Lady Wolves have 'fun' with 66-40 win over Hanover Central
A USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith

Jan. 30, 2003  at Porter Township

HANOVER CENTRAL (40)  Christie Wick 3-1-7, Krysta Rickey 0-1-1,  Jill McElmurry 4-0-9, Katie Burke 1-0-2, Alisha Staley 2-0-4, Bess Copak 2-3-7, Karrah Adam 3-1-7, Melanie Braner 1-1-3.   TOTALS: 16-7-40
FTS: 7-25, 24.0 percent  (Christie Wick 1-7, Karrah Adam 1-3,  Bess Copak 3-5)
TURNOVERS: 23
BLOCKED SHOTS: Jill McElmurry - 3
REBOUNDS:  Bess Copak - 5
FOULED OUT: none
3-POINT GOALS (1) Jill McElmurry

BOONE GROVE (66)  AJ Puller 1-1-3,  Karissa Walter 4-1-10,  Heather Moy 6-3-15, Jenn Keller 2-3-7, Lani Marsh 5-1-11, Rachel Jenkins 3-3-9, Sara Martinovich 1-0-2, Becky Keller  3-0-7, Danielle Jacobs 1-0-2, Megan Dewell 0-0-0, Candy Wyatt 0-0-0.  TOTALS: 26-12-66
FTS: 12-21, 54.7 percent  (Jenkins 3-4, Jenn Keller 3-6, Heather Moy 3-6)
TURNOVERS: 29
REBOUNDS:  Heather Moy - 8, Rachel Jenkins - 8, Karissa Walter - 8
STEALS: Christie Wick 2,  Krysta Rickey - 2
ASSISTS: Karissa Walter - 4
FOULED OUT: none.
3-POINT GOALS (2) Karissa Walter, Becky Keller

PORTER TOWNSHIP (1-30-2003) - This game was the beginning of the end in many different ways.  When Boone Grove pulled away from Hanover Central 66-40 Thursday night it set the tone for the days and weeks to come.

For Boone Grove, this was the final 'fun' game. It gets very serious beginning with the regular season finale next Thursday at North Judson (12-6, a game that will begin at 5 p.m. CST.  And for Hanover Central, the effort given had the sense of urgency that teams need in the postseason.

The Lady Cats lost by plenty but they never stopped attacking on defense and never stopped trying (admittedly in vain) on offense.

"It wasn't that serious tonight but it's not going to be this way next Thursday," said Boone Grove coach Candy Wilson, who watched her girls finish off an undefeated Porter County Conference (PCC) championship season.  "We're going to have a week before we  play another game and I don't like that. There's quite an atmosphere there.  I told them, it's going to be very intimidating. They usually have a good crowd there."

It was a slim crowd that watched on "seniors night' at Boone as the Wolves (17-3, 7-0 PCC) pushed out to a 30-15 lead in their first game since the PCC tournament.  But an 8-2 run in the final moments of the second quarter and the third foul on Boone lead guard Karissa Walter gave Hanover Central hope at half-time.

HC junior Karrah Adam scored on a fast break feed from freshman Krysta Rickey to cut the lead back to 36-28 with 3:12 left in the third quarter after Walter drew her fourth foul and went to the bench.  But three baskets by 5-10 sophomore Lani Marsh and some steals plus transition runouts by sisters Jenn and Becky Keller expanded the lead to 48-33 after three quarters.

Boone Grove gave Hanover a chance to win this game but Hanover's shooting was not up to any competitive level.  The Lady Cats were consistently in position to score after steals or passes, but most shots were not close to going in.

It was a source of great frustration for coach Chris York.  "We just couldn't hit shots.  We actually played well offensively.  We executed what we wanted to get done.  We just didn't finish.  It should not have been a 26-point loss.  If we hit half of our shots in the foul lane and half of our free throws and we're fine."

"I told them, 'Hey guys, you played well."  By getting Walter in foul trouble early in the third quarter, we thought we had what we wanted.  But then, we allowed (Jenn) Keller to dribble down the floor and score and we can't do that."

