Lady
Wolves still a force in PCC, defeat Washington Twp 52-26Lady
Wolves still a force in PCC, defeat Washington Twp 52-26A USA-365.com Special Report
by Mark Smith
12-09-2007
| Team /Record | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final |
| BOONE GROVE (5-2, 3-0 PCC) | 16 | 14 | 13 | 9 | 52 |
| WASHINGTON Twp (3-5, 1-3 PCC) | 14 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 26 |
BOONE
GROVE
(52)
Kristyn
Kessler
3-3-9,
Jessica
Fauser
2-1-6,
Jessica
Dowdy
4-0-10,
Kelly
Dobson
3-0-6,
Emily
Strilich
6-0-12,
Danielle
Cantwell
1-0-2,
Lauren
Mastey
1-0-3,
Brittany
Dewell
1-0-2,
Jordan
Chester
1-0-2,
Caitlyn
Wilcox
0-0-0,
Mary
Kieffer
0-0-0.
TOTALS:
22 (4-7)
52.
WASHINGTON
TOWNSHIP
(26) Abby
Walters
1-0-2,
Lindsey
Whitcomb
2-0-5,
Megan Kaczmarski
2-2-8,
Liz
Lueck
2-1-5,
Sarah
Lawson
1-0-2,
Mandie
Biggs
2-0-4,
Marie
Wyckoff
0-0-0,
Jessica
Johnson
0-0-0. TOTALS:
10 (3-4)
26.
FREE
THROWS:
BOONE
(4-7,
57.1%)
Kessler
3-4,
Fauser
1-3;
WT (3-4,
75%) Lueck
1-2,
Kaczmarski
2-2.
REBOUNDS:
BOONE
(25)
Kessler
6,
Fauser
4,
Strilich
4, Cantwell
2,
Chester
2, Dewell
2,
Mastey
2,
Kieffer,
Wilcox,
Dobson.
WT (20) Wycoff
5, Lueck
4,
Lawson
3,
Whitcomb
2,
Johnson
2, Biggs
2,
Kaczmarski
2.
ASSISTS:
BOONE
(15)
Fauser
4, Dowdy
3,
Kessler
2,
Strilich
2,
Mastey
2,
Kieffer,
Chester;
WT (4) Lueck 3,
Walters.
3-GOALS:
BOONE
(4)
Jessica
Dowdy 2,
Jessica
Fauser,
Lauren
Mastey;
WT (2)
Megan
Kaczmarksi
2.
WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP (12-6-2007)
If this was the year the Porter County Conference (PCC) was supposed to
catch up to three-time defending champion Boone Grove, it isn't happening
yet.
Boone has won the PCC tournament three years in a row, and even with two
sophomores in the starting lineup, nobody in the PCC has come close to the
Wolves after three games. Washington Township (3-5, 1-2 PCC) stayed
with Boone for a quarter Thursday night, but it was over after that.
Boone's height inside and experience outside overwhelmed the Senators 52-26
in a pivotal PCC game.
Boone Grove (5-2, 3-0 PCC) knows that in the PCC, nobody cares about your regular season record. It's all about that 85-year-old tournament they hold in Porter County every January. But Boone has beaten three consecutive PCC foes by 20 points or more. It's not surprising they're winning. It's the margin of the victories.
A 14-2 second quarter run gave the Wolves a 13-point half-time lead and a 15-0 second half run made it 47-24 with 4:20 left in the game. Washington's edge is size in 6-foot senior Marie Wyckoff and 6-foot-1 junior center Lindsey Whitcomb, but the Senators have seven freshmen and sophomores on the varsity and it showed in 20 WT turnovers.
Boone Grove's seniors, guards Jessica Dowdy and Jessica Fauser and post
Kristyn Kessler helped disrupt the Senators before they got into scoring
position. Boone's 6-foot-1 sophomore forward Emily Strilich moved well all
night and got her shots away, scoring eight of her 12 points in the second
quarter when Boone forged its first big lead. With Strilich and
5-foot-10 Kelly Dobson on the perimeter, the Wolves become a very disruptive
half court team. Strilich blocked three shots and made an impact all over
the floor in Boone's fifth consecutive win since openng losses to 3A Calumet
(6-2) and 4A Highland 6-2).
"You really can't block her shot," said Wolves' coach Candy Wilson, "and she
can beat other big people with her quickness. I just want her outside.
If she keeps her arms up, it's hard to shoot over her. She can run in
and get a rebound rather than bang with people. She's going to lose
that (banging) battle every time."
"We've been working on her stepping out and taking that shot. Last year, she wasn't quite ready. She didn't really hear what we were saying. Now, she's matured so much in this past year."
Leading 16-15, a conventional three-point play by Kessler upped the lead to 19-15 before Strilich scored on three consecutive times down the floor. Dowdy sank a turnaround three-point shot to make it 28-15 with 1:20 left in the half.
Washington's Whitcomb, a double figure scorer on average, never got started as the Senators weren't patient trying to get the ball to her. Whitcomb didn't score in the first half and three of her five points came on a three-point shot. The mere fact that the Senators' 6-1 post player was shooting a three-pointer was a victory for Boone.
"Our guards did a good job against her (Whitcomb) when she put the ball on the floor," said Wilson. "When she put it down, Dowdy and Fauser knocked it away from her. I think we took her out of her game. She got frustrated."
Boone knows that one of the reasons they won this game is because Washington is not equipped to full court press them. They also know that the next foe, Crown Point, is equipped to press.
"We play them well at our place," said Wilson. "But we just don't play well over there (at CP). I'm going to have to get out the tape measure and show them the baskets are at the same height and the floor is the same length."
"Highland is a tough place and we went there last year and won, but we can't play at Crown Point. Maybe it'll be different."
WOLF NOTES: Boone's win over Washington was their first game in nine days. It was also the first of four games in eight days.
"We have got to rearrange the schedule," said coach Candy Wilson. "This nine days off and then four games in eight days has to go. It makes no sense."
Wilson says that there will be a boys/girls double-header on Friday night for Homecoming next season.
Boone senior Kristyn Kessler says there's a reason that sophomores Kelly Dobson and Emily Strilich are more comfortable at forward than center. And it has to do with Valparaiso's 6-foot-4 sephomore Gina Lang.
"They all play on the same AAU team," Kristyn explained. "A couple of the Valpo girls and some of our girls. They're the same age. She (Lang) is the center on their team."
Kessler who, at one time, was the youngest player on the Boone varsity, is now, alone with Jessica Dowdy and Jessica Fauser, the oldest.
"It's different," Kessler said. "They are definitely a funny bunch. Especially Cate (Caitlin Wilcox).
Boone's new 2A sectional 34 foe Winamac (7-0) is ranked in the Top-10 state
wide, and has recorded a 44-34 win over Lewis Cass (7-1). Boone,
Culver, North Judson, North Newton and arch-rivals Hebron and Boone will
play this season the 2A North Judson Sectional.
Boone drew Hebron in the second semifinal game of the annual South County
Tournament at Hebron on Dec. 21. Morgan Township plays Kouts in the second
game.
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