Blazers Enjoyed Their Wild Postseason Run
In that game, third-seeded Heikenen and company — who lost 83-75 on their last trip to Moorhead a month earlier — fell behind by nine points to the second-seeded Cobbers after halftime before rallying to win 77-73.
"We were down and things weren't going our way," recalls Heikenen, who picked herself up after a hard fall to finish that game with 19 points. "But we hung in there and kept playing together. Everybody stepped up and eventually we came back. After that game, it seemed like everyone was determined to do whatever we had to do to keep winning."
And keep winning St. Benedict did, knocking off top-seed Carleton 77-74 on the road in a wild MIAC championship game to earn the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III tournament. Then the Blazers topped Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tournament champion Simpson 80-63 in the first round at Claire Lynch Hall, and IIAC regular season champion Buena Vista 77-71 on the road in the second.
That victory set up the school's first appearance in the round of 16 since 1999. There, the ride came to an end as hot-shooting George Fox proved too much down the stretch on the way to a 74-69 win in the sectional semifinals.
The loss meant the Blazers ended their season with a record of 24-5 and with a genuine sense of optimism about the future.
"It was improbable, unexpected, exciting, rewarding and fun," said St. Benedict coach Mike Durbin of his team's postseason run. "And because it was so unexpected, it made it even more enjoyable in the end. The run this team went on over the last three weeks was just incredible. I'm so proud of the way this team played. I really think we gained a new-found sense of confidence."
Deep at post
Coming into this season, the Blazers expected to count on a deep corps of post players, and returning All-MIAC starters Heikenen and senior Kim Johnson did not disappoint.
The 5-foot-11 Heikenen became the first St. Benedict player to cross the 500-point mark in a single season (finishing with 511 to average 17.6 ppg) and pulled down 216 rebounds (7.4 rpg). Meanwhile, the 6-4 Johnson averaged 9.7 points and a team-best 8.6 rebounds per game to finish her collegiate career with 1,178 points (seventh-most in school history) and 915 rebounds (second-most). Both were again named to the All-MIAC first team.
"At different times, our post players picked each other up," Durbin said. "Kim was just outstanding in the tournament we played out east to start the season. Then, early on, Tara and Ellie were playing really well. By the time the postseason came around, everybody was on the same page."
In the team's six postseason contests, Heikenen averaged 19.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Johnson, who was playing despite an ankle injury that required her to wear a boot on one foot away from the court and a case of plantar fasciitis that required a boot on the other, averaged 13.2 points and 9.7 rebounds.
She finished with 21 points and 15 rebounds in her final game against George Fox.
"What I'm going to remember most about Kim is the last three weeks of her career," Durbin said. "I don't think anyone really realized how much pain she was in. Her play and her effort in the playoffs was one of the gutsiest performances I've ever had out of a player."
Strong backcourt
If the play of St. Benedict's post players was no surprise, the way the brand-new starting backcourt of sophomores Darby Noreen, Katie Kempe and Jen Dalhed came together was. Noreen, the 2003 Times All-Area prep player of the year, and Kempe had seen some varsity playing time as freshmen. But Dalhed was primarily a JV player.
Nevertheless, all three grew into their new roles. Noreen finished the season averaging 10.1 points per game and hit 38 3-pointers. Kempe averaged 8.2 points per game and Dalhed averaged 4.8 while establishing herself as one of her team's top defenders.
"We got more experience as the year went along," Noreen said. "We got used to playing together."
That showed in the playoffs. Along with junior Justine Richels, who finished the year with a team-best 39 3-pointers, the group hit 30 postseason shots from beyond the 3-point arc. Kempe averaged 12 points per game in her team's six postseason contests and was 36-for-45 at the free throw line. Noreen averaged 9.5 points per game over that timespan.
"We knew that one of us had to step and be a scorer every game," Noreen said. "Mike told us many times that one of us had to step up if we were going to be successful."
"I think we developed more confidence in them and they developed more confidence in themselves," Heikenen said. "They came through with some big shots when we needed to have them."
Height wanted
Looking ahead to next season, the Blazers will have to find a way to replace the size advantage Johnson and Schloe (the team's only two graduating seniors) brought to the court.
"Our guards are going to have to pick up some of the rebounding duties," Durbin said. "There were times this season that I thought we depended too much on Kim and Tara and we won't be able to do that next season."
But four of the team's five starters will be back, including Heikenen who has already crossed the 1,000-point mark in her collegiate career.
"I don't know if statistically she can do any more for us than she's doing already," Durbin said. "But it wouldn't surprise me if she had an even better year next season, even though teams did have to focus on Kim defensively. So next year Anna will likely draw even more attention."
Boone is the early front-runner to take over Johnson's spot in the starting lineup. Also back will be a group of reserves, including freshmen like 5-11 wings Judy Falvey and Angela Merkling, who showed real promise when they received varsity playing time this season.
Durbin also mentioned 5-8 freshman wing Mackenzie O'Neill and 6-0 sophomore post Jamie Goehner as being among a group of other players who could push for more time on the court next year.
"We're going into next season really confident," Heikenen said. "Our sophomores will all be juniors, and they got a lot of valuable experience this year. We have some really talented younger players. I'm excited for the future."
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