Olpe girls roll to 2A State Semifinals
Friday, March 13, 2009
By Justin Nutter
Special to the Gazette
MANHATTAN — For the girls basketball team at Olpe High School, perfection was just two games away in the 2008-09 regular season.
“I don’t buy into the thing about losing a game and getting smarter, but you can,” head coach Jesse Nelson said. “In both of our losses, we really did. We got smarter in both of them. The second one woke up our kids to the fact that we’ve got to be good every day.”
Olpe continued its recent trend Thursday, knocking off Elkart 72-43 in the first round of the 2A state tournament in Bramlage Coliseum.
Since the Eagles’ second loss, a 44-43 setback against Southern Coffey County on Feb. 12, they have gone a perfect 6-0, defeating their opponents by an average of 37.6 points per game. If being good every day was Nelson’s goal, it appears the criteria has been met.
“We really took our two losses under our wing,” said sophomore Kathryn Flott. “We knew we had to work to be where we wanted to be, and that’s right where we are.”
The Eagles (22-2) grabbed the momentum early in the contest, using a 15-2 run to take a 28-15 lead midway through the second quarter, but seven straight points by Elkhart — all by Alecia Smith and Peyton Fleming, who combined for 34 points in the game — cut the deficit to six with 3:32 remaining in the half. The Eagles’ defense stiffened and kept the Wildcats (17-7) off the board for the remainder of the half.
“We were breaking down early and giving them a crease to go in,” Nelson said. “We just couldn’t allow those two kids to get a running start at the rim all the time. That was a big turnaround for us right there.”
The Eagles took advantage of the Elkhart scoring drought, closing the half on an 8-0 run en route to a 36-22 halftime lead. Nelson credited Kendyl McDougald, who scored 17 of her 19 points in the first half, for the surge before the break.
“Offensively, we got into the gaps a little bit better,” he said. “By getting into the gaps, then we had the kickouts, but in that first part of it, our freshman point guard was awfully good. She just took what was there and she delivered it well. She had a really complete game.”
Olpe’s dominance continued early in the second half, as the Eagles opened on a 7-0 run and didn’t allow a field goal until nearly three minutes into the second quarter. In all, the Wildcats were held scoreless for over six consecutive minutes.
“We just made sure we kept an eye on (Smith and Fleming),” Flott said. “We really went to the zone and just made sure they didn’t get inside where they could score.”
Flott, the team’s leading scorer, dominated under the basket, scoring 26 points on 13-of-19 shooting and grabbing 13 rebounds.
“(Coach) Nelson just told me to drive in as much as I can and get the low block, because I knew that’s where I would be a force at,” she said. “He told me to pull down the rebounds, and I did that too. There was definitely a size advantage.”
Playing with a comfortable lead for most of the final two quarters, Olpe used its defense to keep the pressure on the Wildcats. The Eagles forced nine second-half turnovers and held Elkhart to a single field goal in the final 6:35. Olpe remained hot on the offensive side as well, ending the game on a 17-2 run.
Katelyn Henderson, a nonfactor in the early going, led the late offensive charge, dropping 11 of her 13 points in the second half. The sophomore also had eight rebounds in the contest.
“(Henderson) was very patient about waiting for the things that were going to come to her,” Nelson said. “She doesn’t throw a big body at you, but she can keep bring it.”
Flott agreed, saying Henderson has been a key contributor for the Eagles this season, especially on the boards.
“Katelyn has been great on the rebounding end,” Flott said. “She’s been good at getting in to get those rebounds when we miss shots.”
With the win, Olpe advances to the semifinals, where it will face Ellis at 3 p.m. today.
Thursday at Manhattan
Elkhart 15 7 12 9 — 43
Olpe 21 15 17 19 — 72
Elkhart (17-7) — Smith 6-17 5-7 18, Fleming 8-24 0-1 16, Ambroiser 2-5 0-0 4, Cayton 1-2 1-2 3, Lutters 1-5 0-0 2.
Olpe (22-2) — Flott 13-19 0-1 26, McDougald 7-13 2-3 19, Henderson 6-7 1-3 13, Moyer 2-8 5-5 9, Bartley 1-3 0-0 2, Cole 1-4 0-2 2, Schmidt 0-0 1-2 1.
3-point goals — Elkhart 1-14 (Smith 1-5, Fleming 0-6, Lutters 0-2, Ambroiser 0-1), Olpe 3-15 (McDougald 3-6, Moyer 0-5, Cole 0-3, Flott 0-1). Rebounds — Elkhart 36 (Flemming 11), Olpe 42 (Flott 13). Assists — Elkhart 1 (Smith 1), Olpe 8 (Moyer 4). Fouled out — None.
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