Lake Athletic Conference (LAC)  -  Friday, 12-19-2003

CALUMET (44)   Liz Crumble 3-1-8, Sherika Moore 3-2-8, Jenell Echols 4-1-9, Bytnar 2-7-11, Cherie Sanders 1-0-2, Vianca Green 1-0-2, Christina Brumfield 1-0-2, Jill Spencer 1-0-2.   TOTALS: 16-11-44.
FREE THROWS: 11-18, 61.1 percent.  Crumble 1-3, Moore 2-2, Bytnar 7-8, Echolls 1-4, Sanders 0-1.
REBOUNDS: Kiki Bytnar - 6
ASSISTS: Kiki Bytnar - 6
FOULED OUT: None
3-POINT GOALS (1) Liz Crumble.

LOWELL (34)  Rachel Thiel 0-3-3,  Lisa Schulfer 7-1-15, Whitney Magley 0-0-0, Brooke Bell 0-0-0, Mary Erpelding 1-0-3, McKensey Wietbrock 4-1-10, Ashley Cosentino 1-2-4, Natalie Hanas 0-0-0, Kelly Johnson 1-0-2. TOTALS: 14-7-37.
FREE THROWS: 7-14, 50.0 percent - Schulfer 1-3, Wietbrock 1-3, Thiel 3-6,
Cosentino 2-2.
REBOUNDS: Rachel Thiel - 7
ASSISTS: McKensey Wietbrock - 3
FOULED OUT: Mckensey Wietbrock (4th Q) 2:38 left.
3-POINT GOALS (2) Mary Erpelding, McKensey Wietbrock.

FLORA (12-20-2003) -  The best thing that can do when you lose a home game you were supposed to win is to play again as soon as you can. Maybe even twice. Maybe go really, really far away and play twice.  How about that?

It worked for Lowell. After a poorly played 41-34 loss to Calumet Friday, the Devils went south again Saturday, finding a 40-29 win over Rossville and a 41-26 victory over Carroll in the Carroll County Classic.

"We had every opportunity to win last night," said Lowell coach Patti McCormack, after the two wins in the bright, shiny Carroll gym. "The outside shots were there. We had too many turnovers and a lot of them in our front line. Plus, the girls know that this tournament is lurking the next day and that's always a factor on this weekend with us."

Saturday's games were opposites. In the morning, Lowell trailed Rossville 23-18 at the half before seniors Natalie Hanas, McKensey Wietbrock and Lisa Schulfer combined for all the points in a 13-5 third quarter. Ashley Cosentino was 6 of 6 from the foul line in the fourth period as the Devils pulled away.

Then Lowell completed a two-game sweep at Carroll for the second consecutive season with a 41-26 victory over the host school. Senior Brooke Bell had 10 points, five rebounds and three assists including 3-of-3 from the foul line. Carroll (4-6), which started the season at 0-5, had no match for the Devils' Bell and 5-10 Lisa Schulfer (13 points) inside. The Cougars' 5-10 Karissa Anderson had just six points and five rebounds.

Lowell expects to win at Carroll because they are the largest of the four schools at the charity event. But the test is three games in 24 hours and 2002 stands as the only time in five years that the Devils have gone 3-0 for this weekend. The loss to Calumet is one that will stick with them for a while.

"It's one we'd love to have back," said McCormack. "But there's nothing we can do about it so we have to deal with the situation. Somebody could sneak up on Highland. Andrean's waiting to break out. Highland beat them in the (LAC) tournament, but that's the same situation we had with Calumet."

"I thought we did a good job defensively on Kiki (Calumet scoring leader Kiki Bytnar), but they had some other girls who hit some shots that maybe they don't normally hit. It puts a lot of pressure on us to win the rest of our conference games including the one at Highland. We've got to do to Highland what Calumet did to us."

"We've played the toughest part of our schedule up front and that's different from past years. I think Hobart is one of the top teams. We just need to pull an upset at Highland and to me, it's not an upset, we just have to play the way we can."

LAC NOTES:  Brooke Bell is a hesitant shooter, something that coach Patti McCormack doesn't understand.  "We tell the kids that two things are absolute; You have to rebound and you have to shoot the ball. We aren't asking you to shoot. You have to do it or you will sit down."

"I told Brooke today that between you and (Mary) Erpelding, you have the two best looking shots on the team. I don't know why she doesn't shoot. She can score easily. We will never get on a player for taking a shot."

Despite very cold weather, Lowell drove to nearby Lafayette between games Saturday to do Christmas shopping and eat lunch. After the second game, the Red Devil bus rode south outside Rossville to see an impressive, giant Christmas decoration at a rural farm. The bus actually had to wait in line at 11 at night to get on the property and see the farm home covered with lights, trees and decorations, some over 40 feet in the air.

LOWELL (10-3)
Coach Patti McCormack (2002-03 record: 11-12)

Nov. 14: W, 61-44 North Newton (5-3)
Nov. 21: W, 43-22 Morton (6-5)
Nov. 26: W, 55-49 at Hanover Central (3-5)
Nov. 29: W, 47-37 at ANDREAN (3-5)
Dec.  2: L, 29-50 Crown Point (8-3)
Dec.  5: W, 52-45 HOBART (5-5)

Lake Conference Tournament
Dec.  9: W, 43-41 Hammond (3-6) (LAC 1st round)
Dec. 11: W, 47-33 Griffith (7-4) (LAC quarterfinals)
Dec. 13: L, 29-49 at Highland (10-3) (LAC semifinals)

Dec. 13: W, 48-37 Calumet (7-5) (LAC consolation)

Dec. 19: L, 37-44 CALUMET (7-5)

Carroll Classic at Flora
Dec. 20: W, 40-29  Rossville (2-8) (semifinal)
Dec. 20: W, 41-26 Carroll (4-6) (championship) 

Jan. 3: at BISHOP NOLL
Jan. 10: GRIFFITH
Jan. 16: at KANKAKEE VALLEY
Jan. 20: at Lake Central
Jan. 24: at HIGHLAND
Jan. 27: WHITING
Jan. 31: at MUNSTER

Feb.  3: Merrillville
Feb.  7: HAMMOND

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