Rosalie Young
March 7, 2010
Story 5
ARCC Women’s Basketball

The old saying is “You can’t beat the same team three times in a season!” but the Lady Rams from Anoka-Ramsey Community College (ARCC) say, “Oh yes, you can!” With their third win against Minneapolis Community and Technical College (MCTC) last Saturday, our Lady Rams secured the berth to the NJCAA Division 111 National Tournament
Who was favored going into the game? Size was on the MCTC team’s side with their roster having four women over 6’ with all of them designated as post players. Anoka boasted two women at 5’10”but they are considered forwards, not posts. Depth of bench is usually another factor for teams, but although Minneapolis had 11 players on their roster, they only used seven. Anoka had seven players on their roster, but they only needed six to win.
The starters for ARCC were Alex Moore [5’7”] sophomore; Mallory Cramer [5’10”] freshman; Stephanie Pilgrim [5’8”] freshman; Alyssa Silva [5’8”] sophomore and Marie Hanson [5’10”] freshman.
In the opening half, even though MCTC was larger on paper, they couldn’t get more than one shot on the basket. If they ran a ‘flex-style’ offense, passes were stolen before they were caught. Anoka’s defense was a man-to-man with mostly a full court man press. They hassled and harried the guards. Then David DeWitt, the ARCC coach, changed that up with a full-court zone jump defense. That’s where Hansen shined. Who said white girls can’t jump?
MCTC found that the Anoka offense wasn’t afraid to send the ball down to Cramer (5’10”), while she was posting up in front of a 6’3” player. Great fakes and little shovel shots helped to send that big woman to the bench. Anoka’s offense was leaning-under and baby-hooking over the top of them. Matching shot for shot, the first half found Anoka plagued with travel calls and carry-the–ball calls but they battled back.
The second half started with ARCC down by three, 31-34. With 18:09 left in the second half, DeWitt called a time out. He had been striding up and down in front of his bench, giving his girls and the referees advice. His girls were in a standard wheel play that wasn’t working. Now it was his turn to pull something out of his hat. He needed to score.
Anoka went on a run: Cramer received a push from the MCTC 6’3” post and drew a foul.Hanson stole a pass and sent the ball flying down the court to Moore. Moore read the defense, and went in for the lay-up. Sure enough, she got it and a foul call.
The crowd roared, because the score now sat at 38-40, with ARCC only behind by two.
Then the shot clock came into the picture. The crowd noticed it when the MCTC coach hollered, ”You have 10 seconds.” Up flew the three-point shot; short. Anoka grabbed the ball and headed down the court, took it inside again and received another foul. Anoka came within one. The game started getting rough. Foul trouble haunted MCTC. Anoka played a sweet hand-off offensive play that worked time and again. DeWitt kept changing up the defense with the full-court man and zone with the jump. MCTC called a frantic time out when their 6’3” post got in an Anoka sandwich of Cramer and Pilgrim, even though she dwarfed them by five inches. As the clock ticked down, the crowd got louder and louder, especially when Anoka tied the game on two free throws by Cramer. That foul sent the Minneapolis post to the bench with her fourth. With just seconds left, Hanson threw up a three, no good.
”We are going into overtime, Ladies,” the crowd cheered.
With two key players from MCTC in foul trouble, the teams set up again for the center court jump with five minutes on the clock. When one of the MCTC women fouled out with 3:31 left to play, Anoka went on a run while MCTC was trying to mentally regroup. Cramer was lit from within as she blocked shots, made shots and chased loose balls all over the court. She inspired Pilgrim who nailed a three and it looked like Anoka had it sewn up, but the battle continued until the very end when Anoka prevailed by four, 78-74.
The next stop, Rochester, Minn., where the national tournament is this weekend, starting Thursday, March 11.
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