Balanced attack, inside game powers Lady Bulldogs over LC, 70-49 in Girls Basketball

A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith
01-16-2012

LC coach Leslie Iwema watches Jessica Bell (33) dribble against Crown Point's Alexis Joseph in Saturday night's game in Crown Point. CP defeated LC for the second time this season. (All photos by Mark Smith)

Courtney Kvachkoff (20) tries to stay in front of LC's Jordan Horan (23). LC was just 17 of 50 from the floor.

CP coach Anne Equihua watches second half play from in front of the the CP bench. The Lady Bulldogs improved to 7-3 in the Duneland Athletic Conference. (The USA-365.com announcers Dave Woodworth and Frank Sprankle can be seen in the row above the scorer's table.)

Lake Centrals' Jordan Horan (23) defends the inbounds pass for the Indians. LC played four girls 5-foot-4 or smaller against CP which has six girls 5-foot-10 or taller. CP won 70-49.

Beth Ingram (11) passes the ball around LC senior Angela Perez (11) in Saturday's game (1-14-2012) in Crown Point.

Coach Anne Equihua comments on the USA-365.com post game radio show after CP won by 21 points. "Tonight I was very impressed with our passing."

CP's Courtney Kvachkoff (20) crosses the time line against Jordan Horan of LC. Kvachkoff scored 13 points with 10 rebounds and three steals.

Kendall Brown (31) gets a pass away before she hits the floor against LC. Brown also hit 9-of-14 field goal attempts and 3 of 5 free throws for 21 points.

LAKE CENTRAL (49) Lizzie Seymour 4-1-11, Nikki Adams 5-3-13, Jessica Bell 5-4-14, Chrissy Addison 2-0-4, Kristin Paganelli 1-0-2, Jordan Horan 0-2-2, Megan Krol 0-1-1, Megan Bereda 0-2-2, Tara Zlotkowski 0-0-0, Angela Perez 0-0-0. TOTALS: 17 (13-23) 49.

CROWN POINT (70) Beth Ingram 1-0-2, Katija Tarailo 1-0-2, Michaela Prough 4-0-8, Alexis Joseph 7-0-14, Kendall Brown 9-3-21, Abby Kvachkoff 3-0-7, Courtney Kvachkoff 5-3-13, Taylor Equihua 1-0-2, Lauren O'Keefe 0-1-1. TOTALS: 31 (7-12) 70.

FREE THROWS: LC (13-23, 56.5%) Bell 4-6, Adams 3-6, Horan 2-3, Bereda 2-2, Krol, 1-2, Seymour 1-2, Perez 0-2; CP (7-12, 58.3%) Courtney Kvachkoff 3-5, Brown 3-5, O'Keefe 1-2.

REBOUNDS: LC (27) Adams 9, Bell 8, Bereda 3, Seymour 2, Krol 2, DelBovo 2, Zlotkowski; CP (34) Joseph 13, Courtney Kvachkoff 10, Prough 5, Ingram 3, Brown 2, Equihua.

ASSISTS: LC (2) Perez, Adams; CP (12) Brown 4, Ingram 4, Courtney Kvachkoff 2, Abby Kvachkoff, Prough.

STEALS: LC (13) Bell 5, DelBovo 2, Perez 2, Paganelli, Horan Addison, Adams; CP (10) Courtney Kvachkoff 3, Brown 2, Ingram, O'Keefe, Abby Kvachkoff, Prough, Equihua .

FOULED OUT: CP (1) Alexis Joseph (4th Q) 1:12 left.

3-GOALS: LC (2) Lizzie Seymour 2; CP (1) Abby Kvachkoff.

Lake Central at Crown Point Lady Bulldogs game statistics

On the coldest night of the new year, CP (10-6) jumped to a 6-0 lead and never trailed, holding their next door neighbor school to just 17 field goals and 34% shooting.

Lake Central, led by senior forward Nikki Adams and sophomore guard Lizzie Seymour, cut a 12-point halftime lead to 33-28 midway through the third quarter. But CP seemed to thrive on the up-tempo pace that Lake Central wanted. Seniors Courtney Kvachkoff, Alexis Joseph and Kendall Brown combined for 14 third quarter points and 17 more in the final quarter to overwhelm the smaller LC girls.

"Tonight I thought we did a much better job of protecting the ball," said CP coach Anne Equihua, noting that the Lady Bulldogs committed 24 turnovers in the earlier game Dec. 9 at Lake Central.

