Zolman Carries Warriors To Sectional Title
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
SYRACUSE - A la Michael Jordan, Wawasee 5-foot-10 junior guard Shanna Zolman took control of Saturday's Wawasee 3A Sectional championship game against No. 5 NorthWood.
Zolman put her teammates on her shoulders, scoring all 19 of second-ranked Wawasee's fourth-quarter points, as the Warriors topped NorthWood 65-59.
Wawasee is now 23-0 and will host Fort Wayne Concordia in Wednesday's one-game regional, while NorthWood, a team the Warriors have beat in four consecutive meetings, finishes the season with a 19-4 mark.
NorthWood, the 1999 3A state champ, led 47-46 going into the fourth quarter, but Zolman said in post game interviews that she in no way was going to let her team lose.
Zolman scored the first five points of the final frame, giving the Warriors a 51-47 lead with 6:21 remaining. NorthWood senior guard Cort Sandy came back with a pair of free throws to cut the lead to two, but a three-pointer and then four free throws gave Wawasee a 58-49 lead.
Zolman scored 18 in the first quarter and 19 in the fourth en route to tying her school record for points in a single game with 50.
"What else do you want the girl to do?" asked NorthWood Steve Neff. "She did everything besides fly."
Neff, who has coached 24 years and compiled a 420-103 record, called her the best player he's ever seen.
Third-year Wawasee coach Kem Zolman said Saturday's sectional championship game was everything he dreamed a state title game to be. Forty-five minutes before tip-off the bleachers were over 3/4 full. Wawasee athletic director Mary Hurley said she shut the doors at tip-off, calling it a sell out. Wawasee's gym seats 3,300, and there were still some standing in the four corners of the gym.
"I hope our younger kids learn from that atomosphere," Neff said. "It's too bad more teams don't get to play in an atmosphere like that."
Said Kem Zolman: "We were viewing this like a state championship. I've never been there, but this is how I would picture it. I hope I get down there to see what it's like."
Zolman and NorthWood junior center Carol Duncan played a short stint of one-one-one in the opening minutes, scoring the game's first 11 points. A basket by sophomore Crystal Fawley with 4:35 left in the first gave the Warriors an 11-4 lead. Senior Natalie Nunemaker hit a three at the 3:25 mark of the first to cut Wawasee's lead to four, 13-9, but Zolman's hand remained hot. With the 5-3 Sandy guarding her, Zolman torched the Panthers for 18 in the opening quarter. Wawasee went to the second with a 26-15 lead.
Making defensive adjustments in the second quarter, namely putting 5-10 junior Katie Chamberlin on Zolman, NorthWood staged a comeback in the second, outscoring Wawasee 21-8 to take a 36-34 lead at the break.
Kasey Chamberlin scored 11 for the Panthers in the second, while Sandy added eight and Duncan two.
Wawasee trailed 47-46 going into the fourth quarter, but the game's final eight minutes belonged to Zolman, the state's leading scorer and University of Tennessee recruit.
"There was no way I was gonna lose this game," Shanna Zolman said. "I was gonna do whatever I had to offensively and defensively."
Sandy nailed a three-pointer with 28 seconds remaining to cut Wawasee's lead to three, 61-58, but Zolman iced the game with four free throws in the final 17 seconds.
In scoring her 19 fourth-quarter points, Zolman was 11 of 12 at the line. Zolman finished the game 15 of 21 from the field and 16 of 17 from the line and also pulled down nine rebounds. Jocelyn Higginbotham scored eight for the Warriors, while Jessica Leach scored three and pulled down eight rebounds. Megan Wallen and Crystal Fawley scored two points each in the win.
"They're a tremendous team," Neff said of Wawasee. "It's a great story for them, we'll back them all the way."
Sandy and Duncan led NorthWood with 17 points each. Duncan also pulled down a game-high 16 rebounds. Playing in the final prep game of her career, Kasey Chamberlin scored 13 points and pulled down four rebounds before fouling out in the fourth quarter.
