Friday, 1-21-2005 at Crown Point

MICHIGAN CITY (37) Allison Fiske 1-0-2, Missy Johnson 1-0-2, CeCe Story 2-1-6, Tierra Mitchell 4-1-9, Sarah Frederickson 0-1-1, Jamica Dancy 1-0-2, Felisha Sanders 0-0-0, Steffani Sanders 0-2-2, Emma Tucker 5-3-13, Natalie Stedman 0-0-0, Katie Knoll 0-0-0, Jackie Pagels 0-0-0. TOTALS: 14-8-37.

CROWN POINT (73) Kaitlyn Sertich 3-1-8, Jill Weiand 6-0-12, Hannah Plumley 5-2-13, Stephanie Poulos 3-2-9, Jackie Clements 2-0-5, Michelle Lipton 1-0-2, Anjellica Rospond 1-0-2, Amanda Moore 0-2-2, Courtney Perry 0-1-1, Kaitlin Sautter 0-0-0, Ashley Zaucha 0-0-0. TOTALS: 28-10-73

FREE THROWS – MICHIGAN CITY (8-19, 42.2%) Story 1-1, Mitchell 1-1, Frederickson 1-2, Dancy 0-2, Johnson 0-2, Steffani Sanders 2-7, Tucker 3-4.

CROWN POINT (10-16, 62.5%) Pruzin 2-2, Plumley 2-2, Moore 2-2, Poulos 2-2, Sertich 1-2, Perry 1-2, Weiand 0-3

REBOUNDS - MICHIGAN CITY (23) Tucker 11, Stephanie Sanders 3, Knoll 2, Story 2, Mitchell 2, Johnson, Dancy, Stedman.

CROWN POINT (35) Clements 6, Weiand 5, Sautter 4, Plumley 4, Poulos 3, Perry 3, Zaucha 2, Rospond 2, Sertich 2, Pruzin, Moore

ASSISTS – MICHIGAN CITY (7) Tucker 2, Mitchell 2, Steffani Sanders, Fiske, Dancy. CROWN POINT (11) Pruzin 5, Poulos 2, Plumley 2, Lipton, Rospond.

STEALS – MICHIGAN CITY (3) Mitchel 2, Steffani Sanders; CROWN POINT (13) Pruzin 7, Plumley 3, Sertich, Sautter, Lipton.

TURNOVERS (by quarter) - MICHIGAN CITY (8-3-8-3) 22; CROWN POINT (0-2-1-2) 5

THREE-POINT GOALS – MICHIGAN CITY (1) Ce Ce Story; CROWN POINT (7) Pruzin 3, Sertich, Plumley, Clements, Poulos.

FOULED OUT: None.

CROWN POINT (1-21-2005) - It's games like this that let you see what Crown Point can do. A 36-point win. A season best 73 points? Against a team that was coming off consecutive league wins over Lake Central and Chesterton.

“I really thought this would be a closer game that this,” said veteran coach Tom May. “They were on a roll coming in here. We just played very well.”

This game was close only in the first four minutes. With the score 8-6, CP started a 16-3 run with a full court double-team defense and top flight shooting. Stephanie Poulos, Jackie Clements and lead guard Cassie Pruzin all sank three point shots as the MC defense seemed to protect the lane and give the Lady Bulldogs three-point attempts.

Considering that CP had only defeated the Wolves 58-46 in December, this Duneland Athletic Conference (DAC) double round robin rematch was one of CP's top games this year. No matter what defense the visitors threw at Crown Point, the Lady Bulldogs were able to take and make good shots.

“That's about the best 32 minutes we've played all season,” said May. “As you noticed, we made some changes and everybody shot the ball well tonight. We made some changes in personnel and right now, it's working for us.”

CP has moved 5-10 junior Kaitlin Sautter, a natural forward, into the starting center slot, temporarily ending the effort to get 6-foot sophomores Anjellica Respond and Courtney Perry maximum minutes. Those two girls are part of CP's future but they have only been occasionally effective so far.

Sautter does not appear to be an offensive player but this night featured top shooting from wing players Hannah Plumley and Poulos, both 5-8 juniors. CP's ball movement, lewd by Pruzin, was excellent and MC had no answers.

“The thing I liked about it,” said May, “was that we didn't just take one pass and shoot. We took a look and then said, No, No, Yes. We had much better communication and judgment.”

CP is difficult to figure. They have 25-point losses to Chesterton and Merrillville, but neither the wins or the losses seem to stick with them.

