission but took the lead at 32-31 before the invisible protective shield appeared over the Farmington basket.

Chadwick said her team took away several positives from the loss. Farmington finished the night with a 36-33 edge in rebounding and played solid defense from beginning to end.

"The girls did everything  we needed them to do," Chadwick said, "but when the shots aren't falling
they have to get to the basket for some easy buckets or get to the free throw line."



Sofia Chadwick 13 points, 4 assists, 3 steals (photo by Jim Lindquist)

Sofia Chadwick led the Tigers with 13 points, four assists and three steals. Abby Gallus added nine points and pulled own a career-high eight rebounds.

The Tigers face a tough challenge Tuesday night when they travel to Chaska to take on the conference-leading Hawks.

Girls B-Ball: Tigers outlast Holy Angels

Aly Grebner scored 10 points off the bench (file photo by Jim Lindquist)

The Tigers pulled two games above the .500 mark (8-6) with a solid 62-56 Missota Conference win over Holy Angels Friday night at Tiger Gym.

Farmington is 3-1 in Missota Conference play, a half game behind Chaska (3-0) in the league standings.

The Tigers started the contest on a 12-2 run that included three-point baskets by Sofia Chadwick, Abby Gallus and Alicia Hett but the Stars got back in it thanks to some strong post play.

"They adjusted quickly and started going to their bigs," Farmington coach Sondra Chadwick said. "They took the lead at one point but we went on a little run at the end to lead at halftime."

Farmington led 32-28 at the break thanks to a late steal and put-back by Aly Grebner.

Alicia Hett 8 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds (photo by Jim Lindquist)

The teams played through an even second half although the Tigers got into foul trouble late with both Sofia Chadwick  and Abby Gallus whistled for their fifth in the final three minutes.

"I was very impressed with the composure of our kids to maintain the lead," coach Chadwick said. "We hit our free throws down the stretch."

In the end, the difference in the game did come at the foul line although for the night the winners ironically had a sub-par night, converting on only 16 of 27 opportunities at the charity stripe.

Another key to the victory was scoring balance. Sofia Chadwick led the way with 17 points but Gallus and Grebner provided plenty of support with 11 and 10 points respectively. Jordyn Homeier added nine and Hett finished with eight.

Coach Chadwick was especially pleased with the performance of Grebner who supplied a big boost off the bench, scoring eight of her points in the second half.

"She gave us a scoring punch and some physical rebounding against their bigs," she said.

Hett had seven assists and six rebounds to go with her eight points. Gallus totaled four assists and came up with a trio of steals; Chadwick had a team-high four steals.

"The girls have shown they know how to win the close games," coach Chadwick said.

In games decided by seven points or fewer Farmington owns a 5-2 record.

The Tigers have an off day next Tuesday, returning to action Friday with a conference home game against Chanhassen.

Girls B-Ball: Tigers upset Trojans in OT

Jordyn Homeier 17 points (photo by J. Lindquist)

Farmington had to put in a little extra work but it paid big dividends in the form of a 47-45 Missota Conference overtime win over New Prague Tuesday night at Tiger Gym.

The win was the fourth in five starts for Farmington which raised its season record to 7-6, 2-1 in Missota Conference play.

"This was a great game for the girls," coach Sondra Chadwick said, "a really defining win for them in terms of how far they have come since last season."

The Tigers led by a single point at 23-22 at the halftime break in game that was just as close as the finals score indicated.

The teams traded points for almost all of regulation with each possession serving as a potential turning point.

The teams were deadlocked at 41-41 heading into the extra session and things didn't look good for the home team when the Trojans scored the first two baskets of overtime.

But the Tigers rallied, tying the count on a steal and lay-up by Sofia Chadwick and a pair of free throws by Abby Gallus. 

A pair of charity tosses by Kaitlyn Gorden with 19 seconds remaining put the Tigers up by two. New Prague had a final possession but a stout defensive effort and a missed shot as time expired officially put the win in the record book.

Coach Chadwick said one of the keys to victory was her team's ability to handle New Prague's full-court pressure.

