.png)
Lady Vikes complete ‘whirlwind’ early schedule 6-6
BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS
Sports Editor, RTC
AKRON — Tippecanoe Valley girls basketball coach Rebekah Parker described her team’s early schedule as “an absolute whirlwind” – 12 games in six weeks for a first-year coach trying to install a new system and all while trying to replace four graduated starters from last year.
The whirlwind met a happy ending as Hadley Wise scored a career-high 20 points, and Lucy Hayden added 14 as the Lady Vikings pulled away in the second half to beat visiting Western 58-37 at Rita Price Simpson Court at the TVHS gym Monday.
Hailey Stookey had eight points off the bench, and Gaby Gonzalez contributed with six points and eight steals, often starting fast breaks herself with rebounds and then feeding a racing Wise for fast break finishes at the rim.
Wise scored the first seven points of the second half to break a 27-27 tie, and Hayden returned from appearing to hurt her back in the first quarter to grab eight rebounds in addition to her scoring.
She powered through Western’s leading scorer and rebounder Ellyse Walden for a bucket and a foul with 2:26 left in the third quarter to make it 38-31, and that started an 11-0 run covering the third and fourth quarters to bump the lead to 16.
Valley also closed the game on an 8-0 run. The 21-point margin of victory represented their largest lead.
Walden, a 6-0 post player, led Western with 13 points and nine rebounds. Ella Rawlings hit three 3-pointers and added 11, but she did not score in the second half.
Western hit four 3-pointers in the first half but none in the second half after Valley switched from a 2-3 zone to a modified man-to-man with Gonzalez fronting Walden and Hayden playing behind her in the post.
Wise not only outscored the entire Western team 14-10 in the second half, but she had the defensive assignment on Rawlings.
“I wanted to switch after number 30 (Rawlings) hit that second 3,” Parker said. “We really didn’t have a stoppage in play, but we finally got it to where we matched up, and Hadley Wise did a heck of a job on number 30. … And Lucy did a really, really good job team defensively. She had a tough assignment, but as a team she probably did a good job of covering up the post. Even with two or three people on her, (Walden) got away from us, and that’s a testament to her and the type of player she is, but I thought for the most part in the second half, we kind of took some things away they wanted and were able to control the ball on offense.”
Valley went on a 9-0 run in the first quarter as Western failed to advance the ball past halfcourt on three straight possessions. Carlee Snyder had a putback, and Wise put in two quick layups after backcourt steals.
But Western answered with a 15-2 run. Rawlings hit two treys, and Rhiana Bowman capped the run with a drop-step move in the post to make it 18-11.
Maci Turner would hit a 3, and Rawlings hit a pullup 15-footer in the second quarter as the lead stretched to 23-15.
Trailing 25-17, Valley would eventually go on an 18-2 run covering the second and third quarters, which included a Stookey 3-pointer, a Dalynne Bussard coast to coast move that finished with a floater as she was fouled, a heat-seeking, needle-threading pass from Bussard to Hayden for a layup as she was fouled and another Hayden layup off a Wise assist that tied the game.
Hayden appeared to wrench her back diving for a loose ball and left the court for a time in the first half, but she returned with just over three minutes left in the second quarter.
Afterwards, she exhibited a Player of the Game belt not unlike a boxing or professional wrestling championship belt in Valley green.
“I’m feeling pretty good, just a little sore, and I think I might be a little sore later,” Hayden said. “But I basically just got on the floor with the ball, and this girl came sliding at me with her knees, but I’m all good now.”
Wise then scored the first seven points of the third quarter herself on two steals and layups and then a 3-pointer.
“She’s a really good on-ball defender,” Parker said. “I know sometimes she gets in foul trouble a little bit, but she’s a really good on-ball defender, and she’s normally one of the fastest players on the court and finishes pretty well. That combination is tough for people, and I think she’s turned the corner. I don’t want to say slowed down because she’s fast, but she’s slowed her mind down to where she’s able to utilize those strengths that she has to our benefit.”
Two Walden buckets sandwiched around a long 2-pointer from Stookey – her foot was on the line – kept Western within five.
“It’s exhausting,” Hayden said of guarding Walden. “She’s very strong. She’s an insane player. … I think we could have stopped her a bit more, but she is a strong girl, and I think we stopped her as much as we could.”
Valley will not play again until facing Marquette Catholic, last year’s Class 1A state runner-up, in the first round of the Brebeuf Jesuit on Dec. 28. They will play either Harrison (West Lafayette) or Brebeuf Jesuit in their second game that day and then have another 11-day break before their next game.
“It’s been a crazy schedule,” Parker said, her voice hoarse. “I’m looking forward to a little down time here before we go to Brebeuf before we play next Saturday, so we can actually put some practices together, stack some practices and get better. Work on some things and get better and not just be in constant preparation for the next game.
“So I’m excited for that. I don’t know that the players are super excited for that many days of practice, but I am.”
Hayden complimented Parker on her personality but also said that Parker disciplining her earlier brought out the best in her.
“She’s a funny, loving coach, and she’s awesome,” Hayden said. “I love having her, and I’m so happy she’s here this year. It’s been fun. She’s improved everything. She sat me, and that made me work harder than I’ve ever worked, and I just think that’s changed me as a player. She knows what’s good for me, and she did what’s right for me, and I thank her for that.”
Valley also won the JV game 32-13. Maycee Koch and Savana Miller had seven points each to lead Valley. Malaynie Costello had six; Betty Shepherd had four; Lillie Koch, Izzy Woodruff and Chaney Miller had two each, and Olivia Fuller and Lindahl Walls had one each.
Tippecanoe Valley 58, Western 37
WESTERN (37) (2-7)
Cheyenne Smith 2 0-1 4, Molly Stage 0 0-0 0, Rhiana Bowman 2 0-0 4, Ella Rawlings 4 0-0 11, Ellyse Walden 6 1-2 13, Marlee McKibben 0 0-0 0, Kayleigh Auth 1 0-0 2, Ella Crume 0 0-0 0, Chauncey Thompson 0 0-0 0, Maci Turner 1 0-0 3, Reyce Gibson 0 0-0 0
TEAM: 16 1-3 37
VALLEY (58) (6-6)
Gaby Gonzalez 3 0-0 6, Hadley Wise 9 1-2 20, Dalynne Bussard 2 0-1 4, Carlee Snyder 2 0-0 4, Lucy Hayden 6 2-6 14, Malaynie Costello 1 0-0 2, Lydia Craig 0 0-0 0, Izzy Woodruff 0 0-0 0, Hailey Stookey 3 0-0 8, Maycee Koch 0 0-0 0, Betty Shepherd 0 0-0 0
TEAM: 26 3-9 58
Three-point field goals:
Western 4 (Rawlings 3, Turner),
Valley 3 (Stookey 2, Wise)
Total fouls: Western 8, Valley 5
Turnovers: Western 20, Valley 8
Score by quarters
Western 18 9 4 6 – 37
Valley 13 14 16 15 – 58
تعليقات