“I would say we've bounced back very well,” said May. “We beat Lake Central and we beat Michigan City, a very athletic team. There's some things we did in those games that the coaching staff must take responsibility for. We have made some changes offensively and defensively that have been beneficial to us.”

Crown Point forced 22 turnovers while committing less than 10. Pruzin will always keep CP's turnover total low, but Sautter and 5-9 sophomore Ashley Zaucha, who is also playing more, may simply be more sure-handed.

The Bulldogs defended 6-2 MC center Emma Tucker well, holding her to 13 points and other than nine for senior forward Tierra Mitchell, the Wolves had no other offense.

“We were trying to play a matchup defense (in the first half of the year) and frankly, we have a couple of kids who can't handle the matchup. So, we have made a change in one or two defenses where it isn't a matchup. We're coming at you with a straight double team. That's helped us a lot. It helped us against Lake Central and it definitely helped us tonight.”

This version of Crown Point is consistently an unemotional team on the surface. Wins are expected and losses are a surprise. Sometimes it is unusual that their won-loss record fades in the light of very high expectations.

“We're 13-4,” said May, who knows that even a solid whipping of an up-and-coming Michigan City team is worth little. “But we're not satisfied. I said it at the start of the year. Valparaiso (16-1, 11-0) is the best team in our area. That' s the team we have to beat in the league and that's the team we have to beat at the sectional.”

CP NOTES:  Michigan City's Tierra Mitchell took an elbow to the nose and sat out the second quarter but she did return and finish the game.

Hannah Plumley may welcome the arrival of Michigan City next season. She scored 14 in the 58-46 CP win at MC on Dec. 11 and she added 13 last Friday. Hannah again exhibited her inexplicable habit of passing up wide open layups to pass off.

Nothing brings a louder scream of anguish from the CP bench.

Cassie Pruzin sank two foul shots in two attempts to give her 60 free points in 70 attempts (85.7%), the top total among players who have shot 50 times in the DAC. Pruzin's seven steals give her 96 for the season going into Tuesday night's home game with LaPorte. The 5-8 senior is on the verge of her third consecutive 100-steal season. Cassie stole the ball 129 times last season.

At halftime of the Michigan City game, CP's undefeated junior high teams were introduced to the crowd, coached by Tom Isailovich and Mike Malaski. “You need to watch them,” said CP varsity coach Tom May. “They've got some size and some shooters and a good lead guard.”

If CP can defeat LaPorte Tuesday (Jan. 25), they will equal their 2004 victory total when they were 14-8. The 73 points was the highest total for the Lady Bulldogs this season. CP's 63-21 win over Portage was the largest margin of victory this season.

It appears that Valparaiso will be 17-1 when they host CP on Jan. 28. Valpo has lost only 29-22 to 3A No. 4 Plymouth (14-3).

CP has lost to Chesterton, Valparaiso, Merrillville and Boone Grove (18-0). Boone' PCC championship game matchup with 1A No. 10 Washington Township (13-4) was postponed by snow Saturday. Those two will play Monday night at 6 p.m..

CROWN POINT Girls Basketball (13-4)

	Coach Tom May  (25 years, 414-147 )
	Start times are Varsity starting times

Date	Location ALL CAPS = Duneland Athletic Conference game	Time / Result
Nov. 12	Hebron {1A}	W, 67-48
Nov. 13	Kankakee Valley {3A}	W, 60-24
Nov. 19	at PORTAGE {4A	W, 63-21
Nov. 20	Warsaw {4A}	W, 58-53
Nov. 26	CHESTERTON {4A}	W, 55-35
Nov. 30	Lowell {4A}	W, 60-42
Dec. 3	at LaPORTE {4A‡	W, 41-30
Dec. 10	LAKE CENTRAL {4A}‡	W, 53-38
Dec. 11	at Boone Grove {2A}	(OT) L, 52-57
Dec. 14	VALPARAISO {4A}‡	L, 26-36
Dec. 17	at MICHIGAN CITY {4A}‡	W, 54-42
Dec. 18	at Hanover Central {2A}	W, 67-34
Dec. 29	at MERRILLVILLE  {4A}‡	L, 39-66
Jan. 5	PORTAGE {4A}‡	W, 53-23
Jan. 8	at CHESTERTON {4A}‡	L, 23-48
Jan. 14	at LAKE CENTRAL {4A}‡	W, 46-42
Jan. 21	MICHIGAN CITY {4A}‡	W, 73-37
Jan. 25	LaPORTE {4A}‡	7:30 pm
Jan. 28	at VALPARAISO {4A}‡	7:30 pm
Feb. 4	MERRILLVILLE {4A}‡	7:30 pm

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Revised: January 23, 2005 .