Wawasee will host Fort Wayne Concordia in Wednesday's regional game. University of Tennesee women's coach Pat Summitt is slated to be in attendance.
No. 2 WAWASEE 65
No. 5 NORTHWOOD 59
NorthWood (19-4) 15 21 11 12 - 59
Wawasee (23-) 26 8 12 19 - 65
NorthWood FG FT R S Pts.
Duncan (C) 7-11 3-4 16 1 17
Sandy (G) 6-15 2-2 3 7 17
Ks. Chamberlin (F) 6-20 0-0 4 0 13
Kt. Chamberlin (G) 3-14 0-1 7 0 6
Newcomer (F) 1-4 0-0 2 0 3
Nunemaker 1-2 1-4 3 0 3
Totals 24-66 6-11 36 8 59
Wawasee FG FT R S Pts.
Zolman (G) 15-21 16-17 9 0 50
Higginbotham (C) 3-8 2-2 12 0 8
Leach (F) 1-6 1-6 8 1 3
Fawley (G) 1-6 0-0 3 2 2
Wallen (F) 1-5 0-0 3 0 2
Henderson 0-1 0-0 0 0 0
Totals 21-47 19-25 35 3 65
Three-point goals - NorthWood 5-21 (Sandy 3-5, Ks. Chamberlin 1-7, Nunemaker 1-4, Kt. Chamberlin 0-4, Ducan 0-1), Wawasee 4-10 (Zolman 4-6, Fawley 0-3, Henderson 0-1). Turnovers - NorthWood 10, Wawasee 14. Fouls - NorthWood 19, Wawasee 11. Fouled out - Ks. Chamberlin.
Wawasee 3A Sectional
Tuesday's Games
NorthWood 60, Angola 42
West Noble 52, Lakeland 33
Friday's Games
NorthWood 50, West Noble 41
Wawasee 77, Northridge 57
Championship
No. 2 Wawasee 65, No. 5 NorthWood 59 [[In-content Ad]]
SYRACUSE - A la Michael Jordan, Wawasee 5-foot-10 junior guard Shanna Zolman took control of Saturday's Wawasee 3A Sectional championship game against No. 5 NorthWood.
Zolman put her teammates on her shoulders, scoring all 19 of second-ranked Wawasee's fourth-quarter points, as the Warriors topped NorthWood 65-59.
Wawasee is now 23-0 and will host Fort Wayne Concordia in Wednesday's one-game regional, while NorthWood, a team the Warriors have beat in four consecutive meetings, finishes the season with a 19-4 mark.
NorthWood, the 1999 3A state champ, led 47-46 going into the fourth quarter, but Zolman said in post game interviews that she in no way was going to let her team lose.
Zolman scored the first five points of the final frame, giving the Warriors a 51-47 lead with 6:21 remaining. NorthWood senior guard Cort Sandy came back with a pair of free throws to cut the lead to two, but a three-pointer and then four free throws gave Wawasee a 58-49 lead.
Zolman scored 18 in the first quarter and 19 in the fourth en route to tying her school record for points in a single game with 50.
"What else do you want the girl to do?" asked NorthWood Steve Neff. "She did everything besides fly."
Neff, who has coached 24 years and compiled a 420-103 record, called her the best player he's ever seen.
Third-year Wawasee coach Kem Zolman said Saturday's sectional championship game was everything he dreamed a state title game to be. Forty-five minutes before tip-off the bleachers were over 3/4 full. Wawasee athletic director Mary Hurley said she shut the doors at tip-off, calling it a sell out. Wawasee's gym seats 3,300, and there were still some standing in the four corners of the gym.
"I hope our younger kids learn from that atomosphere," Neff said. "It's too bad more teams don't get to play in an atmosphere like that."
Said Kem Zolman: "We were viewing this like a state championship. I've never been there, but this is how I would picture it. I hope I get down there to see what it's like."
