Lady Wolves win PCC Championship with 65-37 win over South Central

A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith
01-28-2010

BOONE (65) Kelly Dobson 6-1-17, Jordan Chester 2-1-5, Emily Bobrowski 1-4-7, Emily Strilich 2-2-6, Brittany Dewell 2-1-5, Mary Kieffer 0-1-1, Claudia Cooper 3-0-6, Brittany Shaffer 8-0-18, Caitlin Wilcox 0-0-0, Callie Fuller 0-0-0, Sammy Pratt 0-0-0, TOTALS: 24 (10-20) 65.

SOUTH CENTRAL (37) Shelby Worthen 2-0-5, Hayley Pahl 0-0-0, Stephanie Balon 3-5-11, Kate Bekavac 5-4-14, Sydney Satoski 1-0-3, Brittany Wright 1-0-2, Melana Iseminger 1-0-2, Kayla Pritchard 0-0-0.  TOTALS: 13 (10-17) 37.

FREE THROWS:  BOONE (10-20) Dobson 1-2, Chester 1-1, Bobrowski 4-4, Strilich 2-4, Dewell 1-2, Kiefer 1-3, Shaffer 0-1, Cooper 0-1 SOUTH CENTRAL (10-17, 58.8%) Balon 5-5, Satoski 1-2, Bekavac 4-7, Isemigner 0-2.

REBOUNDS:  BOONE (33) Strilich 7, Shaffer 6, Dewell 6, Cooper 5, Dobson 4, Chester 2, Kieffer 2, Fuller. SOUTH CENTRAL (25) Balon 7, Satoski 2, Bakavac 6, Pahl 6, Worthen 2, Iseminger 2.

ASSISTS:  SOUTH CENTRAL (2) Bekavac 2; BOONE (12) Dewell 6, Bobrowski 3, Chester 2, Fuller.

3-GOALS:  BOONE (7) Kelly Dobson 4, Brittany Shaffer 2, Emily Bobrowski.; SOUTH CENTRAL (1) Shelby Worthen.

HANOVER (35) Kayla Higginbotham 2-0-4, Sammy Huffnagle 1-2-5, Blayr Poston 5-2-14, Abby Schweitzer 5-1-11, Becky Fortner 0-1-1, Kayla Garthus 0-0-0, Courtney Pattison 0-0-0, Kim McKeague 0-0-0, Megan Kirn 0-0-0.  TOTALS:  13 (6-12) 35.

SOUTH CENTRAL (40) Shelby Worthen 3-0-7, Kayley Pahl 1-3-5, Stephanie Balon 3-1-8, Kate Bekavac 5-6-16, Sydney Satoski 1-0-2, Brittany Wright 0-2-2, Melana Iseminger 0-0-0, Kayla Pritchard 0-0-0. TOTALS:  13 (12-20) 40.

FREE THROWS: HANOVER (6-12, 50%) Huffnagle 2-6, Potson 2-2, Schweitzer 1-2, Fortner 1-2; SOUTH CENTRAL (12-20, 60%) Pahl 3-4, Balon 1-2, Bekavac 6-9, Worthen 0-1, Wright 2-4.

REBOUNDS:  HANOVER (29) Schweitzer 9, Huffnagle 6, Potson 6, Higginbotham 3, Pattison 2, Garthus 2, Fortner; SOUTH CENTRAL (28) Balon 9, Satoski 4, Bakavac 3, Pahl 3, Worthen 3, Iseminger 2, Wright 3.

ASSISTS:  SOUTH CENTRAL (4) Balon 2, Bekavac, Worthen; HANOVER CENTRAL (6) Potson 2, Huffnagle 2, Higginbotham, Schweitzer.

3-GOALS:  HANOVER (4) Blayr Poston 2, Sammy Huffnagle; SOUTH CENTRAL (2) Shelby Worthen, Stephanie Balon.

HEBRON (38) Alyssa Sheets 3-2-8, Paige Higginbotham 1-3-5, Rachelle Cook 3-3-9, Kaylee Asher 2-1-6, Julie Hogg 0-3-3, Lynn Tokarski 3-0-6, Julie Heuttner 0-1-1, Alix Shirclif 0-0-0, Christy Reick 0-0-0, Kara Cunningham 0-0-0.  TOTALS:  12 (13-20) 38.

