Rock County repeats as National Champin WBCBL Tourney

The head coach said there were two options.

“We can quit or we can go out and try to win another one,” he said.

The Robins chose the latter and Sunday at Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, Ga., they successfully repeated as national champs by downing the Orlando Extreme in the finals, 85-73.

Sparked by a player who a week ago wasn’t even expected to suit up for the 12-team  national tournament, the Robins (12-3 overall) went 3-0 over the weekend.

Former Northern Illinois University standout guard Marke Freeman missed the Robins’ regional tournament games due to a fracture in her foot. Youngblood expected her to be sidelined for nationals as well, but she received clearance from her doctor last Wednesday to play.

She not only saw action, she scored 10 of her team-leading 19 points in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s title game. Freeman was 3-of-4 from 3-point range and the Robins hit nine bombs in the game. 

“She came to practice and she was moving really well,” Youngblood said in a telephone interview from Atlanta Sunday night. “You could tell in the title game she was starting to get her game back and we needed her. Things were getting sluggish and she knew she could take the person guarding her and either get the ball to Krystal (Ellis) or Stephanie (Raymond) or take it to the rim to score or get fouled.”

The Robins had good balance with four players in double figures. Raymond, one of just three holdovers from last year’s title team (with Crystal Lambert and Barbara  Williams), chipped in three treys, 15 points and a team-high seven assists. Williams had another double-double with 14 points and 17 rebounds while Alyssa Green matched her 14 points. Ebony Ellis had seven points to go with 13 rebounds.

The Extreme held the Robins’ usual leading scorer, Krystal Ellis, to nine points.

“They shadowed her, but she still got a couple big baskets when we needed them in the fourth quarter,” Youngblood said. “She’s such a good scorer that people forget what a good defender she is. We played real good defense in the title game and the tournament in general.”

The coach said rebounding was key in the game. After taking a 42-34 halftime lead, the Robins let the Extreme tie the game at 44-44 mainly by allowing offensive rebounds.

“After they tied it, they might have got one more offensive rebound,” Youngblood said. “The way Ebony and Barb controlled the boards after that was huge.”

Ellis had a team-high 22 points and also four rebounds in Rock County’s 67-50 semifinal win over the Lowcountry Fire from Charleston, S.C. Freeman had 18 points.

“That was a close game until we put together a run,” Youngblood said. “Having Marke there helped Stephanie because with the additional depth she could be more aggressive. She was very aggressive in that game and spurred the decisive run.”

Saturday, the Robins opened with an 89-72 victory over the Arkansas Starz as Raymond led all scorers with 27 points. The former NIU and Rockford prep star has signed a contract to play for a pro team in Poland later this month.

Tournament organizers reconsidered a double-elimination format and the event was single elimination, which was just fine by Youngblood.

“Teams would really have been worn out with all those extra games,” he said.

Youngblood said the competition overall was better than 2010.

“Teams were good last year, but overall, they were better this year,” he said. “We were fortunate we played in the region we did because it was really tough and got us ready us for this. I think any one of our region teams would have done some damage here.”

The Robins were surprise winners in 2010 and that may not have changed much.

“I think some people were surprised we were back again,” Youngblood said. “Teams from Texas and Virginia and Florida were asking where we’re from and when we’d say Wisconsin they were shocked. They didn’t know we played basketball like this up here.”

Youngblood isn’t shocked his team happens to be the best out of 55 WBCL teams in 20 states.

“I knew we were good enough to do it,” he said. “Even when we had those two losses in Minnesota at the start of the season. When we played them as well as we did, I knew we’d have a pretty good team again.