NorthWood Advances To State Finals
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
PERU - Take nothing away from the NorthWood girls basketball team, but in some ways they are like the National Football League's Buffalo Bills.
The Bills were known for making it to the Super Bowl and then losing. They did this four consecutive years. NorthWood had made it to the semistate level of the state tournament five consecutive years prior to this season; they advanced just one time: the 1996-97 season.
"That (going to state) is what you work for," said NorthWood senior Amy Zercher. "If you don't make it, it's a waste. I'll say it, it would've been a waste."
Would have.
With a 56-47 win over Westfield (23-3), NorthWood (23-3) is going to the 3A state championship.
"I knew we had a shot," said Zercher. "We just had to play our hearts, and we did. It was awesome."
Zercher led all scorers with 19 points including 4 of 4 from the free throw line. Teammates Natalie Will and Angie Callander added 15 and nine points respectively to NorthWood's ninth win in a row. Westfield was led in the scoring column by Emily Hammes with 18 points. Andrea Ray and Trisha Fleming contributed 12 and nine points respectively to the Shamrocks' season finale.
Zercher scored the first two points of the game to give the Panthers an early lead, but with baskets by Meghan Habig and Fleming, and Westfield was up 4-2. The two teams went back and forth the remainder of the opening frame, with the score tied four times, before NorthWood emerged with a 16-14 at the end of one quarter.
"I just thought we (Zercher, Will) had to be in there," said Will. "Amy and I are the only ones who had this experience."
Zercher and Will combined for 14 of NorthWood's 16 first-quarter points. Zercher was connected on 5 of 5 field goal attempts in the first quarter.
"My shots opened up," said Zercher of her first-quarter performance. "Everyone has to step up and I'm glad I did."
Will carried the load in the second stanza by scoring seven points. Callander and Kasey Chamberlain tallied four and two points respectively to round out the Panthers' first half scoring. Zercher was 0 of 2 from the field in the second quarter. At the break NorthWood held a slim five-point advantage, 29-24.
After three quarters of action the Shamrocks were still very much in the game, only trailing 41-35. But the Panthers opened up the final frame with a 7-0 run that was capped off with a Zercher three-pointer to push the NorthWood advantage to 48-35 with 6:45 remaining in the game.
"They (Zercher, Will) came through at the right time," said Westfield coach Don Renihan. "We just couldn't get over the hump. We went on a run then they went on a run. You don't stop kids like Will and Zercher - you can only hope to contain them."
The Shamrocks outscored NorthWood 12-8 the rest of the way, but it was too little too late. And the Panthers walked away with their second semistate championship in three years.
"We're not just going back," said Will, "we're expecting to win."
Neff, who is also an assistant football coach, knows what it's like to make it to state, but only to come away with nothing better than a runner-up trophy and ribbon.
"We're gonna get something this time," said Neff who, after NorthWood's morning win, said he'd lost too many afternoon games in the state tournament. "Next week is a night game. I've gotten too many red ribbons in football, I want a blue one."
NorthWood (23-3) will play Indianapolis Cathedral (27-0) Saturday at 6:35 p.m. at Market Square Arena.
NORTHWOOD 56
WESTFIELD 47
NorthWood 16 13 12 15 - 56
Westfield 14 10 11 12 - 47
NorthWood FG FT S R Pts.
Morris 0-1 0-0 0 1 0
Stichter 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Sandy 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Ks. Chamberlain (F) 4-5 0-0 1 1 8
Zercher (F) 7-13 4-4 2 8 19
Callander (G) 4-9 1-2 0 3 9
Zell 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Will (G) 7-15 1-1 1 6 15
Haney 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Newcomer 0-1 1-2 0 1 1
Kt. Chamberlain 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Duncan (C) 1-5 2-2 0 5 4
Totals 23-49 9-11 4 30 56
Westfield FG FT S R Pts.
Norman 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Ray (G) 5-11 0-1 0 4 12
Waple 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Wilcox 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Habig (F) 0-4 5-6 1 4 5
E. Hammes (C) 8-14 2-2 4 10 18
Barker 1-4 1-1 0 1 3
McClay 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Fleming (F) 2-13 5-6 3 5 9
Coffey (G) 0-3 0-0 0 2 0
A. Hammes 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Russel 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Totals 16-49 13-16 8 31 47
Three-pointers - NorthWood 1 (Zercher), Westfield 2 (Ray 2). Turnovers - NorthWood 9, Westfield 10. Fouls - NorthWood 15, Westfield 16. Fouled out - 16.
