FORT WAYNE — The quickness of the Fort Wayne Northrop Lady Bruins created problems for the Whitko Lady Wildcats Wednesday night in Fort Wayne. Forcing 26 turnovers from the Lady Wildcats (3-3), the Lady Bruins (1-5) picked up the 60-49 victory, their first of the girls basketball season. “Every year, this is a very different game for us because they are the longest and most athletic team that we’re ever going to face,” Whitko coach Brandon Bradley said. “They’re faster end-to-end as a team and it’s hard to prepare for.” The toughest Lady Bruin to prepare for was 5-foot-10 senior Aleah Swary, who had 22 points, seven rebounds, five assists, five steals and four blocks, while also guarding Whitko’s top offensive threat, freshman Aly Reiff. Reiff finished the game making 5 of 16 shots for 14 points, while also nabbing seven boards, three assists, two blocks and a steal. Reiff struggled in the opening half, making just two of her 10 field goal attempts. “I thought she got a little bit frustrated with the length and speed (of Northrop), but she adjusted well,” Bradley said. “That’s something she’s not going to see every game out. We need to do a better job of simulating that in practice, and it’s hard. As coaches, we’re all banged up, and as far as the players go, we only have one or two girls that are as athletic and fluid as her that can even try to defend her. I thought she made a good adjustment in the third quarter after she began attacking Swary.” Going on the attack, Reiff netted back-to-back buckets followed by a field goal from classmate Brianna Cumberland, cutting a 36-21 Northrop lead to 36-27 with 5:40 left in the third quarter. The lead was cut even more following a pair of free throws from sophomore Jennifer Reiff, extending the Whitko run to 8-0 and pulling the Lady Wildcats within 36-29 with 5:16 remaining in the quarter. Northrop responded to the run, but the Lady Wildcats did make the contest much closer, as they got within 53-47 after a Cumberland basket with 2:15 left in the game. That six-point deficit, however, was as close as the road team would get. With the way the girls played in the second half, outscoring Northrop 28-26, Bradley could only have hoped they’d have come out of the gates that way instead of getting outscored 18-9 in the first quarter. “We have to attack people,” he said. “I don’t care who they are. I don’t care if it’s the No. 1 (Class) 4A team in the state. We have to be the aggressor. We can’t play on our heels and we’ve done that two games in a row now.” Whitko has now lost to Northrop four-straight times, and Bradley feels that’s something that weighs on his girls. “Subconsciously, I think we remember results against teams from previous years,” he said. “There’s already a barrier we need to break down when we go to certain gyms or certain teams come to us. We have to learn to break that barrier down before we even get to the game. It takes a quarter, maybe even two, before we get there.” One consistent girl on the night was 6-foot-1 senior center Jordan Hall, who had 11 points, 11 rebounds, three blocks, two assists and two steals in the loss. “She’s beginning to turn it on,” Bradley said. “We’ve always tried to feed her this year, but I think we’re starting to learn angles a little bit better and starting to learn where she likes the ball.” Also for Whitko, Cumberland had 12 points and four boards and Jennifer Reiff posted six points and six rebounds. After playing three-straight games against Class 4A teams, going 1-2, the Class 3A Lady Wildcats are ready to open their Three Rivers Conference schedule Saturday at North Miami. The last three seasons, Whitko entered the North Miami game with a 2-5 record, so the 3-3 mark is an improvement, but not one that has Bradley jumping for joy. “I’m not going to sit here and pretend that I’m thrilled,” he said. “It’s better. It’s improvement, but it’s not noticeable improvement. We’re very greedy this year as coaches. We want noticeable improvement, not small increments. Our goal right now is to win three games in a row so that when we go into (Tippecanoe) Valley on (Dec.) 21, we’re building a habit of being the aggressor.” Prior to the Valley game, Whitko first travels North Miami, followed by back-to-back home games against Manchester (Dec. 13) and West Noble (Dec. 19).
