July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Experience should aid JC (02/19/04)
JCHS girls basketball
Experience should aid JC (02/19/04)
The Patriots are no longer the new kids on the block.
When the Jay County girls basketball team went to Peru last year for regional action it was a first for everyone. In fact, the Patriots had lost to Maconaquah in the sectional opener a year earlier, and no Jay County team had played in a regional since 1996.
The result was still a pretty solid effort for much of the game in a 62-47 loss to South Bend St. Joseph.
Making the return trip this year, the Patriots now have a team seasoned with regional tournament experience.
“I think (our experience) helps us immensely,” said Jay County coach Lea Selvey at practice Wednesday. “I think being there helped us in the sectional. They’d been in a sectional final before and Tipton hadn’t.”
That won’t be the case in the Peru regional Saturday, where everyone will come in with some level of tournament experience.
The Tippecanoe Valley Vikings, the semifinal opponent for the Patriots, enter at 20-2 and ranked third in the state. The team was a regional finalist last year, losing the championship game to Highland at Twin Lakes.
“We have great team chemistry, I think that’s what makes us sound,” said Tippecanoe Valley coach Gary Teel. “That’s led by our senior, Rebekah Parker.
“Our girls are just a close-knit group.”
Neither the No. 4 Fort Wayne Bishop Luers Knights (19-3) nor the NorthWood Panthers (16-7) — who play each other in Saturday’s second semifinal contest — were sectional champions last year. Still, both have plenty of postseason experience and tradition.
Bishop Luers won four consecutive titles at the turn of the century, earning the Class 2A crown in 1999, 2000 and 2001 and moving up for the Class 3A championship in 2002. NorthWood has seen its share of tourney action, including a Class 3A state title in 1999.
“I think last year we were just so happy to win sectional,” said Jay County senior Felisha Parr. “This year I think we really stand a chance and we want to go further. Sectional’s not enough.”
Selvey mentioned plenty of keys to a successful regional run this season, most notably taking care of the ball. The Patriots had 20 turnovers in two of their three sectional games, but played a fairly clean contest with just 12 in their semifinal victory over Delta.
When they have taken care of the ball much of the scoring this year has come from their two seniors. Parr averages a team-best 10.6 points per game, while point guard Lindsay Friddle is at 9.0 points.
Junior Jamie Bruggeman comes in next at 8.2 per game, and three other players all hover at or around the five-point mark.
Each of the other three teams in the regional have at least two players averaging double figures. To counteract Tippecanoe Valley Selvey will look for increased scoring across the board to go along with what he hopes will be a great defensive effort.
“We’re either going to have to have one or two of them step up and score more or we’re going to have to have more balance,” said Selvey. “We might have to get four kids in double digits or keep the score low.
“My goal is to slow them down a little bit and make them adjust to us.
“We have to try to be patient and take care of the ball. Still, I’m not going to discourage our kids from taking the shots they have.”
Jay County will be contending with Parker, the Vikings’ senior post player who is an Indiana All-Star candidate. She averages 17.9 points and 8.6 rebounds per contest, good for seventh and ninth in Class 3A respectively.
Tippecanoe Valley boasts outstanding guard play as well in junior Kara Kramer and senior Abby Shafer. Kramer also ranks among the state leaders with 15.8 points per game, and Shafer — a three-year starter along with Parker — puts in 10.3 points per contest.
All three of those players average more than four assists per game.
“She plays a lot on the baseline and is also a great passer,” said Selvey of Parker. “We’re going to try just to contain her on the outside and keep her off the boards. If she’s passing — even though she’s a great passer — she’s passing to a lesser player. They’re just not as good as she is.
“We know that we have to keep them from going baseline.”
One of the Vikings two losses came to Rochester (21-2) when Parker was out with a knee injury for four games during the second half of January. The only other defeat was by a 54-52 score against Fort Wayne Carroll (20-3) in which Tippecanoe Valley made some uncharacteristic turnovers in the closing minutes.
Teel said his team has been a little rusty, first without Parker and then because they had their final two regular season games canceled. He said he hopes his team continues to turn both of those set-backs into positives in the tournament.
“(Parker’s) injury maybe helped some of the other kids get stronger,” he said. “They had to step up their games in Rebekah’s absence. Hopefully that will help us down the road.
“The longer we can keep playing, the stronger I think we’ll get.”
Selvey is simply hoping to build on the outstanding sectional success his team has had over the last two seasons. The Patriots have finished the last two regular seasons with a combined 21-17 record, but are 5-0 in the sectional tournament with a pair of championships.
Jay County has won eight of its last 10 contests this season.
