Second Title Is Sweet For Valley
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
PLYMOUTHÊ-ÊThe first time is sweet, but the second time is sweeter - just ask the Tippecanoe Valley girls basketball team, which won the Plymouth Sectional by defeating the host Pilgrims 56-41 Saturday night.
"This time it's better because I think we are ready to do more," said Viking junior Rebekah Parker. "Last year was our first, but now we want more."
"It feels a lot better this year," said Valley senior Sherise Denny. "We really wanted to beat Plymouth again, we wanted to get them. It just feels great."
And Denny had good reason to feel great. She caught fire in the first half, hitting 5 of 6 baskets, including a perfect 4 of 4 three-pointers.
The Vikings struck early as Parker scored the first basket of the game. However, Plymouth fired back to tie the score at 2-all.
Enter Denny.
A three-point basket made the score 5-2 in the Vikings' favor with 4:47 left in the first frame. Each team hit two free throws in the rest of the quarter to make the score 7-4 Valley going into the second frame.
The Pilgrims netted the first two baskets of the second quarter, giving them their first lead of the game, 8-7.
But Denny showed her range once again, hitting a three-pointer to restore the Viking lead.
The teams traded baskets - and leads - until the 2:20 mark when Denny hit another long-ball to put Valley up 19-17. Parker followed with a basket of her own to give Valley a four-point lead with 1:30 left in the first half.
However, Plymouth's Katie Davis tossed in a three-pointer to slice the difference to one, 21-20, with 59 ticks left on the clock.
Denny stepped up big again, hitting the last basket of the quarter to give the Vikings a 23-20 lead at the halftime break.
The Vikings led the game from that point on.
Plymouth's Laura Wendel hit the first basket of the second half, making the score 23-22.
Then Parker got in her groove. She hit a basket, got a steal on Plymouth's inbounds play and hit a free throw. Her second shot bounced off the rim, Denny grabbed the rebound and tossed it back to Parker, who netted yet another Viking basket.
Parker was huge through the third frame. She hit 5 of 6 baskets and 3 of 4 free throws in the quarter, helping Valley build a 42-31 lead going into the fourth quarter.
"We knew we had to come out strong in the third quarter," said Parker. "We really needed to box out and get some boards. In the first half, Plymouth kept getting tips to their own people, and we wanted to stop that in the second half."
Plymouth still had fight left in the last quarter. The Pilgrims got as close as seven points when Morgan Uceny hit a basket at the 4:13 mark to make the score 44-37, but the Vikings never let them get any closer.
In the end, Valley won its second straight sectional championship 56-41.
"I don't think I relaxed until I saw zero, zero, zero on the scoreboard," said Viking skipper Gary Teel. "In the first half, Plymouth simply outhustled us. I told the girls we needed to play championship basketball in the second half, and I felt that they did that. We were more aggressive in the second half and played very well."
Parker led all scorers with 26 points, while Denny added 14. Kara Kramer chipped in seven.
"This was a total team effort," said Teel. "The girls were confident in themselves and confident in each other."
Plymouth had no scorer in double figures, but Laura Wendel led the Pilgrims with eight points.
The Vikings improve to 21-2 on the season and will play Calumet at 10 a.m. in the Twin Lakes Regional in Monticello.
"I think we have potential to do a lot this year," said Viking guard Abby Shafer. "we are excited and ready to play next week.
TIPPECANOE VALLEY 56, PLYMOUTH 41
Valley 7 16 19 14 - 56
Plymouth 4 16 11 10 - 41
Valley FG FT R S Pts.
Parker 8-10 10-16 5 3 26
Prater 1-3 2-2 7 0 4
Kramer 2-9 3-4 2 0 7
Denny 5-8 0-1 5 3 14
Shafer 1-1 0-0 0 0 2
Green 0-2 1-4 2 0 1
Leckrone 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Patterson 1-2 0-0 0 0 2
Anglin 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Totals 18-35 16-27 20 6 56
Plymouth FG FT R S Pts.
Uceny 2-5 3-5 2 3 7
Black 2-2 0-0 1 0 4
Craig 1-12 3-5 4 0 5
Foust 1-3 1-2 5 0 3
L. Wendel 2-6 4-4 5 2 8
S. Wendel 2-7 0-0 2 2 4
Welch 1-2 1-2 2 0 4
Davis 1-3 1-2 2 0 4
Tinkey 1-2 0-0 1 0 2
Ganz 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Gehrke 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Berkeypile 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Totals 13-42 13-20 24 7 41
Three-point goals - Valley 4-7 (Denny 4-6, Parker 0-1), Plymouth 2-7 (Craig 0-1, S. Wendel 0-3, Welch 1-1, Davis 1-2). Fouls - Valley 18, Plymouth 23. Fouled out - none. [[In-content Ad]]
PLYMOUTHÊ-ÊThe first time is sweet, but the second time is sweeter - just ask the Tippecanoe Valley girls basketball team, which won the Plymouth Sectional by defeating the host Pilgrims 56-41 Saturday night.
