JUDA - Black Hawk girls basketball coach Mike Flanagan learned a lesson about the resiliency and depth of his team in the second half of a nail-biting 45-41 win over Juda in a Six Rivers East Conference showdown Tuesday night.
Juda junior Ellen Kiser, who scored 13 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and had five blocked shots, fouled out with 2 minutes, 19 seconds to go. But the Panthers didn't go away quietly. Juda senior Aly Pierce drilled a 3-pointer with 14 seconds left to slice the Warriors' lead to 43-41. Black Hawk senior Rachel Rygh, who scored a game-high 15 points, missed a layup with about 10 seconds left and the Warriors were called for traveling.
The Panthers had the ball with 7.7 seconds left and had to go the full length of the court to tie or get off a potential game-winning, 3-point shot. The Warriors' defense stepped up and forced a five-second violation on the Panthers. The Warriors (11-0, 6-0 Six Rivers East), ranked second in the Associated Press Division 5 state poll, made 8 of 11 free throws in the final 2:19 to seal the win.
"Our girls believe," Juda coach Curt Brown said. "That's the biggest thing. This is a measuring stick to find out where we are at. We played one of the best two or three teams in the state and we played with them."
The Panthers weren't the only team plagued by foul trouble. Black Hawk senior Melissa Wellnitz picked up two fouls in the first minute of the third quarter and was saddled to the bench with four fouls. Freshman Jen Wellnitz picked up her fourth foul at the start of the third quarter and was also forced to the bench. The Warriors received a spark from junior Chaesta Shager who scored all 10 of her points in the second half and connected on three 3-pointers.
"We knew we had a lot of players who were key players on the bench," Rygh said. "The other players who are not all starters stepped up, played their roles and they hit some shots. Without them, we probably don't win this game."
Flanagan was ecstatic with the contributions he received from the Warriors.
"It feels like we tried to match their physicality and we were called for some fouls," Flanagan said. "I think they sensed the moment when you have to make plays. It was a tough shooting night. They stepped up and we started hitting some shots. You just have to step up and make plays when you can."
Juda (11-3, 3-2) kept the Warriors out of sync most of the game by playing a zone that squeezed the shooters on the wing and at the top of the key.
"With them being on the road, we wanted them to shoot from the outside," Brown said. "If they penetrated, we have one of the best defensive stoppers (in Kiser). We wanted to play the odds."
Both teams struggled early on to find a rhythm on offense. The Warriors committed turnovers on their first three possessions. The Panthers turned the ball over on six of their first seven possessions. The Panthers had 19 of their 28 turnovers in the first half. Rygh scored eight of her 15 points in the first quarter to spark the Warriors.
"We knew we just had to weather that first wave," Brown said.
Melissa Wellnitz came up with a steal and scored on a layup with 6:27 left in the second quarter to give the Warriors a 16-5 lead. The Panthers rallied from an 11-point deficit. Kiser scored down low on a putback after an offensive rebound with 1:05 to go in the second quarter to help the Panthers cut the Warriors' half-time lead to 18-17.
"It's a tough game and you have to make plays," Flanagan said. "Kiser is tough to defend."
Shager came through for the Warriors hitting a 3-pointer to give the Warriors a 21-17 lead. Kiser scored down low and Melissa Wellnitz picked up her fourth foul with 7 minutes left in the third quarter. Kiser converted the conventional three-point play by knocking down the free throw to cut the Warriors' lead to 21-20.
Every time it looked like the Panthers would make a run in the third quarter, the Warriors responded. Black Hawk's Alyssa Piefer and Shager both hit clutch 3-pointers to help the Warriors take a 28-24 lead about midway through the third quarter. Moments later, Juda junior C.J. Dunwiddie answered burying a 3-pointer to give the Panthers their first lead at 29-28 with 3:26 to go in the period. That set the stages for a frantic fourth quarter.
Juda senior Alycia Grenzow scored nine points and senior Lauren Dunwiddie added seven.
