Girls' basketball: Osakis' Savageau reaches scoring milestone

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The Osakis girls’ basketball team completed the regular season on Senior Night with a memorable game on a number of fronts.

The Silverstreaks wrapped up sole possession of second place in the Prairie Conference with a 63-55 win over West Central Area behind another big game from Annalise Savageau. This time, the sophomore’s game-high 28 points had a little extra meaning behind them.

Savageau passed the 1,000-point mark in her career with 1:10 left in the game when she made one of her 11 free throws on the night. She needed 25 points coming into the game. It was one of the best all-around games of the season for Savageau after adding a team-leading seven assists, six rebounds and four steals to her line.

“We are thrilled for her accomplishment on scoring her 1,000th career point,” head coach Pat Kalpin said. “She has worked extremely hard on her game and is well deserving of this accomplishment.”

Savageau scored 16 of those points in the second half to fend off a WCA comeback. The Knights found themselves down 11 at the break before catching fire after halftime on their way to 36 points. It wasn’t quite enough on a night when Osakis shot 48 percent (21-44) from the field.

“Our first half was not real pretty,” WCA head coach Beth Hanson said. “We had 19 turnovers and only scored 19 points. We refocused at halftime and were able to inch our way back in…the girls didn’t quit. They kept at it until the very end.”

Tayler Waldvogel provided Osakis with a spark. The junior guard was highly efficient from the floor, going 4-for-4 from the field and 3-for-4 from the line on her way to 11 points.

“[She] played one of her best varsity games of the year,” Kalpin said.

She was a part of a strong showing at the free throw, where the Silverstreaks finished 18-of-21 on the night.

The win gave Osakis a 13-3 record in the Prairie Conference. A loss would have dropped the Silverstreaks into a three-way tie for second place with WCA and Long Prairie-Grey Eagle. Instead, Osakis finished alone in second behind only Upsala (24-1, 16-0).

Osakis will open up the playoffs tomorrow night, Thursday, at Melrose at 7 p.m. West Central Area earned the fifth seed in the Section 6A South and will go on the road to Wheaton to take on the Warriors tomorrow at 7.

“We can take what we built in the second half and carry it into playoffs,” Hanson said. “We start a whole new season and are excited to take on Wheaton.”

GAME STATISTICS

OSAKIS 30 33 – 63

WCA 19 36 – 55

OSAKIS – Waldvogel – 11 points; Savageau – 28 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, 4 steals; Brooke Sorenson – 5 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 5 steals; Mariah Backes – 6 points; C. Sadlemyer – 7 points; Becka Sadlemyer – 4 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals; Madi Forsell – 2 points, 4 rebounds

WCA – Holly VanKempen – 9 points, 10 rebounds; Christina Kruize – 11 points, 11 rebounds; Kylee Fernholz – 9 points; Shawna Jenson – 2 points; Jen Froemming – 11 points, 2 steals; Kelsey Hammer – 11 points; Danna Sabolik – 2 points

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