"This time it's better because I think we are ready to do more," said Viking junior Rebekah Parker. "Last year was our first, but now we want more."
"It feels a lot better this year," said Valley senior Sherise Denny. "We really wanted to beat Plymouth again, we wanted to get them. It just feels great."
And Denny had good reason to feel great. She caught fire in the first half, hitting 5 of 6 baskets, including a perfect 4 of 4 three-pointers.
The Vikings struck early as Parker scored the first basket of the game. However, Plymouth fired back to tie the score at 2-all.
Enter Denny.
A three-point basket made the score 5-2 in the Vikings' favor with 4:47 left in the first frame. Each team hit two free throws in the rest of the quarter to make the score 7-4 Valley going into the second frame.
The Pilgrims netted the first two baskets of the second quarter, giving them their first lead of the game, 8-7.
But Denny showed her range once again, hitting a three-pointer to restore the Viking lead.
The teams traded baskets - and leads - until the 2:20 mark when Denny hit another long-ball to put Valley up 19-17. Parker followed with a basket of her own to give Valley a four-point lead with 1:30 left in the first half.
However, Plymouth's Katie Davis tossed in a three-pointer to slice the difference to one, 21-20, with 59 ticks left on the clock.
Denny stepped up big again, hitting the last basket of the quarter to give the Vikings a 23-20 lead at the halftime break.
The Vikings led the game from that point on.
Plymouth's Laura Wendel hit the first basket of the second half, making the score 23-22.
Then Parker got in her groove. She hit a basket, got a steal on Plymouth's inbounds play and hit a free throw. Her second shot bounced off the rim, Denny grabbed the rebound and tossed it back to Parker, who netted yet another Viking basket.
Parker was huge through the third frame. She hit 5 of 6 baskets and 3 of 4 free throws in the quarter, helping Valley build a 42-31 lead going into the fourth quarter.
"We knew we had to come out strong in the third quarter," said Parker. "We really needed to box out and get some boards. In the first half, Plymouth kept getting tips to their own people, and we wanted to stop that in the second half."
Plymouth still had fight left in the last quarter. The Pilgrims got as close as seven points when Morgan Uceny hit a basket at the 4:13 mark to make the score 44-37, but the Vikings never let them get any closer.
In the end, Valley won its second straight sectional championship 56-41.
"I don't think I relaxed until I saw zero, zero, zero on the scoreboard," said Viking skipper Gary Teel. "In the first half, Plymouth simply outhustled us. I told the girls we needed to play championship basketball in the second half, and I felt that they did that. We were more aggressive in the second half and played very well."
Parker led all scorers with 26 points, while Denny added 14. Kara Kramer chipped in seven.
"This was a total team effort," said Teel. "The girls were confident in themselves and confident in each other."
Plymouth had no scorer in double figures, but Laura Wendel led the Pilgrims with eight points.
The Vikings improve to 21-2 on the season and will play Calumet at 10 a.m. in the Twin Lakes Regional in Monticello.
"I think we have potential to do a lot this year," said Viking guard Abby Shafer. "we are excited and ready to play next week.
TIPPECANOE VALLEY 56, PLYMOUTH 41
Valley 7 16 19 14 - 56
Plymouth 4 16 11 10 - 41
Valley FG FT R S Pts.
Parker 8-10 10-16 5 3 26
Prater 1-3 2-2 7 0 4
Kramer 2-9 3-4 2 0 7
Denny 5-8 0-1 5 3 14
Shafer 1-1 0-0 0 0 2
Green 0-2 1-4 2 0 1
Leckrone 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Patterson 1-2 0-0 0 0 2
Anglin 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Totals 18-35 16-27 20 6 56
Plymouth FG FT R S Pts.
Uceny 2-5 3-5 2 3 7
Black 2-2 0-0 1 0 4
Craig 1-12 3-5 4 0 5
Foust 1-3 1-2 5 0 3
L. Wendel 2-6 4-4 5 2 8
S. Wendel 2-7 0-0 2 2 4
Welch 1-2 1-2 2 0 4
Davis 1-3 1-2 2 0 4
Tinkey 1-2 0-0 1 0 2
Ganz 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Gehrke 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Berkeypile 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Totals 13-42 13-20 24 7 41
Three-point goals - Valley 4-7 (Denny 4-6, Parker 0-1), Plymouth 2-7 (Craig 0-1, S. Wendel 0-3, Welch 1-1, Davis 1-2). Fouls - Valley 18, Plymouth 23. Fouled out - none. [[In-content Ad]]