Whitko Girls Nip Valley
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Anthony [email protected]
After winning a school-record 15 games in the regular season, as well as its first Three Rivers Conference title in school history, the Wildcats picked up a 59-55 double-overtime win over Tippecanoe Valley Wednesday in the first round of Class 3A Sectional 21 at NorthWood High School.[[In-content Ad]]"This has been the M.O. of these kids all year," Whitko coach Rob Bell said. "This year, especially, we have not quit. They don't understand how to quit - they don't understand how to say die. How many times could these kids have just packed it in and quit? These kids just weren't going to have it."
The first time the Wildcats could have quit was when Valley senior Hannah Krueger hit a shot with 14 seconds remaining in the initial overtime, putting the Vikings in front 52-50. On Whitko's ensuing possession, senior Jennaca Juillerat was fouled on a drive to the basket, sending her to the free throw line with just 2.2 seconds remaining. Needing both to force a second overtime, Juillerat calmly did just that, even with Valley coach Gary Teel calling a time out after her first.
"Give Jennaca Juillerat a lot of credit," Teel said. "It's senior leadership to hit two free throws with 2.2 seconds to go to tie the game."
On the season, Juillerat hit 82 percent of her free throws, but none were as big as her two against Valley.
"She's been one of our best free throw shooters all year," Bell said of Juillerat, who led Whitko with 17 points. "That's what I told her in the locker room, 'That right there was her eight-10 years of practicing in the driveway paying off.,'."
In the second overtime, Valley jumped out to a three-point lead following a trey by junior Stacie Hoffman with 3:07 remaining, but that would be all the Vikings would score. Playing in the double bonus by that time, Whitko hit 7-of-8 free throws down the stretch, taking the win.
"When you get a double-overtime game, you can point at a lot of things," Teel said about the loss. "It's just one possession here and there that makes the difference in the game. I wish we had stepped up the defense in the second half, and been more aggressive with it."
A couple plays that didn't go Valley's way were initiated by Whitko junior Ashley Hoopingarner, who recorded two steals in consecutive possessions in the second overtime period. Following her first steal, she was fouled, and after hitting both free throws, gave her team a 56-55 lead. The second steal came with under a minute to go and led to junior Jamie Westness hitting another two free throws, upping the lead to three at the time.
"That's the thing about 'Hoop'," Bell said of the point guard who finished with eight points, four rebounds and three steals. "When she's not having her best game, she just buckles down even harder."
In a game with many good players, including five Times-Union All-Area team members, Valley senior Hannah Krueger may have been the most impressive. Playing in her final high school game, Krueger finished with 19 points, 18 rebounds and four steals, playing all 40 minutes.
"She gave an outstanding effort," Teel said. "Hannah Kreuger's been so important for us. She broke the 1,000-point barrier in the last reagular season game. She does so much, and gives outstanding effort. I know she was tired at the end, but she still hit the shot that put us ahead - getting us into the second overtime."
And keeping track of Valley's star was Bell's chief concern.
"You knew she wasn't going to quit," Bell said of Krueger. "She's the best player in our conference the last four years, one of the best players in the area, one of the best players in the state. When you design a defense, you design it to stop her and hope to contain everyone else."
Trying to stop Krueger is one thing, but trying to stop all of Whitko's offensive weapons is another. Follwing Juillerat's 17 points, Westness and junior Emily Bidwell each netted 14 to go with Hoopingarner's eight.
Playing without center Whitney Sparkman, who was not eligible for the game because of a violation of the school's athletic code, Valley had trouble defending Whitko's 6-foot-1 Bidwell, who doubled her season average.
"When Bidwell decides she wants to post in there, there's not a lot of people that can stop her," Bell said.
The Wildcats will now play in the second game of Friday's semifinal, following the 6:30 p.m. Wawasee-Lakeland contest. In that semifinal, Whitko will play Columbia City, a 58-47 winner over West Noble Wednesday.
"This year was the first year we beat them, so it doesn't get any easier," Bell said of Columbia City, which his team defeated 60-41 on Nov. 9 at home.
WHITKO 59, TIPPECANOE VALLEY 55
V 8 22 9 7 6 3 - 55
W 17 9 13 7 6 7 - 59
Valley - Vogel 0-3 0-0 0, Myers 3-6 2-2 8, Krueger 7-15 5-5 19, Hoffman 3-9 0-0 8, Hoffer 3-9 1-1 7, Boggs 5-9 0-1 13. Totals 21-51 8-9 55.
Whitko - Hoopingarner 2-8 4-6 8, Westness 4-9 4-4 14, Jersey 1-4 0-1 2, Juillerat 5-11 3-4 17, Bidwell 5-12 4-8 14, Shepherd 1-5 0-0 2, VanHoozen 0-0 0-0 0, Stephens 1-3 0-0 2. Totals 19-50 15-23 59.
3-point goals - Valley 5-13 (Boggs 3, Hoffman 2), Whitko 4-17 (Westness 2, Juillerat 2). Turnovers - Valley 25, Whitko 20. Team Fouls (fouled out) - Valley 19 (Hoffman), Whitko 13. Rebounds - Valley 30 (Krueger 18), Whitko 28 (Juillerat 6, Bidwell 6, Westness 5). Steals - 14 (Hoffer 5, Krueger 4), Whitko 16 (Westness 4, Bidwell 4, Hoopingarner 3). Assists - Valley 8 (Hoffer 4, Krueger 2), Whitko 7 (Hoopingarner 3, Westness 2). Blocks - Valley 2, Whitko 3 (Westness 3). Records - Valley 10-11, Whitko 16-5.
