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NORTH MANCHESTER - Manchester coach Jody Shewman gave her basketball team implicit instructions before it took the floor for Saturday's game with Triton.
"If you're open," Shewman told her girls, "shoot the dang ball."
They were open. They shot. The shots fell. They won 72-55.
Triton's defense dared the Squires to hit perimeter shots, giving them the open looks that Shewman talked about. They took what Triton gave them, and they hit 7 of 12 three-pointers (58 percent) in the first half.
Erin Groombridge, who was not one of the top 20 scorers in the Three Rivers Conference before the game, made three of the treys. Jodie Peden, who was scoring 9 points per game, hit two and finished the game with 19 points. Megan Eckert and Katie Parker each made one.
Again Eckert ignited the Manchester offense, tallying 20 points, nine rebounds and two steals by halftime. She had her season scoring average after two quarters.
The Squires outscored Triton 22-5 in the second quarter and led 43-21 at halftime. All because they listened to Coach.
"Things just really clicked for us in the first half," Shewman said. "Those threes, I'm not really sure where they came from. I told them I hadn't yelled at them yet for shooting. Put it up.
"It's probably the best half we've played."
Triton coach Mark Heeter had seen better halves. On offense, he watched his team treat the ball like a hot potato, throwing it away 19 times. A disgusted Heeter pleaded with his team to settle down and "run the offense."
The shooting statistics were little consolation. The Squires made seven three-pointers; Triton hit six two-point field goals the first half.
On defense, Heeter watched his girls stay away from Manchester's perimeter shooters as if they carried the plague.
That advice - to let Manchester take open shots outside - did not come from Heeter.
"We didn't get out and get a hand in their face," Heeter said. "My guess is they hit twice as many outside shots as they did inside. We didn't give up very many points in the paint. If you can't get out and play any perimeter defense, that will kill you.
"A complete lack of execution on our part. Defensively, we didn't do anything right. Offensively, we didn't do anything right."
The offense Heeter searched for in the first half came in the second half. The Trojans outscored Manchester 17-6 in the third quarter and racked up 34 points after halftime. It was too late. They couldn't climb out of the 22-point hole they stumbled into in the first half.
Shewman knew Triton had at least one good run left.
"We just got real...comfortable with the lead we had," she said. "I told them, 'He really got on them at halftime. They'll come out strong.'"
But the Squires didn't help Triton with 19 turnovers. Manchester's shots quit falling - the Squires made 5 of 15 field goals the second half - but they took care of the ball. They turned it over five times.
Triton pulled within nine points of the lead at 51-42 with 5:27 left. Again the Squires turned to Eckert. Again she delivered.
Eckert's three-point play with 4:55 left pushed Manchester ahead 54-42. Her basket swung the momentum Manchester's way.
The Squires sealed the win by making 19 of 24 free throws the last quarter.
"We busted our tails the second half," Heeter said. "We got close, and then we had to foul. They hit their free throws to put us away."
The Squires scored 21, 22 and 23 points in three different quarters. Then there was that six in the third quarter. You could almost picture Shewman drawing a red circle around the six points.
"The second quarter looks really nice for us, but the third quarter, we were a little weak," Shewman said. "We just can't get that consistency yet, playing well in all four quarters. That will come around. I can deal with it. We won."
Eckert finished with 28 points and 10 rebounds, and Groombridge scored 11. Audra Meinert scored 13 for Triton, and Jessica Kintzel added 12 points and 10 rebounds.
Manchester, 10-4, hosts a 6:30 p.m. Tuesday game with Warsaw.
Triton, 9-3, hosts a 6:30 p.m. Tuesday game with Plymouth.
