Neither Flu Nor Whitko Can Slow Zolman
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
SYRACUSE - Shanna Zolman's legend continues to grow.
As the old story goes, Michael Jordan had to be helped off the floor by Scottie Pippen. In an NBA Finals game against the Utah Jazz Jordan scored 55 points despite fighting off the flu and a near 100-degree temperature. Thursday night Zolman, Wawasee freshman and the state's leading scorer, played under similar conditions.
While fending off a flu that has plagued her the last few days, Zolman scored 30 points, 18 in the second half, to lead the Warriors over Whitko 54-50. Michelle Lamb and Kara Price added eight points each in the win that improved Wawasee's overall record to 14-6. Whitko was led in scoring by Tisha Rowland's 14 points. Monica Sands came off the bench to score 12 and pull down eight rebounds.
"Tonight (Thursday) was a big gut-check night," said Wawasee coach Kem Zolman. "You go through phases but the kids responded well. I knew I had to get her (Shanna) out at time outs and during free throws so I knew she was resting."
While Zolman tallied 30, Wildcat scoring leader, BrieAnn Starkweather, was held well under her average and only scored eight points as she spent most of the game on the bench in foul trouble before eventually fouling out.
Stacie Warner put the first Wildcat points on the board, giving Whitko an early 2-0 lead, but the Warriors responded with a 5-0 run on field goals from Michelle Lamb and Zolman as well as a free throw from Price. Kelly Osborn brought Whitko within one, 5-4, with 2:00 remaining in the opening frame and the Warriors responded again, this time with two Zolman free throws pushing their advantage to 7-4 and 9-8 at the end of the first quarter.
Zolman, leading the state in scoring with her 30 points per game average, was held to just four points in the first quarter.
"We didn't play any special defenses on her," said Whitko coach Ray Davis. "I just told the kids to make sure they know where she's at and make the other kids beat us."
Whitko knew where Zolman was at; the Wildcats committed 26 fouls to Wawasee's 18. The Warriors made good on 26 of 37 (70.3 percent) charity tosses. Whitko was just 8 of 15 (53.3 percent) from the charity stripe.
At the 7:14 mark of the second stanza Starkweather was benched with her third personal foul and the Warriors took advantage of it. On eight points from Zolman, Wawasee pushed their one-point lead after one quarter to 17-11 with 5:15 remaining in the first half. But, as she did all night playing for the benched Starkweather, Monica Sands came off the bench and scored four points coupled with three three-pointers from Rowland, and the Wildcats turned the tide to take a 27-19 lead at halftime.
"Monica Sands really stepped it up for us tonight," said Davis. "Starkweather does so much for us offensively and defensively."
Zolman came out of the blocks early in the third quarter to score the first four points of the quarter to pull Wawasee within four. After a Lamb two-pointer, the Wildcats trailed just 27-25. Rowland gave the Wildcats a five-point advantage with a three-pointer that pushed the lead to 30-25.
"She holds all the school's three-point records, for a season, a career and for a game," said Davis. "We need her to shoot the ball well. She gets on these rolls, and I tell the kids to find her."
By the end of the third quarter Wawasee had once again drawn close and headed into the final frame only down three, 36-33.
Zolman got the Warriors on the ball in the fourth quarter as she scored Wawasee's first seven points to give Wawasee the lead for good at 40-38. Wawasee eventually outscored the Wildcats 21-14 in the final frame to account for the 54-50 final. Most of Wawasee's fourth quarter points came from the free throw line where the Warriors shot 13 of 19 from the charity stripe. Whitko committed 15 second half fouls.
"They reached a lot," said Zolman. "When Shanna penetrated, Starkweather reached in. That wasn't our game plan. Put Starkweather back in the game and it could be a lot different."
Wawasee (14-6) will play NorthWood Thursday in the bye round of the Wawasee Sectional.
"We're gonna go at this like it's any other game," said Zolman. "We've played in front of big crowds all year. The hype won't be unusual to the kids, we'll leave that to the fans. Our girls just need to stay focused."
Whitko will play Ft. Wayne Elmhurst at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Valley Sectional.
WAWASEE 54 WHITKO 50
Wawasee 9 10 14 21 - 54
Whitko 8 19 9 14 - 50
Wawasee FG FT S R Pts.
Zolman (G) 9-19 9-12 4 6 30
Gunden 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Frantz (G) 0-3 5-6 0 0 5
Hunziker 0-3 0-0 0 1 0
Hunt 0-0 1-4 0 1 1
Price (G) 1-4 5-8 0 6 8
M. Lamb (C) 2-6 4-4 0 6 8
Hymer (F) 0-1 2-4 1 10 2
D. Krull 0-2 0-0 0 0 0
Henderson 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
A. Lamb 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
S. Krull 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Totals 12-38 26-37 5 34 54
Whitko FG FT S R Pts.
Starkweather (C) 2-6 4-4 0 4 8
Badskey 3-7 0-3 0 2 6
Osborn (G) 2-10 0-1 5 6 4
Meadows 0-1 0-0 0 0 0
Sta. Warner (F) 1-4 2-2 0 2 4
Ste. Warner (F) 0-3 0-0 0 0 0
Rowland (G) 3-21 0-0 0 4 14
Frantz 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Hoffman 0-2 0-1 0 3 0
Sands 5-10 2-4 0 8 12
Metzger 1-2 0-0 0 1 2
Totals 19-65 8-15 5 36 50
Three-pointers - Wawasee 4 (Zolman 3, Price), Whitko 4 (Rowland 4). Turnovers - Wawasee 21, Whitko 16. Fouls - Wawasee 18, Whitko 26. Fouled out - Lamb, Starkweather.
