Friday, Dec 27, 2002  (quarterfinals - Momence Holiday Tournament) in Momence, Ill.

HANOVER CENTRAL (39)  Jill McElmurry 6-3-16, Melissa Braner 1-0-2, Karrah Adam 1-5-7, Amanda Wendlinger 0-0-0, Alisha Staley 0-0-0, Christie Wick 3-3-9,  Krysta Rickey 2-0-4, Katie Burke 0-1-1,  Sarah Csikos 0-0-0, Bess Copak 0-0-0.   TOTALS: 13-12-39

FTS: 12-20, 60.0 %
REBOUNDS: Christie Wick - 4
STEALS: Krysta Rickey - 5
TURNOVERS - 35
FOULED OUT: none
3-POINT GOALS (1) Jill McElmurry

MOMENCE (53)  Danielle Craft 1-3-5, Katie Denny 1-2-4, Kellie Mullin 6-4-17,  Lacara Eubanks 4-5-13, Sally Schaafsma 1-0-2, Richenza McCurry 2-0-4, Stephanie Kiger 3-2-8, Suzie Nelson 0-0-0.   TOTALS: 18-16-53.

FTS: 16-23, 69.1 %
REBOUNDS:  Stephanie Kiger - 10
STEALS: Stephanie Kiger - 3
ASSISTS: Kelly Martin - 4
TURNOVERS: 30
FOULED OUT: none
3-POINT GOALS (1) Kellie Martin

Saturday, Dec 28, 2002  (second round - Momence Holiday Tournament) in Momence, IL

HANOVER CENTRAL (54)  Jill McElmurry 10-1-22, Melissa Braner 0-0-0, Karrah Adam 1-0-2, Amanda Wendlinger 2-0-5, Alisha Staley 2-3-7, Christie Wick 3-0-7,  Krysta Rickey 3-2-8, Katie Burke1-0-2,  Sarah Csikos 0-0-0, Bess Copak 0-1-1.   TOTALS: 22-7-54.

FTS: 7-19, 36.8 %
FOULED OUT: none
3-POINT GOALS (3) Jill McElmurry, Amanda Wendlinger, Christe Wick

South Newton (58)  Trisha Jones 6-1-16, Alex Beckman 4-0-9, Jennifer Welsh 2-2-6, Ellisha Madison 1-0-2, Nickie Winkler 4-0-8, Jamie Schluttenhofer 1-5-7, Kelly Tebo 3-4-10, Maggie Brinkman 0-0-0,   TOTALS: 21-12-58

FTS: 12-20, 60.0 percent
FOULED OUT: none
3-POINT GOALS (4) Trisha Jones 3,  Alex Beckman.

Saturday, Dec 28, 2002  (7th place game - Momence Holiday Tournament) in Momence, Ill.

HANOVER CENTRAL (55)  Jill McElmurry 6-3-16, Melissa Braner 0-0-0, Karrah Adam 1-1-3, Amanda Wendlinger 2-2-6, Alisha Staley 6-0-12, Christie Wick 2-4-9,  Krysta Rickey 2-1-5, Katie Burke 1-0-2,  Sarah Csikos 1-0-2, Bess Copak 0-0-0.   TOTALS: 21-11-55
FTS: 11-20,   55.0 %
FOULED OUT: none
3-POINT GOALS (2) Christie Wick, Jill McElmurry.

WATSEKA (52)  Michelle Goodrum 1-0-2, Karla Wessels 4-0-11, Rachel Raymond 12-2-28, Megan Nutter 2-0-5, Lindsey Brown 3-0-6, Melissa Florido 0-0-0, Jennifer Thompson 0-0-0, Casey Cowan 0-0-0, Heidi Hasselbring 0-0-0.  TOTALS: 22-2-52.

FTS: 2-8, 25% %
FOULED OUT: Shannon Clement - 4th Q
3-POINT GOALS (6) Karla Wessels 3, Rachel Raymond 2, Megan Nutter

CEDAR LAKE (12-28-2002) -  They should've won two out of three. They could've won all three.  They got one win and came back home to Indiana.

Hanover Central, which has never gone winless in the five years at the Momence (IL) Holiday tournament, came dangerously close to doing so last weekend before beating Watseka 55-52 in the seventh place game late Saturday afternoon.

This was the same Hanover team that forced 30 Momence turnovers but still lost 53-39 late Friday night. These were also the same Lady Cats (5-6), who led South Newton by 17 points before losing 58-55 in overtime in the second round.

Hanover junior Jill McElmurry, who averaged 18 points in the three Illinois games, scored five of her 16 points in the final period against Watseka, which pushed HC to the limit with 6-foot Watseka center Rachel Raymond and her game-high 28 points.

The 10 a.m.,Saturday second round game was a disaster with McElmurry scoring 10 first quarter points and the Lady Cats jumping to a 32-15 lead, only to fall victim down the stretch to six three-point shots from the South Newton Rebels (4-4), the only other Indiana school in the eight-team Momence field.

But the direction of the tourney could've been changed Friday night when Hanover Central missed an opportunity to beat Momence, the undefeated host team, which won the tourney to go 11-0 on the season.

