NEW GLARUS - The game of basketball lasts four quarters, and first-year New Glarus head coach Megan Scheele intends to have her squad play all four every night.
"It's the little things that count; the little things that matter. We're going to out-work them and be scrappy. They showed it to me on the floor tonight," Scheele said after her team's 53-51 come-from-behind win over Wis. 69 rival Monticello Tuesday. "We're short in stature, but hey, we have a big fight in us. That's what's going to help us throughout the whole season. As long as we believe in each other, we can't go wrong."
The win, the first in Scheele's career, puts the Glarner Knights at 1-0 before hitting the road Thursday at Lodi.
"An intense first one. It was great," said Scheele, a New Glarus graduate and former Edgewood College superstar. "Coming back home and play an opponent that I played against was fun and exciting. The atmosphere was great to be in."
Monticello controlled much of Tuesday's game, starting from a 9-0 run in the first that had the Knights on their heels.
"We made a 180-degree turnaround from Saturday," said Ponies head coach Tom Eveland, referencing his team's lopsided loss against Shullsburg 40-26. "These girls came back to practice and turned it around."
A strong press by Monticello forced numerous turnovers and fouls. The two teams combined for 28 fouls in the first half and 17 in the second - for a total of 45 in the game.
"We got in a little foul trouble. We're a physical team and we're going to run into that," Eveland said. "It's very important to have depth. It keeps you fresh and you can give a girl a break here and there."
The Ponies led 15-10 after the first quarter and 28-23 at the half. But New Glarus hung around and figured out a way to break the press in the second half.
"I told them, 'I believe in you, you're teammates believe in you and we're just going to out-work them,'" Scheele said. "We needed to slow down and let the game come (to us). They never gave up. They fought back, they were scrappy, they did everything I asked them to do."
Behind the quick hands of Lauren Narveson, Anya Schween and Chelsea Holler, the Knights issued a riveting press of their own and went on an 11-2 run to open the fourth. The rally put New Glarus ahead 46-39 - not even three minutes into the final frame.
"It was big. They knew they could do it," Scheele said. "They believed that they could do it and this got them motivated to go. (Monticello) kind of came back and we kind of lost it, but we did the little things that in the end really counted."
Monticello mounted a late comeback, outscoring the Knights 8-2 over a 1 minute, 44 second period in the final two minutes. But a late 3-point attempt by Desiree Marty went off the back iron with 9 ticks remaining and Schween stole a pass with under 3 to play.
"They did the little things right and I'm very happy for that. We didn't get a victory, but I'm still very happy," Eveland said.
New Glarus senior Alycia Atwell scored 15 points and Holler and Schween each had nine. Taylor Pfeuti had 15 to lead Monticello.
"It's the little things that count; the little things that matter. We're going to out-work them and be scrappy. They showed it to me on the floor tonight," Scheele said after her team's 53-51 come-from-behind win over Wis. 69 rival Monticello Tuesday. "We're short in stature, but hey, we have a big fight in us. That's what's going to help us throughout the whole season. As long as we believe in each other, we can't go wrong."
The win, the first in Scheele's career, puts the Glarner Knights at 1-0 before hitting the road Thursday at Lodi.
"An intense first one. It was great," said Scheele, a New Glarus graduate and former Edgewood College superstar. "Coming back home and play an opponent that I played against was fun and exciting. The atmosphere was great to be in."
Monticello controlled much of Tuesday's game, starting from a 9-0 run in the first that had the Knights on their heels.
"We made a 180-degree turnaround from Saturday," said Ponies head coach Tom Eveland, referencing his team's lopsided loss against Shullsburg 40-26. "These girls came back to practice and turned it around."
A strong press by Monticello forced numerous turnovers and fouls. The two teams combined for 28 fouls in the first half and 17 in the second - for a total of 45 in the game.
"We got in a little foul trouble. We're a physical team and we're going to run into that," Eveland said. "It's very important to have depth. It keeps you fresh and you can give a girl a break here and there."
The Ponies led 15-10 after the first quarter and 28-23 at the half. But New Glarus hung around and figured out a way to break the press in the second half.
"I told them, 'I believe in you, you're teammates believe in you and we're just going to out-work them,'" Scheele said. "We needed to slow down and let the game come (to us). They never gave up. They fought back, they were scrappy, they did everything I asked them to do."
Behind the quick hands of Lauren Narveson, Anya Schween and Chelsea Holler, the Knights issued a riveting press of their own and went on an 11-2 run to open the fourth. The rally put New Glarus ahead 46-39 - not even three minutes into the final frame.
"It was big. They knew they could do it," Scheele said. "They believed that they could do it and this got them motivated to go. (Monticello) kind of came back and we kind of lost it, but we did the little things that in the end really counted."
Monticello mounted a late comeback, outscoring the Knights 8-2 over a 1 minute, 44 second period in the final two minutes. But a late 3-point attempt by Desiree Marty went off the back iron with 9 ticks remaining and Schween stole a pass with under 3 to play.
"They did the little things right and I'm very happy for that. We didn't get a victory, but I'm still very happy," Eveland said.
New Glarus senior Alycia Atwell scored 15 points and Holler and Schween each had nine. Taylor Pfeuti had 15 to lead Monticello.
