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| Staff photo by Jim Franz South Beloit’s Michelle Henderson, right, battles Erie’s Carissa Saad (22) for a loose ball Thursday night. |
By Jim Franz
Sports Editor
Cardinals knock out host SoBos in Class 1A opener
SOUTH BELOIT - While most of South Beloit's players warmed up for the second half, Brittney Toles and Stephanie Peterson sat together on the bench, clutching ice bags on their respective aches.
There isn't a more alarming sight than having your leading scorer and leading rebounder both limping into the second half.
Toles managed to gut it out the entire second half, but the 6-foot-1 Peterson headed for the bench about 2 1/2 minutes of the third quarter and never returned.
The SoBos hung tough for awhile, but Peterson's absence from the middle helped the Erie Cardinals post a 59-47 victory in an IHSA Class 1A South Beloit Regional opener. In the earlier game, Prophetstown routed Kirkland Hiawatha, 73-27.
“In the first half, South Beloit was able to stop a lot of our back-door plays because (Peterson) was sitting there blocking our shots our stopping our dribble penetration,” Erie head coach Brian Howell said. “She's a tough ballplayer and when she went out that opened up a lot of opportunities. We were able to rebound a lot better on both ends.”
The SoBos led 28-27 at the half, but in the final seconds Peterson had collided with Erie's Annie DeBaillie while chasing a loose ball. DeBaillie's jaw caught Peterson's right knee.
South Beloit head coach Ric Wicks started the junior center in the third quarter, but she limped off the court with Erie ahead 33-30 and 5:37 remaining.
“Steph had played well in the first half,” Wicks said. “She was a presence inside and even when she didn't block shots, she altered them. But her knee looked pretty bruised and she had a really bad charley horse. She just said she couldn't do it. She has always been honest with me and she said she could walk, but she couldn't jump or move laterally to box out. Her honesty was a big part of me taking her out.”
Wicks was worried about his team's play in the third quarter even with Peterson. The SoBos had won only seven third quarters all season. This wasn't going to be an eighth. Erie came out on top 16-11 and led 43-39 heading to the fourth quarter.
“Losing (Peterson) hurt us a lot,” Toles said. “It was a very tough game. Our offense slowed down without her and we had a hard time boxing them out inside. I'm proud of my team, though. We just couldn't pull it out.”
Toles did cut it to a two-point game at 43-41 with a pair of free throws, but she didn't score again and finished with 19 points. She seemed a little out of her element when she was needed on the perimeter as a ballhandler.
“We were really short-handed at the guards,” Wicks said. “When we rotated a post player we had to move Toles outside. That takes away from her game. But I thought she played well. She grew up a lot during the year and learned to use her teammates more at the end of the season.”
Just the same, Howell was happy to see her out of the paint.
“I thought Toles could have killed us inside,” he said. “I don't know if we stopped it or they got away from doing it. That was a big help when she went outside.”
Erie went up 50-43 before the SoBos cut it back to a three-point margin at 50-47 on a jumper by Laci Seiler with 4:09 remaining.
The SoBos went scoreless after that, however, and Erie closed the game on a 9-0 run.
“Our defense created some turnovers and we were able to get out and run some,” Howell said. “Our style is more finesse and running up and down the court. This was a very physical game and I thought we handled it better than I expected. We played through it when normally we have a tough time handling it.”
Despite the loss, Wicks was pleased with his team's tenacity.
“I was impressed with our team effort,” he said. “We played hard. There were some times we gave them some opportunities we shouldn't have and they took advantage.”
NOTES: Kristen Saari finished with 12 points, but only five SoBos scored. ...Erie (13-15) was led by Renae Seger with 16 points, Sudney Stewart with 15 and Carissa Saad with 10. ...In the pregame 3-point Shootout, advancing shooters included Toles and Seiler from South Beloit; Sydney Morgan and Saad from Erie; Valerie Woolums, Monica Lombardo and Carly Koehler from Prophetstown and Rosetta Taylor from Kirkland.
