2008 Showcase Champions

The 2008 Miss Basketball Showcase featured 64 prep girl’s all-star teams from 17 states. Missouri Valley Eclipse I finished 8-0, winning their pool and five tournament games to claim the title. Congratulations to Coach Joe Erskine and these players and all who participated for a job well done! The following article is from the July 14 issue of the Kearney Hub newspaper.

Missouri team’s 21-0 run too much for Nebraska Twisterz

By CHRIS BASNETT, Hub Sports Writer

07/14/2008

KEARNEY — The Nebraska Twisterz got Eclipsed.

Using a 21-0 run and shooting 57 percent from the field, Missouri Valley Eclipse I won the championship of the Miss Basketball Showcase with a 56-48 win over the Nebraska Twisterz Sunday at the University of Nebraska at Kearney Health and Sports Center.

The Eclipse are the first Missouri team to win the showcase.

Missouri was 8 of 12 from 3-point range and 6 of 6 from the free-throw line. Laura Kinderknecht led the team with 17 points, Taelor Karr had 12 and Rachel Hanf added 10.

And it almost wasn’t enough to overcome a hot start from Nebraska.

The Twisterz hit 13 of their first 18 shots from the field and led by as many as 15, 35-20, with five minutes to play in the first half.

Kate Edwards hit her first four shots from the field on her way to 16 first-half points. Stacia Robertson, the tournament’s leading scorer at 21.3 points a game, was 5 for 5 from the field for 12 points in the opening 16 minutes.

But Missouri went to a 1-3-1 zone defense with five minutes left in the first half, and Nebraska’s points dried up.

The Twisterz took just three shots in the half’s last five minutes, missing all three. After its hot start, Nebraska hit just 6 of 24 shots in the game’s last 21 minutes.

Nebraska went scoreless from the 5-minute mark of the first half to the 11-minute mark of the second half as Missouri turned a 15-point deficit into a 41-35 lead.

Edwards was held to two points on 1-of-11 shooting in the second half while Robertson went scoreless while attempting one shot after halftime.

Karly Buer was the other Nebraska player to reach double figures, finishing with 10 points.

Missouri led 48-41 with 6:34 left before Nebraska made one final run to tie the game at 48 on Jamie VanKirk’s 3-pointer with 4:24 to go. But the Twisterz went cold again as Missouri ended the game on an 8-0 run.

MISSOURI VALLEY ECLIPSE I 56, NEBRASKA TWISTERZ 48

MISSOURI VALLEY ECLIPSE I — Laura McMullin 0-2 2-2 2, Taelor Karr 5-6 1-1 12, Laura Kinderknecht 5-7 2-2 17, Leah Day 0-1 0-0 0, Rachel Hanf 5-9 0-0 10, Alix Miller 1-2 0-0 3, Trenee Thornton 2-6 0-0 5, Tesia Danner 0-1 0-0 0, Katherine Harry 3-3 1-1 7. Totals 21-37 6-6 56.

NEBRASKA TWISTERZ — Stacia Robertson 5-6 2-4 12, Frankie Petersen 1-3 0-0 2, Kate Edwards 6-18 4-4 18, Jamie VanKirk 1-1 0-0 3, Karly Buer 5-12 0-0 10, Catie Dahl 0-1 1-2 1, Stacia Gebers 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 19-42 7-10 48.

Halftime — Nebraska 35, Missouri 30.

3-point goals — Missouri 8-12 (Kinderknecht 5-6, Miller 1-2, Thornton 1-2, Karr 1-1, Hanf 0-1). Nebraska 3-7 (Edwards 2-3, VanKirk 1-1, Robertson 0-1, Buer 0-1, Dahl 0-1). Rebounds — Missouri 19 (Karr 4, Hanf 4). Nebraska 20 (Robertson 5). Total fouls — Missouri 11, Nebraska 7. Fouled Out — None. Turnovers — Missouri 11, Nebraska 9.

TEAM ROSTER: