Tarailo's buzzer-beater boosts Bulldogs to 46-44 win over Lake Central

A USA-365.com Special Report by Dave Woodworth
12-09-2006

Friday, December 8, 2006 - Duneland Athletic Conference game at Crown Point, Indiana

LAKE CENTRAL (44)  Krystal Coleman 1-2-4, Jenelle Kapelinski 3-3-11, Brandi Fehrman 1-0-2, Allison Aguilera 1-0-3, Tabitha Deakin 0-0-0, Jenny Britton 4-4-13, Jamie Auer 1-3-5, Ashley Michalski 2-2-6.  TOTALS:  13 (14-25) 44.

CROWN POINT (46)  Anjellica Rospond 4-4-12, Amanda Moore 1-1-3, Courtney Perry 4-4-12, Daniela Tarailo 7-0-15, Brittany Clements 2-0-4, Kristi Quigley 0-0-0, Maegan Maloney 0-0-0, Sydnee Reeves 0-0-0, Andjalina Obradovic 0-0-0, Kristen Morason 0-0-0,  TOTALS:  18 (9-15) 46.

FREE THROWS:  Lake Central (14-25, 56.0%) Coleman 2-2, Kapelinski 3-8, Fehrman 0-2, Britton 4-5, Auer 3-4, Michalski 2-4. 

CROWN POINT (9-15, 60.0%) Rospond 4-5, Perry 4-4, Moore 1-2, Quigley 0-1, Obradovic 0-3.

REBOUNDS:  (Leaders) Lake Central - Michalski 8, Kapelinski 7;  CROWN POINT - Rospond 9.

STEALS: (Leaders) Lake Central - Kapelinski 4;  CROWN POINT - Tarailo 3, Clements 3.

ASSISTS:  (Leaders) Lake Central - Kapelinski 3;   CROWN POINT - Tarailo 3.

TURNOVERS:   Lake Central 6-3-1-3 (13)  CROWN POINT 3-2-5-2 (12)

FOULED OUT: Allison Aguilera (LC) 3:08 left - 4th Qtr;  Courtney Perry (CP) 7:10 left - 4th Qtr.

CROWN POINT, IN (12-08-2006) -  It was one of the most exciting Lady Bulldog finishes in recent memory.  With Crown Point trailing by two points late in the game, sophomore guard Daniela Tarailo grabbed a key rebound and scored a put-back basket with 15 seconds left to tie the game at 44-44.  As the clock was ticking down to 10-seconds, LC senior guard Jenny Brtton (4 FG, 4 FT, 13 points) drove the ball into the lane where she was met by a wall of three CP defenders, was tied up, and the ball was stolen by Tarailo who passed to Brittany Clements.  She brought the ball into the frontcourt for CP and found a streaking Tarailo on the left side of the basket who banked in a shot just before the final buzzer to secure a hard-earned Lady Bulldogs victory, 46-44.

Coming into this game, Lake Central had played a tougher schedule than Crown Point, as was evidenced by the Lady Indians' higher Sagarin Ratings, 75.32 to 72.98.  Both teams were hungry for a win, especially against a fellow Duneland Athletic Conference opponent.  The Lady Bulldogs took an early lead over Lake Central behind a strong first half by senior center Courtney Perry (6-foot-0), who scored 12 points in the first 16 minutes of play, helping CP to 12-8 first quarter and 24-18 halftime leads. 

The Lady Bulldogs led by as many as 10 points late in the second quarter, but LC came on strong in the second half, outscoring CP 18-9 in the 3rd quarter while Perry was forced to sit on the bench with foul trouble.  That's when Lake Central's Jenelle Kapelinksi and Jenny Britton hit three-point shots in successive plays, and the Lady Indians took a 36-33 lead into the 4th quarter.

Both teams used full court pressure defenses to try to wear the other team out in the second half, and foul trouble finally took Perry out of the game for CP with 7:10 to go in the 4th quarter.  LC also lost Allison Aguilera to her 5th foul with 3:08 left in the final quarter.