This was a full court battle with Boone rotating nine players and Hanover sliding 10 girls in and out of the action.  The difference was Boone's seniors, 5-10 Heather Moy, 5-10 AJ Puller and 5-8 track star Jenn Keller, who were bigger and stronger than the Hanover front line.  That and Walter, who, as a sophomore, is more advanced and much more physical than Hanover's freshman starting point guard Krysta Rickey.

HC's tall wing shooters, McElmurry and Christe Wick, combined for just 16 points.

"Late in the game, I didn't want to play man-to-man against them and have them go back door all the time but you can't just sit back when they have the lead and let them do whatever they want to do.  So, there's only so many things you can do against them.  But we did a lot of what we wanted to do.  We just didn't hit any shots."

CAT/WOLF NOTES:  Hanover's Jill McElmurry was ill and did not start the game.  HC's Bess Copak grabbed five first half rebounds but two fouls in the first minute of the second half (giving her four for the game) benched the 5-6 forward for the third quarter.  Copak and 5-8 Katie Burke are HC's only true forwards.

The game officiating was not varsity caliber but York did not use that as a contributing factor in the loss.

"We don't ever shot fake," he said. "We put the ball right into the (shot blockers) hands.  Maybe we could have gotten some more calls but you've got to earn that.  Look at what we did tonight.  If we can shot fake, hit little 'bunny' shots, we're right where they are."

Boone's Becky Keller, who had seven points and three assists, also wasn't 100 percent. "I missed two days of practice this week," she said. 

One of five sophomores on the varsity,  Keller says that she's surprised how hard it is to have a good record.

"I'm so nervous, " she said. "Afraid we're going to lose. In the PCC (tournament) against LaCrosse, I was worried because we weren't taking it very seriously."  Boone won 80-33."

The pressure of being expected to win leaves Boone now because nobody wins at North Judson and the Lady Wolves have never won a sectional title in the entire history of the program. North Newton (17-3)  is the favorite at the Rensselaer Sectional, if only because they've beaten every other team in the six-team field.

Candy Wilson commented that the PCC tournament was much more nerve-wracking than she expects the sectional to be.

"I've never had a more nervous week in my life," she smiled after Thursday's game, "because we were expected to win.  It's easier to win the sectional than it is the PCC tournament because we (in the PCC) know each other too well."

Because of the history of the tournament, there has always been a debate about which is more significant for a Porter County Conference (PCC) team, winning the PCC tourney or winning the sectional.

Obviously, sectional winners move on in the state tournament, but since no PCC team ever reached the state finals (or was ever going to) under the old, one class playoff system, the small PCC schools keyed on the PCC tourney as the climax of their season.  Sometimes, because the PCC championship is such an emotional week, the PCC champ falls quickly at sectional time.

But sports (and high school) is all about memories.  Years down the line, what are players going to remember?  That they beat their arch-rival for the league championship or that they beat some team two counties away for the sectional crown before getting beat by some team four counties away at the regional?

"Coach Linda Eletheri (Boone's volleyball and former basketball coach) and I have always had this discussion.  I think you've got to look at the big picture."

Jenn Keller, who played on Boone's only volleyball sectional champion last year, disagrees.  "Hey, I want to win it all," she said.  "But we beat North Newton to win the volleyball sectional (in 2001) and then we don't see them again for another year.  What is that?  To win the PCC you have to beat the teams you see all the time.  That's how you get recognition."

Wilson countered. "PCC is nice but sectional is the big thing. This is the mindset that I've got to get them (her players) out of.  It is such an incredible accomplishment to win a sectional."

Rensselaer, the host of next month's 2A sectional, doesn't play in a league so they can't relate to this discussion. The Bombers (9-9) don't have a league tournament so all they think about is the sectional.  Four of Rensselaer's varsity members came down Route 231 to watch two of their sectional rivals meet Thursday night. The Bomber girls, dressed in letter jackets, stayed the whole game and ended up cheering for Hanover.

