4A-II girls: Andale goes cold in semifinal loss to Jefferson West

Still riding the euphoria of an emotional upset Thursday of defending Class 4A-II basketball champion Clay Center, Andale’s girls got off to a fast start in Friday’s semifinal against third-seeded Jefferson West.

The Indians hit five three-pointers and led 17-13 after one quarter. But they hit a cold spell, scoring two points, and Jefferson West outscored them 35-22 in the second half for a 57-41 victory.

Shots that had been there for Andale early started to bounce off the rim, and the Indians (13-11) were limited to two three-pointers in the second half.

Meanwhile, Jefferson West (20-4) began to find its range, hitting 11 of 20 second-half shots and holding Andale to 22.6-percent shooting in the second half.

Andale has another shot at a victory Saturday in the third-place game.

“There’s nothing better than to still be playing basketball,” Andale coach Ted Anderson said. “You’re playing for a trophy, and you’re playing for your school’s pride, and we’re going to come out (Saturday) and do the best we can.”

Anderson said a Jefferson West adjustment affected the Indians’ shooting and changed the momentum in the semifinal.

“We’ve got some pretty good zone shooters and some pretty good spot-up shooters,” he said “They started in a zone, and we hit our shots. They’re a little quicker than us, and once they went man, we struggled a little bit.”

Another factor was Jefferson West 6-foot-3 junior Mariah Murdie, who blocked four Andale shots. Her presence altered many more.

“When you’ve got (Murdie) as a rim protector … she’s a good player,” Anderson said.

And once the momentum shifted, the Jeff West’s shots began going in.

Senior Tayler Metzger provided a third-quarter spark, hitting two three-pointers and getting another basket on a steal and layup that pushed a three-point halftime lead to 10 by the end of the quarter. Junior Alyssa Garza had two baskets in the final minute of the period for a 38-28 advantage.

Anderson also pointed to Jeff West going 14 of 17 from the free-throw line.

“Every one of their kids shoots at least 65 percent from the free-throw line,” he said. “They take good shots. I was impressed.”

With 5-10 Jill Bergkamp the only senior who plays extensively for Andale, the future looks good for the Indians, who will return 5-9 Rachel Bergkamp, their leading scorer with 11 points against Jefferson West.

Freshman Maggie Knoblauch, whose older brothers Hunter and Bo were standouts in both football and basketball for Andale, scored eight of the Indians’ 13 fourth-quarter points.

“We just said, ‘Start taking it to the bucket,’ and that’s what she does best,” Anderson said. “She’ll be a lot more confident, they’ll have to double out on her.”

This story was originally published March 10, 2017 at 6:32 PM with the headline "4A-II girls: Andale goes cold in semifinal loss to Jefferson West."