Crusaders' postseason run ends with loss to Twin Rivers

The Saxony Lutheran girls' season was one heck of an entertaining ride.

Unfortunately it came to end Wednesday night.

The Crusaders fell to Twin Rivers 66-51 in a Class 3 Sectional duel.

Saxony trailed 44-41 heading into the fourth and cut the lead to a point after Brianna Mueller hit a lay-up.

The Crusaders forced a turnover on the ensuing possession but a missed 3-pointer, and a missed lay-up on the next offensive possession proved costly.

The Lady Royals rattled off eight straight points after the two Saxony misses and sealed the game at the free-throw line.

"We didn't shoot the ball very well as we normally do," Saxony coach Sam Sides said. "They gave us shots, we just couldn't knock them down, we couldn't get anything inside because of their size. We had opportunities, we just couldn't cash in."

Saxony was just 3 of 21 from the field in the fourth quarter and 3 of 5 from the free-throw line.

The Lady Royals on the other hand were an impressive 4 of 5 from the field and a perfect 14 of 14 from the charity stripe in the decisive final quarter.

"[We're] a veteran team, four seniors out there and a junior," Twin Rivers coach Kelly Null said. "Free throws have been crucial since day one. We know they're important, we shoot them every day. We shoot them multiple times. We have lots of punishments for not making them because we know they're important. When you don't make them, you have to work harder."

Saxony Lutheran’s Brianna Mueller is fouled by Twin Rivers’ Tori Cole while attempting a shot in the third quarter.

The young, feisty Crusaders showed their youth at times, only to recover with their talent.

Twin Rivers jumped out to an early 18-8 lead after one quarter, thanks in part to solid post play coupled with Saxony missing shots.

The Lady Royals received 10 points from their two posts, Tori Cole and Hannah Sadler, in the first quarter while Saxony was 4 of 20 from the field.

"Post play is big for us," Cole said. "It was really big in the beginning of the season before people started to catch on, so our guards have been taking over, but post player is real big for us. Breaking that press and getting the momentum and getting shots at the basket is what we wanted."

Cole, a 6-foot senior stand-out, had a game-high 25 points, 18 coming in the first half.

"She came to play," Null said. "I'm super proud of her because sometimes the environment overwhelms her a little bit."

Cole was a force all night, sending Saxony's Natalie Mueller to the bench in the first half with three fouls and putting the Crusaders' other post, Raegan Wieser, in trouble with two fouls in the opening half.

"We put them on the free throw line way too many times," Sides said. "They probably made half their points on free throws."

Saxony pulled within 24-21 after a Wieser deuce with just over 5 minutes remaining in the quarter and later pulled within 26-25 on a Brianna Mueller basket.

However, the Lady Royals always had an answer. Twin Rivers closed the half on a 9-2 run to take a 35-27 lead into the break.

The Lady Royals faced a full-court press the majority of the game from Saxony, along with intense half-court pressure that helped forced nine first-half turnovers, but Saxony was unable to capitalize.

Twin Rivers stretched the lead to 38-29 a minute into the half before Saxony kicked it into gear.

Saxony's Natalie Mueller, a senior, scored three points in her final game for the Crusaders.

The Crusaders managed to make enough shots in the third to hang tough, mainly by getting to the charity stripe seven times and making five of those attempts.

Saxony went on a late run in the quarter to close the gap to 44-41 on two Brianna Mueller's free throws to set up the disappointing fourth.

"We battled but from the get-go, we weren't our normal self," Sides said. "Our intensity wasn't there like it usually is. We did some things defensively we haven't done all year. That's the most points we've given up to a team all year if I'm not mistaken."

The Lady Royals march on to face Lutheran on Saturday while the Crusaders bid farewell to two seniors. Saxony returns 12 freshmen and a sophomore for next season.

"You hope you learn from it," Sides said. "It's a learning experience. You hate to see it come to an end, but I'm also thankful, and I think we're blessed for the year we had and the season we had. I can't really be too disappointed. You get a bunch of young girls, especially most of them freshmen and one sophomore and two seniors, and they played together and played unselfish all year long, and we just didn't get it done tonight."

Twin Rivers 18 17 9 22 -- 66

Saxony Lutheran 8 19 14 10 -- 51

TWIN RIVERS (66) -- Taylor Galloway 5, Tori Cole 25, Sydni Hester 13, Alexa Stockston 10, Hannah Sadler 13. FG 19, FT 25-30, F 12. (3-pointers: Galloway, Hester 2. Fouled out: none.)

SAXONY LUTHERAN (51) -- Abby Hadler 4, Grace Mirly 10, Brianna Mueller 11, Natalie Mueller 3, Tess Daniel 7, Ashlynn Collier 2, Raegan Wieser 12, Maddie Brune 4. FG 18, FT 12-16, F 22. (3-pointers N. Mueller, Wieser 2. Fouled out: none.)