Prep girls basketball: Negen's hot hand spurs MIB past Esko

ESKO - At halftime of a key early season test against the fifth-ranked team in Class AA on Monday night, the Mountain Iron-Buhl girls basketball team’s top two scorers - Chelsea Mason and Mary Burke - had combined for a pedestrian five points. The Rangers nonetheless led Esko by 20 points. That’s because a grooving Allie Negen drilled four 3-pointers during a 21-point first half, fully embracing her turn to shoulder the offensive burden in Class A No. 1 MIB’s 60-41 victory over the Eskomos. Negen, who finished with 27 points, unleashed a personal 11-1 run midway through the opening half. The sophomore scored in a variety of ways -slashing to the basket, putbacks, from the arc and at the free-throw line. And to think, she’s not even one of the Rangers’ 1,000-point scorers. Mason is closing in on 2,500 career points, while fellow senior Mya Buffetta is approaching 1,900. Burke, a junior, joined the 1,000-point club last week. This is a squad with no shortage of offensive firepower. “They all have the ability to get to the basket and they all have the ability to shoot 3s,” Esko coach Scott Antonutti said. “They all have the ability to pretty much score from anywhere.”
Negen started burying 3-pointers for the Rangers as a seventh-grader. She appeared poised for a breakout campaign last winter, but a partial tear of her right anterior cruciate ligament delayed those plans. Monday, wearing a balky knee brace, she showed the results of an offseason spent hoisting shots. Negen became a member of the Rangers’ 20,000-make club in the summer - that’s about 220 made shots per day. The brace restricts her movement but also stabilizes her right knee, giving her peace of mind in the process. “It’s great to be back and in action again,” Negen said. Negen, like Burke, can play any position. She’s 5-foot-9 and can score from anywhere, whether it’s from the outside or slipping into the lane, which she does not so much on sheer quickness but via an ability to read the defense and spy openings. “She’s a good shooter,” MIB coach Jeff Buffetta said. “She’s able to put the ball on the floor and hit the jump shot. She’s been coming around the last couple weeks or so.” Mason, beset by early foul trouble, didn’t enter the scorebook until 5:56 into the second half. The News Tribune’s two-time All-Area Player of the Year still ended the night with 13 points to put her career tally at 2,474, and Mya Buffetta added 10 to reach 1,857. Because of that balance, Antonutti said any defensive breakdown or flaw is magnified. You almost have to be perfect. “I think it’s pretty tough on defenses,” Mya Buffetta, the veteran point guard, said. “You have to guard everybody, and you can’t do that all the time. Any one of us could have a good night because we’re all threats.” The Rangers’ offense hums best when the ball keeps moving. Despite the final score Monday, Jeff Buffetta wasn’t overly impressed. All those weapons are nice only if MIB is properly employing them by capitalizing on defensive letdowns. Considering the coach’s frequent grimaces, suffice to say the seven-time defending Section 7A champs missed too many open players, at least by their coach’s lofty standards. “The key is making good decisions,” he said. “We’re not quite up to par at that yet. We need to make the right decisions and find the open people.” Selena Shady had 15 points, including 13 in the second half, to lead the Eskomos (5-1). She trimmed Esko’s deficit to 50-35 on an entertaining running skyhook from the paint with 6:54 remaining. But the home team never got any closer, dropping its first game of the season. Shady was joined in double figures by Ava Gonsorowski, who scored 14 points. MIB....... 36-24-60 Esko...... 16-25-41 Mountain Iron-Buhl - Allie Negen 27, Chelsea Mason 13, Mya Buffetta 10, Mary Burke 5, Austyn Dagen 3, Madisen Overbye 2. Totals 21 9-13 60. 3-point goals - Negen 4, Buffetta 2, Mason, Burke, Dagen. Esko - Selena Shady 15, Ava Gonsorowski 14, Bridget Yellin 5, Macy Sunnarborg 3, Karlie Kulas 2, Kaitlyn Bergerson 2. Totals 16 6-16 41. 3-point goals - Shady, Gonsorowski, Sunnarborg.ESKO - At halftime of a key early season test against the fifth-ranked team in Class AA on Monday night, the Mountain Iron-Buhl girls basketball team’s top two scorers - Chelsea Mason and Mary Burke - had combined for a pedestrian five points.The Rangers nonetheless led Esko by 20 points.That’s because a grooving Allie Negen drilled four 3-pointers during a 21-point first half, fully embracing her turn to shoulder the offensive burden in Class A No. 1 MIB’s 60-41 victory over the Eskomos.Negen, who finished with 27 points, unleashed a personal 11-1 run midway through the opening half. The sophomore scored in a variety of ways -slashing to the basket, putbacks, from the arc and at the free-throw line. And to think, she’s not even one of the Rangers’ 1,000-point scorers.Mason is closing in on 2,500 career points, while fellow senior Mya Buffetta is approaching 1,900. Burke, a junior, joined the 1,000-point club last week.This is a squad with no shortage of offensive firepower.“They all have the ability to get to the basket and they all have the ability to shoot 3s,” Esko coach Scott Antonutti said. “They all have the ability to pretty much score from anywhere.”
