Andrean guard play, freethrows the difference in 61-54 girls basketball win at Gary Lew Wallace

A USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith
11-20-2004

Andrean 61, Lew Wallace 54

Saturday, 11-18-2004 at Gary

ANDREAN (61) Megan Stickler 6-1-14, Anne Gosser 2-5-9, Val Tyburski 3-2-9, Suzanne Cunningham 3-6-12, Val Young 0-0-0, Michelle Hynes 2-3-8, Courtney Pishkur 1-2-4, Meghan O'Neill 1-3-5, Kelleigh McCrea 0-0-0. TOTALS: 18-22-61.

LEW WALLACE (54) LaQuita Williams 2-0-4, Antoinette Scott 4-0-8, Karla Bills 1-0-2, Makia Diliard 1-4-6, Sharon Houston 14-1-30, Ruthie Barnes 1-0-3, Charlisa Johnson 0-1-1, Cassandra Warmack 0-0-0, Darrian Williams 0-0-0. TOTALS: 23-6-54.

FREE THROWS: ANDREAN (22-31, 70.9%) Gosser 5-6, Sticker 1-1, Cunningham 6-7, O'Neill 3-4, Pishkur 2-4, Hynes 3-3, Tyburski 2-4

LEW WALLACE (6-19, 31.5%) Scott 0-8, Dillard 4-4, Johnson 1-2, Houston 1-5.

REBOUNDS ANDREAN (19) Suzanne Cunningham 5, LEW WALLACE (40) Sharon Houston 19, Antoinette Scott 8.

STEALS: ANDREAN (11) Suzanne Cunningham 4, Meghan O'Neill 3; LEW WALLACE (3) LaQuita Williams 2.

BLOCKED SHOTS: ANDREAN (2) Suzanne Cunningham 2 LEW WALLACE (14) Sharon Houston 8, Antoinette Scott 5.

3-POINT GOALS: ANDREAN (3) Megan Stickler, Val Tyburski, Michelle Hynes; LEW WALLACE (2) Sharon Houston, Ruthie Barnes.

FOULED OUT: ANDREAN (1) Val Tyburski (4^th – 5:06 left); LEW WALLACE (2) Ruthie Barnes (4^th – 3:22), LaQuita Williams (4^th- 3:29)

GARY (11-18-2004) -  Somebody had to turn something around late Thursday evening at Lew Wallace.

The Hornets, rated No. 13 in the pre-season state wide, were coming off a surprising 10-point loss to Harlan high in Chicago while Andrean was trying to block out the memory of a monster 83-41 season-opening loss at home to Fort Wayne's Class 3A No. 2 Bishop Luers.

The game ran long but the short drive home was even shorter for the 59ers, who pulled off a major upset 61-54 in the overheated Lew Wallace gym.

The 59ers, who had just seven players available at the end of the game and were outsized four inches per girl at the forward slots all night, pressed the guard-weak Hornets into 35 turnovers to score their first win of the season. The Hornets 6-2 junior all-state candidate Sharon Houston rolled up 30 points, grabbed 19 rebounds and blocked at least eight shots. But even when Andrean's 5-10 junior Suzanne Cunningham, the only girl they had who even resembles a post player, went to the bench with an injury with six minutes to play, Lew Wallace (1-2) could not overcome the 59er lead.

“I told the kids when they went into the locker room that they grew up about 20 games tonight,” said Coach Ken Markful, who was fearful that an opening schedule of Luers, Lew Wallace, Penn, Lowell and St. Joseph's would very quickly make the 59ers the best 0-5 team in Lake County.

“I was really, really impressed when they (LW) got the lead down top three points,” Markfull recalled of the 52-49 moment with 3:53 to play. “But we called a time out. We came right out, took our time and got a layup. That's beautiful. And at that point, we had two sophomores on the floor.”

The layup didn't go in, but 5-8 senior Anne Gosser did draw a foul and hit both free throws to give her side a five point lead. Senior guard Meghan O'Neill also came off the bench in the fourth quarter to hit 3-of-4 from the foul line. Whatever success Andrean goes on to have this season is because of Gosser and O'Neill, who are a rarity, first year varsity seniors.

“Those two did a great job for us tonight,” said Markfull, “and they played on the junior varsity as juniors last year.”

Wallace needs reorganization and it may come by the time Andrean sees them again at sectional time. Any team with Houston, 5-10 wing LaQuita Williams and Antoinette Scott, a 6-0 transfer from Horace Mann, should be a force on the floor. But the LW guards were totally incapable of getting the ball up the floor against Andrean's full court defense.

Houston, who averaged 23 points last year for Wallace's 12-6 team, can play any position at this level but is not a true post player.

What jumps out at you is that the big junior could get the ball much more often if she played guard, and left the inside forward slots to Scott and Williams. Though they still have more than one defensive problem, shifting Houston to guard or wing would make LW a dominating offensive team.

“That's what I want to do,” said interim coach James Gates. “The problem is, we can't make passes. We want her to get inside to score, too and once she gives the ball up, you can see she never gets it back. They just don't get the ball back to her. But we're working on it.”

For Andrean (1-1), the road remains tough early on. They were facing overwhelming odds against Penn (3-0) and St. Joseph's (3-0). But the remainder of the schedule looks lighter, if only by comparison. And when sectional time comes, if defending champion Lew Wallace, as expected, is the favorite, Andrean will know what's possible and what's not.

“This was big for us,” said Markful. “I was very proud of them”.

NINER NOTES:  Andrean's football victory over New Prairie Friday means that the Nov., 27 game at Lowell (2-0) will have to be postponed, something that does not bother Markfull at all.

“Maybe we can push it back to February,” he joked.

Andrean junior Rachel McGinty, a 5-10 forward who can give the 59ers an inside presence they need, hopes to be playing this week after a back injury she suffered during Andrean's regional championship soccer season.

Wallace blocked 14 Andrean shots and the home team benefited from a loosely officiated game, something that is a somewhat of a tradition among Gary schools.

“A lot of those were great blocks,” said Markful, “but a lot of times they got the body, too.”

Wallace coach Johnna Smith was not present and her absence was not explained. There has been no announcement of any type of leave of absence.

Andrean has four sophomores on the varsity and they have a very small JV, with six freshmen. The 59ers had to finish a 60-10 JV win over Lew Wallace with just four players on the floor.

Andrean opens play in the Lake Athletic Conference (LAC) tournament with a quarterfinal game on Tuesday Dec. 7. The 59ers are one of four teams in the Wheeler Holiday tournament with Hobart (1-0), Hammond (1-2) and Wheeler (1-1).

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Revised: November 23, 2004 .