Glenn Wins Holiday Classic
By Paul Dendiu
Pilot Sports
WALKERTON � Coach John Willoughby is trying to dispel a misconception about LaVille�s girls basketball team.
�We�ve always been stereotyped as a half-court offensive team,� Willoughby said. �This year, we�re averaging close to 60 points per game, so I don�t know if we fit the stereotype anymore.�
Glenn forced the Lancers to wear that label Saturday night.
Angie Nifong recorded 10 points, six assists and five rebounds, and the Falcons handed LaVille its first loss of the season with a 34-32 victory in the finals of the Glenn Holiday Basketball Classic.
�Both offenses struggled tonight,� Glenn coach Dan Hutton said. �LaVille played a great defensive game.�
So did Hutton�s team.
The Falcons (4-2) used full-court pressure and a tough man-to-man scheme to disrupt the Lancers offense. Freshman Rachel Wilkinson and junior Marcia Miller took turns guarding LaVille standout Kelsey McKee. The 5-7 junior couldn�t find any easy shots, and managed only six points.
�Marcia and Rachel chased her all over the place,� Hutton said. �Both of them did a super job.�
Willoughby agreed.
�They did a nice job on Kelsey,� Willoughby said. �But we have other kids capable of scoring.�
The Lancers (5-1) got most of that scoring from junior Jolyn McQueen. She netted 10 points and grabbed numerous rebounds and loose balls to help LaVille stay close and take a 15-14 halftime lead.
�Joyln�s been a nice player all year, and she did a nice job again tonight,� Willoughby said. �She�s the type of player we need � someone who�s going to play hard from start to finish.�
Saturday�s finish was hard for Willoughby to stomach.
With just under a minute left and the game knotted at 30-30, Falcons senior guard Jessica Robbins picked off an errant LaVille pass, and sped up the court for a lay-up that gave Glenn a two-point advantage. Nifong pulled down a huge defensive board after a couple Lancers misses 20 seconds later, and sank two free throws to secure the win. Samantha Moore swished a 12-foot jumper as time expired, but it was too little too late.
�Jessica had a tough night, but she made the big interception and the lay-up when we had to have her,� Hutton said. �Angie was steady throughout both games today. She gives us stability at the guard position.�
Willoughby�s squad was uncharacteristically unstable.
�We�d call a timeout, and we�d come out with set plays. By the time we got on the court, we had forgotten them,� Willoughby said. �We weren�t ready to play mentally because we hadn�t played anyone as tough as Glenn."
A Glenn team that may get even tougher.
�These kids deserve this, and I hope this win helps us,� Hutton said. �We seem to get a little better each game. We�re playing better together, and we�ll just keep working at it every day.�
Elkhart Baptist beat Hammond-Clark, 55-39, in the consolation game. Wilkinson, Robbins, Ami Kretchmer and McQueen were named to the All-Tournament team.
GLENN 34, LAVILLE 32
At Walkerton
LAVILLE (32): Kelsey McKee 3 0-0 6, Cindel Sauer 1 0-0 2, Kim Hansen 0 0-0 0, Samantha Moore 1 1-2 3, Ashlee Dutoi 0 0-0 0, Danielle Mishler 0 0-0 0, Brittany Moore 2 1-3 6, Amanda Bodnar 1 3-4 5, Jolyn McQueen 4 2-2 10. TOTALS: 12 7-11 32.
GLENN (34): Marcia Miller 1 0-0 2, Laurissa Howe 0 0-0 0, Angie Nifong 2 6-6 10, Ami Kretchmer 1 0-0 2, Jessica Robbins 4 1-2 9, Rachel Wilkinson 2 1-1 5, Roxanne McEndarfer 3 0-0 6, Cassie Davis 0 0-0 0. TOTALS: 13 8-9 34.
3-point goals: LaVille 1 (B. Moore), Glenn 0. Total fouls (fouled out): LaVille 12 (B. Moore), Glenn 14 (Kretchmer).
Records: LaVille 5-1, Glenn 4-2.
|
|
| Community Calendar |
|
No events listed.
|
|
Interactive Calendar
|
