ARGYLE - It took a solid second half, but in the end Darlington earned its seventh win of the year Monday 45-32 over Argyle in a non-conference game.
"Argyle came to play. I warned our team that they have got to be prepared and they've got to be ready," Redbirds head coach Adam Rotar said. "Any team that is hungry enough will come after you and do what they need to do. With that said, in the second half I couldn't ask for anything more (from my team)."
Amy Jorgenson took control of the offense for Darlington, scoring 28 points on four 3-pointers and 6-for-7 shooting from the free throw line, including a perfect 6-for-6 mark in the fourth quarter.
"Amy had a good game, but she can't have a good game without teammates. It just doesn't work that way," Rotar said. "It takes a team to help someone get to that point. You have five players on the court and they have to work together and they did that."
Argyle came ready to play for the second night in three days. On Saturday, against Riverdale, another Division 3 SWAL school, the Orioles nearly pulled the upset before faltering in the final two minutes. Then, Monday evening Argyle again played toe-to-toe with a D-3 SWAL foe, only to miss key free throws down the stretch and have Jorgenson finish with 11 in the fourth.
"Riverdale was a big game to get us ready for this," Orioles head coach Johnny Hinojosa said. "Our girls are stepping up. Jeannie Dammen made some big plays, Kelsey Bartels and Katie Dammen in the inside and Stephanie Cuevas taking a charge call - they gave us some momentum. It was another good game for us."
Darlington led 8-7 after the first quarter, but the two teams went into the break tied at 15 thanks to a 7-0 run by the Redbirds in the final 2 minutes, 42 seconds of the half.
"Things started working for us, clicking for us. Really there was no adjustments made. Part of the execution came because we had to go after them. We had to play our game," Rotar said.
Jorgenson took over in the third, accounting for 10 of the Redbirds' 14 points - including two 3s.
"I don't usually score that much," Jorgenson said. "I don't really keep track during the game, but it just kept happening."
Twice Jorgenson halted Argyle runs by hitting 3s. With the Orioles down three, Kelsey Bartels hit a jumper to make it a one-point game at 21-20, but Jorgenson's 3 turned the momentum back around. Argyle again tried to gain momentum, pulling off an 8-0 run in the final three minutes, only to have Jorgenson drain a 3 with 13 seconds left and steal the inbound under the hoop with five seconds left.
The spark gave Darlington a 29-28 lead entering the fourth.
"It took a little time in the third quarter until things started and they were doing the things that I asked them to do," Rotar said.
Argyle had no answer for Jorgenson and the Redbirds in the fourth. The Orioles shot just 5 of 14 from the free throw line in the fourth, despite being in the double-bonus. For the game, Argyle hit just 10 of 24.
"Free throws killed us. If we would have made some free throws at some key times, we maybe could have had this game," Hinojosa said.
Katie Dammen had 11 points to lead the Orioles, which committed just 16 turnovers in the game, compared to Darlington's 23.
Darlington gets back into action tonight. The Redbirds travel to Riverdale in their second of three games in a five-day stretch.
"This three-game stretch in five days, I'm telling you, we're ready to play," Rotar said.
Friday, Darlington hosts Southwestern and Hinojosa will be in attendance - the Orioles play Southwestern in the first round of the WIAA Division 4 tournament March 9.
"The rest is going to help us. Southwestern is a good team and my hats are off to them," Hinojosa said. "We've been playing some top-notch "D' lately and I think we're going to go over there and make it a close one."
"Argyle came to play. I warned our team that they have got to be prepared and they've got to be ready," Redbirds head coach Adam Rotar said. "Any team that is hungry enough will come after you and do what they need to do. With that said, in the second half I couldn't ask for anything more (from my team)."
Amy Jorgenson took control of the offense for Darlington, scoring 28 points on four 3-pointers and 6-for-7 shooting from the free throw line, including a perfect 6-for-6 mark in the fourth quarter.
"Amy had a good game, but she can't have a good game without teammates. It just doesn't work that way," Rotar said. "It takes a team to help someone get to that point. You have five players on the court and they have to work together and they did that."
Argyle came ready to play for the second night in three days. On Saturday, against Riverdale, another Division 3 SWAL school, the Orioles nearly pulled the upset before faltering in the final two minutes. Then, Monday evening Argyle again played toe-to-toe with a D-3 SWAL foe, only to miss key free throws down the stretch and have Jorgenson finish with 11 in the fourth.
"Riverdale was a big game to get us ready for this," Orioles head coach Johnny Hinojosa said. "Our girls are stepping up. Jeannie Dammen made some big plays, Kelsey Bartels and Katie Dammen in the inside and Stephanie Cuevas taking a charge call - they gave us some momentum. It was another good game for us."
Darlington led 8-7 after the first quarter, but the two teams went into the break tied at 15 thanks to a 7-0 run by the Redbirds in the final 2 minutes, 42 seconds of the half.
"Things started working for us, clicking for us. Really there was no adjustments made. Part of the execution came because we had to go after them. We had to play our game," Rotar said.
Jorgenson took over in the third, accounting for 10 of the Redbirds' 14 points - including two 3s.
"I don't usually score that much," Jorgenson said. "I don't really keep track during the game, but it just kept happening."
Twice Jorgenson halted Argyle runs by hitting 3s. With the Orioles down three, Kelsey Bartels hit a jumper to make it a one-point game at 21-20, but Jorgenson's 3 turned the momentum back around. Argyle again tried to gain momentum, pulling off an 8-0 run in the final three minutes, only to have Jorgenson drain a 3 with 13 seconds left and steal the inbound under the hoop with five seconds left.
The spark gave Darlington a 29-28 lead entering the fourth.
"It took a little time in the third quarter until things started and they were doing the things that I asked them to do," Rotar said.
Argyle had no answer for Jorgenson and the Redbirds in the fourth. The Orioles shot just 5 of 14 from the free throw line in the fourth, despite being in the double-bonus. For the game, Argyle hit just 10 of 24.
"Free throws killed us. If we would have made some free throws at some key times, we maybe could have had this game," Hinojosa said.
Katie Dammen had 11 points to lead the Orioles, which committed just 16 turnovers in the game, compared to Darlington's 23.
Darlington gets back into action tonight. The Redbirds travel to Riverdale in their second of three games in a five-day stretch.
"This three-game stretch in five days, I'm telling you, we're ready to play," Rotar said.
Friday, Darlington hosts Southwestern and Hinojosa will be in attendance - the Orioles play Southwestern in the first round of the WIAA Division 4 tournament March 9.
"The rest is going to help us. Southwestern is a good team and my hats are off to them," Hinojosa said. "We've been playing some top-notch "D' lately and I think we're going to go over there and make it a close one."