Referees - Tom Behny, Terry Johnson [[In-content Ad]]
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PERU - Take nothing away from the NorthWood girls basketball team, but in some ways they are like the National Football League's Buffalo Bills.
The Bills were known for making it to the Super Bowl and then losing. They did this four consecutive years. NorthWood had made it to the semistate level of the state tournament five consecutive years prior to this season; they advanced just one time: the 1996-97 season.
"That (going to state) is what you work for," said NorthWood senior Amy Zercher. "If you don't make it, it's a waste. I'll say it, it would've been a waste."
Would have.
With a 56-47 win over Westfield (23-3), NorthWood (23-3) is going to the 3A state championship.
"I knew we had a shot," said Zercher. "We just had to play our hearts, and we did. It was awesome."
Zercher led all scorers with 19 points including 4 of 4 from the free throw line. Teammates Natalie Will and Angie Callander added 15 and nine points respectively to NorthWood's ninth win in a row. Westfield was led in the scoring column by Emily Hammes with 18 points. Andrea Ray and Trisha Fleming contributed 12 and nine points respectively to the Shamrocks' season finale.
Zercher scored the first two points of the game to give the Panthers an early lead, but with baskets by Meghan Habig and Fleming, and Westfield was up 4-2. The two teams went back and forth the remainder of the opening frame, with the score tied four times, before NorthWood emerged with a 16-14 at the end of one quarter.
"I just thought we (Zercher, Will) had to be in there," said Will. "Amy and I are the only ones who had this experience."
Zercher and Will combined for 14 of NorthWood's 16 first-quarter points. Zercher was connected on 5 of 5 field goal attempts in the first quarter.
"My shots opened up," said Zercher of her first-quarter performance. "Everyone has to step up and I'm glad I did."
Will carried the load in the second stanza by scoring seven points. Callander and Kasey Chamberlain tallied four and two points respectively to round out the Panthers' first half scoring. Zercher was 0 of 2 from the field in the second quarter. At the break NorthWood held a slim five-point advantage, 29-24.
After three quarters of action the Shamrocks were still very much in the game, only trailing 41-35. But the Panthers opened up the final frame with a 7-0 run that was capped off with a Zercher three-pointer to push the NorthWood advantage to 48-35 with 6:45 remaining in the game.
"They (Zercher, Will) came through at the right time," said Westfield coach Don Renihan. "We just couldn't get over the hump. We went on a run then they went on a run. You don't stop kids like Will and Zercher - you can only hope to contain them."
The Shamrocks outscored NorthWood 12-8 the rest of the way, but it was too little too late. And the Panthers walked away with their second semistate championship in three years.
"We're not just going back," said Will, "we're expecting to win."
Neff, who is also an assistant football coach, knows what it's like to make it to state, but only to come away with nothing better than a runner-up trophy and ribbon.
"We're gonna get something this time," said Neff who, after NorthWood's morning win, said he'd lost too many afternoon games in the state tournament. "Next week is a night game. I've gotten too many red ribbons in football, I want a blue one."
NorthWood (23-3) will play Indianapolis Cathedral (27-0) Saturday at 6:35 p.m. at Market Square Arena.
NORTHWOOD 56
WESTFIELD 47
NorthWood 16 13 12 15 - 56
Westfield 14 10 11 12 - 47
NorthWood FG FT S R Pts.
Morris 0-1 0-0 0 1 0
Stichter 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Sandy 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Ks. Chamberlain (F) 4-5 0-0 1 1 8
Zercher (F) 7-13 4-4 2 8 19
Callander (G) 4-9 1-2 0 3 9
Zell 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Will (G) 7-15 1-1 1 6 15
Haney 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Newcomer 0-1 1-2 0 1 1
Kt. Chamberlain 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Duncan (C) 1-5 2-2 0 5 4
Totals 23-49 9-11 4 30 56
Westfield FG FT S R Pts.
Norman 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Ray (G) 5-11 0-1 0 4 12
Waple 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Wilcox 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Habig (F) 0-4 5-6 1 4 5
E. Hammes (C) 8-14 2-2 4 10 18
Barker 1-4 1-1 0 1 3
McClay 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Fleming (F) 2-13 5-6 3 5 9
Coffey (G) 0-3 0-0 0 2 0
A. Hammes 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Russel 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Totals 16-49 13-16 8 31 47
Three-pointers - NorthWood 1 (Zercher), Westfield 2 (Ray 2). Turnovers - NorthWood 9, Westfield 10. Fouls - NorthWood 15, Westfield 16. Fouled out - 16.
Referees - Tom Behny, Terry Johnson [[In-content Ad]]