Seeing Red

Prologue
Its only appropriate on this valentine's day that I see a pair of teams with red in their team colors.  St. Agnes returns to Maranatha where the Aggies pulled off a major 74-73 upset last season.  MCA has one of the best home court advantages around but tonight was just dead.  Plenty of room for people and no cars lining the streets outside in the industrial park where MCA is hidden.  I miss the former public address guy who was over the top entertaining.  They also have one of the best concession stands around with the tables outside to look in on the game.  So its pizza on tonight's menu, 2 slices for the price of 1 is a quality deal.  Though 20 oz Gatorade would have gone better than the small 12 oz bottle.  Since its Valentine's Day we have to have that theme and if you were paying attention to my Point Forward article this week, you already know today's music.

Song of the Day
Heart Shaped Box - Nirvana

Game Time
MCA playing without their quality freshman guard Josh Goldschmidt who's on crutches with a boot type thing on his right shin.  I'm guessing ankle injury.  MCA seems to be young every year and this year is no exception with only 1 senior starting.  Backup post Philip Eickmann all over the offensive glass for MCA.  He has pair of putbacks and star point guard Darian Pittman finds him for a layup off of a Aggies turnover.  15-7 MCA at the 13:26 mark and St. Agnes needs time.  St. Agnes pulls within 17-12 on a Norman Westbury 3 at teh 12 minute mark.  Eickmann with a tip and Jamey Hammond with a jumper to push the lead to 26-15 at 3:33.  Critical stretch at the end of the half as Pittman banks in a 3 and then converts 2 free throws in the last 30 seconds.  That stretches the MCA lead to 35-20 at the half.

St. Agnes won't go away though.  Antonio McGhee with a layup and Sim Franco with an offensive rebound for 2 free throws.  Then St. Agnes puts back a missed free throw to cut the lead to 8.  Isaiah Hanson nails a jumper to push the lead back to 10 with 13 minutes left and that's when I had to depart.  St. Agnes didn't go away as Maranatha hangs on to win 72-65. Game took a turn for higher scoring after I left.

Post Game
Neither team very deep as the rotations went only about 2 deep into the bench.  St. Agnes ends up with 4 scorers in double figures.  Antonio McGhee leads the way with 18 points, 12 in the 2nd half.  Mario Franco also had 10 in the second half to finish with 16.  Dakari Davison was held scoreless in the first half but still finished with 10 points.  All 5 MCA scorers end up in double figures.  Darian Pittman 17 points.  Philip Eickman 18 points off the bench as he was productive inside all night.  Soph Isaiah Hanson, the next in the Hanson clan and there's more coming, with 13 points.  Jamey Hammond and SaVaughn Jordan 12 points.

Maranatha is now 17-2 overall.  They host SW Christian (Czar's Note 2/15, Heritage is the 2 seed so I fixed that error) on Friday night in the opening round of the MCAA Conference tournament.  They're still fighting Minnesota Transitions for the top seed in section 4A.  St. Agnes has now lost 4 out of 5 to fall to 8-14 (5-12 in last 17).  But they have enough athleticism with Sim Franco, Davison and McGhee that they can cause problems for opponents.  They host division rival St. Croix Lutheran on Friday night.