Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
SYRACUSE - The future of both Wawasee and Whitko girls basketball was on display Tuesday night. At halftime of the varsity contest between the Warriors and Wildcats, the seventh and eighth grade squads of both Milford and Wawasee Middle School were introduced.
Whitko's future was introduced before the game started, as the team from South Whitley started three freshmen in a 65-36 loss to host Wawasee.
The Wildcats were effective early, using motion offense and aggressive play to lead for much of the first quarter. Megan Walker put the Warriors ahead for good on a jumper with 41 seconds left in the opening period.
In the second quarter, the Warriors proceeded to put together as solid an offensive performance as they've had since No. 24 patrolled the hardwood teepee.
Wawasee scored 28 second quarter points, including a 14-0 run that began with a Kayln Lantz jumper at the 4:06 mark of the quarter and ended with Lantz connecting on 1 of 2 free throws with 54 seconds left in the half.
During the run, which extended the Warriors' lead from four to 17, 5-foot-10 junior Tiffany Fick scored just three points.
The four-minute span that put the Warriors ahead for good was the only time it wasn't "Fick Time."
Fick was too physical for the Wildcats and dominated the area around the hoop in more ways than one. Fick finished the evening with 27 points on 10 of 15 shooting and a mind-boggling 16 rebounds.
The Warriors pulled down 25 boards as a team while Whitko managed 23 rebounds.
Rachel Canen was especially strong for Wawasee in the second quarter. Canen, Wawasee's lone senior, scored 13 second-quarter points to Whitko's 10.
Wawasee, holding a 19-point lead, came out lethargic in the second half, which left Wawasee head coach Kem Zolman visibly upset.
Zolman was honored before the contest with a plaque commemorating his 100th win, which came Jan. 7 against NorthWood. Zolman is the winningest coach in Wawasee girls basketball and all of his now-102 victories have come at Wawasee.
The coach had more to smile about as his team closed out the third quarter with an 8-3 run, as things became chippy and more physical as the game progressed.
Zolman also could smile at his team's defensive pressure that will come in handy as sectional play appraoches.
"These girls really believe in the defensive end. We've talked a lot about it. When it comes down to the playoffs, when your offense struggles, you have to pick it up on defense. That (aggressiveness) is going to help us in the long run," said Zolman.
For Whitko and its head coach Ryan Cunningham, like Led Zeppelin once sang, "The song remains the same."
The Wildcats start three talented freshmen in guards Jamie Westness and Veronica Jersey and forward Jennaca Juillerat. The trio combined for 15 of Whitko's 36 points.
But Whitko's youth has led to an inability to play a consistent 32 minutes.
"The last two games we've played, our kids have played extremely hard. We've defended well and for whatever reason, we went kind of brain dead in the second half. I give credit to Wawasee; they're a good basketball team. They really picked us apart, but I really think we let them do it," said Cunningham of his team's performance and potential. "I know it's there. It's just a matter of putting it together."
While the future is bright, for at least Tuesday night, the Wildcats were led by upperclassmen.
Senior Amanda Busz led Whitko in scoring with 10 points while fellow senior Angie Juricak came off the bench and added four points.
Junior Jayanna Begley scored just four points as well, but added 11 rebounds.
The turnover battle was lopsided in the disfavor of Whitko. The Wildcats committed 22 turnovers to just 13 for Wawasee. The Warriors committed five first-half turnovers while Whitko committed 12.
Zolman received some inspired play from his two lone bench players.
Short had just two points but picked Whitko's pocket for three steals in the second quarter.
Sophomore forward Shawn Knafel went scoreless but snagged seven rebounds for Wawasee.
The Warriors' Jessie Wolf spent most of the game in foul trouble and finished with two points and two rebounds.
Walker was the only other player to score for Wawasee and finished with nine points.
Wawasee, 8-7, travels to Plymouth Saturday for a 7:45 p.m. matchup that will go a long way in deciding the Northern Lakes Conference. If Wawasee were able to knock off the Pilgrims, it would create a three-way tie in the conference with Plymouth, Wawasee and Warsaw.
Whitko, 3-12, host Northfield Friday at 6:15 p.m.
WAWASEE 65, WHITKO 36
Whitko 12 10 6 8 - 36
Wawasee 13 28 10 14 - 65
Whitko FG FT R S Pts.
*Busz 4-11 0-0 2 2 10
*Westness 3-9 0-2 3 2 6
*Jersey 1-2 1-2 2 0 3
*Juillerat 2-5 2-2 1 1 6
*Begley 3-9 0-0 11 0 6
Trump 0-2 1-2 3 0 1
Juricak 2-3 0-0 1 1 4
Wendel 0-0 0-3 0 0 0
Kennedy 0-0 0-1 0 0 0
Totals 15-41 4-12 23 6 36
Wawasee FG FT R S Pts.
*Lantz 1-6 8-10 3 1 10
*Walker 4-9 0-1 1 1 9
*Canen 6-13 0-0 2 4 15
*Wolf 1-5 0-0 2 0 2
*Fick 10-15 7-9 16 0 27
Short 1-3 0-1 5 3 2
Knafel 0-4 0-0 7 1 0
Totals 11-37 7-8 25 5 65
Three-point goals - Whitko 2-7 (Busz 2-4, Westness 0-3), Wawasee 4-14 (Canen 3-7, Walker 1-5, Lantz 0-2). Turnovers - Whitko 22, Wawasee 13 Fouls - Whitko 21, Wawasee 14. Fouled out - Wolf (Wawasee).
JV - Wawasee 33, Whitko 16
