MADISON — Facing a gauntlet on a trip through the WIAA Division 4 playoffs, Albany-Monticello slowly wore down Deerfield 52-43 in a sectional semifinal game March 5 at Madison La Follette.
The two teams match up similar in age and talent — both are mostly underclassmen with extremely talented depth. Deerfield’s advantage is the size of its overall lineup — sophomore Sydney Loerke stands 6-1, while senior Rowan Lasack is 5-10 and junior Mia Haberkorn 5-11. Albany-Monticello has just one player taller than 5-7 — freshman Emersen Butts is 5-11. Loerke is the Demons’ top player, averaging 11.5 points, 10.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists and more than 2.3 blocks per game.
“They are so long, and we were a little scared to get going downhill at first,” Butts said.
The Space Stallions run a baseline to baseline, man-to-man style of defense. Offensively, the motion offense keeps defenses moving with little time to take a rest. Part of AM’s game plan each night is to out-hustle and wear down their opponents with superior endurance. Midway through the second half, the Demons (25-2) started burning out.
“Our girls are relentless,” said AM head coach Derik Doescher. “I don’t know where it comes from because us coaches never played that way — we never could and we can’t model it. They have been a relentless group, and it’s been that way for the last six, seven, eight years in Albany.”
The game started with little scoring, despite many attempts by each side. Haberkorn broke a 2-2 tie with a free throw nearly seven minutes into the game. By the halfway point of the opening stanza, Deerfield led 7-4. The shot-blocking presence of Loerke, Haberkorn and Lasak took away much of AM’s offense in the lane and in the post. Most notably, Space Stallions leading scorer Heidi Olson, standing 5-feet-7, had the 6-1 Loerke playing man-to-man defense on her.
“I got blocked a few times. You have to be more careful and more selective. More often than not, shot fake and turn to the open girl for three,” Heidi Olson said. “You have to be crafty and have quick movement of the ball. It’s going to take everybody on offense because you can’t play one-on-one against that. You have to move it quick and then attack when it’s open.”
Emerson Briggs hit a game-tying 3-pointer with 7:57 left in the first off a pass from Emma Thompson. A little over two minutes later, Deerfield was back on top by a bucket, only for AM to take its second lead of the game thanks to a smooth layup and a timely three by Butts. A drive by Molly Olson with 3:07 left in the half pushed AM’s lead to 15-9. However, both teams went into the break knotted at 17.
The scoring picked up in the second half, with AM more than doubling their offensive output (35 points). Much of that — 15 points — came via the free throw line. The Space Stallions attacked the lane in wave after wave, sometimes dishing back out to the arc, and other times finding a sliver of space to get a shot off — or at least draw contact to get to the line. An 8-0 run helped AM expand its lead to nine points at 33-24 with 9:11 remaining, leading to a 60-second Deerfield timeout.
The Demons never fully went away, despite appearing exhausted. With just five minutes left, AM’s advantage had dwindled to just three points at 36-33. However, over the final 4:45 of the contest, the Space Stallions finished 11-for-12 from the charity stripe, putting the game away.
“This is huge, we had a bunch of young girls step up,” Heidi Olson said. “We have to savor this moment, because it isn’t something that happens all the time. This is one of those moments that just comes and goes.”
Molly Olson led AM in scoring with 19 points thanks in part to a 9-for-11 effort from the charity stripe. Butts had 15 points, Heidi Olson eight and Emma Thompson seven. Molly Olson finished with three steals. AM committed just eight turnovers to Deerfield’s 16.
“Emersen Butts was huge at both ends,” Doescher said. “Emma Thompson, rebounding the basketball, playing defense. And then Molly did Molly things. I keep telling people that she’s one of the best in the state. I know she’s 5-foot-2, but she plays like she’s 6-2. She plays with all heart and her finishing moves around the rim” are at another level. “We have leaders like her and Emerson Briggs as seniors, and the rest just follow. Those youngsters see them be fearless, and then they play fearless.”
Thompson added six rebounds and two assists, plus a flurry of hustle plays throughout the game that don’t show up in the stat sheets.
“I just like being aggressive. I don’t care if they’re talker than me. I just like to do my thing and try and get stops,” Thompson said.
Loerke had a team-high 14 rebounds, three blocks and added nine points, with freshman guard Brecklyn Drobac leading the Demons with 15 points.
