SYRACUSE - Combining stretches of good basketball with periods of looking very inexperienced, the Wawasee Lady Warriors used a late push to secure a 51-44 girls basketball win over East Noble in Syracuse Friday night. Wawasee (3-1) came out fast, leaping to a 10-2 lead. Then the visiting Lady Knights got a few rebounds, found an open shooter and an easy basket to draw close, with the pattern repeating itself throughout the contest. The peaks and valleys are something Wawasee coach Kem Zolman said his team is working through, practice by practice and game by game, learning to adapt to what the opposition does on both ends of the floor. “We’re not adjusting on the fly like we needed to," said Zolman. "It’s typical of a young team, and we have some non-basketball thinking that we have to fight through. They’re learning with one on the best training methods out there; on-the-job training.” East Noble completely erased its early deficit, taking a two point lead midway through the second quarter. Wawasee rallied to take a six point lead into halftime, only to see it evaporate in the first three minutes after intermission. “We’d have two or three possessions in a row where we’d do what we want to do, and someone would get a wide open look or we’d get a good shot. But we’re playing kids that played on (junior varsity) teams that won one or two games a year, and they didn’t run anything at that level. So until they decide we’re going to run what we run, and get our shots, they’re going to struggle.” KiLee Knafel closed out the third quarter with a drive and short jumper in the lane, extending the Lady Warriors' lead to four. Kiley Cooper soon followed with a traditional three-point play, then hoops by Alexis Blank and Knafel extended the lead to 10. East Noble would draw to within six, but would get no closer. Zolman believes the players are gaining a clearer understanding of the offense and defense will be successful when they handle themselves mentally and physically. “It’s a win, but this program has never been about the win, and they weren’t super excited that we won tonight,” said Zolman. “It’s how we play, it’s our mental approach, it’s how we prepare for the next game, and the next game. They know they have a lot of work to do, and I think they’ll get it done.” As usual, Knafel led all scorers, tallying 28 Friday night. Cooper turned in a perfect night, making all four of her shots from the field and all five or her free throws en route to a 13-point night. The duo pulled down eight and seven rebounds, respectively. Alexis Blunk chipped in five points, Kelsey Hunter was credited with a three and Elizabeth Jackson added a bucket to round out the scoring. Next up for the Lady Warriors is a trip to Ligonier Tuesday to take on West Noble.
WAWASEE 51, EAST NOBLE 44 E N 10 8 13 13 – 44 WAW 14 10 11 16 – 51 East Noble – Kerri Schrock 2-7 0-0 5; Briana Ramos 1-3 0-0 3; Kourtney Edwards 4-6 2-5 10; Jena Yates 4-10 1-2 13; Jaymee Wolfe 0-0 0-0 0; Brooke Riecke 4-12 2-3 10; Kavan Young 1-3 1-2 3; Morgan Allen 0-0 0-0 0; Madison Cook 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 16-53 6-13 44. Wawasee – Alexis Blunk 2=3 1-2 5; Cassie Martinez 0-5 0-0 0; KiLee Knafel 11-20 4-4 28; Kelsey Hunter 1-7 0-2 3; Kiley Cooper 4-4 5-5 13; Elizabeth Jackson 1-5 0-0 2; Alex Fox 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 19-46 10-13 51. Three-point goals – East Noble 6 (Yates 4, Ramos, Schrock), Wawasee 3 (Knafel 2, Hunter). Rebounds – East Noble 37 (Edwards 11), Wawasee 32 (Cooper 8). Turnovers – East Noble 22, Wawasee 17. Records – East Noble 2-2, Wawasee 3-1.
