Vs. Minneapolis North at the Hamline University Tournament (72-45-W)
The Raiders battled through a sloppy first half to manage an 8-point halftime lead over the Polars in their season opener. However, the Raiders turned up the heat in the second half as they pulled away from North. The Raiders outscored the Polars by 19 points in the final half to cruise to a 27-point opening season win. Molly Geske dominated at both ends of the court with 24 points and 4 steals. Sarah Hendricks and Kendra Harris controlled the paint combining for 20 points and 18 rebounds. Jay Korte was a tremendous spark off the bench, pulling down 8 boards and dishing 2 assists. Carolyn Dienhart chipped in 6 points and dished 5 assists. Mary Kenney and Lisa Springer were impressive at the point combining for 9 assists.
Vs. Hopkins at the Hamline University Tournament (60-73-L)
The Royals handed the Raiders their first loss of the season using a stifling defensive pressure that took the Raiders completely out of their game in the first half. The Raiders wouldn’t even get a shot off until their fifth trip down the court and managed only 19 points in the opening period. Things were not much better on the defensive end. The Royals shot the lights out in the first half on their way to 40 first-half points. The Raiders would rally, however. After making several halftime adjustments, the Raiders would outplay Hopkins in the second half, outscoring them 41-33. And while the Raiders wouldn’t come away with the win, they found some much needed confidence as they prepared to face the defending AAAA State Champs from Central. Molly Geske overcame a tough shooting night to finish with 16 points to go along with 7 rebounds and 3 steals. Sarah Hendricks had one of her best offensive games as a Raider with 15 points. Jay Korte and Lisa Springer provided a spark off the bench, each pulling down 3 rebounds and dishing 4 assists.
The Raiders kept this one close in the first half, but a scoring drought at the beginning of the second half doomed them as the defending AAAA state champs from Central ran away with the win. Molly Geske hit for a dozen first half points and Carolyn Dienhart chipped in 9 as the Raiders kept things close and trailed by only 7 at the break. However, the Raiders stumbled through the first 11 minutes of the second half, managing only 6 points during that span. Central’s high-powered offense broke things open in the second half with 4 Central players scoring in double figures. Molly Geske finished with 20 points (7/12), 7 rebounds and 4 assists. Dienhart and Kendra Harris each chipped in 9 points. Harris also pulled down 7 boards and dished 4 assists in the loss.
This was a hard-fought win for the Raiders over a very tough and scrappy team. Hill-Murray came into the game without a win, but their pressure defense proved tough for the Raider guards early in the game. The Raiders got a defensive burst just before halftime that led to 6 quick points. The Raiders led by only 11 points at the break despite 13 first half points from Molly Geske and 9 from Carolyn Dienhart. The Raiders extended their lead to 20 early in the second half, however the Pioneers battled back and cut the lead to 10 halfway through the period. The Raiders would extend the lead one more time and would finish with a 16-point win. Geske finished with 22 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals and 5 assists. Dienhart chipped in a dozen points to go along with 4 boards, 4 steals and 8 assists. Molly King had a strong game off the bench with 9 points and 7 boards. Mary Kenney and Sarah Hendricks each finished with 8 points and 5 rebounds.
Vs. Park (62-67-L-OT)
The Raiders lost a heartbreaker to the fourth ranked team from Park. The Wolfpack took control early, jumping out to a twelve-point halftime lead. The Raiders managed only 20 points in the opening half, with only 6 made field goals. The second half began much the same way. Park made a run with 14 minutes left to extend the lead to 19. But, the Raiders came out of a timeout and fired up their press, ready to make a run of their own. Molly Geske overcame a poor shooting night to rally the team. She poured in all 24 of her points after the break and hit a huge three-pointer to tie the game at 61 with just 14 seconds left to play. Park inbounded the ball against the Raider press and dribbled it out of bounds, giving the ball back to the Raiders with just 9 seconds left. Following a timeout, the Raiders had one last chance to avoid overtime. However, Cretin-Derham Hall was never able to get a shot off as the buzzer sounded. In overtime, Park’s size was too much for the Raiders and the comeback fell just short. Geske finished with 24 points 7 rebounds and 3 assists. Carolyn Dienhart had a strong game with 10 points. Sarah Hendricks had the best game of her career, despite sitting out much of the first half with foul trouble. She hit for a dozen points and grabbed 2 steals. Kailyn Wilcox had a strong game off the bench with 5 points. Jay Korte added a defensive spark off the bench with 5 boards. Molly King added some toughness in the paint, while Mary Kenney dished 6 assists from the point.
