SOUTH WAYNE - After a rousing 71-20 win Thursday over unbeaten Argyle, in which the Warriors led 49-7 at halftime, a thought emerged in the crowd - maybe Black Hawk should change their name to Ball Hawk, given its stifling defense and ability to grab rebound after rebound.
"It's like running into a buzzsaw. They are a darn nice team," Argyle head coach Kurt Ritschard said.
The Orioles (4-1, 0-1 Six Rivers East) thought they had mostly figured out Black Hawk's press early on, only for the half-court pressure to up the ante.
"They are a very dynamic team - very disciplined. We didn't create turnovers like we normally do because they pass it so well," Ritschard said. "It's very hard to prepare for a team like them. Do you focus on the run and jump, do you focus on the back line defense, then you have to worry about your own defense?"
Black Hawk (3-0, 1-0) scored the first nine points of the game and held Argyle to just three baskets in the first half, all while knocking down a plethora of 3-pointers.
"In the first half we were really, really clicking," Black Hawk coach Mike Flanagan said. "We were really moving the ball against their zone. When you have kids who understand that sometimes that one more pass might lead to a better shot - that selflessness can lead to some pretty good things."
The Warriors showed they can hit shots from Gratiot if they need to. Natalie Leuzinger hit four 3s in the first half and six in the game, totaling a game-high 23 points. Bailey Butler knocked down three triples of her own in the first half, four in the game and capped her scoring at 20. Each player hit a shot from beyond the NBA's 3-point range.
"Double digit 3s for the second game in row," said Flanagan, whose team
finished the night with 12 3s, nine of which came in the opening half. "And when you have two kids in Natalie and Bailey who can both shoot it from such range, their toes don't have to be hugging the line in order to connect. It really threatens the integrity of the defense when they have to extend that far to take those shots away."
Ritschard was in agreement with his counterpart.
"We didn't realize the range their shooters had. We were late getting to our close-outs," Ritschard said.
Argyle couldn't seem to find the basket much of the night, even after Black Hawk pulled its press and started bringing in some of its deeper bench players midway through the first half.
"The thing I love about this group of kids is that they take direction so well and they understand the game so well," Flanagan said of his players. "That's a mark of kids who are bought in and of kids who have spent a lot of time learning the game. I feel like we can go 8 or 9 deep. And even beyond that, we have kids who have put in the time and understand their role. We've got a lot of kids on this team that accept roles and are happy with the opportunities they get."
There were just eight free throws attempted in the game, and neither team reached the bonus in either half. Hannah Butler finished with nine points for the Warriors as the No. 3 scorer. Jena Saalsaa scored 12 to pace the Orioles, which had just three players score in the game - Alysabeth Lantz had 6 and Jayden Saalsaa notched a single bucket in the second half.
"I told the girls not to hang their heads on it. We'll be better prepared next time," Ritschard said. "We have to play them twice regardless. We came into the game 4-0 and I still think we are a pretty good team."
Argyle hits the road again on Monday, traveling to Highland (1-2), while the Warriors head to Cuba City for a tough nonconference game Saturday. Cuba City (1-0) has won 11 of its last 13 regional championships, and six state titles in eight appearances during that stretch.
"It's like running into a buzzsaw. They are a darn nice team," Argyle head coach Kurt Ritschard said.
The Orioles (4-1, 0-1 Six Rivers East) thought they had mostly figured out Black Hawk's press early on, only for the half-court pressure to up the ante.
"They are a very dynamic team - very disciplined. We didn't create turnovers like we normally do because they pass it so well," Ritschard said. "It's very hard to prepare for a team like them. Do you focus on the run and jump, do you focus on the back line defense, then you have to worry about your own defense?"
Black Hawk (3-0, 1-0) scored the first nine points of the game and held Argyle to just three baskets in the first half, all while knocking down a plethora of 3-pointers.
"In the first half we were really, really clicking," Black Hawk coach Mike Flanagan said. "We were really moving the ball against their zone. When you have kids who understand that sometimes that one more pass might lead to a better shot - that selflessness can lead to some pretty good things."
The Warriors showed they can hit shots from Gratiot if they need to. Natalie Leuzinger hit four 3s in the first half and six in the game, totaling a game-high 23 points. Bailey Butler knocked down three triples of her own in the first half, four in the game and capped her scoring at 20. Each player hit a shot from beyond the NBA's 3-point range.
"Double digit 3s for the second game in row," said Flanagan, whose team
finished the night with 12 3s, nine of which came in the opening half. "And when you have two kids in Natalie and Bailey who can both shoot it from such range, their toes don't have to be hugging the line in order to connect. It really threatens the integrity of the defense when they have to extend that far to take those shots away."
Ritschard was in agreement with his counterpart.
"We didn't realize the range their shooters had. We were late getting to our close-outs," Ritschard said.
Argyle couldn't seem to find the basket much of the night, even after Black Hawk pulled its press and started bringing in some of its deeper bench players midway through the first half.
"The thing I love about this group of kids is that they take direction so well and they understand the game so well," Flanagan said of his players. "That's a mark of kids who are bought in and of kids who have spent a lot of time learning the game. I feel like we can go 8 or 9 deep. And even beyond that, we have kids who have put in the time and understand their role. We've got a lot of kids on this team that accept roles and are happy with the opportunities they get."
There were just eight free throws attempted in the game, and neither team reached the bonus in either half. Hannah Butler finished with nine points for the Warriors as the No. 3 scorer. Jena Saalsaa scored 12 to pace the Orioles, which had just three players score in the game - Alysabeth Lantz had 6 and Jayden Saalsaa notched a single bucket in the second half.
"I told the girls not to hang their heads on it. We'll be better prepared next time," Ritschard said. "We have to play them twice regardless. We came into the game 4-0 and I still think we are a pretty good team."
Argyle hits the road again on Monday, traveling to Highland (1-2), while the Warriors head to Cuba City for a tough nonconference game Saturday. Cuba City (1-0) has won 11 of its last 13 regional championships, and six state titles in eight appearances during that stretch.
