Lady Devils fall to 3-8 following 55-32 loss to Andrean

A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith
01-10-2010

Team /Record	1	2	3	4	Final
ANDREAN (9-5)	19	11	13	12	55
LOWELL (3-8)	6	12	5	9	32

Friday, January 8, 2010 - Non-conference game - MERRILLVILLE, IN

LOWELL (32) Anna Sacco 1-6-8, Katie Bobos 5-4-14, Carissa Thiel 3-0-6, Amanda Underwood 1-0-3, Jessica Sharkey 0-1-1, Carly Austgen 0-0-0, Kalyne Godbolt 0-0-0, Kayla Kraatz 0-0-0, McKenzie Kruetz 0-0-0, Sarah Weitbrock 0-0-0, Savannah Summers 0-0-0, Jenna Barker 0-0-0. TOTALS: 10 (11-31) 32

ANDREAN (55) Jaclyn Gonzalez 7-2-16, Brittany Anderson 2-3-7, Natasha Zurek 3-3-9, Kelsey Plesac 3-2-8, Kristina Kauffman 2-2-6, Colleen Daugherty 1-0-2, Kelly Dineen 1-3-5, Emily Blane 0-2-2, Diamyn Rembert 0-0-0, Jessica Gray 0-0-0. TOTALS: 19 (17-22) 55.

FREE THROWS: LOWELL (11-31, 35.4%) Bobos 4-10, Sacco 6-14,,Thiel 0-3, Austgen 0-2, Sharkey 1-2; ANDREAN (17-24, 70.8%) Anderson 3-4, Gonzalez 2-2, Zurek 3-3, Plesac 2-5, Kauffman 2-4, Blane 2-2, Dineen 3-4.

REBOUNDS: LOWELL (47) Bobos 14, Thiel 13, Sacco 9, Kruetz 4, Austgen 2, Sharkey 3, Barker, Weitbrock; ANDREAN (24) Kauffman 6, Zurek 4, Dineen 4, Gonzalez 4, Plesac 4, Rembert, Daugherty.

ASSISTS: LOWELL (6) McKenzie Kruetz, Jessica Sharkey, Anna Sacco; ANDREAN (6) Natasha Zurek 3, Jaclyn Gonzalez, Kristina Kauffman, Kelly Dineen.

STEALS: LOWELL (4) Bobos, Sacco, Austgen, Godbolt; ANDREAN (23) Gonzalez 11, Zurek 5, Kauffman 3, Blane 2, Daugherty, Plesac.

3-GOALS: LOWELL (1) Amanda Underwood; ANDREAN (0).

MERRILLVILLE (01-08-2010) In the first game back after the Christmas break, strange things can happen. Unfortunately for Lowell, not enough strange things occurred Friday night as Andrean kept on winning, 55-32 at the expense of the Red Devils. Unofficially, Andrean stole the ball 23 times, part of 36 turnovers by the visiting team as the older, stronger and more confident 59ers (9-5) won for the eighth time in their last eight games.

This was not one of the games Lowell (3-8) figured to win when the season began, and after losing starting guard Jessica Schiessle to a serious hand injury the day before, the Devils were overwhelmed by Andrean's 1-3-1 press and trailed 17-2 in the final minute of the first quarter.

Early in the season, with Jaclyn Gonzalez and Natasha Zurek sidelined with injuries, Andrean was 1-4 and looked helpless. Now, they have to be considered one of the favorites in Class 3A Sectional 18 where five of the six teams are above .500.

"Since we beat Griffith and Hobart," said Markfull, "all of our goals have become something that they believe we can reach. It's nice to see. We're playing hard and we're aggressive. That's all you can ask."

Gonzalez had 16 points and at least 11 steals. She 'recovered' on defense to steal the ball repeatedly at the back end of Andrean's 1-3-1 press.

"There was about four times in a row," recalled Markfull, "that she stole the ball under the basket. They thought they had a girl open and she would jump in and steal it. She's got a whole ton of natural speed and quickness."

On a cold, snowy night when most games in Northwest Indiana were postponed, Andrean built that 17-2 lead after Lowell's Katie Bobos scored the first basket of the game. Gonzalez, a 5-foot-5 guard, stole the ball seven times in the first half as the Devils' offense could produce just three field goals, one a three-pointer by Amanda Underwood, which brought the visitors back within 12 points.