Zolman and NorthWood junior center Carol Duncan played a short stint of one-one-one in the opening minutes, scoring the game's first 11 points. A basket by sophomore Crystal Fawley with 4:35 left in the first gave the Warriors an 11-4 lead. Senior Natalie Nunemaker hit a three at the 3:25 mark of the first to cut Wawasee's lead to four, 13-9, but Zolman's hand remained hot. With the 5-3 Sandy guarding her, Zolman torched the Panthers for 18 in the opening quarter. Wawasee went to the second with a 26-15 lead.
Making defensive adjustments in the second quarter, namely putting 5-10 junior Katie Chamberlin on Zolman, NorthWood staged a comeback in the second, outscoring Wawasee 21-8 to take a 36-34 lead at the break.
Kasey Chamberlin scored 11 for the Panthers in the second, while Sandy added eight and Duncan two.
Wawasee trailed 47-46 going into the fourth quarter, but the game's final eight minutes belonged to Zolman, the state's leading scorer and University of Tennessee recruit.
"There was no way I was gonna lose this game," Shanna Zolman said. "I was gonna do whatever I had to offensively and defensively."
Sandy nailed a three-pointer with 28 seconds remaining to cut Wawasee's lead to three, 61-58, but Zolman iced the game with four free throws in the final 17 seconds.
In scoring her 19 fourth-quarter points, Zolman was 11 of 12 at the line. Zolman finished the game 15 of 21 from the field and 16 of 17 from the line and also pulled down nine rebounds. Jocelyn Higginbotham scored eight for the Warriors, while Jessica Leach scored three and pulled down eight rebounds. Megan Wallen and Crystal Fawley scored two points each in the win.
"They're a tremendous team," Neff said of Wawasee. "It's a great story for them, we'll back them all the way."
Sandy and Duncan led NorthWood with 17 points each. Duncan also pulled down a game-high 16 rebounds. Playing in the final prep game of her career, Kasey Chamberlin scored 13 points and pulled down four rebounds before fouling out in the fourth quarter.
Wawasee will host Fort Wayne Concordia in Wednesday's regional game. University of Tennesee women's coach Pat Summitt is slated to be in attendance.
No. 2 WAWASEE 65
No. 5 NORTHWOOD 59
NorthWood (19-4) 15 21 11 12 - 59
Wawasee (23-) 26 8 12 19 - 65
NorthWood FG FT R S Pts.
Duncan (C) 7-11 3-4 16 1 17
Sandy (G) 6-15 2-2 3 7 17
Ks. Chamberlin (F) 6-20 0-0 4 0 13
Kt. Chamberlin (G) 3-14 0-1 7 0 6
Newcomer (F) 1-4 0-0 2 0 3
Nunemaker 1-2 1-4 3 0 3
Totals 24-66 6-11 36 8 59
Wawasee FG FT R S Pts.
Zolman (G) 15-21 16-17 9 0 50
Higginbotham (C) 3-8 2-2 12 0 8
Leach (F) 1-6 1-6 8 1 3
Fawley (G) 1-6 0-0 3 2 2
Wallen (F) 1-5 0-0 3 0 2
Henderson 0-1 0-0 0 0 0
Totals 21-47 19-25 35 3 65
Three-point goals - NorthWood 5-21 (Sandy 3-5, Ks. Chamberlin 1-7, Nunemaker 1-4, Kt. Chamberlin 0-4, Ducan 0-1), Wawasee 4-10 (Zolman 4-6, Fawley 0-3, Henderson 0-1). Turnovers - NorthWood 10, Wawasee 14. Fouls - NorthWood 19, Wawasee 11. Fouled out - Ks. Chamberlin.
Wawasee 3A Sectional
Tuesday's Games
NorthWood 60, Angola 42
West Noble 52, Lakeland 33
Friday's Games
NorthWood 50, West Noble 41
Wawasee 77, Northridge 57
Championship
No. 2 Wawasee 65, No. 5 NorthWood 59 [[In-content Ad]]