Huskies shake off Packer girls
Published 1:19 am Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Austin's Jenna Svoboda takes the ball into a crowd of Owatonna defenders during the first half Tuesday night in Ove Berven Gym. - Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
The Austin girls basketball team didn’t have an answer for Owatonna’s top post player in a 54-41 loss to the Huskies (2-4 overall, 1-0 Big Nine) in Ove Berven Gym Tuesday.
Trisha Benjamin, a 6-4 senior center, was a thorn in the Packers’ side all night as she finished with 21 points on 9-of-13 shooting to go along with her 10 rebounds and three blocked shots.
“I don’t know if we had a good answer for (Benjamin),” Austin head coach Gary Peterson said. “We tried man and we tried zone. She only had six (points) in the second half but she opens up things for their other players, and she gets the big rebound when they need it.”
Babaye Oja pulls down a rebound in front of Owatonna's Kyndal Cox during the first half Tuesday night in Ove Berven Gym. - Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
Benjamin opened the second half with four straight points to put the Huskies up 32-20 and Austin (0-3 overall, 0-1 Big Nine) never got within 10 the rest of the way.
But it was in the first half when Owatonna did most of its damage. The Packers pulled to within 19-17 after Mary Kate Barinka knocked down a jump shot with 4:35 left in the first half. But Austin’s only other field goal in the first half was a three by Babaye Oja as the Huskies closed out a 9-3 run to take a 28-20 lead at the break.
“It seemed like the New Prague game,” Peterson said. “We were right there, and then we let them make a run and then we’re fighting our way back in the second half.”
Things started out strong for Austin as Sophia Hebrink had a put-back to give her team a 7-6 lead and Jenna Svoboda, who had 16 points and six rebounds, hit a jumper to make it 9-6 Packers with 13:17 left in the first half.
Austin couldn’t get the lead again after the Huskies went up 13-11 on a Benjamin steal and lay-up.
Oja had 10 points, seven rebounds and four steals for Austin, which shot just 24 percent from the field and 12 percent from the arc.
Owatonna 28 26 — 54
Austin 20 21 — 41
Austin scoring: Jenna Svoboda, 16; Babaye Oja, 10; Mary Kate Barinka, 5; Meredith Molhusen, 2; Nina Carney, 2; Sophia Hebrink, 2; Taylor Lady, 2; field goals: 24 percent (15-for-62); three-pointers: 12 percent (2-for-16); free throws: 53 percent (9-for-17); rebounds: 37 (Oja, 7; Hebrink, 7); turnovers: 15
Owatonna scoring: Trisha Benjamin, 21; Courtney Hayford, 9; Brooke Hardichka, 9; Megan Nash, 5; Sarah McCann, 3; Vanessa Brage, 2; Dani Buswell, 2; Katelyn Schwab, 2; Kyndal Cox, 1; field goals: 33.3 percent (18-for-54); three-pointers: 30.8 percent (4-for-13); free throws: 43.8 percent (14-for-32); rebounds: 39 (Benjamin, 10); turnovers: 16
