Talented, experienced Saxony Lutheran girls basketball team eyeing state crown

Minus a few players who will be sidelined for at least the start of the season with injuries, the Saxony Lutheran girls basketball team returns everyone from a team that won its first 29 games last season before its season-ending loss in the state quarterfinals.

The Crusaders came one game short of reaching the final four after finishing fourth in Class 3 in 2014.

The core group of players that led those teams deep into the postseason are now seniors, and the majority of them were part of Saxony's soccer team that claimed a Class 1 state soccer title last spring.

"We have pretty high expectations. Have everybody back, at least on paper, that played last year for our 29-1 team that only lost one game, lost to the state champions in overtime," Saxony coach Sam Sides said. "*...We were fortunate to have an outstanding season last year. We won a lot of close games and a lot of things fell into place for us. The last game didn't, but we got beat by a little better team. We're very competitive and we have high expectations for us to go a long way this year."

The Crusaders lost 67-61 to Park Hills Central in overtime in a Class 3 quarterfinal. The Rebels went on to win their semifinal 60-41 and the championship with a 55-19 win.

"I think that they look at that and say, 'What could've been?'" Sides said. "Lots of stuff is about match ups and you can't really compare scores, I don't think. Your strengths are other team's weaknesses. But I think it gives them the thought that that could've been us, you bet.

"Like I told them, you only get so many opportunities. You've got to be ready to go. I think we have some challenges this year, but I think we're very capable. Last year was last year and everything doesn't stay the same. Everything changed a little bit, so we have to be ready for every game we play."

Five-foot-11 senior Raegan Wieser is out indefinitely after tearing her ACL. Sides is uncertain if she'll be cleared to play at all this season. She averaged 14.5 points and 4.9 rebounds per game last season.

Maddie Brune, a 5-9 senior forward who missed most of Saxony's soccer season with a torn MCL, is sidelined for six weeks with a thumb injury. She averaged 3.0 points and led the team with 5.3 rebounds and 2.5 steals as a junior.

"I've got five out right now and a couple of them are outstanding players, so that's pretty tough to manage that," Sides said.

Ashlynn Collier, a 5-8 center, is back for the Crusaders after tearing her ACL in the second game last season and missing the remainder of her junior season.

Sides said one of the biggest challenges for the group is that they're undersized, which they managed to work around last season.

"You know, we're skilled and we can put the ball in the basket most of the time, but we are undersized and that is a challenge because most of the teams that we have trouble with are the teams that are longer. And the injury problem is something we have to deal with. We have to overcome those deficiencies in some other areas, and we have to constantly work to improve those."

Players to watch

With Wieser out, Sides will count on his top returner, Brianna Mueller, to carry a big part of the load.

Mueller, a 5-7 senior guard, averaged a team-high 15.9 ppg. She, along with Wieser, shot 49 percent from the floor. She hit a team-high 47 3s and shot 37.3 percent from beyond the arc.

Mueller, the Southeast Missourian Girls Basketball Player of the Year and Semoball Awards Girls Basketball POY and Female Athlete of the Year, also averaged 3.5 assists to pace the Crusaders and was an 84 percent free-throw shooter.

"She was our leading scorer, and we're going to count on her even more since Raegan's hurt," Sides said. "B does a lot of things for us."

Sides added that 5-7 senior guard Grace Mirly will have to elevate her game. She averaged 11.2 points, shooting 49 percent from the field, and 3.2 assists per game.

"Actually all my seniors are going to have to contribute a little bit more since Raegan's out, but they're very capable of doing that, I think," Sides said.

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Class 3 District 2

Conference

None

Head coach

Sam Sides

(5th year)

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ROSTER

No. Player Year Ht.

5 Courtney Kester 10 5-6

10 Grace Mirly 12 5-7

11 Laurel Mueller 10 5-9

12 Cassidee Wunderlich 9 5-8

13 Ali Galemmo 12 5-8

14 Heather Wills 12 5-4

15 Brianna Mueller 12 5-7

21 Addison Beussink 10 5-11

23 Tess Daniel 12 5-4

25 Ashlynn Collier 12 5-8

30 Masyn McWilliams 10 5-8

34 Callie Brown 10 5-10

35 Raegan Wieser 12 5-11

41 Maddie Brune 12 5-9

STARTERS GONE

None

STARTERS BACK

Grace Mirly

Ali Galemmo

Brianna Mueller

Raegan Wieser

Maddie Brune

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SCHEDULE

Date Opponent Time

11/24 @Sikeston 7:30 p.m.

11/30 Farmington Tourn.

12/7 @St. Pius X 7:30 p.m.

12/10 North County 7:30 p.m.

12/14 @Twin Rivers 7:30 p.m.

12/20 Kelso Supply Holiday Classic

1/4 Delta New Years Inv. Tourn.

1/9 Lutheran North 1:30 p.m.

1/12 St. Vincent 7:30 p.m.

1/14 Woodland 7:30 p.m.

1/16 @Cor Jesu Academy 1:30 p.m.

1/18 @Oran 7:30 p.m.

1/21 Cape Central 7:30 p.m.

1/25 Neelyville 7:30 p.m.

1/28 Scott City 7:30 p.m.

2/2 @Dexter 7:30 p.m.

2/4 Notre Dame 7:30 p.m.

2/8 Poplar Bluff 7:30 p.m.

2/18 @Meadow Heights 7:30 p.m.

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LAST SEASON

LEADERS

Points: Brianna Mueller (15.9 ppg)

Rebounds: Raegan Wieser (4.9 rpg)

Assists: Mueller (3.5 apg)

RECORD

29-1