Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
NORTH MANCHESTER - The distance between Wabash and Manchester high schools is somewhere around 20 minutes. As proven Saturday night, neither girls nor boys basketball programs from the respective schools appear to be on the same map.
With no junior varsity games on the schedule Saturday, Manchester's girls basketball team hosted and soundly defeated the Apaches 85-54. Manchester's boys team followed that up with a distant 91-33 season-opening win.
How lopsided was the boys game?
Wabash scored 33 points, the same number of rebounds the Squires had.
Manchester made the same number of shots as the Apaches did points.
Wabash had three more turnovers than it did points.
"I think defensively we got some direction with what we wanted to do," said Manchester boys coach Gary Goshert. "The kids came out with intensity and energy. Our defense was pretty darn good."
The offense wasn't too shabby, either.
As a team, the Squires shot 33 of 61 (54.1 percent) from the field and made good on 23 of 31 free throws.
Wabash shot a dismal 12 of 33 (36.4 percent) from the field and connected on half of its free throws, 6 of 12.
"Wabash is in a difficult situation with an injured boy could really help them," said Goshert. "If those kids get healthy and these boys that are playing get that much better when they're together (they'll improve). I still feel good about the things we did. We had pretty good execution."
Manchester (1-0) was led in the scoring column by junior Anthony Frieden, the shortest Squire on the roster, and his 24 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field. Frieden was also 10 of 10 at the charity stripe.
"When you think about Frieden and (David) Bazzoni, it was their first time out at the varsity level," said Goshert. "We got some production out of our younger kids. A lot of kids came to play."
Joe Strack and Nate Schuler scored seven points each to lead the now 0-2 Apaches.
Manchester outscored the Apaches 24-13 in the first quarter and 24-5 in the second stanza to lead 48-18 at the break.
Wabash scored with just under five minutes to play in the first half, making the count 38-18. The Apaches didn't score again until the 3:22 mark of the third quarter when Jeremy Landis hit two free throws, cutting Manchester's lead to 68-18.
Wabash was outscored 26-9 in the final frame, accounting for the 58-point win.
Manchester's boys basketball team will host Three Rivers Conference rival Southwood Friday with the JV set to tip off at 6:15 p.m.
For the Manchester girls team, its 31-point win over the county rival Apaches moved its record to 2-2 on the season. Wabash falls to 1-4.
Manchester's Jessica Hicks led all scorers with 37 points on 18-of-30 shooting from the field. Hicks also pulled down 13 rebounds. Heather Terflinger and Ann Harms added 18 and 11 points respectively in the win.
Wabash's tallest players were Abby Gorman and Nikki Randas. Randas sat out with an injury and Gorman scored just two points.
Manchester's roster has six players listed as 5-9 or taller.
"I knew we had the height advantage," said Manchester girls coach Keri Nichols, "but you never expect anyone to score 37 points. We've been concentrating on our defense. Any time you limit their shots that helps out on the defensive end. The shorter time they have the ball, the better for us."
Two players scored in double-figurs for the Apaches - Sarah Dyer with 16 and Jenny Dawes with 12.
Manchester's defense forced Wabash into 26 turnovers. The Squires turned the ball over just 16 times.
"I know we're going to have turnovers," said Nichols. "As long as it's because the girls are playing hard, we'll take it. Their (opponents') turnovers is what our defense is set to do. Once you convince them to play hard-core defense, it's fun. When you play hard good things happen."
Manchester outscored the Apaches 23-6 in the opening quarter and led 49-24 at halftime. Wabash outscored the Squires 17-14 in the third frame, but it was too little too late and Manchester went on to outscore Wabash 22-13 in the final frame, accounting for the 31-point win.
Manchester's girls basketball team will will travel to Three Rivers Conference foe Whitko Dec. 2 with the JV team tipping off at 6 p.m.
MANCHESTER 91, WABASH 33
Wabash (0-2) 13 5 6 9 - 33
Manchester (1-0) 24 24 26 17 - 91
Wabash FG FT R S Pts.
Lundy (F) 1-4 1-2 3 1 4
Sundheimer 0-1 0-0 2 0 0
Palascak (C) 1-2 0-0 2 0 2
Schuler 3-6 0-0 2 2 7
Landis (G) 0-5 3-4 0 0 3
Strack (G) 3-5 0-0 3 0 7
Fairchild 2-4 1-2 0 0 5
Smith (F) 2-3 0-2 1 0 4
Stensland 0-2 0-0 2 1 0
Total 12-33 6-12 19 4 33
Manchester FG FT R S Pts.
Lochner 0-1 0-0 1 0 0
Miller (G) 3-3 1-2 0 3 7
Shafer (F) 7-12 1-3 6 1 15
Bazzoni (G) 6-12 5-6 2 5 17
Friedan (G) 7-10 10-10 4 5 24
Bechtold 2-7 0-0 1 9 6
Haynes 3-5 2-4 5 0 8
Kerr (F) 1-2 2-2 1 2 4
Stoops 0-0 0-0 4 0 0
Dale 3-7 0-0 7 2 6
A. Sorg 0-0 2-4 1 0 2
M. Sorg 1-2 0-0 0 0 2
Totals 33-61 23-31 33 18 91
Three-pointers - Wabash 3 (Lundy 1, Schuler 1, Strack 1), Manchester 2 (Bechtold 2). Turnovers - Wabash 36, Manchester 9. Fouls - Wabash 23, Manchester 12. Fouled out - Strack.
MANCHESTER 85, WABASH 54
Wabash (1-4) 6 18 17 13 - 54
Manchester (2-2) 23 26 14 22 - 85
Wabash FG FT R S Pts.
Curtis (G) 3-7 1-2 1 1 7
S. Dyer (F) 6-11 4-5 4 1 16
Brackenheimer 3-4 0-0 1 0 7
Gorman (F) 1-6 0-0 2 0 2
Gackenheimer 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Lester (C) 3-11 2-2 4 0 8
Dawes (G) 5-10 2-3 5 0 12
E. Dyer 1-1 0-1 0 0 2
Total 22-50 9-13 25 2 54
Manchester FG FT R S Pts.
Markstahler 1-5 0-0 4 1 2
E. White 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Bungitak 0-1 0-0 1 0 0
Hicks (F) 18-30 0-1 13 3 37
Jester (F) 0-5 2-2 1 3 2
C. White (C) 2-7 0-0 9 1 4
Harms (F) 4-10 3-5 5 3 11
Keffaber 0-0 2-2 1 0 2
Speicher 3-6 1-2 3 1 9
Terflinger (G) 8-10 2-2 7 3 18
Totals 36-74 10-14 49 15 85
Three-pointers - Wabash 1 (Brackenheimer), Manchester 3 (Speicher 2, Hicks 1). Turnovers - Wabash 26, Manchester 16. Fouls - Wabash 14, Manchester 14. Fouled out - none.
