From the Sports Desk – 1-9-2013

Local hoopsters contributing at college level

Marlys Kruger, Messenger Sports

I believe it’s time for my mid-season update on college basketball players from our area.

University of Minnesota Duluth guard Courtney Doucette, now a senior for the Division II Bulldogs, is a starter and one of the captains for the team this year. I finally had the chance to see Courtney play when her team was at St. Cloud State in November while I was visiting my family. Although it wasn’t Courtney’s best game, she did manage to knock down a couple of three pointers (the second one after I yelled at her to shoot), but her team lost to the Huskies that day. Going into the holiday break, UMD was 6-3 overall and 3-2 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. Courtney was 11 for 37 in three pointers (29%) and 22 of 26 at the free throw line (84%) and was fourth on the team in scoring heading into the second half of the season. She also has 18 rebounds, 20 assists and 11 steals.

UMD happened to play against Michigan Tech earlier this season, which happens to be the team Elk Mound graduate Emily Harrison plays for. That turned out to be a real barn burner as Tech was up by four points with 1:28 left in the game before Courtney hit a triple to get the Bulldogs to within a point. She then tied it up with a free throw but Durand native Sam Hoyt hit a pair of free tosses to put Tech back up by two. One of Courtney’s teammates then hit a three pointer at the buzzer to give UMD the win.

Emily, in her second year, is averaging just under seven minutes of playing time per game for her Division II Michigan team who were 7-3 overall at the break. She is the tallest girl on the team at 6’4 (actually the tallest girl in the team’s history) and has 21 points coming from 10 of 29 field goals and 1 of 3 free throws. She also has 12 rebounds, 11 blocked shots and three assists.

Colfax graduate Sammy Doucette, a junior for Division III St. Scholastica in Duluth, has played in all nine games for the Saints and started two after coming off a leg injury last season. She is shooting 34% from three point range connecting on 8 of 23 attempts. She has also knocked down 8 of 10 free throws for 80% and has a total of 56 points, fourth best on the team. Sammy also has 30 rebounds, 16 assists and 10 steals as her team is 3-6 so far on the season.

Lenoire Rhyne (North Carolina) sophomore Jenni Gust, another Colfax graduate, has played in seven of her team’s eight games so far. She has a total of 10 points for the Division II team coming from four short range buckets and a pair of free throws, She has also recorded seven rebounds, nine assists and three steals. The Bears were 5-3 overall at the break.

Sam Yolitz, a freshman for the Carroll University Pioneers in Waukesha has played in one game for the team and has recorded one rebound and one assist for the 4-5 Division III team.

Lewis Mau has really blossomed in his second year with Division III UW-Eau Claire. He is the starting guard for the Blugolds and has already been named Player of the Week this year. He is second on the team in scoring average at 12.5 with 163 points in 13 games. He is shooting 34% from three point range on 24 of 69 attempts and is 33 of 47 from the foul line for 70%. And just like he did for the Vikings, makes his presence known all over the court, snaring 50 rebounds, swiping the ball 19 times and assisted his teammates 31 times.

Colfax graduate Tom Wahl played last year for Cardinal Stritch University, has transferred to Eau Claire but has given up his basketball career to concentrate on his studies in the medical field.

For those of you who have computers and internet and want to keep up with our local players, just go to the school’s website for game by game information. I will also have a final update when the college season ends for each player.