SOUTH WAYNE - Had the calendar read February 28, 2007, Black Hawk head coach Mike Flanagan isn't so sure his Lady Warriors would've walked off their home floor victors Thursday night.
In a match that resembled a hockey game at times, with 38 combined personal fouls, Black Hawk outlasted and overpowered Six Rivers East rival Argyle, 56-32, in a girls basketball Division 4 WIAA Regional semifinal at home.
"That's the kind of ball game last year that we would've been out of," Flanagan said. "When we ran into the Pecs, aside from when we saw them (in the postseason), when we ran into the Barnevelds (it was) just pure physicality. They overpowered us."
Junior Paige Butler triggered a Warriors' 10-0 run to open the second quarter when she saw a small opening to the rim, was sandwiched between two Orioles, and converted her two free throws. Butler had four points during the run that extended Black Hawk's lead to 26-10 and finished with a game-high 20 points.
During the past offseason, Flanagan stressed for the girls to become bigger, stronger and faster. With Black Hawk's season hanging in the balance with each game, Flanagan's liking the results, particularly from his junior forward-guard combo.
"The work our kids did and they bought into over the summer in terms of getting quicker, better bases and a little bit stronger is paying off," Flanagan said. "(With) Paige Butler for sure. She was a weak kid last year and I think she's gotten a lot of stronger."
Butler did get whistled for a technical foul for an aggressive elbow on Orioles senior Tina Dammen with 1:39 left in the half and Black Hawk up 29-17. That sparked a quick Argyle 6-0 run and put the momentum firmly on the Orioles' side. But Black Hawk freshman Melissa Wellnitz squashed that with a buzzer-beating 8-foot jumper from the right wing and ran directly into to the locker room.
Wellnitz's momentum-popping shot didn't frustrate first-year Argyle head coach Steve Dammen as much as the Orioles' inability to get into their offensive rhythm.
"We just didn't run our offense, I don't think all night," Dammen said. "I was mad at halftime because we didn't run our offense."
Melissa's older sisters, senior guard Aryn and sophomore center Kim, carried the offensive load in the second half combining to score 15 of Black Hawk's 25 points. The three got together for a family affair of basketball fundamentals late in the third quarter. Melissa dumped the ball to the left block in to Kim, who drew a quick double team and found Aryn near the left elbow for a wide-open jumper.
Kim finished with 13 points, but Aryn's 12-point contribution was very decisive in the game, as Flanagan wants her to become more involved in the offense.
"Mike wants me to take at least 10 shots a game. I just try to get opportunities to shoot," Aryn said.
"Without a third scorer, you're too predictable, too easy to gameplan for," Flanagan said. "I told Aryn you have to be that third kid. The position she plays, the length that she has and the quick release she has ... she can get shots."
Second-seeded Black Hawk will meet up with No. 1 seed Pecatonica at Darlington on Saturday in a rematch of last season's regional final. The Warriors defeated the Vikings 59-53 in overtime, but Pec has the season series this year with two victories.
Of course, that was the same scenario in 2007, but that's out of sight, out of mind for the Warriors.
"I can honestly say that we haven't talked about those things," Flanagan said. "You get caught up in those things and I think it's counterproductive. Who we win against is irrelevant."
In a match that resembled a hockey game at times, with 38 combined personal fouls, Black Hawk outlasted and overpowered Six Rivers East rival Argyle, 56-32, in a girls basketball Division 4 WIAA Regional semifinal at home.
"That's the kind of ball game last year that we would've been out of," Flanagan said. "When we ran into the Pecs, aside from when we saw them (in the postseason), when we ran into the Barnevelds (it was) just pure physicality. They overpowered us."
Junior Paige Butler triggered a Warriors' 10-0 run to open the second quarter when she saw a small opening to the rim, was sandwiched between two Orioles, and converted her two free throws. Butler had four points during the run that extended Black Hawk's lead to 26-10 and finished with a game-high 20 points.
During the past offseason, Flanagan stressed for the girls to become bigger, stronger and faster. With Black Hawk's season hanging in the balance with each game, Flanagan's liking the results, particularly from his junior forward-guard combo.
"The work our kids did and they bought into over the summer in terms of getting quicker, better bases and a little bit stronger is paying off," Flanagan said. "(With) Paige Butler for sure. She was a weak kid last year and I think she's gotten a lot of stronger."
Butler did get whistled for a technical foul for an aggressive elbow on Orioles senior Tina Dammen with 1:39 left in the half and Black Hawk up 29-17. That sparked a quick Argyle 6-0 run and put the momentum firmly on the Orioles' side. But Black Hawk freshman Melissa Wellnitz squashed that with a buzzer-beating 8-foot jumper from the right wing and ran directly into to the locker room.
Wellnitz's momentum-popping shot didn't frustrate first-year Argyle head coach Steve Dammen as much as the Orioles' inability to get into their offensive rhythm.
"We just didn't run our offense, I don't think all night," Dammen said. "I was mad at halftime because we didn't run our offense."
Melissa's older sisters, senior guard Aryn and sophomore center Kim, carried the offensive load in the second half combining to score 15 of Black Hawk's 25 points. The three got together for a family affair of basketball fundamentals late in the third quarter. Melissa dumped the ball to the left block in to Kim, who drew a quick double team and found Aryn near the left elbow for a wide-open jumper.
Kim finished with 13 points, but Aryn's 12-point contribution was very decisive in the game, as Flanagan wants her to become more involved in the offense.
"Mike wants me to take at least 10 shots a game. I just try to get opportunities to shoot," Aryn said.
"Without a third scorer, you're too predictable, too easy to gameplan for," Flanagan said. "I told Aryn you have to be that third kid. The position she plays, the length that she has and the quick release she has ... she can get shots."
Second-seeded Black Hawk will meet up with No. 1 seed Pecatonica at Darlington on Saturday in a rematch of last season's regional final. The Warriors defeated the Vikings 59-53 in overtime, but Pec has the season series this year with two victories.
Of course, that was the same scenario in 2007, but that's out of sight, out of mind for the Warriors.
"I can honestly say that we haven't talked about those things," Flanagan said. "You get caught up in those things and I think it's counterproductive. Who we win against is irrelevant."