The Raiders took one on the chin on Friday night. While the Raiders jumped out to an early 11-point lead, it wasn’t enough to beat the Rangers. The Raiders shot just 13/38 from 2-point range and allowed Forest Lake to dominate in the paint late in the game. Carolyn Dienhart was outstanding for the Raiders with a career-high 25 points to go along with 5 rebounds. Molly Geske had a tough shooting night, but finished with 15 points, 13 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 steals. Mary Kenney had a solid night with 6 points, 7 boards and 5 assists.
This was a disappointing loss for the Raiders. The Raiders shot very poorly in the early minutes and fell behind by double-digits early. However, the Raiders would once again rally behind their full-court press to battle back to within one point at halftime. The Raiders would go ahead by as many as five points in the second half, but gave up some easy buckets in the final minutes and couldn’t recover. Molly Geske poured in 16 of her 20 points in the second half to go along with a team-high 8 rebounds and 3 steals. Lisa Springer was terrific off the bench hitting for 9 points, pulling down 6 boards and dishing 3 assists. Kendra Harris hit for 8 points and pulled down 6 rebounds, while Jay Korte came off the bench to grab 5 boards and distribute 3 assists.
At White Bear Lake (67-61-W)
The Raiders put together their best overall performance of the year to bring home this win. The Raiders were able to keep things close despite poor shooting in the first half. Sarah Hendricks and Carolyn Dienhart kept the Raiders in the game combining for 17 first-half points. The Raiders trailed by just one basket at the break. The defensive pressure picked up in the second half as the Raiders began to take control. White Bear Lake was able to muster only 26 second-half points and the Raiders made their free throws down the stretch. Molly Geske finished with 23 points, 6 rebounds and 2 steals. Dienhart chipped in 14 points and 4 boards. Hendricks added 11 points and a team-high 4 assists. Lisa Springer and Jay Korte were excellent off the bench combining for 8 boards, 5 assists and 2 steals.
Vs. Osseo at Hopkins Tournament (49-61-L
The Raiders just couldn’t find enough fire-power to compete with the Orioles in the opening round of the Hopkins Holiday Tournament. CDH managed only 19 first-half points and only 49 for the game. The Raiders scored the first eight points of the game, but went cold after that and fell behind by ten at the half. They played the Orioles even in the second half, but couldn’t overcome the big deficit. Molly Geske led CDH scorers with 19 points on 9/15 shooting. Carolyn Dienhart and Kendra Harris each chipped in 8 points. Sarah Hendricks hit for 7 points, blocked 3 shots and pulled down 6 boards, while Molly King and Lisa Springer gave a spark off the bench with 6 boards a piece.
Vs. Burnsville at Hopkins Tournament (64-72-L)
The Raiders fell into old habits, once again falling behind early in this game. Despite another strong comeback, the Raiders were unable to overcome the 19-point halftime deficit. Burnsville outscored the Raiders 46-27 in the opening period, however the Raiders came out smoking in the second half. While the Raiders out played and out scored the Blaze following the break, it was not enough to beat a very good team. Molly Geske paced the Raiders with 16 points, 5 boards and 2 assists. Carolyn Dienhart shot 6/10 from the field on her way to 15 points, 4 assists and 3 steals. Sarah Hendricks had a tremendous all-around game with 9 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals and a blocked shot. Mary Kenney dished 5 assists to go along with her 5 points.
Vs. Blaine at Hopkins Tournament(65-47-W)
The Raiders completely dominated this game as they got back into the win column. The Raiders used a 2-3 zone to stifle the Bengals’ offense, allowing only 47 points (their second lowest points allowed this season). For the first time all season, the Raiders had four players in double figures for scoring. Molly Geske poured in 19 points and dished 3 assists. Kailyn Wilcox came off the bench to chip in 14 points on 4/6 shooting from the field. Carolyn Dienhart chipped in a dozen points and dished 3 assists. Kendra Harris turned in her best performance of the season with a dozen points, 4 boards, 4 assists and 4 steals. Sarah Hendricks continued her dominance on the boards pulling down 9 rebounds, while Lisa Springer dished 7 assists in her first start of her career.
This was a tough battle the entire way. The CDH Raiders kept things close in the first half before giving up an uncontested 3-pointer just before the buzzer to give Roseville a 6-point halftime lead. Roseville was able to extend their lead to double figures at the beginning of the second half, but CDH chipped away at that lead using a combination of full court pressure mixed with half-court zone defense. CDH tied the game with just over three minutes remaining in the game, but was unable to take the lead. Roseville hit their free-throws down the stretch to extend the lead, but this one was much closer than the final score indicates. Molly Geske led CDH with 22 points and 5 rebounds. Carolyn Dienhart had a strong game with 10 points and 4 boards. Sarah Hendricks chipped in 5 points, 4 rebounds and 4 blocked shots. Kendra Harris had 7 points despite being in foul trouble the second half. Kailyn Wilcox and Jay Korte gave a lift off the bench combining for 9 boards.
