LINCOLN — When you’re involved in a shootout, the worst thing to have happen is to run out of ammunition.
Homer hit a trio of 3-pointers in the game’s first three minutes, but went 3-of-30 from beyond the arc after that as Oakland-Craig posted a 68-43 win Thursday afternoon in the opening round of the Class C-2 Girls State Basketball Championships at the Devaney Sports Center.
Oakland-Craig, the No. 3 seed in the bracket, rode the hot hand of junior Sonya Guzinski, who tied a Class C-2 tournament recored with seven triples on her way to a game-high 25 points to help the orange-clad Lady Knights (24-3) advance to Friday’s semifinal against Crofton, who beat Yutan 53-28 in the third quarterfinal of the day.
“We were kind of right there with them and then they hit a couple of threes and we were down nine,” coach Merlyn Tremayne said after the game. “If we could hit a few of those it might have been a different game. They were shots we’ve been making all year and we just couldn’t hit and (Guzinski) was shooting lights out.”
Homer got out to an early with the help of two straight triples by senior Ali Albrecht, the second of which ave Homer its last lead of the day at 9-8 with 4:59 to go in the first.
Oakland-Craig, which hit 10-of-23 from beyond the arc, got triples from Guzinski, Bailey Pelan and Adilen Rennerfeldt on three straight possessions to make it 20-11 after one period.
The O-C girls followed that with a 12-2 run and held Homer to two field goals, a Natali Loofe basket on a three-point play and a late basket by Rylie Harris, to make it a 33-17 game at intermission.
Homer scored the first two points of the second half on an Ali Albrecht layup, but Oakland-Craig followed that with a 15-0 run of their own, keyed by back-to-back threes from Guzinski, making it a 48-19 game with 3:24 to go in the third and Homer would never get closer than 19 the rest of the the way.
Seniors Albrecht (14) and Harris (12) led the way for the Homer girls. Loofe added five points, Lillly Harris had four, Makenzee Waldee scored three, Tori Walker and Janessa Overgaard both had two points and Addison Ziska finished with one.
(Complete game coverage and photos in next week’s edition of the Dakota County Star.)
Oakland-Craig 68, Homer 43
Homer 11 6 14 12 — 43
Oak.-Cr. 20 13 23 12 — 68
HOMER — Walker 2, Albrecht 14, Overgaard 2, L. Harris 4, R. Harris 12, Loofe 5, Waldee 3, Ziska 1.
OAK.-CRAIG — H. Ray 12, B. Ray 6, Rennerfeldt 17, Guzinski 25, Pelan 3, Thomsen 2, Magnusson 2, Ahrens 1.
Three-point goals: Homer 6-33 (Walker 0-5, Albrecht 3-8, L. Harris 0-6, R. Harris 2-11, Valentin 0-1), Waldee 1-1, Hightree 0-1), O-C 10-23 (H. Ray 1-3, Rennerfeldt 1-3, Guzinski 7-12, Pelan 1-2, Magnusson 0-2, Rost 0-1). FG Pct.: Homer 26.8 (15-56), O-C 47.2 (25-53). Rebounds: Homer 32 (Overgaard 10), O-C 45 (H. Ray 9). Assists: Homer 5 (L. Harris 3), O-C 12 (H. Ray, Thomsen 3). Steals: Homer 11 (Walker, R. Harris 3), O-C 7 (Rennerfeldt 3). Blocks: Homer 3 (Overgaard 2), O-C 2 (Thomsen 2). Fouls: Homer 14, O-C 12. Turnovers: Homer 11, O-C 13.
Class C-2 Bracket
Thursday’s Results
(all games at Devaney Center)
No. 8 Guardian Angels CC 53, No. 8 Johnson-Brock 38
No. 4 Elkhorn Valley 52, No. 5 Cross County 32
No. 2 Crofton 53, No. 7 Yutan 28
No. 3 Oakland-Craig 68, No. 6 Homer 43
Friday’s Schedule
(all games at Devaney Center)
1:30 p.m. — Guardian Angels CC (22-5) vs. Elkhorn Valley (27-0)
3:15 p.m. — Crofton (24-3) vs. Oakland-Craig (24-3)
Saturday’s Schedule
Consolation Game — 11 a.m. at Lincoln Standing Bear HS
Championship Game — 4:15 p.m. at Pinnacle Bank Arena
