Parked two steps behind the NBA-range three-point line at Target Center, Sauk Centre’s Kali Peschel gave serious thought to jacking up a shot midway through the first half. She shimmied her shoulders, juked the ball to her left and gave the defender a headfake, but never shot the ball.
She had a similar look on her first attempt of the second half. This time she figured why not give it a try.
Nothing but net.
“If I’m open, I’m going to shoot it,” she said.
Shoot she did Friday night in the Class 2A semifinals, and contribute a strong defensive effort along the way. Peschel, who missed most of this season while recovering from a torn ACL, finished with 18 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to help lead the Mainstreeters to their first appearance in a state championship game after a 56-39 victory over previously undefeated New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva.
Sauk Centre (27-4) led by as much as 12 late in the first half before allowing the Panthers (31-1) an 8-0 run to close out the first 18 minutes.
The momentum didn’t last.
Strong all game on defense – particularly Peschel and Jena Klaphake - the Mainstreeters shut out NRHEG for the first seven minutes of the second half while building an 18-point lead. Peschel’s long-range three came during that stretch.
“I don’t really look at where I am – sometimes maybe I shouldn’t shoot it [from that far] – but I know I can hit from that range,” the 6-1 Iowa-bound guard said. “I practice it. I feel comfortable with it.”
A big lead sure helps, and the Mainstreeters got theirs thanks to shut-down defense. It focused on Panthers’ sophomore Carlie Wagner, who scored 43 points against defending state champion Braham in the quarterfinals. She finished with a game-high 21 on Friday but made just three field goals in the second half.
The Panthers shot 23 percent for the game, making only one field goal in the final 7:15.
“They just weren’t falling,” NRHEG coach John Schultz said. “Off the mark. They didn’t let it affect their effort, but you could see some shoulders dropping here and there. It was frustrating.”
Three locker rooms down it was a much different story, as coach Scott Bergman’s voice echoed through the hallway.
“We’re going to the ‘ship!'"
Macy Weller also finished with 18 points for the Mainstreeters. Ashley Gruber added 10.
-- Brian Stensaas, Star Tribune