But Gionzalez had eight points and four steals in the third quarter as the lead soared beyond 20 points. Gonzlaez, Zurek and Kristina Kauffman gave Andrean the confident ball-handling and floor direction that Lowell lacked.

Lowell, which was 1-19 last season, is not hopeless. The front court of 6-foot-1 Anna Sacco, 5-foot-9 Carissa Thiel and 5-foot-8 Katie Bobos combined for 36 rebounds, although some were their own missed shots. The fact that the Devils drew 31 foul shots (even though they only made 11) is a positive.

"They did a good job on the offensive boards," said Ken Markfull of Lowell, "Which you can also interpret as me saying that we did a poor job of blocking out."

"We were more aggressive going to the basket," said Lowell coach Patti McCormack. "We have to get used to playing at this speed. We have to accept the concept of going inside-out. Driving (to the basket) and then kicking it out. We just keep driving until we lose it."

The situation at guard is still a struggle, but freshman point guard Kalyne Godbolt, who seems to have overcome a chronic back problem, should be able to take Schiessle's minutes. Most of the Devils still do not shoot the basketball with any confidence, but that will eventually come. Lowell's junior varsity, even with four freshman on the varsity, is 8-1 this season and undefeated in Northwest Crossroads Conference play. There is no question they have a quality team coming, but there's also no doubt that the varsity level squad is not 'here' yet.

"We lost some games we should have won," said McCormack, who reminds us that her schedule always gets much tougher after the first of the year.

"And now, we're just going to have to get some of the ones we have left. We don't have any choice."

DEVIL NOTES: Lowell senior Jessica Schiessle may have broken her wrist when she fell in practice the day before the Andrean game.

"It could be three weeks or three months," Jessica said. Schiessle has been on the varsity since her freshman season and she is also a starting softball outfielder. Senior Brooke Kuiper has left the team. thereby leaving the Devils with just two seniors in Amanda Underwood and Kayla Kraatz.

Andrean lost 40-28 to Hobart (13-1) two weeks before the 59ers defeated Hobart in overtime in the Wheeler Holiday Tournament. Andrean has six games remaining, but one of those is a postponement with Hanover that may not be made up. The Lady Cats, who had their Dec. 23 game with Andrean postponed due to icy road conditions, have the Porter County Conference tournament the week of Jan. 18-23 and they cant schedule anyone that week.

"We suggested four dates," said Andrean coach Ken Markfull. "And they haven't agreed to any of them."

Andean hosts Gary West Side (9-2) Tuesday night, Jan. 12 and the Cougars will be well-rested. West Side had road games on consecutive nights at East Chicago (Jan. 7) and at Benton Central (Jan. 8) postponed by the weather.

2010 LOWELL (3-8)
Coach: Patti McCormack, 210-166 (19 years)

Nov. 14 (L) 51-55 North Newton (2-2)
Nov. 17 (W) 44-37 Hammond (0-5)
Nov. 20 (W) 51-33 Morton (0-4)
Nov. 25 (L) 45-50 at Hanover Central (3-1)

Dec. 1 (Tu) Crown Point (4-1)
Dec. 4 (F) at KANKAKEE VALLEY
Dec. 11 (F) MUNSTER
Dec. 17 (Th) HIGHLAND

Carroll Invitational (in Flora, IN.)
Dec. 19 (S) vs. Carroll
Dec. 19 (S) vs Clinton Prairie

Jan. 8 (F) at ANDREAN
Jan. 9 (S) at Bishop Noll
Jan. 12 (Tu) Merrillville
Jan. 16 (S) HOBART
Jan. 19 (Tu) at Lake Central
Jan. 22 (F) at GRIFFITH
Jan. 26 (Tu) Boone Grove
Jan. 29 (F) at Calumet
Feb. 2 (Tu) at Wheeler
Feb. 4 (Th) at Hebron

Munster (4A) Sectional
2-9 (Tu) quarterfinals
2-12 (Fri) sectional semifinals
2-13 (Sat.) Sectional finals

Valparaiso (4A) Regional
2-20 (Sat) Valpo regional semifinals
2-20 (Sat) Valpo regional finals