NEW GLARUS - Courtney Feller and the New Glarus girls basketball team shook off a shooting slump in the first half and rolled to a 40-17 win over Belleville in the Capitol Conference opener Friday night.
Feller, a junior guard, scored 13 of her game-high 19 points in the third quarter to ignite the Glarner Knights, who were playing just their second game in the last 15 days.
"It feels really good, especially since they are one of our biggest rivals," Feller said. "Coach told us to just keep shooting, and I finally starting hitting some shots."
Both teams got off to cold starts. New Glarus (5-4, 1-0 Capitol South) went on a 6-minute 0-for-10 stretch in the first quarter. New Glarus senior Lexi Hanson drilled a 3-pointer with 1 minute, 57 seconds left in the quarter to give the Knights a 5-0 lead. Feller late knocked down a 3-pointer to beat the buzzer at the end of the first quarter, giving the Knights a 7-2 lead.
Belleville (2-6, 0-1) had an even rougher cold spell, going about 16 minutes without a basket. Belleville sophomore Elizabeth Erb scored down low to beat the buzzer at the end of the second quarter to cut the Knights' halftime lead to 15-7. Despite going scoreless over the length of about two quarters, the Wildcats were still within striking distance.
"It's the first conference game and they were timid," New Glarus coach Megan Scheele said of the Knights. "Both teams were. We were not attacking the basket."
Belleville senior Shelby Hubbard banked in a shot early in the third quarter to slice the Knights' lead to 15-9. The Knights used a 1-3-1 press and incorporated a halfcourt trap to turn the tide. The Knights answered with a 15-0 run sparked by Feller who drilled three 3-pointers during the surge. Feller hit the second of back-to-back 3-pointers in about a two-minute span to give the Knights a 30-9 lead.
"We like to play the 1-3-1," Feller said. "We like to fly around and play fast defense."
Scheele liked the urgency and aggressiveness the Knights displayed on the press.
"It got them going and set the tone," Scheele said. "It got (Belleville) frustrated. They were really working together on it. It was great to see.
"It's always a tough game. It's who wants it more. It's always an exciting rivalry."
For the game, the Knights shot 29.5 percent (13-for-44) and the Wildcats shot 16.1 percent (5-for-31). However, the Knights shot 45.4 percent in the second half, including Feller's three 3-pointers in the third quarter.
"She was hot and they were finding the hot shooter," Scheele said. "She did a great job and she was confident."
Hanson added eight points for the Knights. New Glarus junior Mandi Sargent had four points, five rebounds and three blocked shots. The Knights are also expected to get a starter back down the road. New Glarus senior Anya Schween is still recovering from an ACL injury.
Scheele said Schween will be back some time in February.
Feller, a junior guard, scored 13 of her game-high 19 points in the third quarter to ignite the Glarner Knights, who were playing just their second game in the last 15 days.
"It feels really good, especially since they are one of our biggest rivals," Feller said. "Coach told us to just keep shooting, and I finally starting hitting some shots."
Both teams got off to cold starts. New Glarus (5-4, 1-0 Capitol South) went on a 6-minute 0-for-10 stretch in the first quarter. New Glarus senior Lexi Hanson drilled a 3-pointer with 1 minute, 57 seconds left in the quarter to give the Knights a 5-0 lead. Feller late knocked down a 3-pointer to beat the buzzer at the end of the first quarter, giving the Knights a 7-2 lead.
Belleville (2-6, 0-1) had an even rougher cold spell, going about 16 minutes without a basket. Belleville sophomore Elizabeth Erb scored down low to beat the buzzer at the end of the second quarter to cut the Knights' halftime lead to 15-7. Despite going scoreless over the length of about two quarters, the Wildcats were still within striking distance.
"It's the first conference game and they were timid," New Glarus coach Megan Scheele said of the Knights. "Both teams were. We were not attacking the basket."
Belleville senior Shelby Hubbard banked in a shot early in the third quarter to slice the Knights' lead to 15-9. The Knights used a 1-3-1 press and incorporated a halfcourt trap to turn the tide. The Knights answered with a 15-0 run sparked by Feller who drilled three 3-pointers during the surge. Feller hit the second of back-to-back 3-pointers in about a two-minute span to give the Knights a 30-9 lead.
"We like to play the 1-3-1," Feller said. "We like to fly around and play fast defense."
Scheele liked the urgency and aggressiveness the Knights displayed on the press.
"It got them going and set the tone," Scheele said. "It got (Belleville) frustrated. They were really working together on it. It was great to see.
"It's always a tough game. It's who wants it more. It's always an exciting rivalry."
For the game, the Knights shot 29.5 percent (13-for-44) and the Wildcats shot 16.1 percent (5-for-31). However, the Knights shot 45.4 percent in the second half, including Feller's three 3-pointers in the third quarter.
"She was hot and they were finding the hot shooter," Scheele said. "She did a great job and she was confident."
Hanson added eight points for the Knights. New Glarus junior Mandi Sargent had four points, five rebounds and three blocked shots. The Knights are also expected to get a starter back down the road. New Glarus senior Anya Schween is still recovering from an ACL injury.
Scheele said Schween will be back some time in February.