Boone recognized their three seniors in the final home game of the year.  Jenn Keller, AJ Puller and Heather Moy received gifts, flowers and cards from their teammates, parents and coaches.  After the game, there was a party in the cafeteria which consisted largely of eating and (throwing) of cake, examining of presents and freshman coach Bill Breuninger loudly popping the blue and while Boone balloons that seemed to be all over the school.

Hanover returns to Illinois Tuesday night to battle Illinois power Momence, which is a regional co-favorite in the upcoming Class A (they have two classes, A and AA) Illinois state tournament.  Boone defeated Hanover in the JV game. Boone is 13-5 and Hanover is 12-6.   Chris York's younger sister Michelle, a 1999 Hanover varsity player and teammate of JV coach Tammi Boersma on Hanover's semistate team, was at the Boone-Hanover game and is going to be a volunteer varsity assistant coach for the rest of the season.

2003 HANOVER CENTRAL (6-12, 3-3)

Coach Chris York  (1 year  -  8-12)
JV coach: Tammi Boersma
PCC games in CAPS, Home games in bold
11-12-2002:  43-51  at Gavit (9-9)
11-22-2002:  39-40   WHEELER (13-6)
11-27-2002:  34-49 at Lowell (9-9)
12-6-2002:  60-45 HEBRON (6-12)
12-7-2002:  68-53 KOUTS (3-15)
12-14-2002:  59-37 at LaCROSSE  (6-12)
12-17-2002:  38-79  North Newton (15-4)
12-19-2002:  47-33  River Forest (6-11)

Momence Holiday Tournament  (Momence, Ill.)
12-27-2002:  39-53  at Momence (19-1)   quarterfinals
12-28-2002: 55-58 South Newton (8-10)
12-28-2002:  55-52 Watseka (11-13) 7th place

1-4-2003:  22-62 Crown Point  (11-7)
1-9-2003:  37-50 at Calumet (12-6)
1-11-2003:  41-48 WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP (11-6)
1-18-2003:  57-61 Kankakee Valley  (7-12)

Porter County Conference (PCC) Tournament
1-20-2003:  55-56 Hebron (6-12)  quarterfinals

1-30-2003:  40-66 at BOONE GROVE (17-3)
2-3-2003:  IHSAA state tournament draw 

2-4-2003:  (Tu) at Momence, IL  (19-1)
2-8-2003:  (S) at MORGAN TOWNSHIP (3-13)

Rensselaer (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.)

BOONE GROVE (17-3, 7-0 PCC)

Coach Candy Wilson (6th year)  39-61 in 5 seasons
JV coach: Stephanie Lytle - Freshman coach: Ben Breuninger
PCC games in CAPS, Home games in bold
11-12-2002:  58-28 at River Forest (6-11)
11-15-2002:  45-34 at Calumet (11-6)
11-16-2002:  71-47 at HEBRON (6-12)
11-22-2002:  62-55 at Knox  (6-11)
11-26-2002:  89-34 LaCROSSE (7-11)
12-2-2002:  57-67 at Kankakee Valley (7-12)
12-6-2002:  79-61 at WHEELER (13-5)
12-12-2002:  63-72 WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP (11-6)
12-14-2002:  49-55  CROWN POINT (11-7) 
12-17-2002:  82-33 KOUTS (3-15) 
12-19-2002:  85-42 at MORGAN TOWNSHIP (2-16)

South County Tournament  (at Boone Grove)
1-3-2003:  61-35 Hebron (6-12)
1-4-2003:  73-31 Kouts (3-15) title
1-7-2003:  60-63 at North Newton (15-3)
1-9-2003:  84-45  SOUTH CENTRAL (8-10)
1-15-2003:  94-14 Lake Station (0-16)

Porter County Conference (PCC) Tournament  (at Morgan Township)
1-20-2003:  63-61 Washington Township (11-5)  quarterfinals
1-24-2003:  80-33 LaCrosse (7-11) semifinals
1-25-2003:  57-55 Wheeler (13-5) title
1-30-2003:  66-40 HANOVER CENTRAL (6-12)
2-6-2003:  (F) at North Judson (11-7) 5 p.m.

Rensselaer (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 .