“We just have to go in there and stay focused with what our task is,” said Selvey. “I think these guys are a little more seasoned. They’re feeling a little more confident in themselves right now. I still don’t think we’ve peaked.”[[In-content Ad]]Tippecanoe Valley Vikings
Location: Akron
Coach: Gary Teel
Record: 20-2, No. 3 in Class 3A
Enrollment: 664
Last regional appearance: 2003
Conference: Three Rivers
Sectional location: Fort Wayne Elmhurst
Top scorers: Rebekah Parker 17.9, Kara Kramer 15.8, Abby Shafer 10.3.
Top rebounders: Parker 8.6, Kramer 4.0, Caty Patterson 3.8.
Top assists: Parker 5.3, Kramer 4.4, Shafer 4.0.
3-point threats: Shafer 28, Parker 25, Kramer 11.
The sectional road: The Vikings got past Fort Wayne Elmhurst in the first round 64-56, defeated Norwell in the semifinals 49-32 and clobbered Fort Wayne Wayne in the finals 75-42.
Bishop Luers Knights
Location: Fort Wayne
Coach: Teri Rosinski
Record: 19-3, No. 4 in Class 3A
Enrollment: 550
Last regional appearance: 2002
Conference: Summit
Sectional location: Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger
Top scorers: Stefanie Gerardot 14.5, Jessica Hathaway 12.0, Marie Kaufmann 11.0.
Top rebounders: Hathaway 6.7, Kaufman 4.9, Gerardot 2.9.
Top assists: Gerardot 3.8, Hathaway 3.4, Mallory Merz 2.1.
3-point threats: Gerardot 31, Merz 12, Hathaway 9.
The sectional road: Drew a first round bye and then topped Leo 69-42 in the semifinal round. Rolled over Fort Wayne Concordia for the championship, 57-40.
NorthWood Panthers
Location: Nappanee
Coach: Steve Neff
Record: 16-7
Enrollment: 826
Last regional appearance: 1999
Conference: Northern Lakes
Sectional location: Wawasee
Top scorers: Audrey Duncan 12.8, Lauren Zeltwanger 12.5, Mandy Yoder 8.7.
Top rebounders: Duncan 8.6, Yoder 4.7, Carrie Egging 4.4.
Top assists: Yoder 2.9, Zeltwanger 2.7, Egging 2.2.
3-point threats: Zeltwanger 47, Jessica Focht 25, Egging 12.
The sectional road: Defeated Angola in the first round 48-38, Northridge in the semifinals 39-23 and the host Warriors 56-40 for the championship.
When the Jay County girls basketball team went to Peru last year for regional action it was a first for everyone. In fact, the Patriots had lost to Maconaquah in the sectional opener a year earlier, and no Jay County team had played in a regional since 1996.
The result was still a pretty solid effort for much of the game in a 62-47 loss to South Bend St. Joseph.
Making the return trip this year, the Patriots now have a team seasoned with regional tournament experience.
“I think (our experience) helps us immensely,” said Jay County coach Lea Selvey at practice Wednesday. “I think being there helped us in the sectional. They’d been in a sectional final before and Tipton hadn’t.”
That won’t be the case in the Peru regional Saturday, where everyone will come in with some level of tournament experience.
The Tippecanoe Valley Vikings, the semifinal opponent for the Patriots, enter at 20-2 and ranked third in the state. The team was a regional finalist last year, losing the championship game to Highland at Twin Lakes.
“We have great team chemistry, I think that’s what makes us sound,” said Tippecanoe Valley coach Gary Teel. “That’s led by our senior, Rebekah Parker.
“Our girls are just a close-knit group.”
Neither the No. 4 Fort Wayne Bishop Luers Knights (19-3) nor the NorthWood Panthers (16-7) — who play each other in Saturday’s second semifinal contest — were sectional champions last year. Still, both have plenty of postseason experience and tradition.
Bishop Luers won four consecutive titles at the turn of the century, earning the Class 2A crown in 1999, 2000 and 2001 and moving up for the Class 3A championship in 2002. NorthWood has seen its share of tourney action, including a Class 3A state title in 1999.
“I think last year we were just so happy to win sectional,” said Jay County senior Felisha Parr. “This year I think we really stand a chance and we want to go further. Sectional’s not enough.”
Selvey mentioned plenty of keys to a successful regional run this season, most notably taking care of the ball. The Patriots had 20 turnovers in two of their three sectional games, but played a fairly clean contest with just 12 in their semifinal victory over Delta.
When they have taken care of the ball much of the scoring this year has come from their two seniors. Parr averages a team-best 10.6 points per game, while point guard Lindsay Friddle is at 9.0 points.
Junior Jamie Bruggeman comes in next at 8.2 per game, and three other players all hover at or around the five-point mark.