Negen started burying 3-pointers for the Rangers as a seventh-grader. She appeared poised for a breakout campaign last winter, but a partial tear of her right anterior cruciate ligament delayed those plans. Monday, wearing a balky knee brace, she showed the results of an offseason spent hoisting shots. Negen became a member of the Rangers’ 20,000-make club in the summer - that’s about 220 made shots per day.The brace restricts her movement but also stabilizes her right knee, giving her peace of mind in the process.“It’s great to be back and in action again,” Negen said.Negen, like Burke, can play any position. She’s 5-foot-9 and can score from anywhere, whether it’s from the outside or slipping into the lane, which she does not so much on sheer quickness but via an ability to read the defense and spy openings.“She’s a good shooter,” MIB coach Jeff Buffetta said. “She’s able to put the ball on the floor and hit the jump shot. She’s been coming around the last couple weeks or so.”Mason, beset by early foul trouble, didn’t enter the scorebook until 5:56 into the second half. The News Tribune’s two-time All-Area Player of the Year still ended the night with 13 points to put her career tally at 2,474, and Mya Buffetta added 10 to reach 1,857.Because of that balance, Antonutti said any defensive breakdown or flaw is magnified. You almost have to be perfect.“I think it’s pretty tough on defenses,” Mya Buffetta, the veteran point guard, said. “You have to guard everybody, and you can’t do that all the time. Any one of us could have a good night because we’re all threats.”The Rangers’ offense hums best when the ball keeps moving. Despite the final score Monday, Jeff Buffetta wasn’t overly impressed. All those weapons are nice only if MIB is properly employing them by capitalizing on defensive letdowns. Considering the coach’s frequent grimaces, suffice to say the seven-time defending Section 7A champs missed too many open players, at least by their coach’s lofty standards.“The key is making good decisions,” he said. “We’re not quite up to par at that yet. We need to make the right decisions and find the open people.”Selena Shady had 15 points, including 13 in the second half, to lead the Eskomos (5-1). She trimmed Esko’s deficit to 50-35 on an entertaining running skyhook from the paint with 6:54 remaining. But the home team never got any closer, dropping its first game of the season.Shady was joined in double figures by Ava Gonsorowski, who scored 14 points.MIB....... 36-24-60Esko...... 16-25-41Mountain Iron-Buhl - Allie Negen 27, Chelsea Mason 13, Mya Buffetta 10, Mary Burke 5, Austyn Dagen 3, Madisen Overbye 2. Totals 21 9-13 60.3-point goals - Negen 4, Buffetta 2, Mason, Burke, Dagen.Esko - Selena Shady 15, Ava Gonsorowski 14, Bridget Yellin 5, Macy Sunnarborg 3, Karlie Kulas 2, Kaitlyn Bergerson 2. Totals 16 6-16 41.3-point goals - Shady, Gonsorowski, Sunnarborg.