Vikings Open Sectional With Win Over Host Elmhurst
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
FORT WAYNE -Ê"That's Hoosier Hysteria," said Tippecanoe Valley girls basketball coach Gary Teel after the Vikings' 63-56 win over Elmhurst Tuesday night in the opening game of the 3A Elmhurst Sectional.
But the seven-point win did not come easily for the 3A No. 3 Valley squad.
In their first game in 10 days, the Vikings started off a bit rusty in the first quarter. After Elmhurst's Brandi Stuckey hit the first two baskets of the game, the Vikings found themselves down 4-0. By the 1:52 mark, Elmhurst increased it's lead to 15-7 on a three-point basket by Chasity Darnell. In the final 1:35 of the first frame, the Vikings went on a 5-2 run to cut Elmhurst's advantage to five, 17-12.
"Our pressure defense was our forte," said Teel. "In the first quarter, we weren't scoring so we could not get that going. If you don't shoot well, you can't trap."
The second quarter, however, was a different story.
After Darnell hit the opening basket of the second quarter to up Elmhurst's lead to eight, 20-12, but then Valley's Kara Kramer lit a spark by netting two straight baskets to put the Vikings within three, 20-17.
A basket by Holli Jackson put the Vikings within one, 20-19, until Stuckey and Keshia Kennedy combined for five straight Elmhurst points.
At the 4:24 mark, 5-foot-3 Viking guard Abby Shafer stepped behind the three-point arc and launched a shot that reduced Elmhurst's lead to two, 27-25.
Enter Kramer. At the 4:03 mark, the 5-9 junior netted a basket to knot the score 27-all. Then with 3:31 left in the second quarter, Kramer hit a free throw to give the Vikings their first lead of the game, 28-27.
Jackson followed Kramer's lead and nailed a basket of her own, and then Kramer sank another basket to give Valley a 32-27 lead.
The Vikings outscored the Trojans 24-14 in the second frame to take a 36-31 lead into the halftime break.
The Vikings continued to dominate in the third frame, outscoring Elmhurst 12-4 in the first five minutes of the quarter. However, in the final 2:21 of the quarter, Elmhurst went on a 6-0 run to make the score 48-41 in Valley's favor.
The Trojans extended their streak into the fourth quarter as Natasha Gayday scored the first two baskets of the fourth quarter to slice Vally's lead to two, 48-46.
Jackson hit a basket to up the difference to four points before Raynesha Rogers and Gayday hit back-to-back shots to tie the score at 50-all.
But the Vikings never allowed Elmhurst to take the lead. Rebekah Parker hit a basket and Shafer followed with a three-pointer to put the Vikings up 55-50.
With 55.8 seconds left in regulation, Gayday hit a basket to put Elmhurst within three, 59-56. However, Jackson and Shafer hit four free throws in the final 39.7 seconds to give the Vikings the 63-56 win.
"Any time you can win the sectional and move on, it's good," said Teel. "We played in spurts. There were some spots where we did not play so well, but on the whole it was good for us."
Kramer led all scorers with 22 points, while Jackson added 14 points for the Vikings. Shafer and Parker finished the game in double figures as well, with 13 and 10 points, resectively.
Gayday led Elmhurst with 21 points, while Stuckey netted 17.
The win ups Valley's record to 18-2 and puts the Vikings in the sectional semifinal against Norwell Friday evening at 6 p.m. at Elmhurst.
Elmhurst finishes the season with a 12-9 mark.
"Elmhurst is a very good team," said Teel. "They have a lot to be proud of. They fought hard, it's just too bad that one team has to lose."
FORT WAYNE ELMHURST SECTIONAL
TIPPECANOE VALLEY 63, ELMHURST 56
Elmhurst 17 14 10 15 - 56
Valley 12 24 12 15 - 63
Elmhurst FG FT R S Pts.
Darnell 0-6 1-2 4 1 7
Gayday 7-9 7-8 10 1 21
Wright 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Kennedy 2-4 1-1 2 2 5
Stuckey 7-10 3-6 8 0 17
Rogers 1-1 0-0 0 1 2
Brooks 1-1 0-0 2 2 2
Schwartz 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Moore 1-1 0-0 0 0 2
Totals 19-32 12-17 26 7 56
Valley FG FT R S Pts.
Jackson 5-7 4-4 2 0 14
Kramer 6-14 1-2 7 2 22
Shafer 0-4 4-5 7 1 13
Parker 3-10 4-4 6 5 10
Patterson 1-4 0-0 2 0 2
Rathbun 0-0 2-4 3 0 2
Totals 15-39 15-19 27 8 63
Three-point goals -ÊElmhurst 2-9 (Brooks 0-1, Kennedy 0-2, Darnell 2-6), Valley 6-12 (Kramer 3-5, Shafer 3-7). Turnovers -ÊElmhurst 14, Valley 9. Fouls -ÊElmhurst 15, Valley 16. Fouled out - none. Technical Foul -ÊRogers. [[In-content Ad]]
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FORT WAYNE -Ê"That's Hoosier Hysteria," said Tippecanoe Valley girls basketball coach Gary Teel after the Vikings' 63-56 win over Elmhurst Tuesday night in the opening game of the 3A Elmhurst Sectional.