After winning a school-record 15 games in the regular season, as well as its first Three Rivers Conference title in school history, the Wildcats picked up a 59-55 double-overtime win over Tippecanoe Valley Wednesday in the first round of Class 3A Sectional 21 at NorthWood High School.[[In-content Ad]]"This has been the M.O. of these kids all year," Whitko coach Rob Bell said. "This year, especially, we have not quit. They don't understand how to quit - they don't understand how to say die. How many times could these kids have just packed it in and quit? These kids just weren't going to have it."
The first time the Wildcats could have quit was when Valley senior Hannah Krueger hit a shot with 14 seconds remaining in the initial overtime, putting the Vikings in front 52-50. On Whitko's ensuing possession, senior Jennaca Juillerat was fouled on a drive to the basket, sending her to the free throw line with just 2.2 seconds remaining. Needing both to force a second overtime, Juillerat calmly did just that, even with Valley coach Gary Teel calling a time out after her first.
"Give Jennaca Juillerat a lot of credit," Teel said. "It's senior leadership to hit two free throws with 2.2 seconds to go to tie the game."
On the season, Juillerat hit 82 percent of her free throws, but none were as big as her two against Valley.
"She's been one of our best free throw shooters all year," Bell said of Juillerat, who led Whitko with 17 points. "That's what I told her in the locker room, 'That right there was her eight-10 years of practicing in the driveway paying off.,'."
In the second overtime, Valley jumped out to a three-point lead following a trey by junior Stacie Hoffman with 3:07 remaining, but that would be all the Vikings would score. Playing in the double bonus by that time, Whitko hit 7-of-8 free throws down the stretch, taking the win.
"When you get a double-overtime game, you can point at a lot of things," Teel said about the loss. "It's just one possession here and there that makes the difference in the game. I wish we had stepped up the defense in the second half, and been more aggressive with it."
A couple plays that didn't go Valley's way were initiated by Whitko junior Ashley Hoopingarner, who recorded two steals in consecutive possessions in the second overtime period. Following her first steal, she was fouled, and after hitting both free throws, gave her team a 56-55 lead. The second steal came with under a minute to go and led to junior Jamie Westness hitting another two free throws, upping the lead to three at the time.
"That's the thing about 'Hoop'," Bell said of the point guard who finished with eight points, four rebounds and three steals. "When she's not having her best game, she just buckles down even harder."
In a game with many good players, including five Times-Union All-Area team members, Valley senior Hannah Krueger may have been the most impressive. Playing in her final high school game, Krueger finished with 19 points, 18 rebounds and four steals, playing all 40 minutes.
"She gave an outstanding effort," Teel said. "Hannah Kreuger's been so important for us. She broke the 1,000-point barrier in the last reagular season game. She does so much, and gives outstanding effort. I know she was tired at the end, but she still hit the shot that put us ahead - getting us into the second overtime."
And keeping track of Valley's star was Bell's chief concern.
"You knew she wasn't going to quit," Bell said of Krueger. "She's the best player in our conference the last four years, one of the best players in the area, one of the best players in the state. When you design a defense, you design it to stop her and hope to contain everyone else."
Trying to stop Krueger is one thing, but trying to stop all of Whitko's offensive weapons is another. Follwing Juillerat's 17 points, Westness and junior Emily Bidwell each netted 14 to go with Hoopingarner's eight.
Playing without center Whitney Sparkman, who was not eligible for the game because of a violation of the school's athletic code, Valley had trouble defending Whitko's 6-foot-1 Bidwell, who doubled her season average.
"When Bidwell decides she wants to post in there, there's not a lot of people that can stop her," Bell said.
The Wildcats will now play in the second game of Friday's semifinal, following the 6:30 p.m. Wawasee-Lakeland contest. In that semifinal, Whitko will play Columbia City, a 58-47 winner over West Noble Wednesday.
"This year was the first year we beat them, so it doesn't get any easier," Bell said of Columbia City, which his team defeated 60-41 on Nov. 9 at home.
WHITKO 59, TIPPECANOE VALLEY 55
V 8 22 9 7 6 3 - 55
W 17 9 13 7 6 7 - 59
Valley - Vogel 0-3 0-0 0, Myers 3-6 2-2 8, Krueger 7-15 5-5 19, Hoffman 3-9 0-0 8, Hoffer 3-9 1-1 7, Boggs 5-9 0-1 13. Totals 21-51 8-9 55.
Whitko - Hoopingarner 2-8 4-6 8, Westness 4-9 4-4 14, Jersey 1-4 0-1 2, Juillerat 5-11 3-4 17, Bidwell 5-12 4-8 14, Shepherd 1-5 0-0 2, VanHoozen 0-0 0-0 0, Stephens 1-3 0-0 2. Totals 19-50 15-23 59.
3-point goals - Valley 5-13 (Boggs 3, Hoffman 2), Whitko 4-17 (Westness 2, Juillerat 2). Turnovers - Valley 25, Whitko 20. Team Fouls (fouled out) - Valley 19 (Hoffman), Whitko 13. Rebounds - Valley 30 (Krueger 18), Whitko 28 (Juillerat 6, Bidwell 6, Westness 5). Steals - 14 (Hoffer 5, Krueger 4), Whitko 16 (Westness 4, Bidwell 4, Hoopingarner 3). Assists - Valley 8 (Hoffer 4, Krueger 2), Whitko 7 (Hoopingarner 3, Westness 2). Blocks - Valley 2, Whitko 3 (Westness 3). Records - Valley 10-11, Whitko 16-5.
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