Abby picks up a comeback victory

Falcons stop Eagles for third victory

Resiliency is a word the Abbotsford Falcons know all about. The challenges of the 2020-21 season have been unique due to COVID-19, and that doesn’t even extend to the challenges that Abby faces each time they take the floor.

Most nights the Falcons are giving up serious size in the paint, and they’re a relatively young team. That hasn’t kept them from being competitive though.

Abby’s win column saw a welcome increase after the Falcons halted a seven game losing streak with a 61-47 victory over Northland Pines at home on Jan. 19.

That double digit win comes at the perfect time, with the regular season winding down. The 14 point victory looks great on paper, but was even more impressive in person. It was all made possible because the Falcons were resilient.

Abbotsford had played a solid first half agains the Northland Pines Eagles, a D-3 team that calls the Great Northern Conference home. The larger school took the early initiative, earning a 33-25 lead at the conclusion of the first half.

The Eagles built on that momentum in the second half, taking a 41-27 lead in the early minutes of the last period.

And then Abbotsford made its move.

The Falcons found a spark on offense, using aggressive drives to the rim to get to the charity stripe time and time again.

Abbotsford went on a 13-0 run that was highlighted by a Sydney Falteisek steal and lay-up that made it 41-40 with under ten minutes to play. The two teams settled down in the ensuing minutes, and both defenses shut the other team down.

The Eagles took their final lead at 47-45 with five minutes left to play, but the Falcons had one last run in them, and it proved to be a big one.

The Falcons made excellent use of their free throws, converting 19 of 37 trips. Falteisek and Mya Ruesch did the most damage, combining to make nine of 13 attempts.

The Eagles certainly had their chances to win it, but were doomed by an absolutely abysmal free throw shooting performance, finishing a paltry two of 20 from the charity stripe. Northland Pines could only watch as Abbotsford closed out the second half on a 15-0 run, out-scoring their visitors 36-14 in the last stanza for a third victory of the season.

Bridgett Pogodzinski led the Falcons with 13 points. Alea Graff added 11 and Catie Clement scored 10. Perhaps the biggest stat came on the opposite end of the court, with Graff pulling down an incredible 19 rebounds - a new career high.

Falteisek finished with nine points, BrissaDiazscoredsevenandMyaRuesch finished with six. Adriana Fuentes and Briseida Escalara added two points apiece. Sommer Brodhagen notched one point. Diaz, Ruesch and Falteisek all had seven rebounds to guide Abbotsford to 49 rebounds as a team.

Edgar, 57-37

The Falcons proved they still have some work to do before the playoffs begin, falling on the road to the Edgar Wildcats. Edgar is one game back from Stratford in the Marawood - South Conference, and played with all the urgency of a team looking to win a title.

Abbotsford and Edgar were evenly matched throughout the first few minutes of the non-conference road game, but the Wildcats full court press forced Abby turnovers, and it wasn’t long before the Wildcats were out in front, 18-6.

That pattern continued into the second half, but the Falcons had a cold outing from the three point arc, finishing 0-13 from Down Town. Abby made up for it elsewhere, going 21 of 41 on their two point field goals, but only got to the free throw line five times.

The Falcons struggled to get stops on defense, and Edgar was able to limit Abby’s offense. A night after seeing three players in double figures, only senior guard Mya Ruesch scored in double digits, finishing with 10 points on four of eight shooting.

Alea Graff had a solid night, scoring eight points and a team high 14 rebounds. Sydney Falteisek added seven points. Sommer Brodhagen and Briseida Escalera chipped in with four points apiece. Escalera also had six rebounds.

Catie Clement struggled to get shots to fall, scoring two points on one of 10 shooting. Adriana Fuentes also had two points. Bridgette Pogodzinski was held scoreless, but found ways to impact the game by tallying a team high four assists.

69-40

The Falcons surprisingly found themselves in Altoona on Monday night after their scheduled game with Assumption was cancelled.

Abby swapped in the Railroaders for the Royals, but the switch did the Falcons no favors, not against a team that boasts a 6’4” post player.

That would be freshman Alyssa Wirth, and her height and length made life tough for the Falcons down low. Time and time again Wirth crashed the glass and forced tough shot after tough shot.

To make matters even more complicated, Wirth wasn’t even Altoona’s best player. That would be 5’9” sophomore Mya Martenson, who led all players with 23 points. Martenson propelled Altoona to a 40-13 advantage at the break.

It took a half, but after getting the jitters out of their game, the Falcons produced an excellent half of basketball in the last period, trading shot for shot with the Railroaders in the second half.

Abby held the Railroaders to 29 points, and more than doubled their first half total, scoring 27 points in the second half.

The Falcons are 3-12 on the year, but Monday’s game continued a trend of new players stepping up and improving.

Freshman Sommer Brodhagen led the way for Abby with her new career high of 10 points. Brodhagen would be the only Falcon in double digits. Seniors Mya Ruesch and Bridgett Pogodzinski were Abby’s second and third leading scorers, with Ruesch scoring seven and Pogodzinski chipping in six points.

Freshman Sydney Falteisek added four points. Brissa Diaz, Marisol Garcia and Alea Graff recorded three points apiece. Adriana Fuentes and Briseida Escalera each collected two points.

LOOKING OUT -Bridgett Pogodzinski scans the floor in search of a teammate. Pogodzinski had 13 points Abby’s victory over the Eagles.RECORD REVIEW/CASEY KRAUTKRAMER