BLANCHARDVILLE - Pecatonica junior Kimee Chandler didn't need any extra motivation to play basketball Thursday night.
"It was our home opener," Chandler said. "We are always excited for our home opener and first conference game."
The Vikings, the defending Six Rivers East Conference champions, didn't disappoint the home faithful, using a smothering fullcourt press to run away with a 74-37 girls basketball win over Juda.
The game was the Panthers' season-opener.
"There's nothing like starting with Pec," Juda coach Curtis Brown said.
Panthers' junior Larissa Klemm hit a shot in the lane to give Juda a 2-0 lead. Moments later, teammate Brittany Riese's layup tied the score at 4-4.
"We came out ready to play," Brown said. "We had a lot of energy."
But the Vikings rolled from there - answering with a 20-2 run highlighted by 3-pointers by Chandler and senior Brittany Kent. A layup by sophomore Ellie Gifford extended the lead to 24-6.
"Our fullcourt press is probably our best defense right now," Chandler said. "We can really make some offense off our defense."
With the win, Pecatonica, the third-ranked Division 4 team in the WisSports.net Coaches Poll, improved to 4-0. Vikings coach Mike Armitage was proud of his team, but cautioned four games doesn't make a season. Few wins in December define a season or even are remembered in March.
"Bottom line is we haven't won anything yet," Armitage said. "Unfortunately for them (Juda), they haven't had a measuring stick in a while," Armitage said.
Pecatonica had four players in double figures and were led by Chandler, who scored a game-high 18 points. Kent added 12, Elise Sigg chipped in 11 and Alisha Esselstein had 10 points.
The Vikings' quickness on the press forced the Panthers into a slew of turnovers and ignited the run. Pecatonica hit all six of its 3-pointers in the first half en route to a 51-14 halftime lead.
"We came out kind of flat," Chandler said. "Once our shots started to fall, everything just fell into place."
Armitage said the Vikings were sloppy in the first three minutes.
"We just had to be patient with it," he said.
"If we keep running the floor, good things are going to happen. We wanted to play as much in the backcourt as we could."
In the third quarter, the Panthers turned the ball over on four of their first five possessions as the Vikings scored six consecutive points to build a 57-14 lead.
"They force you to play their game," Brown said. "We can't go up and down the floor with them."
Klemm led the Panthers with a team-high 12 points.
Brown said the Panthers did a better job feeding the ball down low to junior Heather Boeke (nine points) in the second half.
Juda defeated Pecatonica 43-14 in the junior-varsity game.
"It was our home opener," Chandler said. "We are always excited for our home opener and first conference game."
The Vikings, the defending Six Rivers East Conference champions, didn't disappoint the home faithful, using a smothering fullcourt press to run away with a 74-37 girls basketball win over Juda.
The game was the Panthers' season-opener.
"There's nothing like starting with Pec," Juda coach Curtis Brown said.
Panthers' junior Larissa Klemm hit a shot in the lane to give Juda a 2-0 lead. Moments later, teammate Brittany Riese's layup tied the score at 4-4.
"We came out ready to play," Brown said. "We had a lot of energy."
But the Vikings rolled from there - answering with a 20-2 run highlighted by 3-pointers by Chandler and senior Brittany Kent. A layup by sophomore Ellie Gifford extended the lead to 24-6.
"Our fullcourt press is probably our best defense right now," Chandler said. "We can really make some offense off our defense."
With the win, Pecatonica, the third-ranked Division 4 team in the WisSports.net Coaches Poll, improved to 4-0. Vikings coach Mike Armitage was proud of his team, but cautioned four games doesn't make a season. Few wins in December define a season or even are remembered in March.
"Bottom line is we haven't won anything yet," Armitage said. "Unfortunately for them (Juda), they haven't had a measuring stick in a while," Armitage said.
Pecatonica had four players in double figures and were led by Chandler, who scored a game-high 18 points. Kent added 12, Elise Sigg chipped in 11 and Alisha Esselstein had 10 points.
The Vikings' quickness on the press forced the Panthers into a slew of turnovers and ignited the run. Pecatonica hit all six of its 3-pointers in the first half en route to a 51-14 halftime lead.
"We came out kind of flat," Chandler said. "Once our shots started to fall, everything just fell into place."
Armitage said the Vikings were sloppy in the first three minutes.
"We just had to be patient with it," he said.
"If we keep running the floor, good things are going to happen. We wanted to play as much in the backcourt as we could."
In the third quarter, the Panthers turned the ball over on four of their first five possessions as the Vikings scored six consecutive points to build a 57-14 lead.
"They force you to play their game," Brown said. "We can't go up and down the floor with them."
Klemm led the Panthers with a team-high 12 points.
Brown said the Panthers did a better job feeding the ball down low to junior Heather Boeke (nine points) in the second half.
Juda defeated Pecatonica 43-14 in the junior-varsity game.