"We told the girls that if they remained composed against the press and played defense like they did against Red Wing, we’d come out on top. That is exactly what they did."

With guards Sofia Chadwick and Alicia Hett handling most of the ball-handling duties, the Tigers had to look for offense elsewhere and they found it in Jordyn Homeier and Gallus. Homeier had a career night with 17 points, including a trio of three-pointers. Gallus finished with a dozen.

Sofia Chadwick added eight points, eight assists and five steals to the mix and Gorden finished with seven points, including the game-winning free throws.

Hett scored but one point but according to her coach also played a big part in the upset win.

"Alicia's defense and ball-handling in this game were incredible," she said.

The Tigers will try to make it three conference wins in a row Friday night when they entertain Holy Angels at Tiger Gum. Tip-off is 7:30.

Girls B-Ball: Defense carries Tigers past Wingers

The Tigers (6-6) have already tripled their win total from last season

The Farmington defense held the opposition to its lowest point total of the season Friday night in a 43-31 Missota Conference win at Red Wing.

The win evened the Tigers' season record at 6-6. Coach Sondra Chadwick's squad is 1-1 in Missota Conference play.

The Wingers slowed the pace to a crawl in the opening half but the pesky Tiger defense and patient offense were up to the task. Farmington jumped to a quick 14-2 lead and hit the halftime break with a 23-11 cushion..

"We kept them out of the paint," Chadwick said, "and they had to settle for outside shots that they weren't able to hit."

The Tigers, meanwhile, feasted on long range shots, canning half a dozen three-pointers in the opening half. Sofia Chadwick and Kaitlyn Gorden each drained two and Alicia Hett and Leah Hammond had one apiece.

The second half was more of the same as the visitors stretched their lead to its widest margin at 36-21.

Sofia Chadwick led all scorers with 15 points and Gorden added a statistical double with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

"Kaitlyn has really been active on the boards the last couple of games," coach Chadwick said.

A big part of the Tiger victory came from their dominance on the glass where they held a 39-30 edge.

"It was great to see the girls bounce back after a tough loss at Northfield on Tuesday," Chadwick said. "They were determined to get a win tonight and that's how they played."

Next week the Tigers get a double dose of Missota Conference action with two home games on the docket, Tuesday with state-rated New Prague and Friday against Holy Angels.

Girls- B-Ball: Cold-shooting plagues Tigers

Kaitlyn Gorden pulled down a team-high 11 rebounds (photo by Jim Lindquist)

Farmington's shooting percentage rivaled the outside air temperature Tuesday night in a 41-35 Missota Conference loss at Northfield.

The Tigers made just 13 of 50 shots in the contest (26 percent) and got to the free throw line just six times the entire game.

"With the three-day break without practice, we were either going to come out looking re-energized or rusty," coach Sondra Chadwick said. "Unfortunately, it was the latter.

"We got good shots but they just wouldn’t drop for us tonight...I was disappointed that we were not more aggressive getting to the basket and settling for outside shots. We need to be more aggressive with our dribble penetration against a zone."

The Tiger defense forced several Raider turnovers in the opening half but not many turned into points thanks to the ice-cold shooting. The visitors trailed 21-19 at intermission.

The basket seemed to get even smaller for Farmington after the break with the Tigers managing just 16 second half points. The Raiders sealed the win with clutch free throw shooting in the final minute.

Abby Gallus was the top Tiger scorer with 11 points. Sofia Chadwick and Jordyn Homeier each finished with six points. Kaitlyn Gorden and Alicia Hett each had five.

Gorden pulled down a team-high 11 rebounds.Chadwick led in assists with four and she and Gorden each recorded five steals.

The Tigers return to action Friday night when they travel to Red Wing for another league contest.

 

Girls B-Ball: Back to .500

Sofia Chadwick 31 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists (photo by Jim Lindquist)

Sofia Chadwick scored a game-high 31 points and the Tigers shot a season-high 49 percent from the floor (24 of 49) on the way to a 79-62 win over Henry Sibley Friday night in West St. Paul.

The victory was the second straight for Farmington and raised its season record back to the .500 mark at 5-5.