But the seven-point win did not come easily for the 3A No. 3 Valley squad.
In their first game in 10 days, the Vikings started off a bit rusty in the first quarter. After Elmhurst's Brandi Stuckey hit the first two baskets of the game, the Vikings found themselves down 4-0. By the 1:52 mark, Elmhurst increased it's lead to 15-7 on a three-point basket by Chasity Darnell. In the final 1:35 of the first frame, the Vikings went on a 5-2 run to cut Elmhurst's advantage to five, 17-12.
"Our pressure defense was our forte," said Teel. "In the first quarter, we weren't scoring so we could not get that going. If you don't shoot well, you can't trap."
The second quarter, however, was a different story.
After Darnell hit the opening basket of the second quarter to up Elmhurst's lead to eight, 20-12, but then Valley's Kara Kramer lit a spark by netting two straight baskets to put the Vikings within three, 20-17.
A basket by Holli Jackson put the Vikings within one, 20-19, until Stuckey and Keshia Kennedy combined for five straight Elmhurst points.
At the 4:24 mark, 5-foot-3 Viking guard Abby Shafer stepped behind the three-point arc and launched a shot that reduced Elmhurst's lead to two, 27-25.
Enter Kramer. At the 4:03 mark, the 5-9 junior netted a basket to knot the score 27-all. Then with 3:31 left in the second quarter, Kramer hit a free throw to give the Vikings their first lead of the game, 28-27.
Jackson followed Kramer's lead and nailed a basket of her own, and then Kramer sank another basket to give Valley a 32-27 lead.
The Vikings outscored the Trojans 24-14 in the second frame to take a 36-31 lead into the halftime break.
The Vikings continued to dominate in the third frame, outscoring Elmhurst 12-4 in the first five minutes of the quarter. However, in the final 2:21 of the quarter, Elmhurst went on a 6-0 run to make the score 48-41 in Valley's favor.
The Trojans extended their streak into the fourth quarter as Natasha Gayday scored the first two baskets of the fourth quarter to slice Vally's lead to two, 48-46.
Jackson hit a basket to up the difference to four points before Raynesha Rogers and Gayday hit back-to-back shots to tie the score at 50-all.
But the Vikings never allowed Elmhurst to take the lead. Rebekah Parker hit a basket and Shafer followed with a three-pointer to put the Vikings up 55-50.
With 55.8 seconds left in regulation, Gayday hit a basket to put Elmhurst within three, 59-56. However, Jackson and Shafer hit four free throws in the final 39.7 seconds to give the Vikings the 63-56 win.
"Any time you can win the sectional and move on, it's good," said Teel. "We played in spurts. There were some spots where we did not play so well, but on the whole it was good for us."
Kramer led all scorers with 22 points, while Jackson added 14 points for the Vikings. Shafer and Parker finished the game in double figures as well, with 13 and 10 points, resectively.
Gayday led Elmhurst with 21 points, while Stuckey netted 17.
The win ups Valley's record to 18-2 and puts the Vikings in the sectional semifinal against Norwell Friday evening at 6 p.m. at Elmhurst.
Elmhurst finishes the season with a 12-9 mark.
"Elmhurst is a very good team," said Teel. "They have a lot to be proud of. They fought hard, it's just too bad that one team has to lose."
FORT WAYNE ELMHURST SECTIONAL
TIPPECANOE VALLEY 63, ELMHURST 56
Elmhurst 17 14 10 15 - 56
Valley 12 24 12 15 - 63
Elmhurst FG FT R S Pts.
Darnell 0-6 1-2 4 1 7
Gayday 7-9 7-8 10 1 21
Wright 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Kennedy 2-4 1-1 2 2 5
Stuckey 7-10 3-6 8 0 17
Rogers 1-1 0-0 0 1 2
Brooks 1-1 0-0 2 2 2
Schwartz 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Moore 1-1 0-0 0 0 2
Totals 19-32 12-17 26 7 56
Valley FG FT R S Pts.
Jackson 5-7 4-4 2 0 14
Kramer 6-14 1-2 7 2 22
Shafer 0-4 4-5 7 1 13
Parker 3-10 4-4 6 5 10
Patterson 1-4 0-0 2 0 2
Rathbun 0-0 2-4 3 0 2
Totals 15-39 15-19 27 8 63
Three-point goals -ÊElmhurst 2-9 (Brooks 0-1, Kennedy 0-2, Darnell 2-6), Valley 6-12 (Kramer 3-5, Shafer 3-7). Turnovers -ÊElmhurst 14, Valley 9. Fouls -ÊElmhurst 15, Valley 16. Fouled out - none. Technical Foul -ÊRogers. [[In-content Ad]]