Defensive-minded Braves handle Vikings
Nov. 9—Terre Haute South came out on the better end of a defensive battle in girls high school basketball Tuesday night, closing the game with a 7-1 run to hold off West Vigo and Katelyn Fennell by a 35-25 score.
The Vikings, held to 23% shooting for the game, trailed 26-16 heading into the final quarter, but had closed to within 28-24 with Fennell — who had all eight West Vigo points in the quarter at that point — sank two free throws with 2:17 left.
But South's Breena Ireland and Karizma English-Malone hit three of four free throw attempts and Josiah Killinger scored with an offensive rebound, and the Braves had stemmed the tide.
"I thought we won on defense tonight," said coach Cole Berry of the Braves, whose team had shot just 33% itself. "The shots didn't fall for us."
"Since the first night [a Western Indiana Conference victory at Edgewood in which the Vikings shot 53%] we haven't shot the ball well," coach Jon Kirchoff said, "and Katelyn was sick, which didn't help."
West Vigo never led but rallied a few times, the first when Kenzye Knopp hit a 3-pointer late in the first quarter and Lily Ramirez opened the second quarter to pull the Vikings within 9-7.
It was 17-11 in the Braves' favor at halftime, but a 3-pointer and basket by Fennell brought West Vigo within 17-14 and 19-16 before South got the last seven points of the third quarter. Adi Speth, a former starter coming off the bench for the Braves, had one spectacular layup during the 7-0 surge and another early in the fourth quarter that was the only basket not scored by Fennell in the early part of the fourth quarter.
"[Winning was] very good and we worked very hard for it," Speth said after the game. Although the Vikings had beaten the Braves for the first time in 18 games last year, revenge wasn't a factor, she said.
"We just went out and played like we've been playing," Speth said.
Indi Nichols led a balanced South attack with 11 points while Gracie Adamson had a game-high eight rebounds.
Fennell had a game-high 17 points for the Vikings and also had seven rebounds and four steals, while freshman Delaney Marrs added six rebounds.
"The girls who came off the bench in the fourth quarter [for the Vikings] brought our energy back," Kirchoff said.
"Maybe that will light a fire under some of the upperclassmen . . . I thought we reverted back to the old days and were a little soft at times."
South showed some depth of its own.
"I'm very happy we have help this year," Speth said. "Everybody can play their part when they go in."
"We've got to take care of the basketball, little things like that," Berry said, "but this was a big step in the right direction . . . a good team win."
WEST VIGO (25) — Fennell 7-20 2-2 17, Knopp 1-6 0-0 3, Ramirez 1-3 0-2 2, Holman 0-5 0-0 0, Marrs 1-5 0-0 2, Griffin 0-3 0-0 0, Bigger 0-0 0-0 0, Elkins 0-1 0-0 0, Stepp 0-1 1-2 1, Stivers 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 10-44 FG, 3-6 FT, 25 TP.
TERRE HAUTE SOUTH (35) — White 1-5 1-2 3, Nichols 4-7 3-4 11, Adamson 0-2 1-4 1, Sarver 2-6 0-0 4, English-Malone 2-7 2-2 6, Speth 2-5 1-2 5, Killinger 1-4 0-1 2, Ireland 0-0 3-4 3. Totals 12-36 FG, 11-19 FT, 35 TP.
West Vigo 5 6 5 9 — 25
TH South 9 8 9 9 — 35
3-point shooting — WV 2-14 (Knopp 1-2, Fennell 1-7, Ramirez 0-1, Holman 0-4), THS 0-5 (White 0-1, Nichols 0-1, Sarver 0-1, English-Malone 0-2). Total fouls — WV 14, THS 9. Fouled out — none. Turnovers — WV 15, THS 16. Rebounds — WV 29 (Fennell 7, Marrs 6, Ramirez 4, Holman 3, Knopp 2, Griffin, Elkins, Stepp, Team 4), THS 40 (Adamson 8, English-Malone 4, Speth 4, Ireland 4, White 3, Nichols 2, Sarver 2, Killinger 2, Team 11). Assists — WV 4 (Knopp 2, Ramirez 2), THS 3 (White, Adamson, Sarver). Steals — WV 13 (Fennell 4, Ramirez 3, Holman 2, Knopp, Marrs, Griffin, Elkins), THS 10 (White 4, English-Malone 3, Adamson, Sarver, Ireland). Blocks — WV 1 (Fennell), THS 0.
JV — Terre Haute South 36 (Avery Cassell 9, Breena Ireland 7), West Vigo 19 (Cambree Stivers 8).
Next — Terre Haute South (1-1) plays Saturday at Southport. West Vigo (1-2) hosts White River Valley on Thursday.
