NAPPANEE -ÊThe NorthWood girls basketball team is hoping that experience will help lift them over a strong South Bend Washington team in the regional game Saturday.

"Washington is tall, athletic and quick," said NorthWood coach Steve Neff. "Obviously at 19-2 they've had a good year.

"But they haven't won a sectional in a while, and the sectional is at our place. Hopefully they will be the nervous ones."

NorthWood will look to Amy Zercher and Natalie Will to lead the team in the regional against South Bend Washington. It's a responsibility the two seniors do not take lightly.

"This one (regional) is different because it is my last one," said Zercher. "There's a little more riding on this one because I won't have another chance to come back.

"It's also different because South Bend Washington is a different opponent and they are ranked above us."

"Washington focuses a lot on athleticism and one-on-one competition," said Will. "They are a really good team, the first team we've faced that's ranked higher than us, but I think it will help us focus better."

"I know going into this game that they are physical and aggressive," said Zercher. "They want this so much, but we are going to do everything we can to stop them because we want it more."

Although the NorthWood Panthers know they have their work cut out for them, they refuse to be intimidated by their competition.

"We are preparing like we normally do," said Neff. "There's no use in putting any undue pressure on the girls.

"We definitely don't have our game faces on yet, but that wouldn't do us any good yet. As long as we are ready to play our game on Saturday we will be fine."

"We are practicing pretty much like normal," said Will. "We work hard in practice and watch a lot of game film of them, but a lot of this game will be mental.

"If we come out and think we can win, we will."

"Their defense puts a lot of pressure on opponents," said Neff. "If we stay within ourselves we'll be OK, but sometimes they have a way of taking their opponents out of themselves."

NorthWood feels prepared to play Saturday, but there is one factor the team must not forget.

"This is also South Bend Washington's last year in 3A, so it's their last chance at a 3A title," said Neff. "But whoever plays the best will win the game."

NORTHWOOD GIRLS BASKETBALL REGIONAL

Class 3A: No. 6 3A NorthWood (20-3) vs. No. 5 South Bend Washington (19-2), 4:15 p.m. Saturday

1998-1999 NORTHWOOD STATS

Name FG FG% 3-PT FG 3-PT FG% FT FT% PTS PPG R RPG A APG S SPG

Kasey Chamberlin 89-182 48.9 0-3 0 43-62 69.4 221 9.6 72 3.1 63 2.7 52 2.3

Amy Zercher 98-185 53.0 12-39 30.8 61-76 80.3 269 15.8 135 7.9 121 7.1 54 3.2

Angie Callander 91-197 46.2 14-36 38.9 26-28 92.9 222 9.7 45 2.0 68 3.0 26 1.1

Natalie Will 174-283 61.5 0-3 0 72-94 76.6 420 18.3 146 6.3 168 7.3 81 3.5

Carol Duncan 71-139 51.1 0-1 0 35-48 72.9 177 8.0 160 7.3 34 1.5 39 1.7

Andee Morris 31-86 36.0 19-56 33.9 15-21 71.4 96 4.2 27 1.2 25 1.1 19 .8

Totals 602-1218 49.4 46-14 31.9 287-390 73.6 1537 66.8 726 31.6 552 24.0 312 13.7

Opponent Totals 354-887 39.9 56-167 33.5 148-244 60.7 912 39.7 468 20.3 0 0 31 1.3

1998-1999 SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON STATS

Name FG FG% 3-PT FG 3-PT FG% FT FT% PTS PPG R RPG A APG S SPG

Angie Ludwig 82-89 36.0 6-19 31.6 11-21 52.4 81 4.5 36 2.0 57 3.2 26 1.4

Kenisha Gunn 83-197 42.1 20-59 33.9 30-48 62.5 216 10.3 90 4.3 60 2.9 64 3.0

Jacqueline Batteast 141-321 43.9 13-46 28.3 46-67 68.7 341 17.1 245 12.3 74 3.7 45 2.3

Nicole Burnett 67-204 32.8 10-68 14.7 46-62 74.2 190 9.0 60 2.9 34 1.6 23 1.1

Wright 83-204 40.7 0-0 0 27-55 49.1 193 9.2 183 8.7 14 .7 21 1.0

Simone Benion 84-167 50.3 0-0 0 33-46 71.7 201 9.6 156 7.4 31 1.5 27 1.3

Serene Williams 22-60 36.7 0-1 0 5-12 41.7 49 4.5 40 3.6 4 .4 5 .5

Totals 576-1420 40.6 53-219 24.2 219-355 61.7 1424 67.8 959 45.7 327 15.6 247 11.8

Opponent Totals 392-1185 33.1 43-196 21.9 222-398 55.8 1049 50.0 670 31.9 160 7.6 154 7.3

No. 6 3A NorthWood (20-3)

Penn 42, NorthWood 35

NorthWood 77, Bremen 35

NorthWood 60, Plymouth 47

NorthWood 62, Lakeland 33

NorthWood 79, Wawasee 42

NorthWood 51, Northridge 32

Terre Haute South 74, NorthWood 60

NorthWood 78, Elkhart Memorial 55

NorthWood 70, South Bend Clay 36

NorthWood 60, Mishawaka 19

NorthWood 73, Elkhart Central 47

NorthWood 70, South Bend St. Joe 45

NorthWood 88, Triton 25

NorthWood 72, Whitko 30

NorthWood 55, Concord 46

Warsaw 48, NorthWood 38

NorthWood 97, South Bend Adams 41

NorthWood 72, Portage 48

NorthWood 57, Crown Point 34

NorthWood 64, Jimtown 26

Wawasee 3A Sectional

NorthWood 76, Wawasee 38

NorthWood 78, Angola 41

No. 5 SB Washington (19-2)

SB Washington 75, Northridge 35

SB Washington 49, LaPorte 44

SB Washington 57, New Prairie 51

SB Washington 75, SB St. Joe 49

SB Washington 84, Elkhart Memorial 58

SB Washington 80, LaVille 48

SB Washington 74, SB Clay 49

SB Washington 46, Plymouth 31

SB Washington 68, SB LaSalle 37

SB Washington 74, Mishawaka Marian 40

SB Washington 82, North Newton 79

SB Washington 72, Elkhart Central 58

SB Washington 50, Mishawaka 46

SB Washington 77, Jimtown 42

SB Washington 83, Culver Girls Academy 60

SB Washington 74, South Bend Adams 46

Penn 53, SB Washington 44

SB Washington 76, Lakeland 46

SB Riley 51, SB Washington 44

Plymouth 3A Sectional

SB Washington 78, SB St. Joe 69

SB Washington 62, Plymouth 57 [[In-content Ad]]