Malta Teams send several athletes to All-Conference lists

The Malta Basketball teams both took their talents far into the post-season, with the M-ettes finishing fourth at the Girls State B tournament, and the Mustangs finishing fourth at the Northern B divisional.

With that type of run, it was only a matter of time that several athletes would see their names listed on the 2021 2B District All-Conference List.

The M-ettes were represented on the All-State list by sophomores Allison Kunze and Maddie Williamson. The duo is joined on the first team by junior Justine Lamb, and second-teamers Erica Smith, a senior, and Addy Anderson, a sophomore.

Senior Kooper Oxarart was the Mustangs lone representation on the All-State team on the talent-packed 2B Boys list. Oxarart is joined by junior Rex Williamson on the first team and fellow senior Pierce Mortenson and junior Connor Tuss on the second team.

The PCN caught up with M-ette Head Coach Nate Hammond and Mustang Coach David Costin to talk about their athletes.

M-ETTES:

Coach Hammond left notes on all five of his athletes:

Allison Kunze: I would say she's been one of our best players the last couple of years leading our team in scoring and rebounding.

Maddie Williamson: She was one of our best defensive players and put a lot of pressure on other teams. She had some great offense of bursts where she would score a lot of points in a hurry as well. She got a lot of respect from the conference coaches.

Justine Lamb: She just did a very good job scoring and rebounding. She was very athletic and very active around the basket.

Erica Smith: Erica set the tone for us on defense most every game. Her energy and leadership carried us a long way and it really showed well in the tournament. She led us in steals for the fourth consecutive year.

Addy Anderson: She did a great job this year around the basket, rebounding as well as shooting the ball from the outside very well. Her ability to put points on the board in a hurry and make a lot of blue-collar players underneath gave her a Lotta respect to the conference as well.

MUSTANGS:

Mustang Head Coach David Costin spoke of his team, starting with his All-State forward, Kooper Oxarart.

"I think it was very well deserved," Coach Costin said. "Kooper had a great year. We know about his scoring and three-point shooting ability but I thought that Kooper really stepped up this year in the leadership department and he became a good defender for us."

Coach Costin acknowledged Oxarart's development offensively, noting that teams often put multiple athletes around Oxarart to attempt to slow him down on the perimeter. Costin said that Oxarart attacked the paint more often this season and worked on his mid-range game.

"In tournaments, he did use that mid-range jumper quite a bit more," Coach Costin said.

Oxarart led Malta in scoring with 14.9 points per game, first in three-point shooting with 2.3 attempts made per game, second in steals (1.1 per game), third in assists, and was fourth in rebounding.

Williamson, the team's second first-team selection was another leader for Malta defensively, seeming to force turnovers at will and at times that the team was needing them most.

"He is an outstanding defender, obviously, but Rex scored the ball for us very well," Coach Costin said. "He knocked some threes down and got to the rim well. Rex is so strong and quick and I think he surprises people."

Coach Costin spoke of Williamson's consistency throughout the year and said that he is a very good rebounder for his size. Williamson led Malta in assists, steals (2.5 per game) and was second in scoring, averaging 13.6 points per game, and third in rebounding.

Tuss, a second-team selection, led the team in rebounds per game, averaging a double-double throughout the season. He had 10 rebounds and 12.7 points per game. Tuss was also second in assists, and first in blocked shots, averaging 1.9 per game.

"Connor had a great year too, I think he steadily got better throughout the year," Coach Costin said.

Coach Costin said that Tuss became more aggressive as the season went on, adjusting to the physicality of the game in the paint.

"He was great on the offensive end," Coach Costin said. "He was our 6'6" kid that could shoot, pass and dribble well. Usually, you get a kid that size and he is stuck in the post, but Connor has got all of the skills."

Coach Costin said that Tuss really helped against Glasgow's Keigan Skolrud, who at 6'3" was an All-State selection.

"He really bothered Keigan defensively with his length," Coach Costin said.

Pierce Mortenson, a second-team selection was second in blocks, second in rebounds (8 rebounds per game), third in steals, and fourth in scoring.

"Basketball isn't Pierce's passion and we know that," Coach Costin said. "But despite himself, I thought that Pierce became a basketball player this year."

Pierce provided the team with several double-digit games and defended well in the paint and along the perimeter.

"Pierce had quick feet and could move well side-to-side," Coach Costin said. "He had a fantastic year and I am so happy for Pierce that he was an All-Conference Selection. I think he was surprised when I told him."

One of Mortenson's most influential traits was his leadership.

"We struggled with our intensity being consistent night-to-night, but I knew in the beginning of the season, that when it came to tournaments at the end of the year, that Pierce would be the one in the locker room pumping guys up, slapping hands, and that seemed to make a big difference for us."