CALEDONIA — Caledonia High School girls basketball coach Scott Sorenson wasn’t too concerned about how well his team could play offensively this season.
Established returning scorers like senior Josie Foster and junior Aubrie Klug — he was convinced — could lead the way when the Warriors had the ball.
How Caledonia defended would lead to real success, and Sorenson started working on what plan was best for a team that could contend on the state level if set up the right way.
“Back in the day, we used to have trouble playing against a 1-1-3, and I thought we had the personnel to go to it,” Sorenson said. “We have a lot of length and speed, and they are starting to figure out that if they communicate and switch, it can be very effective.”
“We’ve tweaked it a little, but the kids really love. I knew we’d be good defensively but not this good.”
The Warriors (23-3) have allowed just one opponent to score more than 60 points this season, and only five have reached 50 and they enter Thursday’s MSHSL Class AA playoff game against visiting La Crescent-Hokah (3-23).
Fifth-ranked Caledonia pummeled the Lancers by scores of 73-5 and 75-20, and the second of those meeting was just nine days ago.
But Sorenson’s team is focused enough right now not to read too much into those outcomes. This is a team ready to make a deep postseason run as a No. 1 seed, and nothing is to be taken for granted. “We have to just be us and go out an earn it,” he said. “We have to go out and attack ’em and get after it.”
Caledonia has been one of the most consistent teams in the area this season with Foster — an Upper Iowa commit — and Klug becoming 1,000-point scorers and stepping up their defense for a team performance that has allowed the past five opponents to average 28.2 points.
“Josie and Aubrie are middles for us,” Sorenson said. “They are doing a great job of reading. It’s not necessarily who you have to defend as much as the lane or where they are looking and where they will pass.”
Foster and Klug have turned that anticipation into a combined 151 steals — Klug with 82 and Foster 69 — for a defense that averages 14 per game.
The Warriors have used that defense to beat all but three very good teams.
Caledonia’s losses are 49-42 at Waverly-Shell Rock, 57-50 at La Crosse Aquinas and 64-60 at Goodhue. Those teams have a combined 58-12 record and are ranked among the top 10 om their respective divisions. Goodhue is No. 1 in Minnesota’s Class A.
“The quality losses have taught us a lot,” Sorenson said. “They really stick out for different reasons.”
The Warriors had to battle back from big first-half deficit against both the Blugolds and Wildcats. They also completed a successful comeback in a 55-51 victory over a West Salem team that has played in two straight WIAA state tournaments.
Caledonia has received the majority of its scoring punch from King and Foster. King averages 20.2 points per game and Foster 15.6. King has made 67 3-pointers and Foster 50 as true inside-outside threats.
Senior Nicole Banse is adding 11.5 ppg, and Foster’s 6.5 rebounds per game are second to junior Kensey King’s 8.2.
Sorenson said Foster’s game has gone to a new level with her commitment to defense and rebounding.
“Her defense is so much better,” he said. “We went and watched (Caledonia graduate) Ava Privet play a game for Upper Iowa, and Ava told her defense is what’s important (at the college level). She has really taken over.
“Her rebounding has also gotten better to where we don’t have to remind her. She’s going to go after those big rebounds, and those are huge things in our scheme.”
King has recovered from a slow offensive start of the season, and Sorenson said that demonstrates her commitment.
“She wasn’t confident with (her shot),” Sorenson said. “He had to more or less get it out of her head.
“Aubrie is mentally strong and is someone who will ask what she has to do to get better. She worked harder, and that has turned her around to where she is playing as good as I’ve seen her play.”