"Overall everybody did a much better job of being careful with the ball. We played as a team. It wasn't a one-person show. In some games, we have not been very good passers and tonight I was very impressed with our passing."

Crown Point had some time to gear up for this Jan. 14 game because they hadn't played since Jan. 6. That may not seem like a long gap, but let the record show: That was the longest break between games CP has had all season. Some teams do not play over the Christmas holidays or they play in a one-day, multiple team tournament. The Lady Bulldogs had single games scheduled for Dec. 20, 23, 27 and 30. It was like they were auditioning for the National Basketball Association.

"To be honest (getting some days off) was great," said Equihua. "We played 14 games before the end of the year and our girls were dead tired. The Hobart game (a 34-31 road loss on Dec. 30). Give Hobart credit but we were not on our game. It was kind of refreshing to get some time to prepare. We were actually able to give the girls one whole day off, which we hadn't had all year. It was nice to be able to plan and not get ready for two teams."

Crown Point committed only four turnovers in the first half as they built a 29-10 lead. Brown, a 5-foot-10 guard, scored 11 of her 21 in the first half, as Lake Central didn't score from the field until Nikki Adams' basket with 7:35 remaining in the second quarter.

A major factor was LC's rotation of guards Angela Perez, Jordan Horan and Megan Krol, all of whom are 5-foot-1 or shorter. CP's smallest player is the 5-foot-5 senior Beth Ingram among the starters Brown, 5-foot-9 Courtney Kvachkoff and 6-foot+ seniors Michaela Prough and Alexis Joseph.

The dark clouds rolled in during the second half. In a scramble in front of the CP bench, senior guard Beth Ingram, who has been invaluable this season with the major disabling injuries to projected starting guards Haley Bordui and Sarah Rivich, took a blow to the head and sat out the rest of the game.

"She has a slight concussion," said Equihua. "So she may be out for a while. We don't know. Right when we play Michigan City next. Last time we had to play Michigan City without Kendall Brown."

Brown, who missed four games with a concussion in December, had her best game since coming back off that injury with 21 points (9 of 14 shooting), four assists, two steals and just three turnovers in 25 minutes of play.

"She hasn't been herself since she came back," confirms Equihua. "She's had trouble shooting. And anybody knows that since you start thinking about that. She realized that when your outside shot isn't falling that you can still get to the basket."

In the final minute of the game, junior center Taylor Equihua, aggravated a knee injury and left the gym to get ice.

"Her knee has been giving her problems," said coach Equihua, who explained that Taylor's knee is a chronic problem. "I wasn't going to play her but she said 'no, Mom, I can go.' I don't know how long she'll be out."

Ingram maybe back against Michigan City and she may not be.

"We're going to have to do a concussion test on her," said coach Equihua. "And she could be ruled out. Knowing our luck this year. We'll be without her for the Michigan City game where we really need her."

The Lady Bulldogs are three game behind first place Merrillville in the Duneland Athletic Conference (DAC) with only five games to play and they don't have a good chance to catch the Pirates. CP is just one game behind second place Michigan City (13-3, 8-2), the team they play in LaPorte county next Friday night. Someone else would have to defeat Merrillville twice before the Pirates' season finale at Crown Point on Thursday night, Feb. 2 for the Lady Bulldogs to have a chance to tie for the DAC crown.

But the win over Lake Central did put CP (10-6, 7-3) three full games ahead of the final five teams in the league. The Lady Bulldogs will almost certainly finish either second or third in the DAC this season, depending on this upcoming Friday's game with Michigan City.

"We always seem to be playing them when they come off a loss," said Equihua. "They're a very good team. Last time we played them we were tied at the half and down five after three quarters. That's an advantage. We know what to expect. We'll be ready."

"But the time off has been great. It gives us half a chance to get ready."

CPLB NOTES: Odds are very good now that Merrillville will get to Crown Point on Feb. 2 with a 19-0 record trying to become the first NW Indiana team since East Chicago in 2003 to complete an undefeated regular season, not to mention the first girls team in NW Indiana history to go 20-0 in the regular season. The Lady Bulldogs are very aware of that.

"Anytime you are undefeated, you are confident," said Coach Anne Equihua. "But it's our 'Senior Night' (the final home game). We have nothing to lose. My talk's going to be, 'Do you want to remember your last home game?' But if we play them twice in a week (the sectional begin four days after the final game), I'd rather beat them the second time."

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Revised: January 29, 2012 .