How Rachel Miller, Zeeland East avenged loss to Holland
HOLLAND - In the first rivalry matchup between the Zeeland East and Holland girls, the Chix had an early double-digit lead only to watch the Dutch come back and win it at the buzzer.
On Friday, the Chix again opened a double-digit lead in the first half, but this time Zeeland East did not allow a second-half comeback, holding off Holland 46-26 on Friday at Holland's Dutch Dome.
"It is a huge win for us. Even the wins we have had, we have not been able to execute for the full 32 minutes. Being abel to get that done against at team we lost to was a really big deal for us," Zeeland East guard Rachel Miller said.
Turnovers were a huge issue for the Chix in the first meeting, but Zeeland East was able to cut down on those in the rematch, minimizing Holland's possessions and keeping the lead in double digits in the second half.
Subscribe:Get the most local sports coverage with this special offer
The Chix (5-13, 2-8 OK Green), meanwhile, forced 21 turnovers, and have surpassed last year's win total by two.
Miller was in foul trouble and had some turnovers in the first matchup. The rematch was a mission for her and she had a game-high 14 points.
"The last time we played Holland, I really took the loss personally because I had so many fouls. I really focused on leading the team and keeping everything under control," Miller said. "We set a goal for turnovers and we beat our goal (on both sides) and that really turned our defense "
"We used our experience. We have been more competitive the past few games," Zeeland East coach Kale Maupin said. "Rachel was hyper focused before the game. We found her on the first play and she scored and got us going."
The Chix opened the game on an 8-0 run with all four baskets coming in the paint. The Dutch quickly pulled within 8-6 after snagging a couple of turnovers. Rachel Miller scored six points in the first to lead the Chix to a 14-9 lead after one quarter.
Miller scored on a putback and pushed the Zeeland East lead to 20-9. Mirra Fenlon then hit back-to-back 3s and it was 26-9 as the Chix went on a 12-0 run to start the second quarter. Zeeland East led 26-11 at halftime.
In the third quarter, Ariana Gray hit a 3 and scored in transition, but it pulled the Dutch within 33-19 going into the fourth.
The Dutch missed six consecutive free throws in the fourth quarter and the Chix took advantage with baskets from Emily Wierenga and Faith Bonnema, pushing the Chix lead to 37-19.
Gray led the Dutch (3-15, 1-9 OK Green) with 12 points, but baskets were difficult to come by for the rest of the Dutch on Friday.
In addition to Miller's 14 points, Wierenga scored 12 and Fenlon had 10.
Wierenga, Zeeland East's starting center, missed the first matchup with a concussion and was a big factor in the rematch.
"We struggled offensively today and couldn't find any rhythm, and that is credit to their defense for keeping us at bay. Getting 2-3 good possessions in a row was tough. Wierenga really helped their inside-outside game and got their shooters open," Holland coach Dan Telgenhof said.
Contact sports editor Dan D’Addona at Dan.D’Addona@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on Twitter @DanDAddona or Facebook @HollandSentinelSports.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Rachel Miller, Zeeland East girls basketball avenged loss to Holland