SOUTH BELOIT - While most of South Beloit's players warmed up for the second half, Brittney Toles and Stephanie Peterson sat together on the bench, clutching ice bags on their respective aches.
There isn't a more alarming sight than having your leading scorer and leading rebounder both limping into the second half.
Toles managed to gut it out the entire second half, but the 6-foot-1 Peterson headed for the bench about 2 1/2 minutes of the third quarter and never returned.
The SoBos hung tough for awhile, but Peterson's absence from the middle helped the Erie Cardinals post a 59-47 victory in an IHSA Class 1A South Beloit Regional opener. In the earlier game, Prophetstown routed Kirkland Hiawatha, 73-27.
“In the first half, South Beloit was able to stop a lot of our back-door plays because (Peterson) was sitting there blocking our shots our stopping our dribble penetration,” Erie head coach Brian Howell said. “She's a tough ballplayer and when she went out that opened up a lot of opportunities. We were able to rebound a lot better on both ends.”
The SoBos led 28-27 at the half, but in the final seconds Peterson had collided with Erie's Annie DeBaillie while chasing a loose ball. DeBaillie's jaw caught Peterson's right knee.
South Beloit head coach Ric Wicks started the junior center in the third quarter, but she limped off the court with Erie ahead 33-30 and 5:37 remaining.
“Steph had played well in the first half,” Wicks said. “She was a presence inside and even when she didn't block shots, she altered them. But her knee looked pretty bruised and she had a really bad charley horse. She just said she couldn't do it. She has always been honest with me and she said she could walk, but she couldn't jump or move laterally to box out. Her honesty was a big part of me taking her out.”
Wicks was worried about his team's play in the third quarter even with Peterson. The SoBos had won only seven third quarters all season. This wasn't going to be an eighth. Erie came out on top 16-11 and led 43-39 heading to the fourth quarter.
“Losing (Peterson) hurt us a lot,” Toles said. “It was a very tough game. Our offense slowed down without her and we had a hard time boxing them out inside. I'm proud of my team, though. We just couldn't pull it out.”
Toles did cut it to a two-point game at 43-41 with a pair of free throws, but she didn't score again and finished with 19 points. She seemed a little out of her element when she was needed on the perimeter as a ballhandler.
“We were really short-handed at the guards,” Wicks said. “When we rotated a post player we had to move Toles outside. That takes away from her game. But I thought she played well. She grew up a lot during the year and learned to use her teammates more at the end of the season.”
Just the same, Howell was happy to see her out of the paint.
“I thought Toles could have killed us inside,” he said. “I don't know if we stopped it or they got away from doing it. That was a big help when she went outside.”
Erie went up 50-43 before the SoBos cut it back to a three-point margin at 50-47 on a jumper by Laci Seiler with 4:09 remaining.
The SoBos went scoreless after that, however, and Erie closed the game on a 9-0 run.
“Our defense created some turnovers and we were able to get out and run some,” Howell said. “Our style is more finesse and running up and down the court. This was a very physical game and I thought we handled it better than I expected. We played through it when normally we have a tough time handling it.”
Despite the loss, Wicks was pleased with his team's tenacity.
“I was impressed with our team effort,” he said. “We played hard. There were some times we gave them some opportunities we shouldn't have and they took advantage.”
NOTES: Kristen Saari finished with 12 points, but only five SoBos scored. ...Erie (13-15) was led by Renae Seger with 16 points, Sudney Stewart with 15 and Carissa Saad with 10. ...In the pregame 3-point Shootout, advancing shooters included Toles and Seiler from South Beloit; Sydney Morgan and Saad from Erie; Valerie Woolums, Monica Lombardo and Carly Koehler from Prophetstown and Rosetta Taylor from Kirkland.
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| Win raises red flag for Hononegah |
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