This was a nice win for the Raiders! Edina came into the game with a 10-2 record, but the underdogs were able to come through. Edina had a tough time scoring against the Raider zone. The Raiders gave up just 15 first half points to the Hornets and allowed a season-low 40 for the game. The Raiders shot 42% for the game, including an impressive 40% from behind the arc. Molly Geske accounted for over half of the Raiders’ points with 25 points of her own and 2 assists. She also pulled down 6 boards and had 3 steals. Sarah Hendricks turned in a strong performance of her own with 9 points. Jay Korte was tremendous with 6 points on 3/3 shooting and 5 rebounds. Lisa Springer dished a team-high 4 assists in the win.
The Raiders overcame poor shooting (34% for the game) to sneak this win from the Ponies. The Raiders got off to a quick start, jumping out to a 12-2 lead. However, the Ponies clawed their way back into it with outstanding shooting. Stillwater shot over 56% in the first half and 52.5% for the game. Lisa Springer hit a shot falling to the ground at the buzzer to give the Raiders a 5-point halftime lead. The Ponies played the Raiders even in the second half and it took free throws down the stretch to give the Raiders the SEC win. This win was just the first time all season the Raiders won two in a row and brought their record to 6-8 (2-3). Molly Geske continued her amazing scoring streak with 27 points to go along with 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals. Lisa Springer was excellent with 11 points, 4 boards and 3 assists. Mary Kenney hit two big shots from behind the arc to pull the Raiders ahead in the first half before being forced to sit out most of the second half in foul trouble. Sarah Hendricks was aggressive in the paint, pulling down a team-high 8 rebounds.
Vs. Woodbury (65-36-W)
The Raiders dominated this game start to finish! Mary Kenney hit two early 3’s and the Raiders were 4/5 from behind the arc in the first half to give the Raiders an early lead. Woodbury was never able to figure out the Raider zone and managed only a dozen first half points and only 36 for the game. But, the real story of the game was the dominant play of the Raider post players. The five Raider posts combined for 33 points and 21 rebounds. Sarah Hendricks had a terrific all around game with 7 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals. Molly Geske led all scorers with 14 points and pulled down 7 boards. Carolyn Dienhart hit for 7 points, grabbed 5 boards and dished 3 assists. Jay Korte had her best offensive game of the season with 8 points. Kendra Harris hit for 8 points, grabbed 4 boards and blocked 4 shots. Molly King added 8 points and had 6 rebounds in the win.
At Hastings (48-41-W)
The CDH Raiders struggled a bit in this one. CDH jumped out to an early 9-2 lead, but couldn’t maintain the momentum. CDH could just never hit their stride, especially shooting the ball. They shot only 29% for the game, only 23% from behind the arc and just 50% from the free throw line. Luckily CDH out-rebounded Hastings 47-24 and were able to escape with the win. Molly Geske led all scorers with 13 points and added 9 rebounds and 2 steals. Carolyn Diehart hit for 10 points to go along with her 4 assists. Sarah Hendricks had just 7 points, but pulled down 9 boards. Jay Korte was tremendous off the bench once again with 6 rebounds while Lisa Springer came off the bench for 4 steals.
The Raiders completely dominated the Mustangs in this one! A quick start, fueled by 18 first half points from Molly Geske, propelled the Raiders to this easy win. The Raiders gave up just 14 first half points to the Mustangs and led by 24 at intermission. In the second half, all non-injured Raiders got in the action. Three Raiders finished in double figures. Geske ended up with 22 points on 9/12 shooting, including 4/6 from behind the arc. She also pulled down an impressive 6 rebounds. Sarah Hendricks hit for 14 points and grabbed 5 boards. Kendra Harris made 5 of 10 shots on her way to ten points and 5 rebounds. Mary Kenney really stepped up as a floor-leader, dishing 8 assists. Carolyn Dienhart doled out 5 assists of her own in the win.
At Hopkins (61-39-L)
The number 3 ranked Royals used a smothering half court defense to overwhelm the Raiders. The Raiders were able to keep it close in the first half with excellent defense of their own, but Hopkins blew it open in the second half to win by 22. The Raiders struggled all night with the Hopkins pressure, managing only 39 points. Sarah Hendricks had a double-double, scoring 11 points and pulling down 10 rebounds. Carolyn Dienhart chipped in 11 points as well, while Molly Geske added 9 points and 4 assists. Molly King (8) and Kendra Harris (6) rebounded well for the Raiders.
