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Basketball is unforgiving sport
to Liberty team
By CHRIS ERRINGTON
Basketball is an unforgiving sport. No one in the Big 10 Conference knows this more than the Liberty girls basketball team.
Losing a host of seniors from last season's team is damaging. Starting off the season 0-9 makes things that much worse. But having to play a South Harrison team desperately in need of a win and possessing Amber Morrison, one of the leading scorers in the Big 10, makes things tough all over.
To no one's surprise, the Hawks were able to get their stifling full-court pressure defense working to perfection, which led to ample fast break opportunities en route to their 58-28 whitewashing of the Mountaineers.
Morrison was the biggest recipient of the SH defense, as she knocked home 27 points on the night, a great majority of them coming via the fast break.
Things got so bad for Liberty (0-10) that they fell behind 20-1 after the first quarter and 27-6 at the half. A 21-point deficit might not look so bad at first glance, unless you take into account that the Mountaineers made zero baskets in the first 16 minutes. All of their points came from the free throw line.
The big first half lead made SH coach Joe Johnson's job very easy for the rest of the night.
"We really blew them out in the first half," said Johnson. "I was pleased with how well we played during that stretch. We had wanted to get our running game going, and we did that by clearing the boards and getting the ball out to Amber and Melissa (Dawson) in the lanes.
"Amber had a great game for us tonight. We want her to get the ball out in the open court, because she is almost impossible to stop one-on-one."
With the way things have been going for Liberty this season, it would have been easy for the Mountaineers to simply give up and concede their 10th loss of the year. However, what the team lacks in size, speed and ability, they make up for in heart.
Unwilling to give in, Liberty stiffened up its defense and for the first time all night, played SH on an even level. The Hawks (4-6) found out that they wouldn't have quite as easy of a time as they had in the first half. Even with SH pressing on each Liberty possession, the Mountaineers were able to keep their composure and mount an offensive threat of their own.
The Mountaineers made their first field goal at the 5:56 mark, when Amanda Goff nailed a short jumper, and got into double-digits one minute later when Jamie Robinson converted two free throws. Liberty stepped up its play so much that Johnson was unable to empty his bench in fear that the game could become close again. The quarter ended with SH still on top 43-17, but the Mountaineers had scored 11 points in the quarter, almost doubling their output for the first half.
Liberty's hustle and determination was not lost on Mountaineers' coach Gary Courtney.
"I am really pleased with the way the girls hung in there tonight," said Courtney. "We have a lot of young girls in there playing. Our zone defense played as well as it could considering the circumstance. Our problem was that we couldn't put the ball in the hoop.
"I really wasn't upset that they had their starters in and were pressing us in the second half, because we aren't going to get any better if teams take it easy on us. We simply have to mature and start putting the ball through the hoop. That is the name of the game."
The fourth quarter was almost identical to the third, in that the Hawks outscored Liberty 15-11, to finally finish off the Mountaineers by
30.
Johnson was pleased with his team's effort, but still believes that they can get better, "We got a lot of production from different people tonight. I told the girls that our schedule had us playing the tougher part up front, so now we have a chance to win a couple of ballgames in a row. We have a four game stretch that, if we play like we did tonight, we should win all of them. I put the pressure on the girls to go out and win those games."
Julie Bee and Stefanie Kopp led Liberty with six points a piece, while Dawson and Jada Carroll each chipped in eight for SH.
South Harrison (58)
Bond 0 1-2 1; West 0 0-2 0; Dawson 3 2-9 8; Smith 2 1-2 3; Morrison 10 7-14 27; Nutter 2 0-2 4; Young 2 0-2 4; Gerwig 0 1-1 1; Kirk 1 2-4 4; Carroll 4 0-0 8; Totals 22 14-34 58.
Liberty (28)
Nichols 0 5-8 5; Bee 1 4-5 6; Robinson 0 3-6 3; Kopp 2 2-5 6; Southern 0 3-8 3; Goff 1 3-6 5; Totals 4 20-38 28.
South Harrison
20
7
16
15_58
Liberty
1
5
11
11_28
3-Point Goals:
None.
