BARNEVELD - The Black Hawk girls basketball team was in the driver's seat to win an outright Six Rivers East Conference title.
That was until the second round of a building rivalry with Barneveld arrived Tuesday. The Golden Eagles capitalized down the stretch to hand the Warriors their first conference loss, 52-42. The game also was the second "Shoot for a Cure" game between the two teams for which fans donned pink T-shirts in a breast cancer fund-raiser for Gilda's Club. Black Hawk (17-2, 10-1 Six Rivers East), ranked fifth in the Associated Press Division 4 state poll, now is tied atop the conference with Barneveld (17-2, 10-1), which is ranked seventh.
"A loss is a learning experience. As much as it hurts and stings," Black Hawk coach Mike Flanagan said. "The first goal is we want to win a conference championship. It's still there. We just have to take care of business on Friday."
It was a stark contrast from the first time Black Hawk played Barneveld, a Feb. 7 game in which the Warriors used a stifling press to fuel an 11-0 fourth-quarter run to a 52-37 win.
Black Hawk never had a lead Tuesday, and trailed by as many as 14 points in the second half. The Eagles didn't wilt down the stretch against the Warriors' trademark press.
"(Barneveld) made some adjustments," Flanagan said. "It just became a matter of positioning on that press and we were out of position at times."
Black Hawk junior Katie Place, who scored a team-high 11 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and had three steals, scored down low to slice the Eagles' lead to 43-36 with 5 minutes, 36 seconds to go. The Warriors struggled down the stretch from the foul line, making just 1-of-4 in a critical two-minute span in the fourth quarter.
"Down the stretch, we had opportunities at the line and to make some layups and we didn't make them," Flanagan said. "(Barneveld) made plays when they needed to."
Black Hawk junior Kim Wellnitz was limited to just three points on (0-for-4 shooting) as she battled foul trouble before fouling out in the fourth quarter. Black Hawk senior Paige Butler also was limited to three points on 1-for-8 shooting. Butler also battled foul trouble in a tightly-called game with two teams that like to pressure the ball and force the issue on defense.
"They (Barneveld) wanted to keep her from getting started," Flanagan said. "That made a difference in what we can do. We didn't get the contributions we wanted from the kids we needed to. I think our role players did a good job."
Black Hawk opened the game out of sync with four turnovers in four straight possessions. The Eagles took a 12-4 lead at the end of the first quarter as Courtney Sullivan hit a running shot in the lane which she was fouled on. Sullivan converted the conventional three-point play at the free-throw line to give the Eagles an eight-point lead. Barneveld used a press throughout the first half to force an uncharacteristic 18 turnovers by the Warriors.
Barneveld senior Caitlin Jordee scored down low at the 6:00 mark in the second quarter to give the Eagles a 14-4 lead. After breaking the press on the next possession, Jordee scored down low to give Barneveld a 16-5 lead. The Eagles led by as many as 12 points in the first half. However, the Warriors found a way to pull within six (21-15) on a layup by sophomore Melissa Wellnitz. Barneveld senior Brooke Allen, who scored 12 points, drilled a 3-pointer at the end of the second quarter to give the Eagles a 24-15 halftime lead.
At moments in the second half, it looked like the Warriors' depth could carry them to a comeback victory. Black Hawk senior Gabi Lehner, who scored six of her 10 points in the third quarter, opened the period by draining a 3-pointer to cut the Eagles' lead to 24-18. Barneveld surged from there, with Allen hitting a jumper and Sullivan driving into the lane and powering up a layup she was fouled on. Sullivan hit the free throw with 2:38 left in the third quarter to give the Eagles a 35-22 lead.
Black Hawk sophomore Rachel Rygh had seven points and Melissa Wellnitz added six.
"Give (Barneveld) a lot of credit," Flanagan said. "They are a good team. They played a pretty good ball game."
That was until the second round of a building rivalry with Barneveld arrived Tuesday. The Golden Eagles capitalized down the stretch to hand the Warriors their first conference loss, 52-42. The game also was the second "Shoot for a Cure" game between the two teams for which fans donned pink T-shirts in a breast cancer fund-raiser for Gilda's Club. Black Hawk (17-2, 10-1 Six Rivers East), ranked fifth in the Associated Press Division 4 state poll, now is tied atop the conference with Barneveld (17-2, 10-1), which is ranked seventh.
"A loss is a learning experience. As much as it hurts and stings," Black Hawk coach Mike Flanagan said. "The first goal is we want to win a conference championship. It's still there. We just have to take care of business on Friday."
It was a stark contrast from the first time Black Hawk played Barneveld, a Feb. 7 game in which the Warriors used a stifling press to fuel an 11-0 fourth-quarter run to a 52-37 win.
Black Hawk never had a lead Tuesday, and trailed by as many as 14 points in the second half. The Eagles didn't wilt down the stretch against the Warriors' trademark press.
"(Barneveld) made some adjustments," Flanagan said. "It just became a matter of positioning on that press and we were out of position at times."
Black Hawk junior Katie Place, who scored a team-high 11 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and had three steals, scored down low to slice the Eagles' lead to 43-36 with 5 minutes, 36 seconds to go. The Warriors struggled down the stretch from the foul line, making just 1-of-4 in a critical two-minute span in the fourth quarter.
"Down the stretch, we had opportunities at the line and to make some layups and we didn't make them," Flanagan said. "(Barneveld) made plays when they needed to."
Black Hawk junior Kim Wellnitz was limited to just three points on (0-for-4 shooting) as she battled foul trouble before fouling out in the fourth quarter. Black Hawk senior Paige Butler also was limited to three points on 1-for-8 shooting. Butler also battled foul trouble in a tightly-called game with two teams that like to pressure the ball and force the issue on defense.
"They (Barneveld) wanted to keep her from getting started," Flanagan said. "That made a difference in what we can do. We didn't get the contributions we wanted from the kids we needed to. I think our role players did a good job."
Black Hawk opened the game out of sync with four turnovers in four straight possessions. The Eagles took a 12-4 lead at the end of the first quarter as Courtney Sullivan hit a running shot in the lane which she was fouled on. Sullivan converted the conventional three-point play at the free-throw line to give the Eagles an eight-point lead. Barneveld used a press throughout the first half to force an uncharacteristic 18 turnovers by the Warriors.
Barneveld senior Caitlin Jordee scored down low at the 6:00 mark in the second quarter to give the Eagles a 14-4 lead. After breaking the press on the next possession, Jordee scored down low to give Barneveld a 16-5 lead. The Eagles led by as many as 12 points in the first half. However, the Warriors found a way to pull within six (21-15) on a layup by sophomore Melissa Wellnitz. Barneveld senior Brooke Allen, who scored 12 points, drilled a 3-pointer at the end of the second quarter to give the Eagles a 24-15 halftime lead.
At moments in the second half, it looked like the Warriors' depth could carry them to a comeback victory. Black Hawk senior Gabi Lehner, who scored six of her 10 points in the third quarter, opened the period by draining a 3-pointer to cut the Eagles' lead to 24-18. Barneveld surged from there, with Allen hitting a jumper and Sullivan driving into the lane and powering up a layup she was fouled on. Sullivan hit the free throw with 2:38 left in the third quarter to give the Eagles a 35-22 lead.
Black Hawk sophomore Rachel Rygh had seven points and Melissa Wellnitz added six.
"Give (Barneveld) a lot of credit," Flanagan said. "They are a good team. They played a pretty good ball game."