"We were still not at 100 percent strength tonight due to illness," coach Sondra Chadwick said, "but we had some kids step up and play well.

"I wasn't too happy with giving up 62 points, but the girls shot well enough and hit their free throws to keep us ahead."

Starting forward Jordyn Homeier missed the game due to illness and center Kaitlyn Gorden fell ill during the game and did not return after intermission.

Farmington raced to a 40-25 halftime lead and then traded baskets with the Warriors for most of the second period.

One of the big factors in the win was foul shooting. The Tigers converted 24 of 28 tries from the charity stripe (86 percent), including 16 out of 20 in the second half.

Abby Gallus 16 points on 5 of 7 shooting (photo by Jim Lindquist)

Chadwick passed the 30-point mark in a game for the second time this season with 14 of her 31 coming off Sibley turnovers. The all-Missota Conference guard also grabbed seven rebounds and dished out five assists.

Chadwick got good offensive support from Abby Gallus and Alicia Hett who finished with 16 and 13 points respectively. Gallus was an efficient five for seven form the field and Hett nailed a trio of three-pointers in the first half.

"That brought Sibley out of their zone," coach Chadwick said.

Leah Hammond finished with eight points. Morgan Mach chipped in with six and Heidi Lambrecht had five.

Tuesday the Tigers will be looking to run their win streak to three games when they travel to Northfield for a Missota Conference match-up with the Raiders.

Girls B-Ball: Losing streak over

Jordyn Homeier 14 points, 6 rebounds (photo by J. Lindquist)

Farmington snapped a four-game losing streak with a 59-48 win over Princeton Saturday night at the Monticello Holiday Tournament.

The victory raised the Tiger's season record back near the .500 mark at 4-5.

"Another slow start for us but we finished the first half strong," coach Sondra Chadwick said. "The difference in the game was we did a great job attacking the basket and drawing fouls in the second half."

Farmington led by a single point, 24-23, at halftime before pulling away after the break thanks in large part to getting to the charity stripe.

The Tigers went to the free throw line 31 times for the night, converting 19. Sofia Chadwick and Abby Gallus each made clutch free throws down the stretch to preserve the lead.

Chadwick had a solid all-around game, topping all scorers with 20 points, pulling down a team-high 10 rebounds, handing out seven assists and coming up with three steals. She also drained 12 of 14 free throw attempts.

Jordyn Homeier turned in her best effort of the the season with 14 points and six rebounds.

"This was one of the best all-around games I have seen Jordyn play," coach Chadwick said.

Gallus, who spent much of the first half on the bench with foul trouble, scored all nine of her points in the second half.

Coach Chadwick also liked her team's defensive  effort that held Jenna Doyle, Princeton's leading scorer, to just four points.

"I thought Kaitlyn Gorden, Sydney Speer, Aly Grebner and Heidi Lambrecht did an incredible job on her," she said.

The Tiger junior varsity and ninth grade teams each went 2-0 at the tournament, giving Farmington a 5-1 run over the two days.

 "Overall, it was a great showing for our program," Chadwick said.

The Tigers will try to get back to the .500 mark next Friday (Jan. 3) when they travel to Henry Sibley for a non-conference game.

Girls B-Ball: Cold second half costs Tigers

Sofia Chadwick scored a team-high 15 points (file photo by Jim Lindquist)

In what has become somewhat of trend the Tigers stayed with a quality team for a half only to struggle after the break.

This time the second half fade came in a 66-34 loss to state-rated Minneapolis Washburn in Friday's opening round of the Monticello Holiday Tournament.

Farmington trailed just 29-25 at intermission but managed only nine points over the final 18 minutes to lose its fourth straight game and see its season record dip to 3-5.

Part of the problem came in the lack of a balanced scoring attack. All-Missota Conference guard Sofia Chadwick scored a team-high 15 points and backcourt mate Alicia Hett had seven but the rest of the lineup produced just 12 points.

The Monticello tournament continues today. The Tigers will meet Princeton, a 75-67 loser to Staple-Motley in its opening round game, in second round play. Tip-off is slated for 5:00 p.m.