Central Noble Outlasts Whitko
February 6, 2017 at 5:27 p.m.
Central Noble Outlasts Whitko
By Dale [email protected]
The ninth-ranked Central Noble Lady Cougars, playing on their own floor, made it a marathon and won 47-40 in double overtime.
In the championship game of Class 2A Sectional 35, Whitko held a 23-4 second-quarter lead, only to see Central Noble slowly whittle it away and hand the Lady Wildcats their fourth-straight sectional finals loss.
Whitko, still in search of its first sectional title in girls basketball, finished the season with a 21-5 record, with the 21 wins being a new program-best for victories in a season.
With their first sectional championship, the Lady Cougars improved to 25-2 and extended their win streak to 19 games.
Central Noble, a 62-54 loser at Whitko on Nov. 8, hasn’t lost since a 32-25 setback at Angola on Dec. 2.
“We’ve been in this position a lot in the last week or so,” said Central Noble coach Josh Treesh, whose team plays South Adams (16-9) in a regional semifinal Saturday at Winamac High School.
“Our girls always seem to find a way to get themselves down, and we always find a way to kind of get ourselves regrouped offensively. Defensively, they believed at halftime we were in a good position. We came out and just continued to play as hard as we could defensively, tried to get our key players the shots they needed, and luckily tonight our sophomores hit some big shots.”
After the score was tied 2-2, Whitko scored the next 17 points, a run that bridged the first and second quarters.
The Lady Wildcats led 14-2 after the first eight minutes of play and 23-4 midway through the second stanza.
It seemed as if everything was going Whitko’s way, and that the Lady Wildcats were finally going to win the program’s first sectional.
Central Noble, however, just wouldn’t quit, and Whitko began struggling to score points.
The Lady Cougars closed the first half on a 10-3 run, closing the gap to 26-14 at halftime, and then held Whitko to just eight points in the second half.
The teams were knotted at 34 at the end of regulation, tied at 38 after the first four-minute overtime, and then Central Noble outscored Whitko 9-2 in the second extra session.
“I think we got a lead by playing one way, and I think we got a little bit complacent there,” said Whitko coach Brandon Bradley. “We stopped running offense the way we run offense. We breathed a little bit too much on defense, and they got a couple easy ones.
“I don’t think the wheels came off, I mean, we took them to two overtimes without our best player on the floor. Not many teams can do that, and for that I’m proud of our depth and our kids. They looked doomed that last minute and a half of the fourth quarter, and then they stepped up and played through it. Can’t say enough about the heart of everyone of those kids.”
After scoring 14 points in the first half, Whitko senior Aly Reiff fouled out with 1:07 remaining in the fourth quarter. She finished her final prep game with 18 points.
Senior Brianna Cumberland scored 12 points in the loss, while classmate Hanna Yohe finished with four points.
Senior Kennedy Krull and sophomores Emalee Duggins and Ellie Snep rounded out Whitko’s scoring with two points each.
For Central Noble, sophomore Sydney Freeman led the way with a game-high 23 points, while classmate Meleah Leatherman scored 11 points and senior Katie Vice chipped in with seven points.
“We just told our girls we had to stay with it, two what we’ve done all season, hit some shots, make shots a little more difficult for them, and it’ll tighten up,” said Treesh.
“They hadn’t won a sectional title, and we hadn’t either. I thought we reacted really well down the stretch.”
Reiff, who will play college hoops for NCAA Division I Xavier University, will graduate as Whitko’s all-time leading scorer with 1,746 points.
She also holds program records for assists (534) and steals (388), and is second in rebounds (670) and blocked shots (127).
Cumberland, who will play at the University of St. Francis, is second on Whitko’s career scoring list with 1,150 points and is first in three-pointers made with 173.
Whitko’s six seniors, Bradley said, changed the culture of Whitko’s girls basketball program.
“I’ve said all along that the culture, and just the program as a whole, is better now than it was my first couple of years,” said Bradley, who has led the Lady Wildcats for six seasons.
“I think this (senior) class has had a big impact on the community. You can count on one hand teams at Whitko that have made deep runs in the state tournament. I’m not from here, I can’t accurately talk about the history of our program or of all the sports, but I would venture to say that there haven’t been many crowds like tonight’s that have showed up to support this program.
“I know we were the first girls basketball team at Whitko to be ranked No. 1 in the state, I don’t know about the other programs. These girls have accomplished a lot of things that people can’t take away from them on the court.
“But, once again, I think what they’ve accomplished off the court has had such an impact on so many people, Once they realize that, they’re going to be some successful young women growing up.”
CENTRAL NOBLE 47, WHITKO 40 (2OT)
Whit 14 12 4 4 4 2 – 40
CN 2 12 11 9 4 9 – 47
Whitko – Emalee Duggins 1 0-0 2, Haley Yohe 0 0-0 0, Brianna Cumberland 4 4-4 12, Hanna Yohe 2 0-0 4, Aly Reiff 7 2-4 18, Ellie Snep 1 0-0 2, Brielle Harrison 0 0-0 0, Kennedy Krull 1 0-0 2. Totals 16 6-8 40.
C. Noble – Sydney Freeman 7 6-6 23, Krista Custer 1 0-0 2, Katie Vice 3 1-1 7, Calista Rice 0 0-0 0, Meleah Leatherman 4 3-3 11, Courtney Freeman 2 0-1 4, Sam Brumbauh 0 0-0 0. Totals 17 10-11 47.
Three-pointers – Whitko 2 (Reiff), C. Noble 5 (S. Freeman); Fouls – Whitko 12, C. Noble 13; Fouled out – Reiff, C. Freeman; Records: Whitko 21-5, C. Noble 25-2
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The ninth-ranked Central Noble Lady Cougars, playing on their own floor, made it a marathon and won 47-40 in double overtime.
In the championship game of Class 2A Sectional 35, Whitko held a 23-4 second-quarter lead, only to see Central Noble slowly whittle it away and hand the Lady Wildcats their fourth-straight sectional finals loss.
Whitko, still in search of its first sectional title in girls basketball, finished the season with a 21-5 record, with the 21 wins being a new program-best for victories in a season.
With their first sectional championship, the Lady Cougars improved to 25-2 and extended their win streak to 19 games.
Central Noble, a 62-54 loser at Whitko on Nov. 8, hasn’t lost since a 32-25 setback at Angola on Dec. 2.
“We’ve been in this position a lot in the last week or so,” said Central Noble coach Josh Treesh, whose team plays South Adams (16-9) in a regional semifinal Saturday at Winamac High School.
“Our girls always seem to find a way to get themselves down, and we always find a way to kind of get ourselves regrouped offensively. Defensively, they believed at halftime we were in a good position. We came out and just continued to play as hard as we could defensively, tried to get our key players the shots they needed, and luckily tonight our sophomores hit some big shots.”
After the score was tied 2-2, Whitko scored the next 17 points, a run that bridged the first and second quarters.
The Lady Wildcats led 14-2 after the first eight minutes of play and 23-4 midway through the second stanza.
It seemed as if everything was going Whitko’s way, and that the Lady Wildcats were finally going to win the program’s first sectional.
Central Noble, however, just wouldn’t quit, and Whitko began struggling to score points.
The Lady Cougars closed the first half on a 10-3 run, closing the gap to 26-14 at halftime, and then held Whitko to just eight points in the second half.
The teams were knotted at 34 at the end of regulation, tied at 38 after the first four-minute overtime, and then Central Noble outscored Whitko 9-2 in the second extra session.
“I think we got a lead by playing one way, and I think we got a little bit complacent there,” said Whitko coach Brandon Bradley. “We stopped running offense the way we run offense. We breathed a little bit too much on defense, and they got a couple easy ones.
“I don’t think the wheels came off, I mean, we took them to two overtimes without our best player on the floor. Not many teams can do that, and for that I’m proud of our depth and our kids. They looked doomed that last minute and a half of the fourth quarter, and then they stepped up and played through it. Can’t say enough about the heart of everyone of those kids.”
After scoring 14 points in the first half, Whitko senior Aly Reiff fouled out with 1:07 remaining in the fourth quarter. She finished her final prep game with 18 points.
Senior Brianna Cumberland scored 12 points in the loss, while classmate Hanna Yohe finished with four points.
Senior Kennedy Krull and sophomores Emalee Duggins and Ellie Snep rounded out Whitko’s scoring with two points each.
For Central Noble, sophomore Sydney Freeman led the way with a game-high 23 points, while classmate Meleah Leatherman scored 11 points and senior Katie Vice chipped in with seven points.
“We just told our girls we had to stay with it, two what we’ve done all season, hit some shots, make shots a little more difficult for them, and it’ll tighten up,” said Treesh.
“They hadn’t won a sectional title, and we hadn’t either. I thought we reacted really well down the stretch.”
Reiff, who will play college hoops for NCAA Division I Xavier University, will graduate as Whitko’s all-time leading scorer with 1,746 points.
She also holds program records for assists (534) and steals (388), and is second in rebounds (670) and blocked shots (127).
Cumberland, who will play at the University of St. Francis, is second on Whitko’s career scoring list with 1,150 points and is first in three-pointers made with 173.
Whitko’s six seniors, Bradley said, changed the culture of Whitko’s girls basketball program.
“I’ve said all along that the culture, and just the program as a whole, is better now than it was my first couple of years,” said Bradley, who has led the Lady Wildcats for six seasons.
“I think this (senior) class has had a big impact on the community. You can count on one hand teams at Whitko that have made deep runs in the state tournament. I’m not from here, I can’t accurately talk about the history of our program or of all the sports, but I would venture to say that there haven’t been many crowds like tonight’s that have showed up to support this program.
“I know we were the first girls basketball team at Whitko to be ranked No. 1 in the state, I don’t know about the other programs. These girls have accomplished a lot of things that people can’t take away from them on the court.
“But, once again, I think what they’ve accomplished off the court has had such an impact on so many people, Once they realize that, they’re going to be some successful young women growing up.”
CENTRAL NOBLE 47, WHITKO 40 (2OT)
Whit 14 12 4 4 4 2 – 40
CN 2 12 11 9 4 9 – 47
Whitko – Emalee Duggins 1 0-0 2, Haley Yohe 0 0-0 0, Brianna Cumberland 4 4-4 12, Hanna Yohe 2 0-0 4, Aly Reiff 7 2-4 18, Ellie Snep 1 0-0 2, Brielle Harrison 0 0-0 0, Kennedy Krull 1 0-0 2. Totals 16 6-8 40.
C. Noble – Sydney Freeman 7 6-6 23, Krista Custer 1 0-0 2, Katie Vice 3 1-1 7, Calista Rice 0 0-0 0, Meleah Leatherman 4 3-3 11, Courtney Freeman 2 0-1 4, Sam Brumbauh 0 0-0 0. Totals 17 10-11 47.
Three-pointers – Whitko 2 (Reiff), C. Noble 5 (S. Freeman); Fouls – Whitko 12, C. Noble 13; Fouled out – Reiff, C. Freeman; Records: Whitko 21-5, C. Noble 25-2
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