This was a tough loss to a very good team. This one was close the whole way and Park had to hit free throws down the stretch to seal the win. The much smaller Raiders were dominated on the boards early by the Wolfpack and needed a spark. Kendra Harris absolutely dominated the paint in the first half, scoring 5 key baskets to keep the Raiders within 5 at the break. The Raiders stormed out of halftime using full court pressure to bring them back to within a point with six minutes left. Jay Korte was outstanding on the press, grabbing 2 key steals and setting the pace for the Raiders. However, unforced turnovers, missed free throws, and key offensive rebounds by the Wolfpack sealed the Raiders’ fate. Molly Geske, who went scoreless in the first half, led the charge in the second half, hitting for 16 points, pulling down 6 rebounds and dishing 3 assists. Kendra Harris, who sat out much of the second half in foul trouble following a strong start, finished with a dozen points. Mary Kenney dished 4 assists and Lisa Springer came off the bench to grab 3 steals.
At Forest Lake (65-55-W)
The Raiders avenged an early season loss to the Rangers with a nice win on the road. The Raiders rode the wave of their full court press and got very balanced scoring as they clawed their way back to .500. The Raiders shot over 45% from the field, 60% from behind the arc and 81% from the line. Molly Geske kept the Raiders in it early, scoring a dozen of her points in the first half. Kendra Harris and Sarah Hendricks combined to be a force on the defensive boards and Carolyn Dienhart, Mary Kenney and Lisa Springer were terrific on the press. Geske finished with 23 points, 6 rebounds and 3 steals. Dienhart hit for an impressive 17 points to go along with her 4 rebounds and 5 steals. Mary Kenney chipped in ten points and 3 assists. Kendra Harris had a strong game with 7 points and 8 boards.
What an offensive exhibition! The Raiders needed their most explosive offensive output of the season to hold off the Bears. Both teams were firing on all cylinders offensively, combining for 88 first half points. The Raiders got big first halves from Carolyn Dienhart (16 points), Sarah Hendricks (11 points) and Kendra Harris (8 points). However, the Raiders could not stop White Bear Lake either. The Bears trailed by just eight at the break. Despite a continued offensive showcase by the Raiders, the Bears crept back into the game in the second half. The Bears cut the Raider lead to just two with just :20 left, when Molly Geske git a long two-pointer off of an inbounds play to push the lead to four. The Raiders would get a Hendricks lay-up and a Dienhart free throw to seal the victory. Dienhart and Hendricks had huge nights! Dienhart finished with 27 points and 5 assists. Hendricks added 27 points of her own along with 8 boards. Molly Geske had a double-double with 13 points and a dozen rebounds, while Kendra Harris added a dozen points of her own. Mary Kenney dished 8 assists and Lisa Springer added 5 points and 4 rebounds.
The Raiders got another SEC win at Stillwater on Friday. They got their most balanced scoring attack of the season with just two players in double figures and no one with more than 15 points. The Raiders used their full court press to dominate the Ponies, leading by 13 points at the break and extending their lead to 16 by the time the final buzzer sounded. Molly Geske led all scorers with 15 points and recorded her second double-double in a row adding 13 boards, 3 steals and 3 assists. Mary Kenney chipped in 10 points and 4 steals. Lisa Springer came off the bench to hit for 8 points on 3/4 shooting. Sarah Hendricks and Kendra Harris each chipped in 7 points.
The Raiders beat a very good Roseville squad 74-69 to move to 13-10 (9-4) on the season. Cretin-Derham Hall got off to a slow start against Roseville, scoring only 26 first half points and falling behind by nine at the break. However, CDH revved things up offensively in the second half, cutting into the Roseville lead almost immediately and pouring in 48 second half points. CDH hit 16 of 23 free throws, all in the second half, to seal the win. Molly Geske led all scorers with 28 points and pulled down 7 rebounds. Kendra Harris had a double-double with 11 points and 11 boards. Mary Kenney hit for 11 points of her own and assisted on 4 other baskets. Carolyn Dienhart overcame a tough shooting night to finish with 9 points and 4 assists.
The CDH Raiders routed the Hastings Raiders 64-40. CDH got off to a fast start and scored 39 first half points on their way to a 22-point halftime lead. All eighteen players played and eleven got into the scoring column. Molly Geske led all scorers with 17 points, 9 rebounds and 3 steals. Sarah Hendricks had a strong game as well, hitting for a dozen points and pulling down 7 rebounds. Carolyn Dienhart added 9 points and dished 3 assists. Corey Seidel came off the bench to hit for 5 points and 2 steals. Kelsey Heinz did not score, but made her presence felt on the defensive end where she grabbed 3 rebounds and 2 steals.
