Mustangs end season on strong note

A Game: The Mustangs gave visiting O'Gorman a run for their money, but O'G prevailed 26-19. The game was tight for its majority, but Memorial couldn't overcome a strong third quarter from the visitors. The Mustangs played perhaps their best defense of the entire season, limiting O'Gorman to one of their season lows in points. Some outstanding passes kept Memorial within striking distance on the offensive end.
Coach Hoegh says: "I'm really proud of how well our girls played today. Our first game with them was perhaps the low point of our season. They really played for each other tonight. It was fun to watch them compete, and I can't wait to see what they can do in the future."

B Game: Memorial got out to a strong start, but O'Gorman came back in a large way in the second half to notch the victory. Marisa N led the home team in scoring for the game, using her patented bank shot from the right wing for most of her points. However, the visitors were able to extend a lead with some aggressive dribble drives.
Coach Hoegh says: "Just like the A game, our girls played so much better in this meeting than our first. I can look down the line of girls on this team, and it's remarkable how much each has improved their basketball skills. One quality this team never lacked was energy. These girls were always ready to play with emotion."

Mustangs notch victories versus Axtell Park

A Game: The Mustangs used a continuous offensive attack to defeat the visitors from Axtell in the first game. It was the first and only meeting between the two schools. Kylie M and Madisyn W paced the Mustangs in scoring, while Rylee B led the way defensively with several blocked shots. 

Coach Hoegh says: "This was a solid win for us. We showed a lot of improvement from the previous week, and I hope we can end the season strong in our last game."

B Game: Memorial continued dominance in the second game of the night. Both teams played hard, but the Mustangs were able to control the game from its start. Amen D, Natalia A, and Jenny C each scored at least  eight points in the game, and the team submitted one its best defensive performances of the season.

Coach Hoegh says: "Sophie O, the self-promoted assistant coach for the game due to injury, would like to take full credit for the win, but the players really did the job today. They hustled and played for each other."

Mustangs fall to BV

A Game: Memorial traveled to Brandon Valley on Friday night, and ended up on the wrong end of a 32-12 game. Brandon used a stifling defense to keep the Mustangs to a low point total. The Lynx also used the backdoor cut and some dribble drives to get some easy buckets. The Mustangs kept working hard the whole game, playing the home team to a draw in the fourth quarter.

Coach Hoegh says: "We came out pretty flat instead of being ready to attack from the start. I was impressed with their defense, but I'd like to see our girls play against them again to see what we could do. We need to be a little more aggressive on the offensive end in our last couple of games."

B Game: Brandon Valley used offensive rebounding and pressure defense to defeat the B team in the second game. Turnovers never allowed Memorial to get enough scoring chances to keep the game close. The home team took advantage of their depth to sustain the lead that was built in the first half.

Coach Hoegh says: "I think we need to value the ball much more than we did today -- we allowed a ton of offensive rebounds. We did improve our boxing out as the game went on. It was good to see Marisa N nail a few shots in the second half, and Tovie T had a pretty sweet one-handed three at the buzzer."

Memorial defeats Edison

A Game: The Mustangs had a furious comeback to win the first game of the night. In the middle of the second quarter, Memorial found themselves down by 14 points with several key players in foul trouble. From that point on the Mustangs played inspired basketball, erasing the deficit completely by the start of the 4th quarter. Memorial pulled away in the final frame to win 39-31. The Mustangs were led in scoring by Madisyn W with 18, and Christine W with 11 points.

Coach Hoegh says: "What a game! I told our girls in the second quarter (down by 14) that we were going to win this game, and I could tell that everyone in that huddle believed it. There was a lot of things going on during the game that were distracting, but our players focused and really came together. Rylee B and Brooke P led the way defensively, and EVERY member of the team was vital to our success."

B Game: Memorial won another classic against Edison 27-21 in the second game. The Mustangs trailed for the majority of the game, but they kept making plays to stay within striking distance. Still, Memorial found themselves down by four going into the 4th quarter. The Mustangs used a stifling full-court press to erase Edison's lead and take control of the game. Anna H scored 6 of the team's 12 4th quarter points, while the team held Edison scoreless.

Coach Hoegh says: "That was so cool to see our girls rise to the occasion in the fourth quarter. Irina V played her best help defense of the year, and she saved the day several times. This team continues to believe in themselves and their teammates."

Memorial falls to Patrick Henry

A Game: Patrick Henry flexed some defensive muscle early in the game, winning the first game of the night. The Mustangs played some inspired defense of their own, holding their opponent well below their season average. Cold shooting never allowed the home team to gain traction, but the Mustangs finished the game strong.
Coach Hoegh says: “You might not believe this judging by the score, but I’m as proud of our girls tonight as I have been all year. Our desire and hustle were evident throughout the game, and we did some great things on both ends of the court. It’s tough when shots are notfalling, but that happens sometimes and the Mustangs fought through it. We’ve improved a lot since our first meeting with them, and I expect that to continue.”

B Game: The Mustangs fell to the visiting Panthers in the second game of the night. The contest was close early, being tied 8-8 after the first quarter, but Patrick Henry pulled away in the second half. The Mustangs were led in scoring by Marisa N.
Coach Hoegh says: “We turned the ball over too much to win. I think we need to be more careful with our passing and dribble attacks, but I did see some progress of our ball handlers to be strong with the ball and use their pivot foot. The girls really hustled, and that has been a constant for this team.”

Mustangs Sweep

A Game: After a poor showing against O’Gorman earlier in the week, the Mustangs got back to their winning ways on Friday. They defeated Whittier 29-22 in the opponents’ gym. Memorial got out to an early four point lead in the first, but then found themselves down by two at halftime. The visitors broke the game open in the third quarter, and then never looked back. Madisyn W paced the Mustangs in scoring with ten points, and was followed by Amy C and Brooke P with six and five, respectively.
Coach Hoegh says: “Early in the game, we weren’t finishing quarters with the same intensity that we started them with. That changed in the second half. We also played very unselfishly in the second half. Rylee B had some sweet passes that led to easy hoops.”

B Game: After admittedly playing their worst game of the year versus O’Gorman on Monday, the B team played one of their best games on Friday. They led from start to finish, defeating Whittier 26-17. Macie C led the Mustangs in scoring, netting a total of six points. Four other Memorial athletes (Marisa N, Tovie T, Natalia A, and Amen D) scored at least two hoops in the game.
Coach Hoegh says: “We were reacting instead of anticipating early, but we found a little flow later. Irina V, Sophie O, and Haylee L showed some fight on defense. Jenny C and Anna H showed their speed and made some big hustle plays.”

A Team Wins the Nightcap

The Mustangs pulled off a wire-to-wire win against the visiting Wildcats from Edison. The final margin was nine points, aided by quick scoring spurts in both halves. Brooke P and Kylie M used their quickness for some fast-break scoring opportunites in each quarter, and solid individual and team defense held Edison under twenty points.
Coach Hoegh says: "It was huge to have such a strong start. Perhaps it was seeing such an emotional end to the B Game. I thought Breanna R and Alexis B really gave us some good energy tonight.  We can get better at taking care of the ball and rebounding, but our girls made some great plays when they needed to. When we're all moving well on offense -- cutting hard and setting screens -- it becomes really difficult for the opposing defense."