BOONE GROVE (59) Emily Strilich 3-4-10, Brittany Dewell 2-2-6, Caitlin Wilcox 3-1-7, Emily Bobrowski 7-4-25, Brittany Shaffer 1-3-5, Mary Kieffer 0-2-2, Claudia Cooper 1-2-4, Jordan Chester 0-0-0, Kelly Dobson 0-0-0, Danielle Cantwell 0-0-0, Kallie Fuller 0-0-0.  TOTALS:  17 (18-27) 59.

FREE THROWS: HEBRON (13-20, 65%) Sheets 2-4, Higginbotham 3-4, Cook 3-3, Asher 1-1, Hogg 3-4, Reick 0-2, Huettner 1-2.
BOONE (18-27, 66.7%) Strilich 4-5, Bobrowski 4-4, Dewell 2-4, Wilcox 1-2, Kieffer 2-2, Shaffer 3-4, Cooper 2-6.

REBOUNDS:  HEBRON (27) Sheets 8, Hogg 3, Tokorski 3, Shircliff 2, Higginbotham 2, Heuttner 2, Reick 2, Cunningham 2, Cook 2, Asher; BOONE (24) Strilich 5, Dobson 3, Shafer 3, Chester 3, Dewell 2, Wilcox 3, Cooper 2, Bobrowski 2, Kieffer.

ASSISTS:  HEBRON (4) Cunningham 2, Sheets, Asher; BOONE (8) Chester 3, Dobson 2, Shaffer 2, Kieffer.

STEALS:  HEBRON (8) Sheets 2, Higginbotham 2, Reick, Cunningham, Asher, Shircliff; BOONE (18) Bobrowski 3, Wilcox 3, Kieffer 3, Dewell 2, Dobson 2, Strilich 2, Shaffer 2, Keller.

TURNOVERS:  HEBRON (10-11-9-8) 38; BOONE (2-5-0-10) 17

3-GOALS:  HEBRON (1) Kaylee Asher; BOONE (7) Emily Bobrowski 7.

HEBRON, IN (01-23-2010)  The expected meeting of Hanover Central and Boone Grove in the 38th Porter County Girls Basketball Tournament never occurred.  It could have.  Hanover thinks it should have.  But favored Boone Grove said, 'That's none of our business.'  The Wolves (17-1) dominated the tourney with three solid wins including a 65-37 victory over upset-minded South Central in the finals early Saturday night.

What happened to Hanover?  That's a painful story.  HC led the vast majority of Friday night's semifinal game against South Central, a team they had defeated two weeks earlier.  But South Central did not give up, and while they proved no match for Boone in the title game, the Satellites (8-9) rallied from a 35-30 deficit with 2:58 to go to eliminate Hanover one step from the widely anticipated showdown.

"How did we give that away?" asked Hanover coach Doug Nelson afterwards.  "Nobody stepped up to make a play.  They did what they had to do and we couldn't make a play."

Hanover led by five on a driving lay up by freshman guard Blayr Poston.  But SC's Shelby Worthen hit a long three point shot as she was fouled.  Worthen missed the free throw but Katie Bekavac stole the ball, drove the length of the floor and scored on a driving layup to tie the game 35-35 with 1:12 to go.

HC's Samantha Huffnagle missed a baseline jump shot and SC scored with junior Stephanie Balon getting into the foul lane for a layup.  Hanover had a serious chance to tie the game, but Poston missed a three-pointer and Courtney Pattison could not get a shot jump shot to fall.  Hanover had to foul and Brittany Wright sank a free throw with five seconds to go.  One last chance for HC failed when SC double-teamed Poston and she was called for traveling.  Pahl hit two late free throws with one second to go to create the final score.

"This is my biggest win in my two years here," said SC varsity coach Rick Budka.  "To get to the finals in the PCC and get to play a great team like Boone Grove is awesome.  Our girls just never gave up."

Hanover never led by more than five in the first half as both teams had major shooting problems.  But HC went to a trapping press in the third period and built a 27-18 lead on baskets by seniors Huffnagle and Abby Schweitzer.  It was 31-22 before SC scored the final five points of the third period.

When Poston drew her fourth foul with 4:02 to go, she went to the bench and HC could not get points.  South Central only had eight players in uniform, but they found emotion in the late going.  Hanover got a basket from Schweitzer with six minutes left and Poston's hoop at the 2:59 mark.

"A four-point fourth quarter," Nelson said with disgust.  "You cant do anything with that.  Our seniors have to make plays at the end.  Everybody says they want the ball, but you've got to come and get it at the end."

