NEW GLARUS - With second place in the Capitol South Conference on the line, New Glarus coach Braden Rindy didn't expect the fourth quarter blues.
After senior Tanya Gruter shot New Glarus back into the game at the end of the third quarter, Rindy was hoping for a better climax. However, New Glarus had nine of their 22 turnovers in the fourth quarter and Cambridge rolled to a 55-37 win over the Glarner Knights Friday night.
"I told them we have to find something to motivate us," Rindy said. "We came out kind of dead. I can't understand that with this game. I told them they have to find a little more heart."
Rindy said in practice the Knights play lockdown defense.
"They have to take pride in their defense," he said. "I'm just confused."
New Glarus (5-9, 3-3 Capitol South) trailed by as many as 15 points in the third quarter, but Gruter helped the Knights rebound. Gruter, who had a game-high 20 points, scored down low and was fouled. She converted the three-point play at the foul line and then buried a 3-pointer with 1 minute, 15 seconds to go in the third quarter to slice the Blue Jays' lead to 39-33. That's as close as New Glarus would get.
The Knights turned the ball over on their first three possessions of the fourth quarter and the Blue Jays went on a 13-0 spurt to put the game away. The run was highlighted by junior Carley Jeffrey's layup that gave the Blue Jays a 52-33 lead with 3:09 left.
"On offense, they started to force stuff," Rindy said. "I think they started panicking at the end and started to force things. That's when the turnovers came. Cambridge is a good team. You can't do that against a good team and expect to win."
Early on, New Glarus started the first quarter with a flurry. Gruter scored down low and drilled a 3-pointer to give the Knights a 9-5 lead. The Blue Jays came back with a 10-0 run from the end of the first quarter that spanned into the second. Cambridge junior Trichelle Hoppman, who scored a team-high 13 points, hit a jumper to give the Blue Jays a 15-9 lead midway through the second quarter.
The Blue Jays extended their six-point halftime lead with a 16-7 third quarter run and shot 7 of 10 from the field to open the period. Cambridge freshman Jazmynn Jarlsberg, scored seven of her 12 points in the first two minutes of the third quarter including a clutch 3-pointer to spark the Blue Jays.
"When we are in practice we are always talking," Gruter said. "When we get in the game and out on the court it goes away. No one is talking."
Cambridge senior Jess Jaeckel scored down low with 2:26 left in the third quarter to give the Blue Jays a 39-24 lead. The Knights scored nine consecutive points over the final 2 minutes of the period to cut the lead to 39-33.
"We were in position," Rindy said. "We made a run. That run should not be a fluke. We should play like that all the time."
New Glarus sophomore Alycia Atwell scored eight points and senior Michelle Preston added six.
The Knights host Black Hawk Monday and Gruter said she is looking forward to another game at Belleville Feb. 25. With eight regular season games left, Gruter just wants to finish strong.
"Right now we just need to make a run for it," she said. "We just need to bring it against Belleville. That's the one we are hoping for now."
After senior Tanya Gruter shot New Glarus back into the game at the end of the third quarter, Rindy was hoping for a better climax. However, New Glarus had nine of their 22 turnovers in the fourth quarter and Cambridge rolled to a 55-37 win over the Glarner Knights Friday night.
"I told them we have to find something to motivate us," Rindy said. "We came out kind of dead. I can't understand that with this game. I told them they have to find a little more heart."
Rindy said in practice the Knights play lockdown defense.
"They have to take pride in their defense," he said. "I'm just confused."
New Glarus (5-9, 3-3 Capitol South) trailed by as many as 15 points in the third quarter, but Gruter helped the Knights rebound. Gruter, who had a game-high 20 points, scored down low and was fouled. She converted the three-point play at the foul line and then buried a 3-pointer with 1 minute, 15 seconds to go in the third quarter to slice the Blue Jays' lead to 39-33. That's as close as New Glarus would get.
The Knights turned the ball over on their first three possessions of the fourth quarter and the Blue Jays went on a 13-0 spurt to put the game away. The run was highlighted by junior Carley Jeffrey's layup that gave the Blue Jays a 52-33 lead with 3:09 left.
"On offense, they started to force stuff," Rindy said. "I think they started panicking at the end and started to force things. That's when the turnovers came. Cambridge is a good team. You can't do that against a good team and expect to win."
Early on, New Glarus started the first quarter with a flurry. Gruter scored down low and drilled a 3-pointer to give the Knights a 9-5 lead. The Blue Jays came back with a 10-0 run from the end of the first quarter that spanned into the second. Cambridge junior Trichelle Hoppman, who scored a team-high 13 points, hit a jumper to give the Blue Jays a 15-9 lead midway through the second quarter.
The Blue Jays extended their six-point halftime lead with a 16-7 third quarter run and shot 7 of 10 from the field to open the period. Cambridge freshman Jazmynn Jarlsberg, scored seven of her 12 points in the first two minutes of the third quarter including a clutch 3-pointer to spark the Blue Jays.
"When we are in practice we are always talking," Gruter said. "When we get in the game and out on the court it goes away. No one is talking."
Cambridge senior Jess Jaeckel scored down low with 2:26 left in the third quarter to give the Blue Jays a 39-24 lead. The Knights scored nine consecutive points over the final 2 minutes of the period to cut the lead to 39-33.
"We were in position," Rindy said. "We made a run. That run should not be a fluke. We should play like that all the time."
New Glarus sophomore Alycia Atwell scored eight points and senior Michelle Preston added six.
The Knights host Black Hawk Monday and Gruter said she is looking forward to another game at Belleville Feb. 25. With eight regular season games left, Gruter just wants to finish strong.
"Right now we just need to make a run for it," she said. "We just need to bring it against Belleville. That's the one we are hoping for now."
