Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
SOUTH WHITLEY - On a night when Whitko honored its five senior girls basketball players, it was a team that started three freshmen and two sophomores that stole the show.
Wawasee, a team that has two juniors and no seniors on its roster, upended the Wildcats, a team with just one sophomore, 71-46.
With the 25-point win, Wawasee finishes the regular season with a 13-7 record. Whitko heads into the state tournament with an 8-12 record.
In a game where the scoreboard says the two teams played close in the second half, Wawasee outscored Whitko 34-32 in the final two quarters, it was second quarter run that blew the game wide open.
With 6:57 remaining in the second stanza, Wawasee 5'9" sophomore Shanna Zolman connected on a field goal giving the Warriors a 21-14 lead. Zolman hit a three-pointer at the 4:45 mark capping off an 11-0 run and giving Wawasee a 30-14 lead.
Zolman scored seven points in the spurt, while freshman Meagan Wallen added a pair of field goals.
"It all stems from defense," said Wawasee coach Kem Zolman. "We're concentrating on the offensive end. We have to get the two big kids involved. We work so hard on defense. We want to get the kids to sustain that intensity for the whole game. I think that 11-0 run is a direct result of that. Defense creates offense for you. It's pretty good when you can get steals."
Wawasee stole the ball eight times in the first half, and in all caused 18 Wildcat turnovers. Wawasee, on the other hand, only turned the ball over eight times in the first half.
Said Whitko coach Mike Sands of his team's first half turnover problem: "They were trying to force passes that were not there. I told the girls to relax and work the ball, get away from the silly passes. With emotions in games like this that happens."
Wawasee outscored the Wildcats 19-12 in the first quarter and 18-7 in the second stanza to lead 37-19 at halftime.
Zolman, who had 20 points after two quarters of play, led all scorers with 34 points on 12-of-17 shooting, including 5 of 5 from three-point land. She also pulled down five rebounds and made five steals.
Wawasee's starting center, freshman Jessica Leach, added eight points, five in the fourth quarter, and three rebounds in the win. Freshman Jocelyn Higginbotham chipped in with seven points and eight boards.
The Wildcats were led in the scoring column by seniors Aly Frantz and Nici Nestel, who scored 14 points apiece. The duo also combined for eight rebounds. Junior Monica Sands added 11 points and seven rebounds.
For the game, the Warriors were 26 of 49 (53.1 percent) from the floor and 13 of 18 from the charity stripe. The Wildcats were 17 of 43 (39.5 percent) from the field and 12 of 16 from the free throw line.
"We missed a lot of easy shots," said Sands. "The girls just didn't relax. It could have been because it was senior night, the emotions were high."
Wawasee committed 14 fouls, while the Wildcats had one more with 15.
"We fouled too much," said Kem Zolman. "They got a lot of points from the free throw line, that happens when you turn up the heat. We've got a ways to go with our defense. A coach is never happy, but we're getting better."
Wawasee led 52-29 after three quarters, and outscored the Wildcats 19-17, accounting for the 71-46 final.
The Warriors doubled Whitko on the scoreboard on four occasions in last night's win - 32-16, 42-21, 46-23 and 58-29.
Wawasee hosts the 3A sectional, with the Warriors doing battle with defending state champion NorthWood Friday. NorthWood topped Wawasee 61-48 earlier in the year.
"I like our chances," said Kem Zolman of Wawasee's sectional matchup with the Panthers. "I told them we probably won't score 70 points. Our defense has to rise up a notch and not give them layups. I want to be close and let the chips fall where they may. The first time they blew us out in the first half."
Whitko will play Class 3A No. 4 Rochester Friday in the Tippecanoe Valley Sectional.
"We have to go up against Rochester, a physical team," said Sands. "We have to play all four quarters and work as hard as we have in the past. The season's over now, it's time for the sectionals."
Rochester defeated the Wildcats 70-43 in a meeting earlier in the season.
WAWASEE 71, WHITKO 46
Wawasee (13-7) 19 18 15 19 - 71
Warsaw (8-12) 12 7 10 17 - 46
Wawasee FG FT R S Pts.
D. Krull (G) 2-7 0-0 0 0 4
Pletcher 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Henderson 1-3 0-0 2 0 3
Sawyer 0-0 0-0 0 1 0
Zolman (F) 12-17 5-6 5 5 34
Higginbotham 3-5 1-2 8 1 7
Auer 0-1 0-0 0 0 0
Fawley (G) 1-2 0-0 0 2 2
Lamb 1-1 0-0 2 0 2
Wallen (F) 3-9 5-6 6 1 11
Leach (C) 3-4 2-4 3 0 8
S. Krull 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Totals 26-49 13-18 32 10 71
Whitko FG FT R S Pts.
Walter 0-6 0-0 2 0 0
Badskey (G) 0-0 0-0 6 1 0
Menck (G) 0-1 2-2 0 1 2
Frantz (F) 5-13 4-7 3 1 14
Metzger (F) 2-6 1-2 2 0 5
Rowland 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Nestel (C) 6-11 2-2 5 0 14
Sands 4-6 3-3 7 1 11
Totals 17-43 12-16 25 4 46
Three-pointers - Wawasee 6 (Zolman 5, Henderson 1), Whitko 0. Turnovers - Wawasee 20, Whitko 23. Fouls - Wawasee 14, Whitko 15. Fouled out - None.
JV: Wawasee 45, Whitko 28
