ROCHESTER &045; The 1-90 A’s girls’ basketball team of Austin and Albert Lea completed the summer schedule in the North American Shootout in Rochester. The tournament included teams from eight states and Canada and featured many top teams.

The opening game of pool play was against a team representing the Rising Force Basketball Academy of Wisconsin. The A’s struggled throughout to find an offensive rhythm and had their comeback attempts thwarted by the Rising Force, who hung on for a 55-47 victory. Guard Anna Hebrink led her team in scoring with 13 points followed by 10 from post Brooke Monson. Niki Hendrickson contributed eight despite battling foul trouble most of the game.

The next game was also against a team from Wisconsin, called Pride. This time the A’s pulled out to a 13-point lead at the half on their way to a convincing 57-41 triumph. The A’s had four players score in double figures led by the 15-point effort of Niki Hendrickson. Monson dropped in 13 more while Hali Hendrickson and Kat Ladwig both added 10.

The final pool play game was against the defending Shootout champions, Girls with Vision, an all-star team from North Dakota. Playing some of their best basketball of the season, the A’s held a lead through most of the first half before falling behind by five points at the intermission.

Led by their 6-foot-3 post, the Girls with Vision continued their scoring run in the second half building a 25-point lead. The A’s didn’t give up, however, and went on a scoring run of their own with all eight players scoring to cut the final deficit to 15 in a 68-53 defeat. Hali Hendrickson and Monson shared scoring honors with 12 points each followed by Hebrink with 11. Girls with Vision went on to defend their title, never trailing in any other game of the tournament.

The loss dropped the A’s into the consolation bracket with the first game against another Pride team. Using a season-high six three-point field goals the A’s were able to overcome a three-point halftime deficit to take a 54-50 win in a game that was close from the outset. Hali Hendrickson and Hebrink set the scoring pace with 15 points apiece.

The win put the A’s in the consolation finals against the Rising Force Basketball Academy’s blue team. The A’s started quickly against the talented Rising Force squad, causing numerous problems with their pressure defense, and held a 31-26 lead at the half. The A’s built their lead to 10 points early in the second half before the Rising Force responded with a five-minute stretch in which they caught fire, hitting just about every shot they put up. They finished the game with eight three-point baskets, five during their scoring flurry. The A’s trailed by as many as seven points late in the second half.

With their never-say-die attitude, the girls battled back. A three-point play by Monson in the last minute cut the deficit to two. The A’s were forced to foul and were helped by two missed free throws. The A’s then called their final time out with the hopes of setting up a play to get the tying basket.

The play ended with another basket by Monson on an inside feed from Niki Hendrickson. With the clock under 10 seconds and no time outs remaining, the Rising Force had to rush the ball up the court and they did, beating the buzzer with a basket that won the game by a final score of 65-63 and sent the A’s home with the silver medals from the consolation bracket. Monson’s 15 points led the A’s followed by a trio of teammates with 14 points each including both Hendricksons and Hebrink.

Despite their disappointing loss in the North American Shootout the A’s ended a successful summer with an overall record of 19-7 through six tournaments. The team placed in all six tournaments they entered with first-place finishes in a season-opening AAU tournament in Hastings and the AAU state qualifier. They followed with second-place finishes in the AAU state tournament, the Star of the North Games in St. Paul, and the Great Lakes Shootout in Wisconsin.

The roster included Anna Hebrink, Gretchen Hebrink, Tana Lukes, and Brooke Monson from Austin with Hali Hendrickson, Niki Hendrickson, Kat Ladwig, Leah Walters, and Liz Thompson, who missed the last three tournaments while in China, from Albert Lea.