The Raiders celebrated senior night in style with a 62-50 win over North St. Paul. Five seniors got the start and all seven seniors played significant minutes. North St. Paul jumped out to an early lead, but the Raiders were able to claw their way back into the lead midway through the first half. The Raiders, however, were unable to stop the Polar offense in the opening period, giving up 31 points and leading by only five points at the break. However, the Raiders clamped down on defense in the second half, giving up only 19 points to the Polars. All eleven Raiders who played got into the scoring column! Corey Seidel hit 2/3 from the field, including one from behind the arc. Kelsey Heinz grabbed 6 rebounds and grabbed 4 steals. Jay Korte pulled down 4 rebounds, dished 2 assists and grabbed 2 steals. Mary Kenney overcame a tough shooting night and focused on other parts of her game. She finished with 7 rebounds and 3 steals. Molly King finished with 5 points and 2 rebounds. Carolyn Dienhart hit for 8 points, 5 rebounds and 2 steals. Molly Geske had 16 points, 10 rebounds and 2 steals in the win.
The Raiders lost a tough one to Woodbury 50-58 on Tuesday night. The Raiders fell behind early and couldn’t match the energy and intensity of the Royals in the first half. They trailed by 13 at halftime. However, a strong second half surge propelled the Raiders back into the thick of the game. A couple of timely threes by Mary Kenney and a gutsy offensive performance by Carolyn Dienhart got the Raiders to within four with just under two minutes to play. Unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be. The Raiders suffered a devastating blow when the referees made a strange call, counting a basket and awarding two free throws for a foul away from the ball, extending the Royal lead to eight with just a minute left. Carolyn Dienhart carried the Raiders offensively with 18 points. Mary Kienney hit all three of her shots from behind the arc on her way to 9 points. Sarah Hendricks had a tough shooting game, but finished with 7 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and one blocked shot. Kendra Harris and Lisa Springer finished with 4 rebounds each. Molly Geske sat this one out with a sprained ankle.
Vs. Tartan 4AAAA Quarterfinals (73-50-W)
The Raiders opened section play with an easy win over Tartan. The Raiders pounded the Titans despite poor shooting in the first half. Tartan kept things close early as the Raiders just couldn’t find the bottom of the net. However, eventually things heated up offensively CDH. Molly Geske poured in 15 before the break and Jay Korte and Kailyn Wilcox provided an offensive spark off the bench. Korte hit 6 of her season-high 9 points before the break and Wilcox hit two big baskets, including one from downtown. The Raiders were also able to turn up the defensive pressure leading to 10 steals by halftime. The Titans lost their best player to a knee injury just before the intermission and the Raiders took a 19-point lead into the locker room. Everyone got in during the second half as the Raiders continued to roll. Molly Geske finished the night with 24 points, 10 rebounds and 4 steals. Sarah Hendricks chipped in a dozen points, while Jay Korte finished the night with 9 points and 10 boards. Mary Kenney dished 5 assists and Carolyn Dienhart added 7 points. The win propelled the Raiders into the Section 4AAAA Semifinal game against Woodbury.
Vs. Woodbury 4AAAA Semifinals (40-43-L)
The Raiders’ season came to a heart-breaking end thanks to a buzzer-beating three-pointer from Woodbury’s Kassey Kallman. The Raiders never found their offensive rhythm and managed only 14 first half points. The pressure put on by the Woodbury Royals disrupted the Raiders’ offensive flow and frustrated their shooters. The Raiders managed only one made 3-point field goal in the game after averaging nearly five per game for the season. However, the Raiders implemented a trapping half court defense halfway through the first half and forced Woodbury into several turnovers. In fact, the Raiders would scrap their way back into the game midway through the second half and actually take the lead for the first time in the game with about three minutes left. But, a couple of untimely turnovers let Woodbury back into the game and left them with the final possession of regulation. As the clock ticked down, it looked like overtime loomed for the two teams that had split during the regular season. But, the ball got kicked to Kassey Kallman who launched a shot from behind the arc as the buzzer sounded. The shot was good and the stunned Raiders realized that their season was over. Molly Geske finished her brilliant career with a fourteen point effort to go along with a team-high 7 rebounds and 2 steals. Sarah Hendricks had a huge second half and led the Raider rally. She finished with 9 points, 5 boards and 3 steals. Kendra Harris was also key in the comeback with 8 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists. Carolyn Dienhart closed out her terrific four years with 7 points and 3 rebounds.