The Stillwater 7th Grade White team took home second place honors in the 2016 Big East Tourney this past weekend, finishing with a 2-1 record in the four-team pool play. The Ponies kicked off the tournament on Saturday evening against a very tough Osseo-Maple Grove team. The two teams had met to open the season on November 5 and it was the OMGBA squad that ran away with a 54-10 victory. This weekend, however, would be different. The team had spent three weeks practicing a new offensive set and working diligently on its 1-3-1 zone defense in an effort to slow down the high scoring OMGBA team. And, it nearly worked. Playing with confidence and a strong inside game, the Ponies battled to an 18-15 halftime deficit. Unfortunately, the Ponies' shots didn't drop in the second half and OMGBA tallied some transition baskets late to pull away to a 41-27 victory.

In the evening's second game, the Ponies battled back from an early 6-point deficit to lead Rochester John Marshall 19-18 at halftime. In the second half, the team played inspired full-court defense sparking a 6-point run that helped them pull away from the Rockets for the eventual 32-27 victory. Charlotte Welshons scored 19 points and Addie DeMars dropped in 8 points for the Ponies.

On Sunday afternoon, the Ponies squared off against Centennial in a game that figured to determine whether the home team would take home second place trophies. Centennial played an extremely physical game on the inside forcing the Ponies to rely on their outside game. Sarah Harriman found her shooting stroke and her teammates found her open time and again as she poured in 16 points, including two from beyond the three-point line. The Ponies held off a late rally from Centennial to claim a 29-26 victory and earn a second place finish.

"It was a great weekend and lots of really good basketball from the 7th grade white team. They are improving every week and are really starting to gel as a team. They will be tough team to contend with the rest of this year." - Coach Jeff