Kruse's 23 not enough to extend HTC season

CLARENCE – Holy Trinity Catholic junior Adalyn Kruse had a lot to think about when she was at the freethrow line with three seconds left in the game and the Crusaders down by three.
She had even more to think about when she missed the front end of the one-and-one situation. She sent the second freethrow at the rim trying to get a friendly bounce for a kickout three to try and tie the game, but the ball didn’t bounce HTC’s way and they fell 53-49 to North Cedar in Class 1A Region 4 girls' basketball action Thursday night.
Holy Trinity wiped out a 13-point deficit over the final 11 minutes spurred by a 10-0 run to wrap up the third quarter down just three at 37-34.
Kruse, who scored 23 to lead Holy Trinity, had the first 10 points of the third quarter to help start the run, but Elizabeth Griffin took over and hit back-to-back three pointers, one that slipped through the net at the buzzer to end the third.
The Knights would extend the lead back to five on a jumper from Lily Dohmen at 41-36, but then Griffin answered with another three ball from the right wing to make it a two-point contest at 41-39. Kruse, who found a groove with Griffin and freshman Madisyn Griffin in an inside-out game in the second half, hit a turn around jumper in the lane to tie things up at 41.
The two teams would trade buckets in consecutive possessions, but North Cedar would get five points from junior Caylee Curlee, one of just seven players on the Knights' roster, to push the lead back to five at 48-43. Griffin would answer with a bucket and a foul with 1:15 left in the game to make it a one possession game, but HTC couldn’t get any closer the rest of the way out.
The Crusaders were without starting guard Olivia Bendlage, who suffered a severe ankle sprain in the 3rd quarter of Holy Trinity’s Monday night win over Clark County. Bendlage rolled into the game on a knee bike, forcing head Coach Shawn Hopper to create a new game plan.
The Crusaders struggled getting going in the first half, coming out a little flat and putting up just 18 points trailing by five at the break. Head Coach Shawn Hopper said he drew up some specific sets to get Griffin open on the perimeter, which would allow Kruse to work in the lane.

The move worked as Kruse got going inside and then Griffin heated up from the outside finishing with 17 points.
“We made adjustments at the half to run a little corner play and that worked. In the 4th quarter we got her some looks, but in the third quarter we got Adalyn more involved inside,” Hopper said.
“We came up here pretty sure that they were going to play man, but you never know and people throw different stuff at you in districts. We did put in a couple new things and struggled with it a bit, but at the half I drew up some things and they were able to execute.”
Hopper said not having Bendlage had an impact in the loss. He said not only did they miss her rebounding, but also her ball-handling. Turnovers plagued HTC through the first half, but they tightened things up in the second half.
Hopper said he was disappointed in the Crusaders' 5-16 mark on the season, but said he has a good core of players. He only loses Izzy Behne to graduation and is looking forward to next season.
“I was disappointed in our win-loss, but this a great group of kids with great attitudes, and next season I think we’ll be better,” he said.
“We lose Izzy, and that’s a tough loss. She brings that intangible stuff. She’s the shortest girl on the floor but gets six rebounds a night because she does her job. She’s going to be missed more than the stat line shows.”
Morgan Krogmeier had four points and Madilyn Griffin had five in the loss.