But Crown Point's Anjellica Rospond had a strong second half, scoring 9 of her 12 points, including 3-for-3 shooting from the line.  Senior Angelina Obradovic (5-foot-10) saw some extended playing time, covering for Courtney Perry (6-foot-0) on the bench.  Obradavic did not score, but she played strong defense against the 6-foot-1 centers of Lake Central.

"When 'Lina (Obradovic) is coming in, she is definitely not as big as those other girls," said varsity assistant coach Scott Reid.  "She's just going to battle for it.  Yes, losing Courtney (to foules) hurts, because she boards and realy battlkes hard for us, and she was having a nice game tonight.  She was really aggressive, but you know, that (fouling out) happens."

"I think Jelli' (Anjellica Rospons) has been playing great all year," observed coach Reid.  "She's been active.  You know, we gave her some challenges this summer, and she has been doing evrything we have challenged her to do.  I can't be any happier for any girl than I for Jelli."

And then there was Daniella Tarailo's 8 second half points, including the game winner at the end.

"You know, what we were really happy about," said coach Reid, "when they (LC) drove into the lane, we had three girls on the floor for that ball.  And that's the kind of effort we need, and what we really love to see.  At the end, Brittany (Clements) did a fantastic job of knowing the situation, and yet not panicking.  A lot of kids might have just panicked and threw something up at the basket, and she didn't.  And Daniela, God love her, somehow you know, sort of threw up a rock up there, but somehow it went in."

"I'm honestly more pleased with her (Tarailo's) offensive rebound that tied it," added coach Reid.  "That was a BIG basket.  She was UP in the air.  She was NOT going to be stopped on that shot, and I'm really pleased about that."

CPLB NOTES:  Over the past five years, Crown Point now take a 5-4 game lead over Lake Central in that rivalry series.  In the last meeting, LC defeaqted CP 48-41 at Lake Central on January 14, 2006.

Assistant coach Scott Reid says the CP-LC games are always a battle and the rest of the Duneland Conference schedule has no "easy" games.

"All of these Duneland games are battle.  And we've told the kids, we're not going to blow anybody out," said Reid.  "And we don't think we're going to get blown out.  I hope that doesn't happen.  But there are going to be some battles, and at the end, you have to do the little things well.  (Tonight) I thought both teams did some really nice things at the end.  We just got a couple more breaks there, and got that last shot in."

Both teams played hard and seemed to shoot the ball well, with an aggressive battle of rebounding under the boards.

"It was a battle," agreed coach Reid. "And you're going to get that with Lake Central.  You're going to get a battle.  A clean, well-played battle.  Their kids are going to battle and out kids are going to batle.  I'm glad we stepped it up, because sometimes this year we have so shied away from a little bit more of the physical play.  But in the second half tonight we definitely didn't (shy away).

One of the differences in winning and losing a basketball game is how a team's point guard responds to a pressure defense.

"Brittany, I thought, was outstanding tonight, said Coach Reid.  "I think this was bar far her best game she's played all year.  She had been doing a nice job for us in the games earlier, but tonight, she was under control, ran everything we needed that we need to have run.  I thought she had a REALLY nice game tonight."

Next up for Class 4A Crown Point (5-2) will be a road game Saturday night (12-9-2006) at neighboring Boone Grove High School, where the 2A Lady Wolves are 7-0, following their 62-44 win over 1A Washington Township Thursday night (12-7-2006).  In their only other 4A game on their schedule, Boone defeated Highland 45-27 on November 11.  The game will be broadcast on WWLO, 89.1 FM with the pregame at 7:15 p.m. and tip-off at 7:30 p.m., CST. 

"It's going to be fun over there.  There's going to be a lot of people there, I hope, and I know they are ready," said Reid.  "I have seen them play and they are a good basketball team.  It's a good match-up.  Our kids know a lot of their kids and their kids know a lot of our kids, so we'll play and have some fun and let best team win.  It's going to be tough - no question.  But we want tough games."

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Revised: December 09, 2006 .