— With blizzard-like conditions outside, the Hive was heating up with a Section 8AA clash between the Perham and Wadena-Deer Creek girls basketball teams on Thursday, Dec. 18.
On a wintery night, the Yellowjackets’ depth and constant pressure were the fire that never cooled. Perham (7-1) scored 41 second-half points in a 74-53 win to hand the Wolverines (5-1) their first loss of the season.
“I think one of our strengths is our energy,” Perham’s head coach TJ Super said. “It’s one of those things that when we’re down by 10 points again for the second game in a row, it allows us to be able to just chip away at leads and then eventually go on runs. But I thought our girls always do a great job of providing their own energy and really pumping up the gym. I think the crowd actually feeds off of our energy and helps us out a lot.
Perham was the first Section 8AA team the Wolverines have faced this season. Unfortunately, the Yellowjackets were also the first team to score more than 40 points on WDC.
“We learned a lot. and that’s why we like playing teams like this early on,” WDC’s head coach Jordan Cresap said. “They (Perham) make you work. They all can shoot. They all can drive. They got some post-play. So everybody has to be on it at all times. We also learned that a couple of lapses equals a four-point deficit to a 10- to 12-point deficit. So that’s good to see.
Defensively, it didn’t seem like we gave up 74 just because of how hard our girls were playing. But an offensive rebound here and this, that, and the other. If we shore those things up, then it’s a different game.”
Nick Leonardelli / Perham Focus
WDC’s Kennedy Ness made Payton Gravelle’s offensive rebound worth it, helping the Wolverines claw out a 16-6 lead with 10:41 remaining in the first half. By this time, Perham’s leading scorer, Kaia Anderson, and starting center Lauren Gjerde were on the bench with two fouls.
Addy Draeger finished a three-point play to trail 20-15 and Quinn Hanson came back down with a layup to cut the deficit to 20-17 with just under eight minutes left in the half. The Yellowjackets’ depth started to take over.
Seventh grader Claire Pilgrim hit a key three with six minutes on the clock and Hanson hit her second three of the half as time nearly expired. Perham snagged a 33-31 lead, its first of the half.
“Those threes at the end of the first half were really big,” Super said. “That’s who we are, we’re a team that can go on runs. Because we play so many girls, by the end of the first half, teams are often pretty exhausted. Then our shooters get open and we get our hands on the basketball just a little bit more. We’ve tended to go on some of those runs to end the half. Then it doesn’t seem like halftime really alleviates some of that tiredness because as we bring waves in, I thought the second half, we were ready to go on a run.”
Nick Leonardelli / Perham Focus
The Wolverines stayed within one to three possessions until seven minutes left in the game. A couple of hustle plays by Perham’s Sophie Nelson led to a successful trip to the charity stripe by Kaia Anderson. A couple of plays later, Anderson secured a steal and found Ashtyn Kunza racing up the court of a transition layup and a 55-44 Perham lead.
The Yellowjackets outscored WDC 19-9 in the final seven minutes. Perham had nine different players make the scoresheet and were 10 deep in a game they had early foul trouble. It’s something the Yellowjackets pride themselves on. It allowed them to bring constant pressure with full-court presses and stingy defense.
“It wears on you,” Cresap said about Perham’s energy. “I feel like that second half, we just ran out of gas a little bit there, and that led to some turnovers and some of the different lapses. Credit to them for how they play, they get after you and they make you handle the ball for the full 36. Like I said, that’s good for us to see. I feel like we handled it for the most part pretty good.”
Nick Leonardelli / Perham Focus
WDC was without its senior guard, Jada Dykhoff, who has been out with an injury for the past couple of weeks. The Wolverines had managed to stay undefeated in that time, but Dykhoff’s leadership, ball handling, and shooting skills were missed
“When she is out, then we got to find some other players off the bench to fill that in,” Cresap said. “That affects things. But she’s the ultimate competitor. She’s a good scorer for us. She can knock down shots, she can handle the ball, make good decisions. We definitely missed her out there tonight, but we can’t make excuses. You still got to go out there and do your job.”
Cresap was still impressed with a multitude of his girls’ performances despite the loss. WDC even saw key minutes from the youngest player on the team.
“I feel like Lily Parker came to play,” Cresap said. “It was probably one of her best games she’s ever played. I feel like Ashley Pavek had a great mindset all night. Super positive and a good leader. Payton is always relentless on the boards and inside for us. Then Karlee Sweere came off the bench and played some good minutes as an eighth grader in her first game, where it was a competitive back-and-forth game. So lots of good to take.”
Nick Leonardelli / Perham Focus
The night was highlighted by Hanson, who finished with a season-high 16 points. The freshman was hoisted on the court and answered the call. She sank four of 10 three-pointers for Perham, a quiet night beyond the arc for the Yellowjackets, who average close to 13 per game.
“It’s pretty evident that we have girls who put time in the gym and Quinn is one of those girls who spends her time in the gym all summer long,” Super said. “In the spring, she’ll shoot, and in the fall, she’s in before school. There’s a whole group of girls who come in nearly every single day. Even during the season, they do shooting before practice or before games, or before school and then after practice. Quinn has obviously become an amazing shooter.”
Hanson found open shots because of the hive of shooters the Yellowjackets have at their disposal. Draeger finished with 11 points. Anderson facilitated the floor with her senior leadership, scoring 10 of her 12 points in the second half. Kunza had nine points. Even Pilgrim got a share of the scoring with five points.
Nick Leonardelli / Perham Focus
Super mentioned the Yellowjackets’ emphasis on emotional maturity, something he felt they lacked last season. Perham had many girls playing serious varsity minutes for the first time in their careers. This season, Super sees a colony of Yellowjackets ready for the moment.
“It’s crazy when you talk about playing 10 girls, who can all score, shoot, and make shots,” Super said. “They have their strengths in how they can get the job done. But there’s not a single girl that we put on the court that someone can decide not to guard. Girls need to be guarded on our team or they’ll put the ball in the basket. I’d like to think that we’re 3-point University for a reason. These girls have put the time into it. It’s the reason that we have led the state in three-pointers made per season. It’s the reason that we’re going to intend to do that again this year.”
Perham hosts Staples-Motley and WDC visited Thief River Falls on Dec. 19.
PERHAM 74 WADENA-DEER CREEK 53
PERHAM—Hanson 16; Anderson 12; Draeger 11; Kunza 9; Fence 8; Hemberger 6; Pilgrim 5; Nelson 4; Freeland 3
WADENA-DEER CREEK – Pavek 16; Gravelle 11; Parks 8; Ness 7; Sweere 4; Mallak 4; Powder 3
Nick Leonardelli / Perham Focus
Nick Leonardelli / Perham Focus
Nick Leonardelli / Perham Focus
Nick Leonardelli / Perham Focus
Nick Leonardelli / Perham Focus
Nick Leonardelli / Perham Focus
Nick Leonardelli / Perham Focus
Nick Leonardelli / Perham Focus
