Raiders overpowered by Mesabi post play

The Central Lakes College Raiders have been trying to fight back from a slow start in non-division play.

With wins in their last two games, the Raiders were hoping to keep the momentum going in a matchup against Mesabi on Friday night.

Things looked good in the first half as CLC built a 23-14 lead with some good outside shooting from Cassie Pearson and Carissa Utsch, each of whom had two three-pointers in the first half.

The Raiders weren't able to hold the lead as the Lady Norse fought their way back and took a 30-28 lead. They widened the gap in the second, and came away with a 69-48 victory in a Northern Division game.

The Raiders shot 19-54 for the game (35 percent) as their division record dropped to 3-6.

CLC was led in scoring by Pearson, who finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Utsch was next in scoring with 11 points, and finished 3-4 from behind the arc.

Division: CLC 3-6, Mes 7-2

Overall: CLC 4-16, Mes 11-10

Next: CLC hosts Vermilion 1 p.m. Saturday.

Crosby-Ironton graduate Christina Mapson scored six points for Mesabi. Jazmyne Woodson led Mesabi with 20 points.

The Raiders started out playing well. With 8:19 left in the first half they held a 21-14 lead. CLC was getting good looks from the outside, and Pearson was also providing some scoring from the low post.

Late in the first half, the Lady Norse switched to a 1-3-1 zone and the Raiders struggled with it.

"We were playing really well and they switched up a defense," CLC coach Dennis Eastman said. "All they did was go to a 1-3-1 and they matched up.

"For some reason we decided not to run our plays anymore and it was frustrating to us because we weren't making adjustments really well. And, once they got up by 10 points, I thought if we could just cut it back to eight we would have a chance but it just ballooned up."

CLC was also done in by two other stats as Mesabi fought back to take a two-point lead to the locker room. The Lady Norse outscored the Raiders 12-2 in the paint, and CLC finished with 18 turnovers in the first half.

"It's the little things that we aren't doing and if you do enough little things wrong, they add up to one big thing, a loss," Eastman said.

Mesabi widened the gap quickly in the second half as they started to hit from the outside, and also pounded the ball inside to Fields and Jessica Montgomery.

"Lea'ola (Fields) is very tough and strong and rebounds well," Eastman said. "She is strong and is a hard person to handle one on one. We were trying to double every time she got the ball but she was good enough that she could kick it out to their three-point shooters who are pretty good."

With less then 10 minutes left, the Raiders trailed 47-36. Eastman felt that if CLC could get the lead inside 10 points with eight minutes left, that CLC had a chance. It wasn't meant to be as the Raiders struggled to find their shooting touch, and couldn't get to the free-throw line.

"I would have liked to have gotten the ball inside and gotten to the free-throw line," Eastman said. "We shot eight free throws and they shot 20. We just needed to take the ball to the hole a little more. We do have outside shooters but we need to have an inside presence too."

Mesabi 30 39 - 69

Central Lakes 28 20 - 48

MESABI

Vanessa Aultman 2, Sarah Hamline 4, Megan Beard 12, Lea'ola Fields 14, Jazmyne Woodson 20, Christina Mapson 6, Jessica Montgomery 11. Three-point baskets: (Beard 1, Woodson 3, Mapson 1, Montgomery 2).

CENTRAL LAKES

Brittany Gravelle 5, Carissa Utsch 11, Alicia Johnson 1, Cassie Pearson 21, Carlee Davich 4, Trisha Wippler 6. FG 19-54 (35 percent), FT 4-8 (50 percent), Three-point baskets: (Gravelle 1, Utsch 3, Pearson 2).