Hanover had a miserable time shooting and dribbling against the physically stronger. more experienced home team. When you make 35 turnovers against a more experienced, physically stronger team, you can't say you should have won but you know you could have.

"We need more than two people who can handle the ball," admitted second year coach Chris York. "We don't go after the ball hard enough and they take it out of our hands. We are not strong and I'm not sure what you can do about that during the season."

The bright light of the tournament was McElmurry, the 5-9 wing player, who attacked the basket and produced solid scoring games. "She decided to take over," said York.  "Somebody had to and she did.  She wants to take her shots and she wants to score.  Christi (Wick) can be that kind of player, too and she's going to have to be. We're going to have to go that way."

"We made 22 turnovers in the first half and we were still in it.  I asked them in the locker room, "Am I crazy because I think you're better than you've shown?'  They (Momence) are a good team. They beat Bishop McNamara (Kankakee) and McNamara lost by 20 to (Class AA No. 1) Fenwick. They're good.  But I don't know how they'd do against North Newton."

Momence's top scorer, 5-8 senior guard Kellie Mullin (15 ppg.) scored eight in the first quarter to give the Redskins a 15-7 lead. Freshman Krysta Rickey recorded three first half steals as the visitors, who won this tournament two years ago, to within 19-13 with 3:40 left in the half.  But trouble with Momence's full court press and some unforced errors had the Lady Cats down 25-14 at the half. Hanover got baskets from Wick and McElmurry, who had eight third quarter points,  to start the third quarter and Momence called time out with lead down to 25-18. But Momence's 5-9 Lacara Eubanks stole the ball and scored on a breakaway to make it 27-18.

It was still 33-24 in the final minute of the third quarter but Mullin and Eubanks led a 9-0 run that put the game out of reach.  Hanover didn't get blown away, largely because junior Karrah Adam was 4-for-4 from the line in the final quarter.

But Momence, which will also host Hanover Central on Feb. 4, was never in serious jeopardy in the final quarter.

"We didn't give up," said York. "We could've played them a five point game.  But we are gong to see a lot better teams than them. And they're coming up soon."

CAT NOTES:   One of those team is Crown Point (7-5), which has a three-game losing streak after falling 41-40 to Carroll and 40-31 to Martinsville in the Lady Bulldog Shootout in Crown Point last weekend.

CP plays Highland (9-0) Friday night and then travels to Cedar Lake Saturday. Crown Point hasn't had a four-game losing streak in five years.  Junior Katie Burke returned to the Hanover lineup and played in all three games.  Burke had been sidelined with a bad knee.  Junior Bess Copak played in all three games but was clearly slowed by her bad knee.

Hanover's game at Boone Grove (9-2, 6-0) is the only thing that stands between Boone and an undefeated Porter County Conference (PCC) regular season. Two of Hanover's next four opponents (Washington Township and Kankakee Valley) won holiday tournaments over the weekend. WT won the Mid-Winter Classic with a 74-50 win over LaCrosse while Kankakee Valley won the KV Classic with a 55-48 win over Munster.  Hanover JV (7-2) lost twice in the Lowell junior varsity tournament last week.

2003 HANOVER CENTRAL (5-6)

Coach Chris York  (1 year  -  8-12)
PCC games in CAPS, Home games in bold
Start times are junior varsity starting times
11-12-2002: 43-51  at Gavit (4-8)
11-22-2002 :  39-40   WHEELER (8-4)
11-27-2002:  34-49 at Lowell (6-6)
12-6-2002: 60-45 HEBRON (1-9)
12-7-2002: 68-53 KOUTS (2-8)
12-14-2002:   59-37 at LaCROSSE  (1-10)
12-17-2002:  38-79  North Newton (8-2)
12-19-2002: 47-33 River Forest (3-8)

Momence Holiday Tournament  (Momence, Ill.)
12-27-2002:   39-53  at Momence (11-0)  
12-28-2002: 55-58 (OT) South Newton (5-5)
12-28-2002:  55-52  Watseka (5-10)

1-4-2003 (S) Crown Point  (7-2)  6 p.m.
1-9-2003 (Th) at Calumet (6-5)  6 p.m.
1-11-2003 (S) WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP (10-4)  6 p.m.
1-18-2003 (S) Kankakee Valley  (5-6) 6 p.m.

Porter County Conference (PCC) Tournament
1-20-2003 M) PCC quarterfinals (6 p.m.)
1-21-2003 (Tu) PCC Quarterfinals (6 p.m.)
1-24-2003 (F)  Semifinals (6 p.m.)
1-25-2003 (S) PCC Girls Championship (6 p.m.)

1-30-2003 (Th) at BOONE GROVE (6 p.m.)
2-4-2003 (Tu) at Momence, Ill  (6 p.m.)
2-8-2003 (S) at MORGAN TOWNSHIP (6 p.m.)

Boone Grove (2A) Sectional
2-11-2003 (Tu) Quarterfinals  (6 p.m.)
2-14-2003 (F) Semifinals  (6 p.m.)
2-15-2003  (S) Championship (7:30 p.m.)

North Judson (2A) Regional
2-22-2003 (S) Semifinals  (11 a.m.)
2-22-2003 (S) Championship  (7 p.m.)

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Revised: July 10, 2004 .