Prep Girls Basketball: Section 5A Playoffs: Menahga opens playoffs with 68-50 win over Verndale

By Mike Isola/Tim Ellingson

Tarah Cleveland led all scorers with 30 points and Arielle Pihlaja added a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds as No. 8-seeded Menahga opened the Sub-section 5A playoffs with the 68-50 victory in the play-in game over ninth-seeded Verndale Monday night.

The Lady Braves were confident going into the third matchup of the season against Verndale, whom they’ve defeated twice in the regular season, but the playoffs have regulary been tough on the Menahga teams.

Both Park Region Conference rivals used spurts in the first half to keep the game close.

Pihlaja and Cleveland gunned back-to-back three-pointers to open the scoring for the Lady Braves, who jumped out to a 8-2 lead. Verndale fought back to pull within one, 10-9, on a three-pointer from Lizzy Yungbauer with 13:02 left in the first half.

However, Cleveland continued to torment the Verndale defense by rattling of seven consecutive points, the last coming on a three-pointer, as Menahga firmly establish control the rest of the game.

The Lady Pirates climbed back within three, 27-24, on another three-pointer from Yungbauer with 1:47 left but Menahga would close out the first half on back-to-back transition baskets from Pihlaja and Beth Tormanen for the 31-24 halftime lead.

The Lady Braves open up the second half on an Amelia Pho steal and quick outlet pass to Pihlaja, who gunned her second three-pointer of the game. Later in the half, Pihlja ended a 2:18 scoreless strech by both teams to put the Lady Braves ahead by 11 points, 44-33 with 11:12 left to play.

Verndale would get no closer than eight points the rest of the night, 53-45, as Menahga went on a 15-5 run to finish off the Lady Pirates. Cleveland capped the Lady Braves’ run with a fastbreak layup with one second left to play.

The Lady Braves applied a full-court press the entire game and the tough ‘D’ paid off in the end, as Menahga ended up forcing the Lady Pirates into 21 turnovers.

Menahga shot 56 percent (19-for-34) from the floor and drained seven ‘treys’ in the game.

Beth Tormanen went 5-for-6 from the free-throw line to finish with 11 points. The junior also had a team-high nine steals. Pho netted nine points, grabbed seven points and dished out three assists while Lindsey White scored four and grabbed 10 boards for the Lady Braves, who advance to battle top-seeded Upsala at 7 p.m. Thursday.

Yungbauer and Teresa Moenkedick each scored 14 points and Jordy Schluttner added 10 for the Lady Pirates, who finished the season with a 7-18 record.

West Sub-Section 5A Playoffs
No. 8 Menahga vs. No. 9 Verndale on February 28
Lady Braves 68, Lady Pirates 60
Menahga 31 37—68
Verndale 24 26—50
Menahga
Lindsey White 4, Beth Tormanen 11, Arielle Pihlaja 12, Paige Skoog 2, Ameila Pho 9, Tarah Cleveland 30
Verndale
Lizzy Yungbaeur 14, Elizabeth Johnson 4, Kaitlin Richter 2, Jordy Schluttner 10, Megan Richter 2, Ashley Richter 4, Teresa Moenkedick 14
Scoring summary received 11:06 p.m. Monday, February 28 (BB), Synopsis and photos received 5:24 p.m. Tuesday, March 1 (BB)