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PLYMOUTH - A team that prides itself on defense, Plymouth's varsity girls basketball team got a taste of its own medicine Thursday evening.
After giving up just 33 points per game through five contests, the Pilgrims were put to the test Thursday and fell 47-27 to Class 3A No. 1 Tippecanoe Valley.
"I thought our defense did a good job," Valley coach Gary Teel said. "It wasn't perfect defense, but we did a good job overall limiting Plymouth to just 27 points. I thought we did a good job with our defensive game plan. Our offense bogged down, but then again, Plymouth always plays great defense."
The Vikings were just the second team this season to score more than 36 against Plymouth.
The Pilgrims, whose only other loss was by three at well-respected Class 4A Valparaiso, lost their second straight game and fell to 4-2. Tippecanoe Valley improved to 5-0.
"When you play a team coached by Dave Cox you're playing an excellent defensive team," Teel said. "They're one of the top defensive teams in the state. Every basket you get you have to earn."
The visitors on the scoreboard, the Vikings made themselves right at home in the first quarter by jumping out to an 11-0 advantage when junior Holli Jackson hit a field goal with just over two minutes left in the opening frame.
But just when the Vikings looked to have things totally in control, Plymouth went on a 9-0 run and trailed by just two when senior Laura Wendel hit a pair of free throws with 4:59 remaining in the half.
In keeping with the volleyball-style momentum of the game, the Vikings responded with a 7-0 run of their own to close the first half on a three-pointer from senior Abby Shafer and a pair of field goals from junior Kara Kramer.
The Pilgrims trailed by as much as 15, 31-16, in the third quarter and got no closer than 10 in the fourth quarter.
Plymouth freshman Heidi Keiser opened the fourth quarter by hitting a pair of free throws, cutting the Viking lead to 31-21, but Shafer came back and hit a three-pointer for Valley, followed by back-to-back baskets from Kramer and a three-pointer from Evansville-bound forward Rebekah Parker.
Though they shot just 17 of 48 (35.4 percent) from the field, 5 of 17 (29.4 percent) from three-point range, the Vikings successfully defended their 3A No. 1 ranking.
"This a great testimony to the kids," Teel said. "This is a good confidence builder. It's a great honor for the kids (to be ranked No. 1). They deserve it, they've worked hard, but at the same time we have to keep things in perspective."
Kramer and Parker led Valley with 12 points each, while Shafer added nine and Jackson six.
Of Valley's 47 points, 41 of them came from guards or perimeter-type players. Senior center Caty Patterson scored four points, while junior reserve Heather Rathbun scored two.
Junior Katie Davis led Plymouth with seven points, while Laura Wendel added five, Keiser four and Stephanie Welch three. Austen Black, Stacey Wendel, Heather Tinkey and Jessica Foust all scored two points.
The Vikings open up Three Rivers Conference play by hosting Oak Hill Saturday.
NO. 1 (3A) VALLEY 47, PLYMOUTH 27
Valley 11 7 13 16 - 47
Plymouth 2 7 10 8 - 27
Valley FG FT R S Pts.
* Jackson 2-3 2-2 5 2 6
* Kramer 5-13 2-3 5 5 12
* Shafer 3-10 0-0 0 1 9
* Parker 4-12 2-2 8 5 12
* Patterson 2-5 0-0 4 0 4
McFadden 0-1 0-0 1 0 0
Rohrer 0-0 2-2 0 0 2
Howard 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Rathbun 1-2 0-0 4 0 2
Moore 0-2 0-0 1 0 0
Totals 17-48 8-9 28 13 47
Plymouth FG FT R S Pts.
* Welch 1-5 1-2 6 0 3
* L. Wendel 1-7 3-4 9 2 5
* Hessel 0-1 0-0 0 0 0
* Black 1-1 0-0 2 0 2
* S. Wendel 1-3 0-2 2 0 2
Tinkey 1-2 0-0 0 0 2
Foust 0-1 2-2 2 2 2
Keiser 1-3 2-2 1 0 4
Lynch 0-1 0-0 2 0 0
Davis 3-9 0-0 1 0 7
Totals 9-33 8-12 25 4 27
Three-point goals - Valley 5-17 (Shafer 3-7, Parker 2-7, Jackson 0-1, Kramer 0-1, Moore 0-1), Plymouth 1-6 (Davis 1-2, Welch 0-2, S. Wendel 0-2). Fouls - Valley 12, Plymouth 13. Fouled out - none. Turnovers - Valley 9, Plymouth 17.
JV - Plymouth 33, Valley 31 OT
Valley scoring - Sitts 8, Rhoades 6, Prater 5, Hartle 4, Hoffer 4, Newman 4