Hanover needed to reach the PCC finals.  They've played a good schedule, but the best teams like Gavit, Calumet and Crown Point and even River Forest all defeated HC.  Losing to South Central isn't as bad as not getting a shot at Boone.

"We've got a tough schedule coming," Nelson said.  "Boone Grove, Morgan, Kouts. KV.  We've got to get better and time is running out."

Boone Grove has gotten used to winning the PCC, but it's somewhat new for player like Brittany Shaffer, who transferred from KV after eighth grade and Emily Bobrowski, who transferred from Valparaiso this season.

"We have two or three more games and then the sectional," said Shaffer, who scored 18.  "But this is special.  This my second (PCC title).  Could I still be at KV?  Yes, I could have.  But I wanted to be here.  I like it a lot better here.  I believe in us."

Bobrowski hit seven three-point goals against Hebron in a 59-38 semifinal victory and she's given Boone a lot more precision handling the ball.  Offensively, she can hit three-pointers and free throws and that opens things up for Boone's larger players.

"We played a good three quarters," smiled Wilson, who won the PCC for the seventh time, a league record.  "I'd like to get four, but three is better than two and that's what we'd been having.  We have athletes and we have some athletes who are basketball players and there's a difference."

South Central outscored Boone 17-12 in the second quarter, but they got tired with the short bench and committed 21 turnovers.

"Maybe not playing Hanover had something to do with it," Wilson said grudgingly, "but it shouldn't have.  When we get to the sectionals, we can't do that."

Wilson is grateful for all the success she's had because when she first came to Boone and she first became the Wolves' coach, things did not go well.

"I've had a lot of great players," she said of her seven titles.  "I've had a lot of great assistant coaches.  A lot of different people.  It was one of those things where I was just bullheaded enough to push through.  Looking back at those seasons, I don't know.  I keep a picture of the team every year to keep me grounded and remember where we've been."

Wilson does not teach at Boone Grove.  She's always taught at Boone Grove Middle School and she believes that is part of her success as a high school varsity coach.

"I do," she said. "I think having your thumb on your middle school program is a big part of it.  That's why I want to work there.  I can see every kid who's coming into my program every day. they come to my science class and I get to see their games.  That makes a difference.  And our kids get to the Middle School program to work with them.  That makes a big difference.  The kids in the program all know each other."

PCC NOTES:  The girls portion of the Porter County Conference tournament is moving to Washington Township in 2011.

"Its going to be rotating on a three-year basis," said Cheri Birky, the PCC's executive secretary.  Will the rotation ever get to Hanover Central?

"Probably not," she admitted.  "They (HC) might have the best gym now.  But it would be hard for the schools over here (Morgan, Kouts, LaCrosse, Washington Township) to get there during the week."

No one actually says this, but it has always been assumed that the Porter County Tournament won't ever be held outside of Porter County, which excludes league members Hanover, LaCrosse and South Central.

Boone Grove coach Candy Wilson admits she's already scouting the post-season.

"The moon and the stars have to align correctly for you to win a lot of things," she said.  "It takes four quarters of basketball.  Jimtown?  They are very crisp and sharp.  If we are lucky enough to be able to get to that point, that would be a very difficult game.  We led them at halftime a couple of years ago and that was when Emily (Strilich) had broken her elbow.  We ended up losing by two or three but I would like another crack at them.  They're a nice team, but we have a nice sectional, too."

Attendance at Friday's girls semifinals was down to maybe 200 for the entire night, probably a result of two factors.  The big match-up of the girls tourney was Kouts (11-3) vs. Boone (16-1) in the quarterfinals.  Plus, host Morgan was eliminated on opening night.  The boys semifinal drew about 1500 and the championship Saturday night drew a capacity crowd.

Boone Grove guard Brittany Dewell was in an unusual position in Friday's semifinals as her older sister Megan, a former Boone player, is now an assistant for rookie coach Stephanie (Nelson) Schulte at Hebron.  Dewell played for Boone when Schulte (then Nelson) was an assistant coach for longtime Boone coach Candy Wilson.  Does all that make sense?

"They're both ex-assistant coaches of mine," said Wilson, who reminded that the elder Dewell spent time at Boone last year as a rookie assistant coach.

"We've played them three times this year and I'm glad that's it," Wilson said.  "It's hard to play them.  It's hard for us (Boone) to play Hebron under any circumstances."