Each of the other three teams in the regional have at least two players averaging double figures. To counteract Tippecanoe Valley Selvey will look for increased scoring across the board to go along with what he hopes will be a great defensive effort.
“We’re either going to have to have one or two of them step up and score more or we’re going to have to have more balance,” said Selvey. “We might have to get four kids in double digits or keep the score low.
“My goal is to slow them down a little bit and make them adjust to us.
“We have to try to be patient and take care of the ball. Still, I’m not going to discourage our kids from taking the shots they have.”
Jay County will be contending with Parker, the Vikings’ senior post player who is an Indiana All-Star candidate. She averages 17.9 points and 8.6 rebounds per contest, good for seventh and ninth in Class 3A respectively.
Tippecanoe Valley boasts outstanding guard play as well in junior Kara Kramer and senior Abby Shafer. Kramer also ranks among the state leaders with 15.8 points per game, and Shafer — a three-year starter along with Parker — puts in 10.3 points per contest.
All three of those players average more than four assists per game.
“She plays a lot on the baseline and is also a great passer,” said Selvey of Parker. “We’re going to try just to contain her on the outside and keep her off the boards. If she’s passing — even though she’s a great passer — she’s passing to a lesser player. They’re just not as good as she is.
“We know that we have to keep them from going baseline.”
One of the Vikings two losses came to Rochester (21-2) when Parker was out with a knee injury for four games during the second half of January. The only other defeat was by a 54-52 score against Fort Wayne Carroll (20-3) in which Tippecanoe Valley made some uncharacteristic turnovers in the closing minutes.
Teel said his team has been a little rusty, first without Parker and then because they had their final two regular season games canceled. He said he hopes his team continues to turn both of those set-backs into positives in the tournament.
“(Parker’s) injury maybe helped some of the other kids get stronger,” he said. “They had to step up their games in Rebekah’s absence. Hopefully that will help us down the road.
“The longer we can keep playing, the stronger I think we’ll get.”
Selvey is simply hoping to build on the outstanding sectional success his team has had over the last two seasons. The Patriots have finished the last two regular seasons with a combined 21-17 record, but are 5-0 in the sectional tournament with a pair of championships.
Jay County has won eight of its last 10 contests this season.
“We just have to go in there and stay focused with what our task is,” said Selvey. “I think these guys are a little more seasoned. They’re feeling a little more confident in themselves right now. I still don’t think we’ve peaked.”[[In-content Ad]]Tippecanoe Valley Vikings
Location: Akron
Coach: Gary Teel
Record: 20-2, No. 3 in Class 3A
Enrollment: 664
Last regional appearance: 2003
Conference: Three Rivers
Sectional location: Fort Wayne Elmhurst
Top scorers: Rebekah Parker 17.9, Kara Kramer 15.8, Abby Shafer 10.3.
Top rebounders: Parker 8.6, Kramer 4.0, Caty Patterson 3.8.
Top assists: Parker 5.3, Kramer 4.4, Shafer 4.0.
3-point threats: Shafer 28, Parker 25, Kramer 11.
The sectional road: The Vikings got past Fort Wayne Elmhurst in the first round 64-56, defeated Norwell in the semifinals 49-32 and clobbered Fort Wayne Wayne in the finals 75-42.
Bishop Luers Knights
Location: Fort Wayne
Coach: Teri Rosinski
Record: 19-3, No. 4 in Class 3A
Enrollment: 550
Last regional appearance: 2002
Conference: Summit
Sectional location: Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger
Top scorers: Stefanie Gerardot 14.5, Jessica Hathaway 12.0, Marie Kaufmann 11.0.
Top rebounders: Hathaway 6.7, Kaufman 4.9, Gerardot 2.9.
Top assists: Gerardot 3.8, Hathaway 3.4, Mallory Merz 2.1.
3-point threats: Gerardot 31, Merz 12, Hathaway 9.
The sectional road: Drew a first round bye and then topped Leo 69-42 in the semifinal round. Rolled over Fort Wayne Concordia for the championship, 57-40.
NorthWood Panthers
Location: Nappanee
Coach: Steve Neff
Record: 16-7
Enrollment: 826
Last regional appearance: 1999
Conference: Northern Lakes
Sectional location: Wawasee
Top scorers: Audrey Duncan 12.8, Lauren Zeltwanger 12.5, Mandy Yoder 8.7.
Top rebounders: Duncan 8.6, Yoder 4.7, Carrie Egging 4.4.
Top assists: Yoder 2.9, Zeltwanger 2.7, Egging 2.2.
3-point threats: Zeltwanger 47, Jessica Focht 25, Egging 12.
The sectional road: Defeated Angola in the first round 48-38, Northridge in the semifinals 39-23 and the host Warriors 56-40 for the championship.
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