Trinity Lutheran defeats Crothersville

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For The Tribune

CROTHERSVILLE

Trinity Lutheran’s girls went on an 11-0 run midway through the third quarter to pull away Crothersville and register a 55-38 win Saturday night.

The Cougars (3-1) held a 22-18 lead at the half, and after Piper Acton scored for Trinity, and Maddie Riley sank a 3-pointer for the Tigers, Trinity scored 11 straight in a span of five minutes to open up a 35-21 advantage.

Savannah Harweger scored two baskets and two free throws during Trinity’s rally, and Jodi Goecker’s basket with 2:40 on the clock put the Cougars on top 35-21.

Trinity held a 41-28 lead after three periods and the Tigers couldn’t get closer than 13 points in the fourth period.

Cougars Coach Donna Sullivan said it was a team effort.

“If we work and play the way we’re capable of playing we’re a load to handle inside with both (Abby Hackman and Sydney Jaynes),” she said. “Sometimes we get a little impatient.

“We talk about playing inside-out, and when we play inside-out we’re a pretty good offensive team, and we got into that in the third and fourth quarters. I thought we did a nice job of that, playing inside out.”

Jaynes topped the Cougars with 19 points, and had six rebounds while Hackman had nine rebounds and six points.

Acton hit 3-pointers in each of the first two periods, Jaynes had 7 points in the first half to help the Cougars to a 22-18 lead at the half.

Riley kept the Tigers close with six points and nine rebounds in the first half.

“Defensively, we started out in the press and it got us going a little bit, but it also got us a little bit into some foul situations,” Sullivan said. “That is why we went straight man in the second half.”

The Cougars shot 8-for-14 from the floor, and did not commit any turnovers in the third period when they outscored the Tigers 19-10. Crothersville had six turnovers in the third quarter.

“We did a nice job moving the ball, and offensively that is what we need to be able to do,” Sullivan said of the Cougars’ offense in the third period. “We kind of got stuck the other night against Brownstown missing a lot of easy shots, and tonight we made those shots.

“I thought everybody contributed to the win. We had kids come in and give us some good minutes. You’ve got to have everybody. You can’t be a 1 or 2-person team. Sydney and Abby definitely inside, Piper did a nice job. Jodi doesn’t get credit for everything she does, she plays all over, and Harweger held (Piper) Hensley to two points. People don’t give kids credit for playing defense, and Harwager plays great defense.”

Acton finished with 15 points and Harweger scored 10.

Riley topped the Tigers (5-3) with 11 points and had a game-high 13 rebounds.

Tigers coach Kevin Hensley said a lack of patience and experience hurt his team.

“I think us not having very good basketball smarts tonight hurt us,” he said. “ We didn’t play very smart in this ball game on the defensive end, taking care of the ball, boxing out on rebounds, just little things.

“That’s what we talked about before the game. I said to them for us to be in the ball game it’s going to take the little things, rebounding and not turning it over against their press.”

The Tigers had 18 turnovers to nine for the Cougars. Trinity shot 22-for-55 from the floor and the Tigers were 14-for-40.

Hensley said his team needed better shot selection.

“The girls weren’t looking to set screens,” he said. “Piper had the ball and she waiting for somebody to come and set a screen, but they did not. Trinity played great defense on Piper.”

The Cougars will play host to Borden on Wednesday night while the Tigers will be off until Nov. 30 when hosting South Decatur.

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