SOUTH WAYNE - When Black Hawk sophomore Jen Wellnitz injured her ankle after trying to beat Darlington's press Tuesday night, she vowed the injury wouldn't keep her on the bench.
Wellnitz came back into the game and the Warriors were able to survive a late Redbirds' rally to win 48-46.
Wellnitz scored nine of her game-high 19 points in the fourth quarter and she just missed a triple-double, finishing with seven rebounds and seven steals.
"I'm always worried about every game," Wellnitz said. "I didn't want to lose. A win is a win. I didn't like that trip in the fourth quarter. I don't like cheap shots. Coach wanted me to sit out the rest of the game. I told him I could play. I didn't want to go out on that note."
With the win, Black Hawk (7-0, 2-0 Six Rivers East) extended its regular-season winning streak to 49 straight games. The last time Black Hawk lost in the regular season was to Parkview on Dec. 3, 2009.
"We don't talk about that," Black Hawk coach Mike Flanagan said. "That streak going into last year was last year. That doesn't do us anything this year. I think coming in and not having played a game in a week is hard. To find a way to pull through is rewarding and exhausting."
Darlington (4-5, 2-2 SWAL) erased an eight-point deficit late in the fourth quarter. After Wellnitz went to the bench, Darlington junior Cassidy Chambers drilled a 3-pointer with 49 seconds left that sliced the Warriors' lead to 46-43.
Black Hawk senior Katie Powers was called for a double dribble and then the Redbirds turned the ball over on a traveling violation. After a second Warriors' turnover in the final 49 seconds, Darlington senior Amy Jorgenson just missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer.
Darlington coach Mike Chambers didn't take any solace in the fact that four of the Redbirds' five losses have come against ranked teams.
"It's Black Hawk and they are our neighbor," Chambers said. "We wanted to beat them just as bad as they wanted to beat us. We came in with the idea of stealing one. We are not into moral victories. This one stings."
The Redbirds had two golden opportunities to cut into the Warriors' six-point lead with 1:45 to go, but they couldn't corral an offensive rebound and had two turnovers. The turnover in the final seconds also proved costly.
"In a game like this, a play here or there, a rebound you didn't get or an oops you made on offense and ran the wrong play can add up," Chambers said. "It's the ones that happen late in the game that everyone focuses on. This game could have been won by a play earlier on."
Black Hawk senior Kayla Meier scored 12 points and had seven rebounds. Meier scored down low and Black Hawk senior Chaesta Shager knocked down a 3-pointer in the fourth quarter to spark a 9-4 run.
Wellnitz hit a jumper and came up with a steal and layup about midway through the fourth quarter to give the Warriors a 42-34 lead.
The Redbirds trailed by as many as nine points in the first half, but junior Alexa Hardyman scored all eight of her points after the break. Chambers scored 14 points to lead Darlington.
Darlington junior Claire Scott scored eight points and had 11 rebounds.
"They are a good club," Flanagan said. "They have two very good guards and a good post player. We focused our defense on stopping three girls. You dare other kids to beat you and sometimes they do. She (Hardyman) shot them back into the game. They had other girls who traditionally don't score step up."
Mike Chambers is hoping that Hardyman can build off her solid shooting night.
"For whatever reason we have some girls who are shooters when they come in they don't shoot," he said. "She (Hardyman) did what she is supposed to do. Hopefully, that will get her confidence up."
Wellnitz came back into the game and the Warriors were able to survive a late Redbirds' rally to win 48-46.
Wellnitz scored nine of her game-high 19 points in the fourth quarter and she just missed a triple-double, finishing with seven rebounds and seven steals.
"I'm always worried about every game," Wellnitz said. "I didn't want to lose. A win is a win. I didn't like that trip in the fourth quarter. I don't like cheap shots. Coach wanted me to sit out the rest of the game. I told him I could play. I didn't want to go out on that note."
With the win, Black Hawk (7-0, 2-0 Six Rivers East) extended its regular-season winning streak to 49 straight games. The last time Black Hawk lost in the regular season was to Parkview on Dec. 3, 2009.
"We don't talk about that," Black Hawk coach Mike Flanagan said. "That streak going into last year was last year. That doesn't do us anything this year. I think coming in and not having played a game in a week is hard. To find a way to pull through is rewarding and exhausting."
Darlington (4-5, 2-2 SWAL) erased an eight-point deficit late in the fourth quarter. After Wellnitz went to the bench, Darlington junior Cassidy Chambers drilled a 3-pointer with 49 seconds left that sliced the Warriors' lead to 46-43.
Black Hawk senior Katie Powers was called for a double dribble and then the Redbirds turned the ball over on a traveling violation. After a second Warriors' turnover in the final 49 seconds, Darlington senior Amy Jorgenson just missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer.
Darlington coach Mike Chambers didn't take any solace in the fact that four of the Redbirds' five losses have come against ranked teams.
"It's Black Hawk and they are our neighbor," Chambers said. "We wanted to beat them just as bad as they wanted to beat us. We came in with the idea of stealing one. We are not into moral victories. This one stings."
The Redbirds had two golden opportunities to cut into the Warriors' six-point lead with 1:45 to go, but they couldn't corral an offensive rebound and had two turnovers. The turnover in the final seconds also proved costly.
"In a game like this, a play here or there, a rebound you didn't get or an oops you made on offense and ran the wrong play can add up," Chambers said. "It's the ones that happen late in the game that everyone focuses on. This game could have been won by a play earlier on."
Black Hawk senior Kayla Meier scored 12 points and had seven rebounds. Meier scored down low and Black Hawk senior Chaesta Shager knocked down a 3-pointer in the fourth quarter to spark a 9-4 run.
Wellnitz hit a jumper and came up with a steal and layup about midway through the fourth quarter to give the Warriors a 42-34 lead.
The Redbirds trailed by as many as nine points in the first half, but junior Alexa Hardyman scored all eight of her points after the break. Chambers scored 14 points to lead Darlington.
Darlington junior Claire Scott scored eight points and had 11 rebounds.
"They are a good club," Flanagan said. "They have two very good guards and a good post player. We focused our defense on stopping three girls. You dare other kids to beat you and sometimes they do. She (Hardyman) shot them back into the game. They had other girls who traditionally don't score step up."
Mike Chambers is hoping that Hardyman can build off her solid shooting night.
"For whatever reason we have some girls who are shooters when they come in they don't shoot," he said. "She (Hardyman) did what she is supposed to do. Hopefully, that will get her confidence up."
