Lady Pirates dominate CP Lady Bulldogs, 62-39

CROWN POINT (12-29-2007) - Merrillville had been playing a lot of road games and it hadn't been going well.  But, for the Pirates, Crown Point has become a home away from home.
It isn't so much that Merrillville has won seven of the last nine now from Crown Point.  It's that, for the third straight year, Merrillville beat Crown Point decisively in Crown Point.  The final score Saturday was 62-39 and there may indeed be that much difference between these two squads.

"There's no off night in the DAC," said a disappointed Crown Point coach Scott Reid.  "Nobody's easy, but yes, the speed of Merrillville and Michigan City is a big problem for us."

Merrillville (9-4) has consistently been a big problem for everybody (the Pirates are 44-12) over the last three years.  But after a dominating 82-65 win over defending DAC champion Michigan City on Dec. 11, Merrillville lost two of their next three games to teams that, let's just say, aren't Michigan City (11-3).

"It wasn't perfect," said Merrillvile coach Amy Govert.  "We still have those lapses.  Unforced turnovers.  We come past half-court and give the ball away.  Some games we didn't do that and we played great.  But that kind of stuff we need to take care of.  There are games where that comes back to hurt you.  Tonight, it didn't."

In front of a small Saturday night crowd, CP never led after senior Pirate guard Britney Cruse hit three, three-point baskets in the first quarter to overcome some early Bulldog one-point leads.  A 10-2 run boosted by Cruse (who had 13 first quarter points) and 5-foot-7 junior forward Tierra Turner, (who had six points and three steals in the first quarter) to a 23-13 edge with 6:50 left in the first half.

CP's three-girl core of juniors Daniela Tarailo, Sydnee Reeves and Maegan Maoney combined for 18 first half points, but the Pirates' ability to take the ball away from CP dribblers (seven first half steals) built a base lead that the Pirates never really relinquished.

CP closed to with 37-29 on a basket by Maloney with 4:18 left in the third quarter but a Cruse three-pointer sparked a 7-0 run and the lead was larger than it had been at any time.
Crown Point accepted the inevitable in the second half and used the time to get young players some extended playing time.  Fourteen Lady Bulldogs played in the game.

"We are having trouble concentrating for four quarters," said Reid, whose team drops to 0-8 in the DAC.  "Tonight the effort was there and they never gave up.  Their speed is a problem.  They attack you.  They really come at you.  We have those periods of time where we don't score."

Merrillville's consistency problems may stem from the DAC schedule, which requires you to play the same teams a lot.  If you're the Pirates, and you've beaten CP (or Valparaiso or LaPorte) twice a year the last two years, how do you get excited about facing them again?

"Its hard," Govert admits.  (Assistant coach Stephanie) Nelson and I have tried everything we can think of to motivate everybody for every game.  We knew we were in trouble when we played Lake Central (a 64-57 upset loss on Dec. 15).  Right before the game there was no energy.  And at that time we had sole possession of first place."

"We play Crown Point the last game of the season (Feb. 2).  We could easily draw them and then we'd turn around and play them again three or four days later.  So we tell the kids, 'Oh, by the way.  We're playing Crown Point again.'"

"But we know, this is the best conference in the area," added Govert.  This is the best competition.  We've got to make the best of it.  They (CP) aren't that bad a team.  I know they're 0-8 (in the DAC), but how many games have they lost outside of the conference?  That's why I told our team you better not dare take them for granted."

CP NOTES:  The Lady Bulldogs played 5-foot-5 freshman Kelly Gross at point guard for most of the second half.  She did not score, but did collect three steals and a couple of assists. Most of CP's problems the last three seasons, to be honest, have been the lack of a true lead guard, and while Gross is not quite big and strong enough yet to make some of the passes required at that position yet, but she does have 'the gift'.  The natural ability to handle the ball with both hands and your head up that a lead guard must have at this level.