1999/2000 Game Results Last Updated: January 22, 2000

January 21, 2000  

North 55, Menomonie 47

Robinson gets assist

North trainer puts guard on fast track to recovery

By Nicholas Sargent
Leader-Telegram staff

Standing at the free-throw line with 46 seconds left in the fourth quarter Friday, Eau Claire North guard Nicki Robinson calmly sank the second of two free throws to all but put away Menomonie.

Nicki and Larissa Leader-Telegram Photo

With 20 points in the Huskies’ 55-47 Big Rivers Conference victory over the Indians (3-4, 4-9) at the Doghouse, Robinson looked to be the hero of the day.

The win kept North (5-2, 9-3) in second place in the conference standings and within sight of BRC-leading Hudson.

But the thorn in the Indians’ side would have been nothing but an afterthought if not for North trainer Jackie Underberg.

After a pregame knee-to-knee collision with her teammate Larissa Parr in a 3-on-2 drill, Robinson limped off the floor.

A deep right knee contusion suffered in the preseason was re-injured, and Underberg was called to the rescue.

"(Underberg) looked at it and said I should ice it before the game," Robinson said. "It wasn’t bad enough to not play."

Despite a softball-size bruise on her knee, Robinson got better as the game wore on, scoring seven points and knocking down six of 10 free throws in the final quarter to put the game on ice.

Even with Robinson’s recovery, the entire Huskies squad needed to step up its play to stop the talented Indians.

With good size and athleticism in its starting lineup, Menomonie is an excellent rebounding team. And, after Chippewa Falls outrebounded North in the Cardinals’ 50-37 victory last week, Huskies coach Dan Sippel wanted his team to step it up on the boards.

North started slowly Friday as Menomonie held a 8-3 rebounding edge in the first quarter and ran out to a 17-12 lead.

The Huskies came back in the second quarter and took a 24-24 tie into the locker room, where the Huskies mulled things over.

"At halftime, we talked about crashing the boards and rebounding better," Robinson said. "That was the key."

The Huskies also stepped up their defense.

After Menomonie’s Jackie Dummer got free on some screens in the first quarter, North started stepping out of the screens and prevented the Indians’ top ballhandler from getting open looks at the basket.

The Huskies also forced Menomonie into 22 turnovers -- scoring 16 points off the miscues -- by stepping into the Indians’ passing lanes.

First-year Menomonie coach Jim Negrini said the loss puts his team out of BRC title contention despite the fact the Indians came into the season as preseason favorites to win the crown.

In spite of the team’s sluggish play thus far this season, Negrini was upbeat about his team’s performance Friday.

"We’re really disappointed," Negrini said. "The girls gave an all out effort and played one of their best games of the season. North just played a little better when they had to."

Last season, Menomonie finished fourth in the BRC standings but put on an impressive show in the playoffs.

The Indians beat Superior 56-44 in the regional semifinal 56-44 and snuck by Rice Lake 61-55 before upsetting North 56-40 in the Marshfield Sectional final.

Returning all five starters was a reason many thought Menomonie could dethrone five-time defending BRC champion Hudson, but inconsistency has dropped the Indians back into the pack.

"We played very well for a couple of spurts tonight," Negrini said. "We continue to get better as we get closer to the playoffs."

But he said not to expect the Indians to surprise anyone come March.

"I don’t think were going to sneak up on anybody," he said. "People know how talented we are this year."

Menomonie was missing one of its starters and leading scorers this season in Jess Larson.

Larson, who has averaged 10.0 points per game, injured her back, and Negrini said the prognosis for Larson to return to the lineup is unknown until she is evaluated on Monday.

MENOMONIE (47)

FG-A FT-A TP: Meghan Fieber 1-6 1-3 3, Andrea Quilling 0-1 2-2 2, Sara Kahl 4-10 7-7 15, Lisa Lybert 1-3 0-4 2, Jackie Dummer 5-12 1-2 12, Stef Long 0-1 0-0 0, Kari Harmon 0-2 0-0 0, Lindsey Labs 0-0 0-0 0, Amanda Veith 6-13 1-3 13.Totals 17-48 12-21 47.

North (55)

Anne Connell 2-2 0-0 4, Kricket Whyte 4-7 0-0 8, Scooter Aspen 1-2 1-1 0-0 3, Nicki Robinson 6-20 8-12 20, Lindsey Rongstad 0-4 2-2 2, Emilee Planert 1-6 3-4 5, Larissa Parr 5-17 3-4 13, Grethchen Schroer 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 19-58 16-22 55.

3-point goals: Menomonie 1-8 (Dummer 1-2, Long 0-1, Veith 0-1, Fieber 0-2, Kahl 0-2), North 1-4 (Aspen 1-1, Robinson 0-1, Parr 0-2). Rebounds: Menomonie 44 (Veith 12, Kahl 9), North 35 (Parr 10, Whyte 6). Fouls: Menomonie 22, North 18. Fouled out: Menomonie, Fieber, Kahl, Lybert. Turnovers: Menomonie 22, North 11.

RECORDS: Menomonie 3-4, 4-8; North 5-2, 9-3.