Whitko wins thriller to advance
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
PLYMOUTH -ÊSomeone just walking into Plymouth's gym after the game between Whitko and Kankakee Valley may have thought the Wildcats had just won the state championship. Coaches and players stormed the floor and leaped with jubilation after Whitko topped the Kougars 42-39 in the first round sectional game.
"To me it is (like winning the state championship," said Whitko coach Ryan Cunningham, whose Wildcats tasted victory for just the third time this season. "This is huge. It's the biggest win this program has had in years."
However, things did not always look rosy for the Wildcats. Kankakee Valley jumped out to an early lead as Kristen Fifield hit the first basket of the game and before long, the Kougars held and 8-2 lead over Whitko.
But at the 2:35 mark, Wildcat junior Dana Sellers hit a basket to spark her team. Then at the 1:53 point, sophomore Amanda Busz hit a basket and the ensuing free throw to put the Wildcats within one, 8-7.
With just 30 ticks left in the first frame, Sellers hit another basket to give Whitko a 9-8 lead going into the second quarter.
Kankakee Valley's Megan Passaloukos hit a basket and a free throw just 25 seconds into the second quarter to put the Kougars up 11-9.
At the 7:10 mark, Sellers hit another basket to knot the score at 11-all, and that's where the score remained for nearly five minutes.
In the final two minutes of the half, the teams played even and went to the lockerroom with a 16-all stalemate.
Although Kankakee Valley scored the first basket of the third frame, Whitko came alive in the second half.
After the Kougar basket, Busz and Sellers joined forces to orchestrate a 6-0 Wildcat run and give Whitko a 22-18 lead.
The teams battled until the end of the quarter, and Whitko held a 30-25 lead going into the final quarter of play.
However, Whitko's lead was short-lived as Kankakee Valley hit two straight three-pointers to take the lead early in the fourth frame, 31-30.
But Whitko fought back, and the teams traded baskets for the rest of the fourth frame. With just 30 seconds left in the game Whitko held a 41-39 advantage and 6-foot-6 Kougar senior Amanda DeVries put up a basket to tie the game.
However, the ball rolled off the front of the rim, where Whitko firecracker Kristy Jeffrey grabbed it. Kankakee Valley players surrounded Jeffrey and forced a jump ball, but the possession arrow pointed to Whitko.
After Whitko inbounded the ball, Sellers was fouled and stepped to the charity stripe for the double-bonus opportunity. Sellers hit the first free throw and Kankakee Valley got the rebound off the second shot.
With 14 ticks left on the clock, Passaloukos tossed up a three-pointer that bounced off the rim into Wildcat senior Jennifer Wendel's hands.
After two missed free throws by Wendel, Kankakee Valley got the ball back but was unable to score, giving Whitko the 42-39 win.
"I think I almost tackled a couple moms after the game," said Cunningham. "This is a huge surprise, but I'll take it. It's a great feeling, and we've had great fan support all year."
Sellers led all scorers with 20 points, while DeVries led the Kougars with 16.
The win moves Whitko's record to 3-18 on the season and sets up a Three Rivers Conference rematch between the Wildcats and Tippecanoe Valley Friday night at 6 p.m. in the sectional semifinal.
WHITKO 42, KANKAKEE VALLEY 39
K. Valley 8 8 9 14 - 39
Whitko 9 7 14 12 - 42
K. Valley FG FT R S Pts.
Fifield 1-5 0-1 4 2 2
Peo 1-13 0-0 4 0 2
Kirk 0-3 0-0 3 1 0
Porter 1-3 0-0 2 1 2
DeVries 6-8 4-5 16 2 16
Passaloukos 3-9 1-1 3 0 8
Allen 0-1 0-0 0 0 0
Coffer 0-7 2-2 0 0 2
Cunningham 2-7 0-0 3 1 5
Schurman 1-2 0-0 0 1 2
Totals 15-58 7-9 35 8 39
Whitko FG FT R S Pts.
Sellers 6-14 7-11 6 3 20
Wendel 1-2 2-11 5 2 4
Rowland 3-11 0-0 7 1 6
Busz 1-5 3-3 3 1 5
Jo. Begley 0-0 0-1 3 1 0
Jeffrey 2-7 2-3 5 0 6
Reed 0-0 1-2 3 0 1
Ja. Begley 0-1 0-0 2 1 0
Juricak 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Wilkinson 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Totals 13-40 15-31 34 9 42
Three-point goals -ÊValley 2-26 (Fifield 0-1, Peo 0-9, Passaloukos 1-6, Coffer 0-6, Cunningham 1-3, Schurman 0-1), Whitko 1-3 (Sellers 1-3). Turnovers - Valley 26, Whitko 15. Fouls - Valley 24, Whitko 14. Fouled out - None. [[In-content Ad]]
PLYMOUTH -ÊSomeone just walking into Plymouth's gym after the game between Whitko and Kankakee Valley may have thought the Wildcats had just won the state championship. Coaches and players stormed the floor and leaped with jubilation after Whitko topped the Kougars 42-39 in the first round sectional game.
