SYRACUSE – Wawasee's KiLee Knafel was able to celebrate Senior Night with an overtime victory Tuesday thanks to a couple of freshmen. Scoring just five points through three quarters against the visiting Tippecanoe Valley Lady Vikings (5-12), Knafel netted seven in the fourth and another seven in overtime, leading the Wawasee Lady Warriors (8-9) to a 64-57 victory. Chaperoned all night by Valley sophomore Caylie Teel, Knafel only took eight shots in the game, but finished with 19 points, eight rebounds, four assists and four steals. “In the past, KiLee would have just panicked and started running all over creation,” Wawasee coach Kem Zolman said. “She might have panicked because she hadn't touched the ball for a couple possessions. (Tonight), she was very patient and just played a tremendous game, I thought.” Just like a week earlier when Knafel scored 12 of her 19 points in the fourth quarter of a 45-28 win over Whitko, she saved her best for last against Valley. Hounded by Teel, Knafel was forced to create her own offense, scoring off steals as well as rebounds. Each time, when her team really needed it. “Her better days are ahead, because that's a sign of a player becoming more mature,” Zolman said of Knafel, who signed with IUSB Thursday. “Where she can be patient, but when you know it's time, you just have that ability to raise your level. We're starting to see that.” Following a pair of Knafel free throws, Wawasee seemed to be ready to get the win with a 52-48 lead with 22 seconds remaining in the regulation. However, Valley senior Courtney Newsome responded with a three-pointer, and following a five-second call on the in-bound pass, Valley had possession under the Wawasee basket with 15 seconds remaining. Down by one, Newsome then found junior Kelsey Ball for a bucket, the fourth time the two hooked up in the quarter, putting the visitors in front 53-52 with 11 seconds remaining. Following a timeout, Zolman had to throw his plan out the window when he saw the Valley defense, calling for a full-court pass from freshman Kylee Rostochak to Knafel. “We noticed how they were playing us, so we just made that call,” Zolman said. Rostochak's baseball pass found the streaking Knafel, who was fouled, but made just 1 of 2 free throws. With seven seconds on the clock, Valley junior Cara Hoffman dribbled the ball down the court, but her leaning jumper rimmed out, resulting in the extra period. “We got a good look at the basket,” Valley coach Chris Kindig said. “We rushed it down the floor and were just looking for a quality shot. It didn't matter who took it. In-and-out. I think that was the ballgame right there, because we were a little let down by that.” It did appear that way, as Valley opened the extra period with a missed shot, then lost Knafel for an open three-pointer, which she sank. “We lost sight of Knafel there in overtime,” Kindig said. “We did a nice job on her all night, not giving her a lot of looks, then in their first possession of overtime, we let her get a wide open three and she knocks it down. She's a great player, but we just lost her, which can't happen.” And once Valley came up empty on its next possession, Wawasee freshman Erin Wiktorowski hit her fifth three-pointer of the game, giving the Lady Warriors all the cushion they'd need. Making 5 of 9 treys, Wiktorowski netted 18 points, while Rostochak also benefited from the concentrated defense on Knafel, scoring 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the field. “Time and time again, you saw what was open,” Zolman said of the Valley defense. “It just shows that they didn't have a lot of respect for the others, and I think they responded well.” Trailing 23-16 at the half, Valley was able to get back into the game thanks to the play of Hoffman. Scoring 10 of her team-high 17 points in the third quarter, Hoffman helped give the Lady Vikings a chance, building as much as a 34-27 lead. “Whatever good that happens for her, comes because she put the work in during the offseason,” Kindig said of the 5-foot-5 guard. “She's probably the most improved player we have.” Also for Valley, Ball posted 15 points and seven rebounds, while Newsome had eight points, seven rebounds and five assists. Losers of four straight and six of seven, Kindig wasn't pleased with the loss, but liked how his girls played. “Tonight, I was looking at our effort and I thought the girls really played hard,” he said. “I thought we made some progress from the past couple of games we've played. That's encouraging for us.” Both teams return to their respective conferences Saturday, as Wawasee hosts Concord in Northern Lakes Conference action and Valley welcomes Manchester in for a Three Rivers Conference contest.
WAWASEE 64, TIPPECANOE VALLEY 57 (OT) TV 7 9 18 19 4 – 57 Waw 16 7 6 24 11 – 64 Wawasee – Elizabeth Jackson 0-4 1-3 1, Alexis Blunk 0-1 0-0 0, Cassie Martinez 2-12 0-0 5, KiLee Knafel 4-8 10-12 19, Kylee Rostochak 8-11 3-5 19, Ashlynn Fisher 1-2 0-0 2, Erin Wiktorowski 5-9 3-4 18. Totals 20-47 17-24 64. Valley – Cara Hoffman 5-13 5-5 17, Caylie Teel 2-14 0-0 4, Kelsey Ball 5-12 5-6 15, Courtney Newsome 3-10 1-2 8, Connor Fraser 2-3 2-2 6, Danielle Bussard 0-2 0-1 0, Sara Alexander 3-5 1-1 7. Totals 20-59 14-17 57. Three-point goals – Wawasee 7-22 (Wiktorowski 5, Martinez, Knafel), Valley 3-7 (Hoffman 2, Newsome); Team Fouls (fouled out) – Wawasee 15 (Jackson), Valley 18 (Teel); Turnovers – Wawasee 11, Valley 14; Rebounds – Wawasee 30 (Knafel 8), Valley 42 (Teel 8); Assists – Wawasee 15 (Wiktorowski 5), Valley 13 (Newsome 5); Steals – Wawasee 7 (Knafel 4), Valley 6 (Ball 2, Bussard 2); Blocks – Wawasee 0, Valley 0; Records: Wawasee 8-9, Valley 5-12 JV – Valley 34, Wawasee 28 (OT) Valley – Robyn Dunnuck 8, Brynda Krueger 6, Karis Tucker 5, Hanna Dalrymple 4, Ariel Schoettmer 4, Emily Hilliard 3, Madison Strong 2, Casey Dunn 2 Wawasee – Natalie Jones 8, Allissa Flores 8, Courtney Linnemeier 4, Maddie Birch 4, Katlyn Kennedy 4
