Lady Red Devils win home opener 57-45 over neighbor Hanover Central

A USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith
11-26-2006

Wednesday, November 22, 2006 - Nonconference game at Lowell, Indiana

HANOVER CENTRAL (45)  Chrissy Homolka 2-0-5, Anna Turturillo 5-8-18, Beth Flores 1-0-2,  Jordan Kramer 3-2-9, Brenda McQuade 1-3-6, Anna Plassman 2-0-4, Danielle Graham 0-1-1, Samantha Plant 0-0-0, Tori Dahlin 0-0-0.  TOTALS: 14 (14-23) 45.

LOWELL (57)  Kara Lamb 3-5-11, Gabi Goetz 1-2-4, Kim Bell 2-0-4,  Kelly Johnson 6-7-19, Kasey Manis 1-1-3, Jen Schiessle 2-0-4, Megan Bolanowski 4-0-8, Katie Haberlin 0-0-0. TOTALS: 19 (19-28) 57.

FREE THROWS:  HC (14-24, 58.3%) Turturillo 8-10, McQuade 3-5, Kramer 2-2, Homolka 0-2, Graham 1-2, Flores 0-3.  LOWELL (19-28, 67.8%) Lamb 5-8, Johnson 7-9, Bell 4-4, Manis 1-1, Haberlin 0-2, Goetz 2-4.

REBOUNDS:  HC (14) Turturillo 4, Homolka 3, Kramer 2, Graham 3, Plassman 2, LOWELL (25) Goetz 7, Lamb 6, Bell 4, Johnson 4, Haberlin 2, Manis, Schiessle.

STEALS:  HC (12) Turturillo 4, Homolka 3, Kramer 2, Graham, McQuade, Flores;  LOWELL (13) Johnson 5, Schiessle 2, Lamb 2, Goetz 2, Bolanowski, Bell.

ASSISTS:  HC (7) Kramer 6, Turturillo;   LOWELL (5) Bell 2, Johnson, Schiessle, Lamb.

3-GOALS:  HC (3) Chrissy Homolka, Brenda McQuade, Jordan Kramer; LOWELL (0)

TURNOVERS: HC - 22; LOWELL - 22.

FOULED OUT:  Beth Flores (HC) 2:15 left - 4th Qtr.  

LOWELL, IN (11-22-2006)  It was a good night for Lowell and it wasn't a bad one for Hanover.  The annual Hanover Central-Lowell Thanksgiving eve game could have gone south in a lot of ways, but it was somewhat positive for both sides, even as Lowell won 57-45.

Lowell got injured guard Kelly Johnson back in the lineup, and while she seemed to be in pain at times, she also had 19 points, five steals and shot 7-of-9 from the line.  Hanover had 18 points from Anna Turturillo, six assists from soph guard Jordan Kramer and they left with everybody in one piece.

Several players from both teams scramble for a loose ball on the floor during Lowell's 57-45 win over Hanover Central, 11-22-2006.  (All photos by Mark Smith)

The Lady Cats' Chrissy Homolka #14 defends against a driving senior guard Kelly Johnson #12.

Junior Beth Flores #23 of Hanover looks for a pass, while Lowell's Kim Bell #30 defends as Gabrielle Goetz #25 movs into the lane, 11-22-2006.  (All photos by Mark Smith)

Late in the game, Hanover senior Samantha Plant seemed to have her knee buckle on her as she tried to move with the ball.  Like Johnson, she had a pained look on her face afterwards, but both girls were OK and figure to play the next time the schedule says so.

"I'm okay," said Plant, who had knee surgery last January.  "I probably just broke some adhesions in the knee.  I think I'm okay."

Johnson, who wasn't supposed to play until December at the earliet, came back after Lowell's season opening 38-26 loss at Morton.

"I broke my shoulder and the tape (visible on her shoulder) kinda holds it in place," explained Johnson.  "It's my throwing shoulder, too.  I think it's healing.  I'm OK.  I want to play."

Lowell coach Patti McCormack, who coached somewhat quietly due to a lingering illness, knows that Johnson is one bad step away from the disabled list, but the team does need her.

"The thing is," McCormack said.  "She's diving all over the floor.  She's got a bad shoulder and she's diving head first into a pile to get the ball.  But we've got to have her.  She was the difference tonight."

There were 23 personal fouls in the first half as both teams were a little slow defensively.  Johnson scored 12 of her 19 points in the first half and she was able to disrupt Hanover sophomore lead guard Jordan Kramer.  Kramer had six assists and would have had 10 if her teammates had shot the ball better.  HC's 5-8 senior Anna Turturillo sank six of eight foul shots to keep the visitors even.  Lowell was boosted by 5-6 freshman guard Megan Bolanowski who scored three field goals in the second quarter.

Another Lowell freshman, 5-1 guard Jen Schiessle scored a couple of third quarter field goals to help put the Red Devils ahead.  But Turturillo had eight points and two steals in the third quarter to rally the Cedar Lake girls.  Lowell had no outside shooting, but 5-10 forwards Kim Bell and Gabi Goetz scored key baskets as the Devils went cold in the final quarter.

Hanover went cold from the outside in the final quarter.  The Lady Cats had open three-point shots that could have kept them even, but HC could not make them.  Lowell, traditionally a very strong foul shooting team, sank 7-of-11 in the final quarter and 19 of 27 for the game.

"I really don't know about this team yet," said HC's new coach Doug Nelson.  "They are so inconsistent and I'm just learning about them.  I don't know why.  We committed a lot of unnecessary fouls."

McCormack was happy with the contribution of freshmen Schiessle and Bolanowski.  Lowell has gone with six or seven varsity players in some seasons.  They will now have two who aren't afraid to play.

"That's what you need out of freshmen," she said.  "We need Kelly out there.  We were not good against Morton (a season-opening 38-24 loss).  I have plans for how I'm going to use her, but we need her out there."

Lowell has to find some outside shooting.  They really won without jump shots, a good way to go against a Hanover team with no one taller than 5-8 but an unworkable plan against most squads.  Senior guard Kara Lamb scored 11, but the Devils will need more from the perimeter from everybody.

The next two Lowell games are against powers Andrean (3-1) and Crown Point (3-1) and the Devils need to be competitive and not get steamrollered while their younger players get more experience.

"We've got some girls out there who are on the varsity for the first time," said McCormack.  "But it was nice to get a win."

Nelson saw the game as a building block.

"Now, we're looking forward to the Hebron game," he said.  "I've already scouted them two or three times.  That's a big game for us.  Our first league game.  I know how this sounds, but the team that beats us most of the time is Hanover.  If we do what we're trying to do and what we're supposed to do we'll win most of the time."

NET NOTES:  Lowell defeated Hanover Central last season 54-50 in Cedar Lake.  Hanover did not play sophomore guard Lindsay Martinez, who has been caring for foot problems.  Junior Brenda McQuade's five points were a season and career high.  The Lady Cats do not play again until the boy/girl double-header at home against rival Hebron on Dec. 1.  Hebron will have played six games by that time.  The Hanover girls plays the 6:00 p.m. opener on that night.

Lowell will play at least nine more games before Christmas, while Hanover will play 12 games in the five weeks after Christmas Day.  Lowell will play Rossville (2-2) and host Carroll (1-1) in the Carroll County Christmas Classic on Saturday Dec. 16.  Lowell faces Rossville at 12:00 noon CST and Carroll at 7:00 p.m. CST.

The crowd of about 200 was quiet for most of the slow-moving game, which featured 50 foul shots.

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Revised: November 27, 2006 .