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Panthers zone out Cougars

South defense shuts down North to advance to title game vs. Columbus
East

By Jim Gordillo, February 14, 2009

COLUMBUS - North had no drive.

Jumpers? Those were hard to come by as well.

So, for the second time this season, South's zone defense plugged up the Cougars, exposing their limitations on offense in a 48-31 victory in the semifinals of the Columbus East Sectional Friday night.

"There's a whole lot of familiarity between the girls on the Bloomington teams," said South coach Larry Winters, whose team beat North 39-28 back in December. "Our whole focus is just because you know someone, don't overplay them. Just get in our regular defense. And we feel like when we're playing good defense can guard anyone."

The Panthers (15-4) will get to guard the host Olympians (15-6), easy 67-37 winners over East Central, in the title game is Saturday night at 7:30.

South jumped up on North, 25-9, in the first half and cruised as the Cougars (13-8) shot just 38 percent (12-of-32) and going 1-of-6 on 3-pointers.

"They were hot and didn't miss, and that's tough because it builds up confidence for them," North coach Alana Harrington said. "We knew they were a tough team, and we had to be aggressive and we didn't show it. And that's disappointing, because we've been playing good basketball."

With South's leading scorer Kaila Hulls hampered by foul trouble much of the night, 6-foot forward Jessica Parker copied her 11-rebound performance from the previous game against the Cougars. The bonus this time was she added 20 points.

"We have different leaders every game," Parker said.

Point guard Kelsee Ennis also stepped up with 12 points as South shot 40 percent.

"We knew Jessica could go in there and rebound," Winters said. "She's a tough matchup.

"And Kelsee, she's spent a lot of time lately getting her shot back together. She neglected it early because she was trying to make sure she was setting up other people."

Mo Hirt had nine points and Kaity Hoy added eight points and five rebounds and Shaw-Nee Winningham seven and five for North, which returns all five starters and two of its top reserves next year.

North looked good in taking a 6-5 lead with 5:37 left in the first quarter. But one field goal over the next 11:25 and nine first-half turnovers sealed its fate as the Panthers took a 25-9 lead before North senior reserve Katie Dunbar broke the spell with a 3-pointer.

"That goes to a lack of aggressiveness," Harrington said. "We stopped ourselves."

South's offense was rolling until starters Madison Turner, then Hulls, found themselves on the bench with two early fouls. South scored just four points over the last 5:35 after Hulls sat but still led 25-14 at the break while shooting 45 percent.

"We're a lot better offensive team than people think," Winters said. "People see we don't give up many points and call us a defensive team, which means we can't score.

"But we have some girls who can shoot and they got off to a hot start."

South came out strong in the third quarter, attacking the glass to grab 11 rebounds, five offensive. Turner had five boards and Parker three in that binge to keep South up 35-23.

South's lead got no lower than 10 (37-27) early in the fourth despite throwing the ball away and missing some free throws. North sabotaged itself with turnovers and a four-minute stretch without a bucket to give South time to regroup.

"We knew North was going to be more aggressive in the second half," Winters said. "So we had to meet that. We attacked everything."

TONIGHT'S GIRLS' SECTIONAL MATCHUPS

NORTH (13-7) vs. SOUTH (14-4)

GAME TIME: 6 p.m., Columbus East Sectional.

COACHES: Larry Winters, 136-80 in 10th year at South; Alana Harrington, 26-15 in 2nd year at North.

LAST OUTING: South beat Martinsville, 55-24; North beat Columbus East, 59-48.

VS. COMMON FOES: South 6-3, North 7-2.

OPPONENTS' RECORDS: South 212-156, North 229-176.

SERIES LAST 5 YEARS: North, 6-3.

LAST MEETING: South, 39-28, Dec. 20, 2008.

SOUTH STARTERS: F Jessica Parker, 6-0, Jr. (12.6 ppg); F Madison Turner, 6-2, Sr. (6.6 ppg); G Kaila Hulls, 5-9, So. (15.7 ppg); G Beth Anne Weiler, 5-7, Jr. (4.7 ppg); G Kelsee Ennis, 5-6, So. (5.2 ppg).

NORTH STARTERS: F Pendah Jallow, 5-9, Jr. (9.1 ppg); F Shaw-Nee Winningham, 5-8, So. (9.2 ppg); C Kaity Hoy 6-0, So. (8.3 ppg); G Zibba Huck, 5-5, So. (4.2 ppg); G Mo Hirt, 5-8, Jr. (11.4 ppg)

OUTLOOK: North is ready for the rematch and to prove its a better offensive outfit than the one shutdown back in December. South is out to follow through on its goal of finishing the season stronger than it has lately. Both teams are clicking on defense, so another low-scoring battle is expected. The second semi pits Columbus East (14-6) against East Central (7-12). The Olympians have worked magic the last two years in the sectional and will be dangerous again behind Jordan Ogle and Shannon VanHorn.

