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Trojans dunk Spencerville |
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Monday, 18 December 2006 |
TOM HECKMAN
Staff Writer
BOTKINS — The Botkins Trojans snapped an early season slump by defeating the Spencerville Bearcats in varsity girls basketball action Saturday.
Senior Alisha Grieves, who led the team in scoring for the third game in a row, scored 20 points as the Trojans won the game 53-44. The 5-foot-9 forward hit seven shots from the field and six from the free-throw line.
Like the team, Junior Nichele Powell shot well after a cool start to the season. The 5-foot-11 forward scored 19 points, hitting six field goals and seven free throws.
“I thought Alisha Grieves and Nichele Powell both played solidly today,” said Botkins coach Tom Platfoot, who watched his team improve to 2-4 on the season. “Both of them were not only in double figures, Alisha with 20 and Nichele right behind her with 19, but they also did a good job with rebounds —Alisha had 8, and Nichele had 12.
“I thought those two girls stepped up for us today,” Platfoot added.
Trojans Christie Fullenkamp scored 7 points, Jessica Luthman scored 3 points and Leah Schmerge and Kristen Altstaetter each contributed 2 points.
“Botkins does a nice job of going to the basket and making shots,” said
See TROJANS, Page 3B
Spencerville varsity coach Jim Baumgartner, whose team dropped to 0-6 on the season. “I thought we played OK in the first half ... we had it close.
“In the second half, I felt that we broke down in the third quarter and just gave up too many baskets,” he added. “It didn’t seem like a team effort, it seemed like we were playing dead.”
Regina Brenneman, a 5-foot-11 senior guard, hitting for 17 points led the Bearcats. Anna Raines, the only player to land a 3-pointer, scored 13 points for Spencerville.
“Anna Raines does a nice job of putting points on,” Baumgartner said. “I think, also, that Regina Brenneman does a pretty good job of scoring and playing defense,”
Others contributing to the Bearcat offense included Hayden Fast with 6 points and Lauren Suever with 4 points.
The Trojans managed to hold back an early fourth quarter charge after the Bearcats struggled in the third quarter.
“As far as the game goes, we had a close game at half,” Platfoot said. “We were up 24-to-21, and I told the girls at halftime that I thought we were wearing them down with our defensive intensity.
“I thought in the second half, especially in the third quarter, we went out and set the tone for how the game was going to be,” he added. “We built a lead, going into the fourth quarter, of 15 points.”
With the exception of a basket each from Luthman and Altstaetter, Grieves and Powell dominated the third quarter. The Trojans forced 8 turnovers, and a strong defense limited the Bearcats to 4 points.
Spencerville’s Brenneman scored the 7 points in the first 3 minutes of the fourth quarter, matched only by two Botkins free throws. The teams played fairly even the remainder of the game.
“Overall we just had some key breakdowns today and Botkins got ahead and that seemed to be the ball game,” Baumgartner said.
Botkins jumped out to an early lead to start the game, but Spencerville chipped away to close the gap to 11-10. Spencerville kept the momentum into the early part of the third quarter, taking a quick lead, but Botkins answered with three baskets and a free throw to take the lead.
On the game, Botkins made 19-of-44, or 43 percent, of its shots from the field connecting on 19-of-41, 46 percent, from inside the arc. The Trojans missed all three of its 3-pointers.
Botkins hit 15-of-26, or 58 percent, at the free throw line.
The Bearcats kept pace from the field hitting 18-of-43, or 41.8 percent, from the field including hitting 17-of-39, 44 percent, inside the arc and 1-of-4, 25 percent, from behind the arc.
The difference in the game came at the free-throw line where the Bearcats hit 7-of-12, or 58 percent.
“We’ve been going through some tough times in the last few games,” Platfoot said. “I just kept telling the girls that the only way to get out of a shooting slump is to just keep shooting, stay positive, and keep working hard in there.
“I thought they did that and things started bouncing our way today,” the Trojan varsity coach added. “There was good all-around solid play by the entire team today. It was a good win for the team.”
The Trojans return to the court at 6 p.m. today hosting the Waynesfield-Goshen Tigers. |
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 19 December 2006 )
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