DODDRIDGE COUNTY 28, Ritchie County 27:
Doddridge County outscored Ritchie County 11-3 in the fourth quarter to overcome a seven-point deficit and defeat the Rebels 28-27 in girls basketball action Friday night.
Both team's shooting was as cold as the weather outside, as neither team could muster more than 11 points in any quarter.
Kristi Evans led the Bulldogs, 7-4, with 10 points.
Tara Spangler led the Rebels, 5-5, also with 10 points.
Doddridge County (28)
A.Ash 2 0-0 4; Evans 5 0-1 10; Smith 2 0-0 4; Swisher 0 1-2 1; J.Ash 2 0-0 5; Kelley 0 2-2 2; Trent 1 0-0 2; Totals 12 3-5 28.
Ritchie County (27)
Dotson 3 2-2 8; Jones 0 0-2 0; Spangler 4 2-4 10; Mossor 1 0-0 2; Heiney 2 0-1 4; Corin 1 1-4 3; Totals 11 5-13 27.
Doddridge
2
9
6
11_28
Ritchie
11
5
8
3_27
3-Point
Goals:
Swisher.
Updated January 20, 1997
South Harrison leads over Philip Barbour
By CHARLES CASEY
LOST CREEK _ Amber Morrison poured in a game-high 24 points to lead South Harrison over Philip Barbour, 45-40, in a Big 10 Conference girls basketball game Wednesday evening at the SHHS gymnasium.
Morrison was most effective with her quickness in the open floor. She had several fast break hoops, and also had a solid game at the foul line where she canned 11-of-14 shots.
"We shot pretty well and played real good defense," said South Harrison coach Joe Johnson. "I thought the bench played big ... Amber (Morrison) had a good performance and Melissa Dawson held her composure at the end."
While Morrison and the Hawks combined as a team to hit 14-of-21 at the charity stripe, the free throw line was very unkind to the Colts.
Philip Barbour shot itself in the foot making only eight-of-32 free throw attempts. This proved to be critical in the five-point loss that dropped the Colts' record to 3-5 overall and 3-2 in Big 10 action.
Morrison got things going early in the first period by scoring four points during an 8-1 run to stake the Hawks to a 10-8 first quarter spread.
Morrison continued her stellar play in the second canto with six points, while Melissa Dawson netted all eight of her points in the period to give the Hawks a 10-point, 25-15, advantage at the break.
The Hawks (3-6 overall and 2-4 in Big 10 play) held a seven-point, 34-27, lead after three periods before the Colts finally got something going on the offensive end of the floor.
Philip Barbour used an 8-0 run to begin the final stanza and Amy Markley's 10-footer gave the Colts their first lead of the contest, 35-34, with 5:52 remaining.
SHHS regrouped with Morrison firing in a 3-pointer at the five minute mark for a 37-35 edge. She later added six-of-seven down the stretch at the foul line to ice the victory for the Hawks.
Markley paced the Colts with 13 points.
The Hawks will next be in action on Friday when they travel to Liberty for a Harrison County and Big 10 Conference contest. Game time is slated for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff.
Philip Barbour (40)
Poling 3 0-2 6; Nestor 1 1-3 3; Kroll 1 0-5 2; Moore 2 0-0 4; Thompson 1 1-4 3; Schubert 2 2-6 6; Markley 6 1-8 13; Daugherty 0 3-4 3; Totals 16 8-32 40.
South Harrison (45)
West 0 1-2 1; Dawson 4 0-3 8; Morrison 6 11-14 24; Amos 1 0-0 2; Young 2 2-2 6; Carroll 2 0-0 4; Totals 15 14-21 45.
Philip Barbour
8
7
12
13_40
South Harrison
10
15
9
11_45
3-Point Goals:
_ Morrison.
Updated January 20, 1997
Indians Crawl past Eagles, 34-27
By CHRIS ERRINGTON
Basketball is a simple game. You dribble the ball, you pass the ball, you shoot the ball through the basket. This lesson was lost on the participants sometime before the Bridgeport-Robert C. Byrd girls basketball game Wednesday night.
The Indians and Eagles produced one of the lowest scoring games in the Big 10 this season, as Bridgeport was finally able to come away with a 34-27 victory.