WINTERS: "Like us, North had some young kids who had not been through it before, so that first North-South game, they had more butterflies. Now that that's out of the way, both team swill come out and play basketball. It's just another North-South game only its got a little more importance on it now that its one and done."

HARRINGTON: "They're a team that knows their stuff and runs it well. They play well with each other and know each other's strengths. They have threats inside and out. Hulls can be a dominating player at times and so making her work for every look is crucial. Our goal is to make them work for every shot they get and keep them off the foul line. We did that last time. We just didn't convert on offense."

GIRLS' BASKETBALL SECTIONALS

North, South girls looking for final answer

By Jim Gordillo, February 13, 2009

Three months ago, North and South had almost as many questions as a defense attorney.

Seniors were an endangered species. Both had some good players back to go with some new faces, all auditioning for new roles.

Things have turned out pretty well as both teams had winning records, competed for a Conference Indiana title, and like their chances at grabbing a sectional trophy.

The Cougars (13-7) and Panthers (14-4) meet at 6 Tonight in the first semifinal of the Columbus East Sectional while the host Olympians (14-6) take on East Central (7-12) afterward.

"We think we've had a much better ending than we did last year going into sectional," South coach Larry Winters said. "So we're a more upbeat team than we have been in the past. Everyone's excited to get started since (the sectional) is already under way."

"We're proud of where we are," North coach Alana Harrington said. "The last two games we've shown an aggressiveness and a toughness that's right where we want to be. We're playing our best ball right now."

With that progress, both teams have solid nominees for Most Improved Player.

South's post game was set, so it was up to the new starting guards, Beth Anne Weiler and Kelsee Ennis, and backups Jessica Towell and Alexus Shields, to find their way quickly.

"They've stepped up and have done admirably," Winters said.

As has Cougar sophomore Shaw-Nee Winningham, who can play and guard all five spots and is coming off two big offensive outings.

"She's always been a constant on the defensive end," Harrington said. "Now, other teams have to be aware of her on offense."

Two months ago, South beat North, 39-28, by shutting off the driving lanes with a packed-in 2-3 zone. But again, that was two months ago.

"We have a better hold on our defensive schemes that we've worked on all year long," Winters said. "Our players have more confidence in their own ability."

North is also confident it isn't so one-dimensional on offense anymore.

"Several of our players watched the game with South and shake their heads," Harrington said. "We're a totally different team. We're more aggressive on the offensive end.

"Losing two big scorers, we had to fill some voids and it's taken us a little bit of time."

North girls top Columbus East

H-T Report, February 6, 2009

COLUMBUS - After watching a 13-point lead shrink to three in the fourth quarter, North was staring at yet another frantic comeback Columbus East has been so good at the last couple of years.

But not this time as the Cougars' stayed on the attack against the Olympians' pressure defense and shook off their free-throw woes to hold on for a 59-48 road victory to end the regular season Thursday.

"We played hard and played with effort," North coach Alana Harrington said. "We were ready to play which was nice. We battled and had a good lead and then (Columbus) battled back. But we stuck with it and continued to go after them."

Shaw-Nee Winningham led North (13-7) with 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting and had seven steals while Mo Hirt had 11 points and five assists and Kaity Hoy had 10 points. Pendah Jallow had nine points and 10 rebounds and Zibba Huck added eight points to a balanced effort.

Jordan Ogle had 18 points for the Olympians (13-6) who trailed 42-29 heading into the fourth quarter. North was just 6-of-11 at the line in the period (and 13-of-27 overall) but the Cougars made them late when it counted most.

"It was ugly at the free-throw line," Harrington said. "If we hit them, it's a 20-point game. We took care of the ball for the most part.

"Shaw-Nee had a really nice game. She jammed three fingers early but never backed down and that showed toughness on her part. Hoy had a strong second half and Hannah Lukemeyer, in the second quarter, was key for us with some rebounds, steals and a bucket."

Cougars corral Mustangs
North uses pressure defense to take control early, rolls past Edgewood on Senior Night

By Lynn Houser, February 4, 2009

ELLETTSVILLE - The North Cougars were the ultimate party crashers Tuesday night.

It was Edgewood's Senior Night, but the Cougars popped Edgewood's balloons by a convincing 57-35 count.

The Cougars swarmed all over the Mustangs with their pressure defense at the start, jumped out to a 21-9 lead after one stop and maintained their double-digit lead throughout.

The Cougars pressed the Mustangs into submission, turning 11 first-quarter turnovers into several uncontested lay-ups.

"We knew their emotions would be high, so we wanted to come out and pressure them from the start," North coach Alana Harrington said.

The Mustangs had no answers for North's athleticism, especially their forwards, Shaw-Nee Winningham and Pendah Jallow. Winningham scored a career-high 25 points while also chipping in six rebounds and four assists. Jallow had a solid double-double, 12 points and 10 rebounds.

