JUDA - Black Hawk senior Paige Butler collected a souvenir basketball after the Warriors survived upset minded Juda to hang on for a 54-43 win Monday night.
Butler reached the 1,000 career point milestone by scoring a game-high 18 points to lead the Warriors and became just the second Black Hawk girls basketball player to reach that plateau - joining Kim (Crotty) Schiferl, who achieved the feat in the 1985-86 season. Even though the milestone came on the road, Butler savored the moment.
"Either way it feels amazing," she said. "My heart was pounding. It feels great to become the second player to score 1,000 points in Black Hawk history."
Butler's heart wasn't the only one pounding as the Panthers battled back from a 15-point second half deficit with some hot shooting by junior Larissa Klemm. Klemm scored all 14 of her points in the second half and drilled four 3-pointers. Juda junior Heather Boeke scored down low to cut the Warriors' lead to 49-41 with 3 minutes, 20 seconds to go.
"One of the biggest hurdles for us is believing in ourselves," Juda coach Curtis Brown said. "Before the game, the girls believed they could win. Getting to that margin (eight points with 3:20 left) against one of the best teams in the state, I don't have any qualms with it."
Despite 24 turnovers, Juda was in a position to pull off an upset. After shooting 7-for-14 from the free throw line in the first half, the Warriors responded in the clutch hitting 5-of-7 foul shots in the final three minutes to seal the victory. With the win Black Hawk (16-1, 9-0 Six Rivers East), ranked fifth in the latest Associated Press Division 4 state poll released Monday, have a conference title within reach.
Black Hawk coach Mike Flanagan said he didn't think the Warriors had a hangover effect after a big 52-37 win Saturday night over Barneveld to take sole possession of first place in the Six Rivers East. This marked Black Hawk's third game in four days.
"What is that attributed to," Flanagan asked? "I don't know. I thought our legs got a little dead. It's not an excuse.
"It's good to get challenged. I'm not saying we weren't ready. We got enough things to go our way."
Juda (9-7, 3-6) raced out to a 6-2 lead on a layup by junior Brittany Riese. The Warriors had three turnovers in the first two minutes and the Panthers capitalized. Butler drained two 3-pointers to help give Black Hawk a 10-6 lead. The Warriors closed the first quarter on a 14-5 run.
The Warriors opened the second quarter on a 13-4 run and took a 25-14 lead on Butler's 3-pointer with 3:44 left in the period.
The Panthers chipped away at a 31-17 halftime deficit in the third quarter by switching to a press. Klemm caught fire and started the third quarter by hitting a 3-pointer.
Butler scored her 1,000th career point on the break with 5:18 left in the third quarter. Moments later, officials stopped the game and Butler was honored.
"He (Brown) let us do that thing for Paige," Flanagan said. "That was classy."
Black Hawk senior Savannah Ernzen scored a clutch basket and was fouled. She converted the conventional three-point play at the foul line to give the Warriors a 40-25 lead.
Black Hawk junior Kim Wellnitz had 11 points and Katie Place was big off the bench with six points and seven rebounds.
Juda answered with freshman Ellen Kiser banking in a shot to cut the Warriors' lead to 40-30 with 1:02 to go in the third quarter. Boeke made two free throws at the end of the third quarter that pulled the Panthers within eight points, 40-32.
Kiser finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds and Boeke had 10 points and six rebounds.
"They are so good," Brown said of Black Hawk. "They are hard to rattle. We were at home and we had the momentum."
Each time the Panthers made a run, the Warriors answered. Kim Wellnitz nailed a jumper to push the Warriors' lead to 45-32 with 5:46 left. Butler didn't panic despite a frantic fourth quarter spurt by the Panthers.
"I knew our team could pull it off," Butler said. "We always do in the end. I had faith in my team. We pulled it off in the end."
Butler reached the 1,000 career point milestone by scoring a game-high 18 points to lead the Warriors and became just the second Black Hawk girls basketball player to reach that plateau - joining Kim (Crotty) Schiferl, who achieved the feat in the 1985-86 season. Even though the milestone came on the road, Butler savored the moment.
"Either way it feels amazing," she said. "My heart was pounding. It feels great to become the second player to score 1,000 points in Black Hawk history."
Butler's heart wasn't the only one pounding as the Panthers battled back from a 15-point second half deficit with some hot shooting by junior Larissa Klemm. Klemm scored all 14 of her points in the second half and drilled four 3-pointers. Juda junior Heather Boeke scored down low to cut the Warriors' lead to 49-41 with 3 minutes, 20 seconds to go.
"One of the biggest hurdles for us is believing in ourselves," Juda coach Curtis Brown said. "Before the game, the girls believed they could win. Getting to that margin (eight points with 3:20 left) against one of the best teams in the state, I don't have any qualms with it."
Despite 24 turnovers, Juda was in a position to pull off an upset. After shooting 7-for-14 from the free throw line in the first half, the Warriors responded in the clutch hitting 5-of-7 foul shots in the final three minutes to seal the victory. With the win Black Hawk (16-1, 9-0 Six Rivers East), ranked fifth in the latest Associated Press Division 4 state poll released Monday, have a conference title within reach.
Black Hawk coach Mike Flanagan said he didn't think the Warriors had a hangover effect after a big 52-37 win Saturday night over Barneveld to take sole possession of first place in the Six Rivers East. This marked Black Hawk's third game in four days.
"What is that attributed to," Flanagan asked? "I don't know. I thought our legs got a little dead. It's not an excuse.
"It's good to get challenged. I'm not saying we weren't ready. We got enough things to go our way."
Juda (9-7, 3-6) raced out to a 6-2 lead on a layup by junior Brittany Riese. The Warriors had three turnovers in the first two minutes and the Panthers capitalized. Butler drained two 3-pointers to help give Black Hawk a 10-6 lead. The Warriors closed the first quarter on a 14-5 run.
The Warriors opened the second quarter on a 13-4 run and took a 25-14 lead on Butler's 3-pointer with 3:44 left in the period.
The Panthers chipped away at a 31-17 halftime deficit in the third quarter by switching to a press. Klemm caught fire and started the third quarter by hitting a 3-pointer.
Butler scored her 1,000th career point on the break with 5:18 left in the third quarter. Moments later, officials stopped the game and Butler was honored.
"He (Brown) let us do that thing for Paige," Flanagan said. "That was classy."
Black Hawk senior Savannah Ernzen scored a clutch basket and was fouled. She converted the conventional three-point play at the foul line to give the Warriors a 40-25 lead.
Black Hawk junior Kim Wellnitz had 11 points and Katie Place was big off the bench with six points and seven rebounds.
Juda answered with freshman Ellen Kiser banking in a shot to cut the Warriors' lead to 40-30 with 1:02 to go in the third quarter. Boeke made two free throws at the end of the third quarter that pulled the Panthers within eight points, 40-32.
Kiser finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds and Boeke had 10 points and six rebounds.
"They are so good," Brown said of Black Hawk. "They are hard to rattle. We were at home and we had the momentum."
Each time the Panthers made a run, the Warriors answered. Kim Wellnitz nailed a jumper to push the Warriors' lead to 45-32 with 5:46 left. Butler didn't panic despite a frantic fourth quarter spurt by the Panthers.
"I knew our team could pull it off," Butler said. "We always do in the end. I had faith in my team. We pulled it off in the end."