Things got so bad in the first half that the Eagles (4-6) scored only five points before halftime. Included in those first 16 minutes was a stretch of nine minutes where the Eagles didn't score a point.
The offensive inefficiency didn't only belong to RCB however. The Indians (7-4) failed to capitalize on the Eagles' shooting woes by scoring only six points of their own in the second quarter, and finished the half with a 17-5 lead.
"As well as we played Friday night, we played as badly tonight," RCB coach Bill Bennett said about his team's lack of productivity. "We simply dug ourselves too deep of a hole to come back from."
After hearing a mouthful at halftime from their coaches, both teams stepped up their play in the second half. A Leah Yertzell 3-pointer and an inside basket from Heather Waugaman cut the Eagles' deficit down to 17-10 two minutes into the third quarter. Another three from Kyle Veltri just moments later trimmed the Indians' lead to 19-13, and the Eagles found themselves very much back in the game.
Numerous Bridgeport turnovers allowed RCB to further cut into the lead in the quarter, and after a Veltri free throw with three seconds remaining, the Indians only led 23-19 with eight minutes still left to be played.
Just when all seemed lost for Bridgeport, Kristen Queen converted two steals into layups to help pad the Indians' lead back to 29-19 with five minutes remaining.
Again, the Eagles cut into their deficit, until with 35 seconds left, Bridgeport's Peggy Scott made the play of the game. With the score 30-27, Scott grabbed a missed Indian free throw and put the ball back in to seal the deal for the Tribe.
Bridgeport coach Dave Marshall spoke about Scott's big putback, "That was the game right there. It definitely stopped their run and gave us a chance to win.
"We may not always be pretty," added Marshall. "But this team finds a way to win. The girls weren't pleased with their performance, but I was happy that they played hard all night. If we do that, we are going to win some games this year."
Scott and Katy Wilson led the Indians with eight points each, while Leah Yertzell paced the Eagles with nine tallies.
Bridgeport (34)
Pasternak 0 1-2 1; Queen 2 2-7 4; Flesher 1 3-4 5; Wilson 3 2-3 8; Scott 4 0-2 8; Codling 2 0-3 6; Totals 12 8-21 34.
Robert C. Byrd (27)
Veltri 1 3-4 6; Gray 1 0-0 2; Richison 2 0-0 4; Yertzell 3 1-2 9; Secret 1 2-2 4; Waugaman 1 0-2 2; Totals 9 6-10 27.
Bridgeport
11
6
6
11_34
Robert C.
Byrd 2
3
14
6_27
3-Point Goals:
Codling 2, Yertzell 2, Veltri.
Updated January 17, 1997
Evans, Hayes Pace DCHS
Over Notre Dame, 45-32
By RANDALL JETT
WEST UNION _ The Doddridge County Bulldogs pulled out a close game at home Wednesday night as they earned a 45-32 victory over Notre Dame.
Neither team could get untracked in the first quarter as the combination of sluggish offense and good defense by both teams kept the game scoreless until the 3:29 mark when Doddridge's Kristi Evans finally broke the deadlock.
The Irish fought off the sluggish start and had a 14-7 lead by midway through the second quarter. But, the Bulldogs answered with 10 straight points to take a 17-14 advantage.
Toni Kay Oliverio's 3-pointer at the buzzer sent the teams to the dressing rooms knotted at 17.
The game swayed back-and-forth throughout the third period until Doddridge gained control behind Evans and Tabby Hayes. Evans, who scored a game-high 14 points, and Hayes, who ended the night with eight, keyed the surge that gave the hosts a 34-24 lead early in the final period.
The Notre Dame offense, led by Clarice Dent who finished with 11 points, never could get untracked again and Doddridge, despite woeful foul shooting, held on for the victory.
"I don't think we were real intense the first half," said DCHS coach Craig Kellar. "But, they (NDHS) did a good job of getting into their half-court game. Part of that was we couldn't hit our shots to set up our press. The second half we hit more shots and were able to set up the press and make it a full-court game.
"Traci Rollins and Amber Powell both did a good job of guarding (Oliverio) tonight," added Kellar. "I'm proud of the way they played."
Notre Dame coach Steve Gibson said his team's poor start offensively negated a good defensive effort.
"We started real slow offensively. We wanted to get a good start defensively, which we did," said Gibson. "The only problem was we couldn't get on track offensively.
"We had them where we wanted them until the fourth quarter. Then we made some key mistakes and our shooting went cold. That turned out to be the difference in the ball game."
Notre Dame (32)
Dent 4 3-3 11; T.Oliverio 3 3-3 10; C.Oliverio 3 0-1 6; Martino 1 2-3 4; Me.Ferro 0 1-2 1; Totals 11 9-12 32
Doddridge County (45)
Evans 5 3-6 14; Hayes 2 4-5 8; Swisher 2 2-3 6; Rollins 2 0-2 5; Trent 1 3-8 5; Smith 1 2-2 4; Ash 1 0-0 3; Totals 14 14-26 45
Notre Dame
8
9
7
8_32
Doddridge County
7
10
12
16_45
3-Point Goals:
Oliverio, Evans, Rollins, Ash.
Updated January 17, 1997
Indians Get Much-Needed
53-34 Win over N. Marion
By CHRIS ERRINGTON
BRIDGEPORT _ After starting the season 4-1, the Bridgeport girls basketball team hit some rough road and lost three out of the next four games. Sorely needing a victory, the schedule gods finally gave the Indians a break as 1-6 North Marion came to town.
Just 32 minutes and 53 points later, Bridgeport's prayers were answered with a 53-34 romp.
Peggy Scott and Katy Wilson led the way for the Indians (6-4), as the duo scored 14 and 12 points, respectively. The two, combined with dominating boards play, a stifling defense and a 23-6 run in the third quarter, helped Bridgeport gain a much needed victory before it enters the toughest part of its schedule.
Bridgeport coach Dave Marshall spoke about his team's play over the last few games.
"Our girls have been battling a lack of confidence the past three weeks. The defense has been carrying us the entire year, and it did again tonight. This win was huge for us, because we have to go to RCB next and then finish a difficult week ahead."
The first half showed spectators the pinnacle of basketball sloppiness. Missed shots, multiple turnovers and tons of fouls made the scoreboard official's job very easy. After one quarter, neither team could break double-digits as the Indians held an 8-6 lead. Scott scored six of the points in the quarter as she single-handedly dominated the offensive boards.
The offensive woes continued in the second quarter as six Wilson points helped the Indians head into intermission with a slim, 19-14, lead.
Then, in about the time it takes to blink your eyes, the Indians broke the game wide open in the third quarter.
Bridgeport steals led to fast-break points and turned a close game into a rout. The Indians broke out to a 42-20 lead, before coasting the rest of the way to the 19-point win.
Again it was Scott who paced the offense, as her relentless play on both ends of the boards helped put the Huskies away.
Referring to the big run, Marshall said, "I tell the girls that the first three minutes of the second half are the most important. The defense and our rebounding created everything for us in the second half.
"Peggy did an great job for us tonight. She was out for a year, and is really a freshman in a senior's body. She is learning not to think so much on the court and play more comfortably."
Alisha Flesher and Kristen Queen helped the Indians' cause as they contributed eight and seven points, respectively.
Jamie Jarvis paced the Huskies with 13 points, while Becky Brown knocked down nine.
Marshall said the win was very important to his team.
"This is the best I've felt this season. I hope that this is something that can get our season going again. I feel like we've turned a corner, I just hope there's not a Mack truck standing there waiting for us."
North Marion (34)
Jarvis 3 6-6 13; Yanero 1 2-2 4; Longwell 1 0-0 3; Brown 4 1-1 9; Lemley 1 0-0 3; Hanne 1 0-0 2; Harris 0 0-1 0; Totals 11 10-13 34.
Bridgeport (53)
Queen 3 0-0 7; Flesher 3 2-4 8; Horne 0 0-1 0; Wilson 6 0-1 12; Scott 5 4-7 14; Codling 3 0-0 7; Guzzi 2 1-2 5; Totals 20 7-15 53.
North Marion
6
8
6
14_34
Bridgeport
8
11
23
11_53
3-Point Goals:
Jarvis, Longwell, Queen, Codling.
Updated January 15, 1997
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