No. 1-ranked Lady Eagles set records with latest victory
Ken Easthouse
Monday, January 29, 2007
The Olpe girls basketball team broke a tournament record for most points in a championship game as it defeated Flinthills, 76-50, to win the Lyon County League Tournament championship Saturday.
The previous record was set in 1983, when Olpe scored 67 points in a title-game victory over Waverly. The combined points for both the teams, 126 points, also broke the previous record of 109, set in 2005.
“I think there were some things that we did that helped us score a lot of points,” Olpe coach Jesse Nelson said.
Both teams consistently pushed the ball up the court, leading to a fast-paced game throughout.
“It didn’t work out for us, but we want to play that way,” Flinthills coach Mark Womacks said.
Womacks said his team tried to slow Olpe’s offensive juggernaut several different ways, but it always seemed to end with the Lady Eagles scoring.
“We played three different defenses against them and it seemed like they exploited every one of them,” Womacks said.
Senior Kayla Krueger scored 28 points to lead the Lady Eagles. However, 20 of those came from the free-throw line, as she shot 20-for-22, including a perfect 10-for-10 during the fourth quarter.
“We were trying to put the ball in her hands in a position where she would be going to the hole,” Nelson said. “She was either going to be shooting some good shots or going to the free-throw line, and we feel good about her going to the line.”
Krueger said she has been working on her free-throw shooting this season.
“Last year, after I lost a game for us from the free-throw line, I’ve been really concentrating on not doing that again,” Krueger said.
Olpe reserve sophomore Katie Moyer also contributed several baskets, hitting four 3-pointers for the Lady Eagles.
“We probably could have and should have used her a few more minutes than what she got,” Nelson said. “Right now, she’s a situational player for us while we work on other things in her game, but when those things come along, she’s going to get a lot more minutes.”
The win is Olpe’s fifth championship in six years. The Lady Eagles have only missed the championship game once in the past decade.
“Our kids have always treated (this tournament) like something special,” Nelson said, “and I think in turn it’s become something special for them.”
FLINTHILLS girls 50, OLPE 76
Flinthills 14 8 12 16 — 50
Olpe 21 19 19 17 — 76
Flinthills (13-2 LCL) — Breech 8, Cuskelly 6, Onek 14, Farrar 2, Dragoo 20. Total 50.
Olpe (14-0 LCL) — Krueger 28, Maley 7, Haag 2, Redeker 2, Meza 11, Moyer 14, Cole 2, Brinkman 2, Bell 1, Woods 7. Total 76.
Halftime — Olpe 40-22. Total fouls — FH 26, Olpe 18. Fouled out — Wilhite, Baker, Stands.
Waverly girls 50,
Lyndon 49
The Waverly girls outscored Lyndon 17-13 in the fourth quarter to erase a three-point deficit and turn it into a one-point victory for the Lady Bulldogs in the third-place game.
Waverly got seven points in the final period from Megan Steward, who finished the game with 15 points, as the Lady Bulldogs clawed back from a 36-33 deficit at the end of three quarters in a back-and-forth game.
Krista Banzhaf led the way for Lyndon, scoring a game-high 17 points. Chelsea Schmitz added 11 for the Lady Tigers. Whitney Good chipped in 14 for Waverly.
WAVERLY girls 50, LYNDON 49
Waverly 16 8 9 17 — 50
Lyndon 14 12 10 13 — 49
Waverly (8-4 LCL) — Good 14, Schmidt 8, Steward 15, Gifford 3, Wilson 3, Johnson 7.
Lyndon (8-4 LCL) — Bolz 8, Persinger 3, Schmitz 11, Schmidt 8, Goetz 2, Banzhaf 17.
Halftime — Lyndon 26-24. Total fouls — Waverly 16, Lyndon 21. Fouled out — Lyndon: Schmitz, Goetz.
Lebo girls 50,
Madison 48
The Madison girls stormed back from a 12-point deficit at the end of the third quarter to force overtime against Lebo, only to fall in overtime, 50-48, in the consolation championship game.
Madison outscored Lebo, 23-11, in the fourth period behind six points each from Morgan Stout and Shelby Buster, tying the game at 44 at the end of regulation.
However, Lebo’s Nickole Presley hit a field goal and three free throws in the overtime, and Mitzi Eagleburger added a free throw of her own, as the Lady Wolves outscored the Lady Bulldogs, 6-4 in the extra frame.
Buster led all scorers with 24 points, while Presley led Lebo with 19 points.
LEBO girls 50, MADISON 48
Lebo 16 6 11 11 6 — 50
Madison 6 10 5 23 4 — 48
Lebo (7-5 LCL) — Marks 1, Hose 1, M. Eagleburger 1, Robke 5, L. Schlesener 11, Presley 19, Tostove 7, Frye 2, Laflin 3.
Madison (6-6 LCL) — Stout 7, Kile 7, Buster 24, Titus 5, Hudson 1, Roof 4.
Halftime — Lebo 22-16. Total fouls — Lebo 17, Madison 28. Fouled out — Madison: Mitchell, Stout, Hudson.
Hartford girls 44,
Burlingame 31
Hartford jumped out to a 26-9 halftime lead over Burlingame in the seventh-place game thanks to 10 points from Courtney Prather and two 3-pointers from Samantha Wilkerson, as the Lady Jaguars claimed the 44-31 victory over the Lady Bearcats.
Prather finished with a game-high 14 points and Amy Bolen added 10 for Hartford, while Miranda Fagan paced Burlingame with nine points.
HARTFORD girls 44, BURLINGAME 31
Burlingame 5 4 13 9 — 31
Hartford 13 13 7 11 — 44
Burlingame (2-8 LCL) — Burgess 6, Floyd 1, Atchison 7, Dettman 6, Fagan 9, Hoie 2.
Hartford (4-7 LCL) — Wilson 4, Cartee 6, Dall 2, Prather 14, Lyon 2, Wilkerson 6, Bolen 10.
Halftime — Hartford 26-9. Total fouls — Burlingame 12, Hartford 18. Fouled out — None.
kejanos5 (anonymous) says...
This Olpe Girls team is loaded, a state title would not be out of the question!
January 29, 2007 at 3:38 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )