Lady Wildcats win season opener 79-23 over River Forest

A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith
11-10-2006

Tuesday, November 6, 2007 - Nonconference & season-opener at Hobart Township, Indiana

HANOVER CENTRAL (79)  Tori Dahlin 1-0-2, Megan Parks 2-0-4, Chrissy Homolka 2-2-6, Danielle Graham 2-6-10, Lindsay Martinez 3-0-7, Shannon Kiraly 1-3-5, Anna Plassman 2-0-4, Jordan Kramer 11-5-35, Abby Sweitzer 1-0-2, Ashley Hahn 1-0-2, Kourtney Lindely 1-0-2.  TOTALS:  27 (16-20) 79.

RIVER FOREST (23)  Beth Galligan 1-0-2, Nicole Goin 1-1-3, Nikkie Green 2-0-4, Katie Buehler 3-0-6, Melissa Menchaca 2-0-4, Falon Lucas 1-0-2, Brittani Richard 1-0-2, Vanessa Bravo 0-0-0, Amanda Pennington 0-0-0, Margaret Diaz 0-0-0, Mycala Walker 0-0-0.  TOTALS: 10 (1-7)  23.

FOUL SHOTS:  HANOVER:  16-20,  80% -  Graham 6-8, Kramer 5-6, Homolka 2-2, Kiraly 3-4;  RIVER FOREST: 1-7, 14.2%)  Goin 1-2, Buehler 0-2, Bravo 0-2, Galligan 0-1.

REBOUNDS:  HANOVER  (28) Graham 5, Kramer 4, Kiraly 4, Dahlin 4, Parks 4. Plassman 4, Sweitzer 2, Martinez; RIVER FOREST (22) Buehler 7,  Green 4, Galligan 3, Pennington 3, Lucas 2, Menchaca 2, Bravo.

ASSISTS: HANOVER (17) Chrissy Homolka 6, Jordan Kramer 3,  Danielle Graham 3, Tori Dahlin 2, Lindsey Martinez 2, Kourtney Lindley. RIVER FOREST (4) Melissa Menchaca 3,  Nikkie Green.

STEALS:  HANOVER (13) Danielle Graham 4, Jordan Kramer 3, Chrissy Homolka 2, Shannon Kiraly 2, Megan Parks, Kourtney Lindley;   RIVER FOREST (6) Beth Galligan 3, Falon Lucas, Melissa Menchaca, Margaret Diaz.

TURNOVERS:  HANOVER 3-0-2-4 (9); RIVER FOREST 10-8-1-2 (21).

3-GOALS:  HANOVER (9) Jordan Kramer 8, Lindsey Martinez.

HOBART TOWNSHIP, IN (11-06-2007)  Let's wait until after the second game of the season.  These results might be very misleading.  At best, it's somewhat of a mismatch most seasons.  With all that said, Hanover Central's 79-23 win at River Forest in the 2008 basketball season opener certainly opened one or two eyes.

In front of at least three coaches from other schools, junior guard Jordan Kramer scored 27 of her career-high 35 points in the first half as the Ingots just didn't seem to recognize what was happening to them.  Kramer, who averaged 8.8 points a game last season, sank four three point baskets against the River Forest zone defense in the first quarter and added 14 points in a 31-3 Hanover second quarter that turned the game into somewhat of a scrimmage.

"I really thought we'd see a box-and-one defense," said Hanover's second year coach Doug Nelson, who appreciated that this was a high-caliber performance against a heavily overmatched foe.  "We were ready for it.  But they didn't use it and we ran our offense well.  She hit open jumpers.  That's what she should do."

Kramer is probably the Porter County Conference's top returning ball-handler, but she won't score 35 in a game (actually 2-1/2 quarters) again this year because other teams will now get very serious defending the 5-foot-5 point guard.  Still, Hanover created a point of emphasis for every future foe.  HC has a player who can draw the defense to her because they know she can score enough points to decide any close game.  But the biggest point this game made was the way high school basketball has become a year round game.

"They play a lot in the summer," said River Forest coach Rich Heavilin of Hanover Central, "and we don't.  Most of our girls don't want to do that.  Until they do, this is how we're going to start the season.  That's not the way it should be.  That's not the way it was years ago.  But that's the way it is."

"We'll compete with teams that are like us," he continued.  "Teams that don't play a lot during the summer.  But when we run up against teams that play a lot of summer ball, it's going to be like this."

Coaches from Calumet and Washington Township and others in the stands also know what its going to be like if they don't take Kramer seriously.  Future Hanover foes just got a 35-point heads up and they will now plot to defensively gang up on Kramer like she was Hillary Clinton at a presidential debate.

"Hopefully, we'll be able to go to our second and third options," said Nelson, who cited senior wing Chrissy Homolka as someone he expects to receive what the defense eventually takes away from Kramer.  "Chrissy didn't have a good game tonight.  She'll make her shots.  She was a little off.  But Jordan had eight threes."

Hanover passed the ball well around the zone while Kramer and Danielle Graham showed the ability to penetrate off the dribble, something they'll have to have when they get to sectional rival Wheeler on Nov. 16.  HC also used a man-to-man press in that second quarter and River Forest had no answer.

"Since we are so small physically," said Nelson, "we're going to have to change looks.  We're going to add as we go.  We've got some things we haven't put in yet.  A good press just causes people to speed up a little bit.  It was a good start."

Junior Danielle Graham added 10 points, five rebounds, four steals and three assists while senior guard Chrissy Homolka added six points and a game-high six assists.

"We're just trying to get more confidence into Lindsey (Martinez) and Danielle.  They can both shoot the open jumper.  We just want them to do it more naturally."

Hanover trailed 4-3 before scoring 17 points in a row over six minutes.  Kramer scored the first 13 points for Hanover before Homolka stole the ball and scored a layup.  Martinez, Kramer, Graham and Megan Parks scored consecutive baskets to give Hanover a 28-8 lead and the Lady Cats also scored the final 19 points of the second quarter.  River Forest didn't have the ball-handling ability to survive this matchup and 18 first half turnovers took them out of the game.  Freshman forward Katie Buehler had six points and seven rebounds.  The Ingots will have a better chance against half-court teams than they will against smaller, quicker squads.

The starting lineup for Hanover included Parks, Homolka, Graham, Kramer and 5-foot-8 senior Tori Dahlin.  Lead guard Kourtney Lindley and 5-foot-9 forward Abby Sweitzer were the only sophomores to play.

LADY CAT NOTES:  Hanover Central's first game was on November 6 and their second game at Wheeler will not occur until Nov. 16.

"Ten days off is an awful long time especially after playing well," said Doug Nelson.  "I'll get to see Wheeler twice and we'll get ready.  But it's too long."

It's too early to be certain until they face substantial competition, but Hanover showed a modest bump in skills almost across the board on opening night.  The team seemed to pass the ball better and more than one player attacked the basket on the dribble.

"Jordan put in a lot of hours over the summer," said Nelson.  Megan (Parks) and Tori (Dahlin) put in a lot of hours.  We all did."

With most teams not opening play until the weekend, a lot of coaches get to scout teams in the first week of November.

"I saw Boone," said Nelson.  "I saw Dori. (Calumet's Dori Downing).  I saw my sister in-law (Washington Township coach Kari Nelson).  We don't have a whole lot of secrets.  Dustin (Kari's husband and a former WT coach) and I pretty much do the same things."

Meral Nelson, Doug and Dustin's father, is Hanover's freshman coach.

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Revised: November 10, 2007 .