"Give them credit. They came back and kept fighting," Flanagan said. "It seems like every time we come into this gym, it's a battle."
Juda junior Ellen Kiser, who scored 13 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and had five blocked shots, fouled out with 2 minutes, 19 seconds to go. But the Panthers didn't go away quietly. Juda senior Aly Pierce drilled a 3-pointer with 14 seconds left to slice the Warriors' lead to 43-41. Black Hawk senior Rachel Rygh, who scored a game-high 15 points, missed a layup with about 10 seconds left and the Warriors were called for traveling.
The Panthers had the ball with 7.7 seconds left and had to go the full length of the court to tie or get off a potential game-winning, 3-point shot. The Warriors' defense stepped up and forced a five-second violation on the Panthers. The Warriors (11-0, 6-0 Six Rivers East), ranked second in the Associated Press Division 5 state poll, made 8 of 11 free throws in the final 2:19 to seal the win.
"Our girls believe," Juda coach Curt Brown said. "That's the biggest thing. This is a measuring stick to find out where we are at. We played one of the best two or three teams in the state and we played with them."
The Panthers weren't the only team plagued by foul trouble. Black Hawk senior Melissa Wellnitz picked up two fouls in the first minute of the third quarter and was saddled to the bench with four fouls. Freshman Jen Wellnitz picked up her fourth foul at the start of the third quarter and was also forced to the bench. The Warriors received a spark from junior Chaesta Shager who scored all 10 of her points in the second half and connected on three 3-pointers.
"We knew we had a lot of players who were key players on the bench," Rygh said. "The other players who are not all starters stepped up, played their roles and they hit some shots. Without them, we probably don't win this game."
Flanagan was ecstatic with the contributions he received from the Warriors.
"It feels like we tried to match their physicality and we were called for some fouls," Flanagan said. "I think they sensed the moment when you have to make plays. It was a tough shooting night. They stepped up and we started hitting some shots. You just have to step up and make plays when you can."
Juda (11-3, 3-2) kept the Warriors out of sync most of the game by playing a zone that squeezed the shooters on the wing and at the top of the key.
"With them being on the road, we wanted them to shoot from the outside," Brown said. "If they penetrated, we have one of the best defensive stoppers (in Kiser). We wanted to play the odds."
Both teams struggled early on to find a rhythm on offense. The Warriors committed turnovers on their first three possessions. The Panthers turned the ball over on six of their first seven possessions. The Panthers had 19 of their 28 turnovers in the first half. Rygh scored eight of her 15 points in the first quarter to spark the Warriors.
"We knew we just had to weather that first wave," Brown said.
Melissa Wellnitz came up with a steal and scored on a layup with 6:27 left in the second quarter to give the Warriors a 16-5 lead. The Panthers rallied from an 11-point deficit. Kiser scored down low on a putback after an offensive rebound with 1:05 to go in the second quarter to help the Panthers cut the Warriors' half-time lead to 18-17.
"It's a tough game and you have to make plays," Flanagan said. "Kiser is tough to defend."
Shager came through for the Warriors hitting a 3-pointer to give the Warriors a 21-17 lead. Kiser scored down low and Melissa Wellnitz picked up her fourth foul with 7 minutes left in the third quarter. Kiser converted the conventional three-point play by knocking down the free throw to cut the Warriors' lead to 21-20.
Every time it looked like the Panthers would make a run in the third quarter, the Warriors responded. Black Hawk's Alyssa Piefer and Shager both hit clutch 3-pointers to help the Warriors take a 28-24 lead about midway through the third quarter. Moments later, Juda junior C.J. Dunwiddie answered burying a 3-pointer to give the Panthers their first lead at 29-28 with 3:26 to go in the period. That set the stages for a frantic fourth quarter.
Juda senior Alycia Grenzow scored nine points and senior Lauren Dunwiddie added seven.
"Give them credit. They came back and kept fighting," Flanagan said. "It seems like every time we come into this gym, it's a battle."
