By Drew Terhall
Dailyadvocate.com
UNION CITY — The Girl Trojans didn’t go quietly away. After main 35-12 within the first quarter, the Mississinawa Valley ladies basketball staff held off Arcanum to win 92-76 at house.
The Girl Blackhawks have been near tying their earlier document for factors scored in a sport. They scored 94 factors in 1996-97 in opposition to Newton.
Mississinawa Valley head coach Michael Paige stated regardless of having a giant lead, he was getting his staff prepared for a battle within the second half.
“It didn’t look like both staff needed to stop. I advised them at halftime, ‘We’ve 53 at half, we’re not going to attain 106.’ We have to play beneath management. We got here out, the photographs have been nonetheless falling and so they have been nonetheless scoring as effectively,” Paige stated.
Within the first couple of minutes of the sport, Mississinawa Valley raced out to a 17-3 lead. They have been getting turnovers and scored straightforward buckets in transition.
Arcanum was having some bother with the press early on. Even once they crossed half court docket, they couldn’t get the offense going.
However within the second quarter, the Girl Trojans got here out with some urgency and whittled away on the deficit. They began to play beneath management and received to inside 16 factors.
Arcanum head coach Abbey Moore stated she was happy with the best way her staff responded after that first quarter. The staff didn’t sulk or throw within the towel, they only went proper to work.
“I’m extraordinarily happy with my ladies for his or her character. We at all times discuss that excellence issue of enjoying with class, enjoying with dignity. Once you’re in conditions of adversity, that’s going to be when your true character exhibits,” Moore stated. “When our backs was in opposition to the wall, not one in every of these ladies gave up. Not one in every of these ladies trembled.”
Six made three pointers from Mississinawa Valley helped give them a 54-33 heading into halftime.
All through the second half, Arcanum stored making an attempt to achieve floor and get themselves again into the sport.
Paige stated he advised his staff the Girl Trojans would come again and so they did make his staff play till the very finish.
“They stored preventing. Arcanum is an effective staff and Abbey is an effective coach. They’re not going to surrender,” Paige stated.
The Girl Blackhawks led 76-53 heading into the fourth quarter. Seniors Brenna Value and MacKenzea Townsend weren’t letting a lot get previous them within the paint. Arcanum must depend on some exterior photographs to get again into the sport.
They did simply that because the Girl Trojans didn’t go away. Paige stated regardless that he knew Arcanum would battle again, he needed to put the press on them once more late after letting up.
With 2:42 left within the fourth quarter, Arcanum was down 85-72. The Girl Trojans gained some floor and have been shut to creating it a sport late.
Moore stated it was large for the staff to search out methods to not solely rating, however get some large stops to spark some small runs after Mississinawa Valley would make a 3 pointer right here and there.
“To have the ability to fight that and put some factors on the board and get these defensive stops, we have been in a position to make a run,” Moore stated.
However, the Girl Blackhawks stored calm and made a number of buckets contained in the paint to seal the win. Paige stated whereas it was a fantastic win, the staff continues to be a number of enhancements away from enjoying their greatest sport.
“The scary half for us, and that is what I preserve telling individuals, is we didn’t play our greatest sport. Pretty much as good as we performed, we gave up 76 factors. Clearly there’s much more issues that we are able to do to enhance,” Paige stated.
Mississinawa Valley made 11 three pointers within the sport. Junior Taylee Woodbury led the staff with 22 factors and had 4 made threes. Value had 19 factors and Townsend had 18 factors. Senior Ingrid Ojeda had 10 factors.
Senior Rylee Leeper led the Girl Trojans with 18 factors. Junior Brooke Anderson and sophomore Caroline Lengthy each had 16 factors whereas junior Alexis Gibbons was held to 11 factors.
Mississinawa Valley is now 9-4 with a 6-1 WOAC document. They are going to be at Twin Valley South on Jan. 11 for a 7:15 p.m. tip off after which they are going to host Mechanicsburg on Jan. 13 at 11 a.m. Paige stated the objective is to organize for the event and so they have the schedule that may problem them in preparation for the postseason.
Arcanum is now 8-4 on the season with a 4-2 WOAC document. They’ve misplaced again to again video games in opposition to the highest two groups within the convention. They may host Nationwide Path on Jan. 11 at 7:15 p.m. after which host Versailles on Jan. 13 at 2:15 p.m.
Moore stated the main target for the upcoming video games will likely be on the defensive finish.
Contact Every day Advocate sports activities editor Drew Terhall at [email protected]