DARLINGTON - The Darlington girls basketball team used a 1-2-2 press and a trapping defense to stifle Black Hawk en route to a 45-23 win over the Warriors Monday night.
Darlington (11-3, 8-2 SWAL) limited Black Hawk junior Jen Wellnitz to just eight points and the Warriors struggled as a team, shooting just 15.7 percent (6 of 38).
"We knew Jen is a great player," Darlington coach Riley Fitzsimons said. "We wanted to get the ball out of Jen's hands before she got to the top of the key. We tried to deny it and make some other girls beat us."
Darlington senior Cassidy Chambers scored a game-high 14 points, and senior Claire Scott scored 12 points to go along with eight rebounds. Senior Alexa Hardyman added nine points on three 3-pointers. Wellnitz picked up her fourth foul at the end of the third quarter, and the Redbirds went on a 14-1 run in the fourth quarter.
"I really wanted to win because my parents are from Black Hawk," Scott said.
She said the key was their defensive execution.
"Defense has always been our strength," Scott said. "We knew we had to really put the pressure on (Wellnitz). I was able to use my long arms on the traps."
Black Hawk (9-5, 5-1 Six Rivers East) went through two 8-minute scoring droughts in the first and fourth quarters.
"It felt like we lost our identity and kids started going maverick," Black Hawk coach Mike Flanagan said of the second half. "If we are going to succeed, we certainly have to be true to our game plan. In the second half, we didn't do that. They took Jen away. You have to credit Darlington's defense."
Flanagan said Wellnitz not starting the fourth quarter due to foul trouble wasn't the main problem.
"We were not effective even when she was out there," Flanagan said of Wellnitz. "We had open shots. We just struggled to put the ball in the hole. It comes down to finishing shots and we didn't get it done tonight."
Hardyman hit a 3-pointer and Mallory Busch scored on a putback to give the Redbirds a 7-2 lead at the end of the first quarter. Wellnitz snapped the cold spell hitting a jumper with 7 minutes, 36 seconds left in the second quarter to cut the Redbirds' lead to 7-4.
Black Hawk senior Abby Schiferl, who added seven points, scored on a putback with 1:15 to go in the second quarter, but that is as close as the Warriors would get. Chambers scored on a layup before the buzzer to give the Redbirds a 16-12 lead at the half. The Warriors were able to stay in the game by making 8 of 14 free throws in the first half.
Fitzsimons said playing smart was his concern after they committed several fouls about 90 feet away from the basket in the first half.
"Basketball is not just a physical game of running up and down the floor," he said. "I preach to them to use their heads. In the second half, we did a better job of using our heads and not letting Black hawk dictate the game. We put a lot of emphasis on the Cuba City game, and the girls were disappointed. I was really worried coming into this game coming off an emotional loss."
However, the Warriors finished just 11 of 22 from the charity stripe.
The Redbirds extended their lead at the start of the third quarter when Hardyman drilled a 3-pointer and senior Tatum Evenstad came up with a steal and a layup to give the Redbirds a 21-12 lead with 6:54 left in the third quarter. Hardyman knocked down her third 3-pointer to give the Redbirds a 24-14 lead.
Wellnitz hit a jumper and scored on a running layup to cut the Redbirds' lead to 26-20. Chambers answered by drilling a 3-pointer to extend the lead to 29-20. After Wellnitz went to the bench in foul trouble, Scott started to catch fire in the fourth quarter. Scott scored eight of her points in the fourth. That sparked the Redbirds' big surge in the fourth quarter.
"Once we start clicking on offense, we can really get going," Scott said.
One bright spot for Black Hawk was the return of junior Mikayla Sigafus who missed 10 games due to a broken wrist. Sigafus scored just three points.
"She gave us a spark," Flanagan said. "She will obviously be a big part of what we are doing."
The Redbirds had seven offensive rebounds in the second half that led to more scoring opportunities. Scott scored six straight points in the fourth quarter sparked by an offensive rebound and putback to help the Redbirds take a 47-23 lead.
