Whitko Girls Fall To Fort Wayne Elmhurst
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
SOUTH WHITLEY - Whitko spotted Fort Wayne Elmhurst a 12-point lead but battled back before falling to the Trojans, 75-52.
Elmhurst's full-court press frustrated the Wildcats for much of the first half, causing nine first quarter turnovers that led to a 12-0 run. Natasha Gayday led the early Elmhurst charge, scoring five points during the run.
"I think ultimately what hurt us was their quickness. That's tough to deal with, especially with a team as scrappy as (Elmhurst). However, I was very pleased with the intensity level we brought to the game," said Whitko head coach Ryan Cunningham.
After being unable to even get the ball past halfcourt, Whitko responded valiantly with a 15-2 run of its own. Angie Juricak, Whitko's leading scorer on the night with 15 points, had six of those in the first quarter.
"If A.J. stays within herself, she's always been a great defender, what I've asked is for her to get more penetration and not shooting outside as much," said Cunningham of Juricak.
Juricak returned to the lineup against Elmhurst after missing Whitko's last contest versus Churubusco.
While Whitko had trouble with turnovers, the Trojans had foul troubles. Elmhurst's point guard, Raynesha Rogers, picked up her second foul early in the first quarter and was forced to limited minutes in the first half. Rogers was effective from the field, hitting three three-pointers en route to an 18-point performance.
One of the three-pointers caused a stir, as it appeared Rogers was well inside the three-point line but was given credit for the trifecta. Later in the game, Whitko's Jayanna Begley appeared to be behind the three-point line but was credited with just a two.
Despite any missed calls, Whitko was unable to match the offensive firepower Elmhurst brought. Gayday led all scorers with 24 points to go along with 12 rebounds.
The Trojans began to pull away in the third quarter after leading by 10, 37-27 at halftime. With Rogers back in the game, Elmhurst was just too quick for the Wildcats. Rogers scored her team's first seven points in the third quarter before picking up her fourth foul with 6:05 left in the quarter, forcing her to the bench once again.
Whitko was also victimized by foul troubles when Begley was forced to sit with 2:36 left in the third quarter with her fourth foul.
Like Rogers, when Begley was in she was effective. The 5-foot-10 forward finished with eight rebounds and 10 points on 5 of 11 shooting from the floor.
The loss pushes Whitko's record to 0-4 overall as they prepare to host Saturday's Mid-State Classic. The Wildcats tip-off at 9 a.m. against North Miami and look to improve from Wednesday night's performance.
With a core group of solid young players, Cunningham hopes the maturation process can occur sooner than later.
"It's a learning process. For our sophomores and even some of our juniors, moving up to varsity and the speed of the game is an adjustment. Katie Trump is a girl who played JV all the time as a freshman and sophomore, so her adjustments are just like a freshman who's coming in and playing," said Cunningham.
Trump started in place of senior Amanda Busz and ended the night with six points and seven rebounds.
"I think we're on the right page. It's a matter of tweaking some things at practice." [[In-content Ad]]
SOUTH WHITLEY - Whitko spotted Fort Wayne Elmhurst a 12-point lead but battled back before falling to the Trojans, 75-52.
Elmhurst's full-court press frustrated the Wildcats for much of the first half, causing nine first quarter turnovers that led to a 12-0 run. Natasha Gayday led the early Elmhurst charge, scoring five points during the run.
"I think ultimately what hurt us was their quickness. That's tough to deal with, especially with a team as scrappy as (Elmhurst). However, I was very pleased with the intensity level we brought to the game," said Whitko head coach Ryan Cunningham.
After being unable to even get the ball past halfcourt, Whitko responded valiantly with a 15-2 run of its own. Angie Juricak, Whitko's leading scorer on the night with 15 points, had six of those in the first quarter.
"If A.J. stays within herself, she's always been a great defender, what I've asked is for her to get more penetration and not shooting outside as much," said Cunningham of Juricak.
Juricak returned to the lineup against Elmhurst after missing Whitko's last contest versus Churubusco.
While Whitko had trouble with turnovers, the Trojans had foul troubles. Elmhurst's point guard, Raynesha Rogers, picked up her second foul early in the first quarter and was forced to limited minutes in the first half. Rogers was effective from the field, hitting three three-pointers en route to an 18-point performance.
One of the three-pointers caused a stir, as it appeared Rogers was well inside the three-point line but was given credit for the trifecta. Later in the game, Whitko's Jayanna Begley appeared to be behind the three-point line but was credited with just a two.
Despite any missed calls, Whitko was unable to match the offensive firepower Elmhurst brought. Gayday led all scorers with 24 points to go along with 12 rebounds.
The Trojans began to pull away in the third quarter after leading by 10, 37-27 at halftime. With Rogers back in the game, Elmhurst was just too quick for the Wildcats. Rogers scored her team's first seven points in the third quarter before picking up her fourth foul with 6:05 left in the quarter, forcing her to the bench once again.
Whitko was also victimized by foul troubles when Begley was forced to sit with 2:36 left in the third quarter with her fourth foul.
Like Rogers, when Begley was in she was effective. The 5-foot-10 forward finished with eight rebounds and 10 points on 5 of 11 shooting from the floor.
The loss pushes Whitko's record to 0-4 overall as they prepare to host Saturday's Mid-State Classic. The Wildcats tip-off at 9 a.m. against North Miami and look to improve from Wednesday night's performance.
With a core group of solid young players, Cunningham hopes the maturation process can occur sooner than later.
"It's a learning process. For our sophomores and even some of our juniors, moving up to varsity and the speed of the game is an adjustment. Katie Trump is a girl who played JV all the time as a freshman and sophomore, so her adjustments are just like a freshman who's coming in and playing," said Cunningham.
Trump started in place of senior Amanda Busz and ended the night with six points and seven rebounds.
"I think we're on the right page. It's a matter of tweaking some things at practice." [[In-content Ad]]