Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
CULVER -ÊThe Triton girls basketball team surprised some folks last year when they won the state championship. But the Trojans are not going to sneak up on anyone this season and have a target on their backs for other teams to aim at. After all, everyone wants to be the team that knocks off the state champion.
However, the Trojans showed why they are ranked No. 1 in Class A and the returning state champions Saturday night when they pounded Oregon Davis 72-43 in the final game of the Culver Sectional.
Triton started the game with a 7-0 run and held the lead throughout the game. The Trojans held Oregon-Davis to just four points in the first frame and took a 15-4 advantage into the second quarter.
The Trojans continued to show the Bobcats who was boss through the second frame, giving up just nine points. By the end of the first half, Triton held a 35-13 lead.
In fact, Triton's defense was so unrelenting that it forced Oregon Davis to turn the ball over a whopping 16 times. Oregon Davis tallied three more turnovers than points in the first half of play.
Amber Feldman opened the second half with a basket for Triton, and the Trojans followed her lead throughout the frame.
At the 5:26 mark, Betsy Salyer hit a basket that started a 7-0 Triton run that increased the lead to 43-15.
A basket by Ashli Senff at the end of the third frame made the score 55-25 going into the fourth quarter.
The fourth quarter marked the only stanza where the Bobcats outscored the Trojans. Oregon Davis scorted 18 points to Triton's 17, but that was not enough to overcome the 30-point deficit built earlier in the game.
"We won this one as a team," said Triton coach Mark Heeter. "Every kid that came in the game contributed for us. I was so happy with everybody. They went in there and got the job done."
Four Trojans finished the game in double figures. Betsy Salyer and Ashli Senff led the Trion scoring charge with 12 points each, while Brandie Ganshorn added 11. Tracey Bell came off the bench to add 10 points.
"I can't point to just one person and say they stood out in this game," said Heeter. "We had three or four starters on the bench in the first half, and our girls did well off the bench."
Triton improves to 19-3 on the season, while Oregon Davis finishes the season 15-7. Triton will play Kouts in the Kouts Regional Wednesday. Kouts defeated Michigan City Marquette 89-66 to advance to the regional.
No. 1 TRITON 72
OREGON-DAVIS 43
Triton 15 20 20 17 - 72
Oregon-Davis 4 9 12 18 - 43
Triton FG FT R S Pts.
*Senff 5-7 2-2 3 3 12
*Speicher 1-3 1-2 6 0 3
*A. Feldman 3-8 1-2 6 2 7
*Ganshorn 5-12 0-0 0 0 11
*Salyer 6-10 0-0 10 3 12
McIntyre 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Krieter 1-1 0-0 0 0 2
Miller 3-3 0-0 0 0 6
Salisbury 1-1 1-2 0 2 3
Bates 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
C. Feldman 0-2 0-0 0 0 0
McClarnon 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Westafer 3-4 0-0 6 1 6
Bell 3-3 3-4 2 0 10
Totals 31-54 8-12 33 11 74
Oregon-Davis Fg Ft R S Pts.
*Rust 5-12 6-10 1 0 18
*Fosler 0-0 1-2 0 0 1
*T. Kensinger 3-11 0-2 5 2 6
*Matusiak 0-7 5-6 1 0 5
*Johnson 1-2 0-0 2 1 2
Anderson 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
S. Kensinger 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Lawrence 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
L. Kensinger 4-6 1-2 3 0 9
Wilson 1-3 0-0 3 0 2
Sweeny 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Dunbar 0-0 0-0 1 4 0
Totals 14-43 13-22 16 7 43
Three-point goals -ÊTriton 2-13 (Senff 0-2, A. Feldman 0-4, Ganshorn 1-6, Bell 1-1), Oregon-Davis 2-10 (Rust 2-5, Matusiak 0-2, Johnson 0-1, L. Kensinger 0-2). Fouls -ÊTriton 19, Oregon Davis 16, Fouled out -ÊDunbar, Johnson. Turnovers -ÊTriton 16, Oregon Davis 18.
CULVER COMMUNITY A SECTIONAL
Tuesday
South Central (LaPorte)57, Argos 41
Oregon-Davis 63, LaCrosse 28
Friday
Oregon Davis 61, South Central (LaPorte) 56
No. 1 Triton 55, Culver 26
Saturday
No. 1 Triton 72, Oregon Davis 43
Wawasee 3A Sectional
Tuesday's Games
NorthWood 60, Angola 42
West Noble 52, Lakeland 33
Friday's Games
NorthWood 50, West Noble 41
Wawasee 77, Northridge 57
Championship
No. 2 Wawasee 65, No. 5 NorthWood 59