JV score - Whitko 48, Wawasee 29 [[In-content Ad]]
SYRACUSE - Shanna Zolman's legend continues to grow.
As the old story goes, Michael Jordan had to be helped off the floor by Scottie Pippen. In an NBA Finals game against the Utah Jazz Jordan scored 55 points despite fighting off the flu and a near 100-degree temperature. Thursday night Zolman, Wawasee freshman and the state's leading scorer, played under similar conditions.
While fending off a flu that has plagued her the last few days, Zolman scored 30 points, 18 in the second half, to lead the Warriors over Whitko 54-50. Michelle Lamb and Kara Price added eight points each in the win that improved Wawasee's overall record to 14-6. Whitko was led in scoring by Tisha Rowland's 14 points. Monica Sands came off the bench to score 12 and pull down eight rebounds.
"Tonight (Thursday) was a big gut-check night," said Wawasee coach Kem Zolman. "You go through phases but the kids responded well. I knew I had to get her (Shanna) out at time outs and during free throws so I knew she was resting."
While Zolman tallied 30, Wildcat scoring leader, BrieAnn Starkweather, was held well under her average and only scored eight points as she spent most of the game on the bench in foul trouble before eventually fouling out.
Stacie Warner put the first Wildcat points on the board, giving Whitko an early 2-0 lead, but the Warriors responded with a 5-0 run on field goals from Michelle Lamb and Zolman as well as a free throw from Price. Kelly Osborn brought Whitko within one, 5-4, with 2:00 remaining in the opening frame and the Warriors responded again, this time with two Zolman free throws pushing their advantage to 7-4 and 9-8 at the end of the first quarter.
Zolman, leading the state in scoring with her 30 points per game average, was held to just four points in the first quarter.
"We didn't play any special defenses on her," said Whitko coach Ray Davis. "I just told the kids to make sure they know where she's at and make the other kids beat us."
Whitko knew where Zolman was at; the Wildcats committed 26 fouls to Wawasee's 18. The Warriors made good on 26 of 37 (70.3 percent) charity tosses. Whitko was just 8 of 15 (53.3 percent) from the charity stripe.
At the 7:14 mark of the second stanza Starkweather was benched with her third personal foul and the Warriors took advantage of it. On eight points from Zolman, Wawasee pushed their one-point lead after one quarter to 17-11 with 5:15 remaining in the first half. But, as she did all night playing for the benched Starkweather, Monica Sands came off the bench and scored four points coupled with three three-pointers from Rowland, and the Wildcats turned the tide to take a 27-19 lead at halftime.
"Monica Sands really stepped it up for us tonight," said Davis. "Starkweather does so much for us offensively and defensively."
Zolman came out of the blocks early in the third quarter to score the first four points of the quarter to pull Wawasee within four. After a Lamb two-pointer, the Wildcats trailed just 27-25. Rowland gave the Wildcats a five-point advantage with a three-pointer that pushed the lead to 30-25.
"She holds all the school's three-point records, for a season, a career and for a game," said Davis. "We need her to shoot the ball well. She gets on these rolls, and I tell the kids to find her."
By the end of the third quarter Wawasee had once again drawn close and headed into the final frame only down three, 36-33.
Zolman got the Warriors on the ball in the fourth quarter as she scored Wawasee's first seven points to give Wawasee the lead for good at 40-38. Wawasee eventually outscored the Wildcats 21-14 in the final frame to account for the 54-50 final. Most of Wawasee's fourth quarter points came from the free throw line where the Warriors shot 13 of 19 from the charity stripe. Whitko committed 15 second half fouls.
"They reached a lot," said Zolman. "When Shanna penetrated, Starkweather reached in. That wasn't our game plan. Put Starkweather back in the game and it could be a lot different."
Wawasee (14-6) will play NorthWood Thursday in the bye round of the Wawasee Sectional.
"We're gonna go at this like it's any other game," said Zolman. "We've played in front of big crowds all year. The hype won't be unusual to the kids, we'll leave that to the fans. Our girls just need to stay focused."
Whitko will play Ft. Wayne Elmhurst at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Valley Sectional.
WAWASEE 54 WHITKO 50
Wawasee 9 10 14 21 - 54
Whitko 8 19 9 14 - 50
Wawasee FG FT S R Pts.
Zolman (G) 9-19 9-12 4 6 30
Gunden 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Frantz (G) 0-3 5-6 0 0 5
Hunziker 0-3 0-0 0 1 0
Hunt 0-0 1-4 0 1 1
Price (G) 1-4 5-8 0 6 8
M. Lamb (C) 2-6 4-4 0 6 8
Hymer (F) 0-1 2-4 1 10 2
D. Krull 0-2 0-0 0 0 0
Henderson 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
A. Lamb 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
S. Krull 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Totals 12-38 26-37 5 34 54
Whitko FG FT S R Pts.
Starkweather (C) 2-6 4-4 0 4 8
Badskey 3-7 0-3 0 2 6
Osborn (G) 2-10 0-1 5 6 4
Meadows 0-1 0-0 0 0 0
Sta. Warner (F) 1-4 2-2 0 2 4
Ste. Warner (F) 0-3 0-0 0 0 0
Rowland (G) 3-21 0-0 0 4 14
Frantz 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Hoffman 0-2 0-1 0 3 0
Sands 5-10 2-4 0 8 12
Metzger 1-2 0-0 0 1 2
Totals 19-65 8-15 5 36 50
Three-pointers - Wawasee 4 (Zolman 3, Price), Whitko 4 (Rowland 4). Turnovers - Wawasee 21, Whitko 16. Fouls - Wawasee 18, Whitko 26. Fouled out - Lamb, Starkweather.
JV score - Whitko 48, Wawasee 29 [[In-content Ad]]