"To me it is (like winning the state championship," said Whitko coach Ryan Cunningham, whose Wildcats tasted victory for just the third time this season. "This is huge. It's the biggest win this program has had in years."
However, things did not always look rosy for the Wildcats. Kankakee Valley jumped out to an early lead as Kristen Fifield hit the first basket of the game and before long, the Kougars held and 8-2 lead over Whitko.
But at the 2:35 mark, Wildcat junior Dana Sellers hit a basket to spark her team. Then at the 1:53 point, sophomore Amanda Busz hit a basket and the ensuing free throw to put the Wildcats within one, 8-7.
With just 30 ticks left in the first frame, Sellers hit another basket to give Whitko a 9-8 lead going into the second quarter.
Kankakee Valley's Megan Passaloukos hit a basket and a free throw just 25 seconds into the second quarter to put the Kougars up 11-9.
At the 7:10 mark, Sellers hit another basket to knot the score at 11-all, and that's where the score remained for nearly five minutes.
In the final two minutes of the half, the teams played even and went to the lockerroom with a 16-all stalemate.
Although Kankakee Valley scored the first basket of the third frame, Whitko came alive in the second half.
After the Kougar basket, Busz and Sellers joined forces to orchestrate a 6-0 Wildcat run and give Whitko a 22-18 lead.
The teams battled until the end of the quarter, and Whitko held a 30-25 lead going into the final quarter of play.
However, Whitko's lead was short-lived as Kankakee Valley hit two straight three-pointers to take the lead early in the fourth frame, 31-30.
But Whitko fought back, and the teams traded baskets for the rest of the fourth frame. With just 30 seconds left in the game Whitko held a 41-39 advantage and 6-foot-6 Kougar senior Amanda DeVries put up a basket to tie the game.
However, the ball rolled off the front of the rim, where Whitko firecracker Kristy Jeffrey grabbed it. Kankakee Valley players surrounded Jeffrey and forced a jump ball, but the possession arrow pointed to Whitko.
After Whitko inbounded the ball, Sellers was fouled and stepped to the charity stripe for the double-bonus opportunity. Sellers hit the first free throw and Kankakee Valley got the rebound off the second shot.
With 14 ticks left on the clock, Passaloukos tossed up a three-pointer that bounced off the rim into Wildcat senior Jennifer Wendel's hands.
After two missed free throws by Wendel, Kankakee Valley got the ball back but was unable to score, giving Whitko the 42-39 win.
"I think I almost tackled a couple moms after the game," said Cunningham. "This is a huge surprise, but I'll take it. It's a great feeling, and we've had great fan support all year."
Sellers led all scorers with 20 points, while DeVries led the Kougars with 16.
The win moves Whitko's record to 3-18 on the season and sets up a Three Rivers Conference rematch between the Wildcats and Tippecanoe Valley Friday night at 6 p.m. in the sectional semifinal.
WHITKO 42, KANKAKEE VALLEY 39
K. Valley 8 8 9 14 - 39
Whitko 9 7 14 12 - 42
K. Valley FG FT R S Pts.
Fifield 1-5 0-1 4 2 2
Peo 1-13 0-0 4 0 2
Kirk 0-3 0-0 3 1 0
Porter 1-3 0-0 2 1 2
DeVries 6-8 4-5 16 2 16
Passaloukos 3-9 1-1 3 0 8
Allen 0-1 0-0 0 0 0
Coffer 0-7 2-2 0 0 2
Cunningham 2-7 0-0 3 1 5
Schurman 1-2 0-0 0 1 2
Totals 15-58 7-9 35 8 39
Whitko FG FT R S Pts.
Sellers 6-14 7-11 6 3 20
Wendel 1-2 2-11 5 2 4
Rowland 3-11 0-0 7 1 6
Busz 1-5 3-3 3 1 5
Jo. Begley 0-0 0-1 3 1 0
Jeffrey 2-7 2-3 5 0 6
Reed 0-0 1-2 3 0 1
Ja. Begley 0-1 0-0 2 1 0
Juricak 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Wilkinson 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Totals 13-40 15-31 34 9 42
Three-point goals -ÊValley 2-26 (Fifield 0-1, Peo 0-9, Passaloukos 1-6, Coffer 0-6, Cunningham 1-3, Schurman 0-1), Whitko 1-3 (Sellers 1-3). Turnovers - Valley 26, Whitko 15. Fouls - Valley 24, Whitko 14. Fouled out - None. [[In-content Ad]]