The top-seeded Eden Prairie girls basketball team saw its season end unexpectedly Saturday with a 66-64 overtime loss to unranked Chaska in the sectional tournament at Eden Prairie High School.
The loss marked a stunning turnaround from the teams’ previous meeting, when Eden Prairie defeated Chaska by 31 points.
“Chaska played very well, and we shot the ball very poorly,” said Eagles head coach Ellen Wiese. “We missed way too many easy shots, layups essentially.”
The Eagles struggled offensively throughout the contest, shooting just 37% from the field and making only one of 10 attempts from 3-point range. Wiese attributed some of the shooting woes to the pressure of being the favorite.
“The longer the game went, the tighter we played,” Wiese said. “When you are the favorite to win, you get tight as the game progresses and you are not pulling away as expected.”
Senior captain Tori Schlagel led the Eagles with 23 points on 7-of-21 shooting and a perfect 8-for-8 from the free-throw line. Fellow senior captain Rae Ehrman added 16 points, also going 8-for-8 on free throws, and had a chance to win the game in regulation with 1.2 seconds remaining and the score tied at 57. Senior captain Vanessa Jordan contributed 11 points in the loss.
Despite the disappointing finish, Eden Prairie completed a strong regular season with a 21-5 record that included an exciting overtime battle with Hopkins and victories over Lake Conference rivals Minnetonka and Wayzata.
Wiese emphasized that the unexpected sections exit shouldn’t overshadow what the team – particularly its senior class – accomplished this season.
“This group of seniors were exceptional role models for our youth,” Wiese said. “They excelled in the classroom, on the court, and in the community. They approached everything they did with class, humility and generosity.”
Looking ahead to next season, Wiese acknowledged the challenge facing returning players.
“Their legacy at EPHS is secure,” Wiese said of the departing seniors, “and all I will say about those returning is that they have huge shoes to fill, and all the ability to fill them.”
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