"We didn't do a good job of rebounding late," Flanagan said. "The damage was done by then."
Darlington (11-3, 8-2 SWAL) limited Black Hawk junior Jen Wellnitz to just eight points and the Warriors struggled as a team, shooting just 15.7 percent (6 of 38).
"We knew Jen is a great player," Darlington coach Riley Fitzsimons said. "We wanted to get the ball out of Jen's hands before she got to the top of the key. We tried to deny it and make some other girls beat us."
Darlington senior Cassidy Chambers scored a game-high 14 points, and senior Claire Scott scored 12 points to go along with eight rebounds. Senior Alexa Hardyman added nine points on three 3-pointers. Wellnitz picked up her fourth foul at the end of the third quarter, and the Redbirds went on a 14-1 run in the fourth quarter.
"I really wanted to win because my parents are from Black Hawk," Scott said.
She said the key was their defensive execution.
"Defense has always been our strength," Scott said. "We knew we had to really put the pressure on (Wellnitz). I was able to use my long arms on the traps."
Black Hawk (9-5, 5-1 Six Rivers East) went through two 8-minute scoring droughts in the first and fourth quarters.
"It felt like we lost our identity and kids started going maverick," Black Hawk coach Mike Flanagan said of the second half. "If we are going to succeed, we certainly have to be true to our game plan. In the second half, we didn't do that. They took Jen away. You have to credit Darlington's defense."
Flanagan said Wellnitz not starting the fourth quarter due to foul trouble wasn't the main problem.
"We were not effective even when she was out there," Flanagan said of Wellnitz. "We had open shots. We just struggled to put the ball in the hole. It comes down to finishing shots and we didn't get it done tonight."
Hardyman hit a 3-pointer and Mallory Busch scored on a putback to give the Redbirds a 7-2 lead at the end of the first quarter. Wellnitz snapped the cold spell hitting a jumper with 7 minutes, 36 seconds left in the second quarter to cut the Redbirds' lead to 7-4.
Black Hawk senior Abby Schiferl, who added seven points, scored on a putback with 1:15 to go in the second quarter, but that is as close as the Warriors would get. Chambers scored on a layup before the buzzer to give the Redbirds a 16-12 lead at the half. The Warriors were able to stay in the game by making 8 of 14 free throws in the first half.
Fitzsimons said playing smart was his concern after they committed several fouls about 90 feet away from the basket in the first half.
"Basketball is not just a physical game of running up and down the floor," he said. "I preach to them to use their heads. In the second half, we did a better job of using our heads and not letting Black hawk dictate the game. We put a lot of emphasis on the Cuba City game, and the girls were disappointed. I was really worried coming into this game coming off an emotional loss."
However, the Warriors finished just 11 of 22 from the charity stripe.
The Redbirds extended their lead at the start of the third quarter when Hardyman drilled a 3-pointer and senior Tatum Evenstad came up with a steal and a layup to give the Redbirds a 21-12 lead with 6:54 left in the third quarter. Hardyman knocked down her third 3-pointer to give the Redbirds a 24-14 lead.
Wellnitz hit a jumper and scored on a running layup to cut the Redbirds' lead to 26-20. Chambers answered by drilling a 3-pointer to extend the lead to 29-20. After Wellnitz went to the bench in foul trouble, Scott started to catch fire in the fourth quarter. Scott scored eight of her points in the fourth. That sparked the Redbirds' big surge in the fourth quarter.
"Once we start clicking on offense, we can really get going," Scott said.
One bright spot for Black Hawk was the return of junior Mikayla Sigafus who missed 10 games due to a broken wrist. Sigafus scored just three points.
"She gave us a spark," Flanagan said. "She will obviously be a big part of what we are doing."
The Redbirds had seven offensive rebounds in the second half that led to more scoring opportunities. Scott scored six straight points in the fourth quarter sparked by an offensive rebound and putback to help the Redbirds take a 47-23 lead.
"We didn't do a good job of rebounding late," Flanagan said. "The damage was done by then."