"So many times this year Shaw-Nee has shined on the defensive end for us," Harrington said. "Tonight, she shined on the offensive end, too."

"Althletic teams give us problems because we're not," Edgewood coach Gary Sims said.

Sims was not pleased with the response to North's early aggressiveness.

"I think those turnovers affected our effort," he said. "We needed to get North in a halfcourt game, keep them in front of us. But we dribbled into traps and into the corners."

The Cougars also showed they could play with the Mustangs in the halfcourt by continuing to get better looks. Guard Mo Hirt took advantage to score 16 points.

Edgewood's only player in double figures was senior forward Brooke Schutte with 14.

"Schutte is a tough kid," Harrington said. "She was hitting shots with a hand in her face and people hanging on her arms."

The Cougars did shut down Edgewood's Chelsea Miller. After scoring 20 against South Vermillion Monday night, Miller was pressured into 1-for-10 shooting by the Cougar defense. Winningham drew the primary assignment on Miller.

"We knew Miller had been hot, so we put Winningham on her," Harrington said.

It was a nice rebound from Saturday's loss to Columbus North. Now the Cougars (12-7) go back to Columbus Thursday night for a make-up at Columbus East. Edgewood (11-9) winds up its regular season tonight in the front end of a girls-boys double-header at West Vigo.

Cougars' bid for title share slips out the door

By Jeremy Price, February 1, 2009

COLUMBUS - Opportunity knocked more than once Saturday, but the North girls' basketball team never did answer the door.

The loudest knock was the chance to share the Conference Indiana title, but a 42-37 loss to Columbus North left the Cougars in a three-way tie for second with the Bull Dogs and South.

"To be in the position that we were in to win the conference and not take care of business is very, very disappointing," North coach Alana Harrington said. "To finish this way is very disappointing, very. I can't emphasize that enough."

That disappointment was only magnified by an assortment of missed free throws, lost rebounds and turnovers that prevented the Cougars (11-7, 5-2 CI) from ever taking the lead or even tying the game.

North found itself in a hole from the start as Columbus raced out to a 12-2 lead on the strength of two 6-0 runs sandwiched around a MoHirt steal and layup.

After Harrington called a second timeout with 2:32 left in the first quarter, the Cougars finally roared to life with an 8-0 spurt capped by Shaw-Nee Winningham's 15-foot baseline jumper at the buzzer.

"Obviously, Columbus North came out and they played a little harder then we did," Harrington said. "We came back, battled hard and got back in the ballgame. Basketball's a game of runs, and they used their run right from the start."

Katie Dunbar came off the bench to hit a 3 early in the second quarter, pulling North within one at 14-13, but both teams struggled to score after that as Columbus (13-5, 5-2) settled for an 18-15 halftime lead.

The game remained tight in the third quarter when opportunity knocked again.

Kaity Hoy's two free throws cut the lead to 26-25 with 2:42 to go in the period, but the Cougars missed two chances to take the lead. On the first possession, Hoy was whistled for a travel on what appeared to be a jump ball. Hirt, who led North with nine points, had a jumper rattle in and out on the next possession. Columbus rebounded, then closed out the quarter with a 4-1 run.

North's next opportunity came when they got in the bonus early in the fourth, providing a chance to score points without having to go against a high-pressure Bull Dog defense.

First Pendah Jallow, then Zibba Huck, missed the front end of a 1-and-1 with the Cougars trailing 32-28. After Columbus' Sydney Mitchell hit 1-of-2 free throws, Winningham did the same and North got no closer the rest of the way. The Bull Dogs scored all 12 of their fourth-quarter points at the line, while the Cougars were 4-of-8 on fourth-quarter free throws.

"We've talked about that all season," Harrington said of the free throws. "It's an opportunity to change a run just like that. You gain confidence, and maybe the opponent loses some because they've just gained a foul, and you go to the line for some charity tosses. The reason they're called charity tosses is because they're ones you should make."

Columbus eventually stretched the lead to 39-30 with a minute and a half to go. A Hirt 3 and an Erin Kinzer layup cut the deficit back to four with 40 seconds left, but a few more Bull Dog free throws ensured opportunity would not knock again.

"The bottom line is that the difference between a win and a loss for us are the little things," Harrington said. "Not the big things, the little things, and we work on those every single day. Missed opportunities. I can't put it any differently."

North, South will play in first round of sectionals

Jim Gordillo, January 30, 2009

After North's 39-28 loss to South, the Cougars were hoping for a rematch.

They got it as the two Bloomington rivals will meet in the semifinals of the Columbus East Sectional.

Pairings were announced Thursday night by the IHSAA.

The 4A Columbus Sectional will open on Feb. 10 with a battle between the two hometown schools, Columbus North (12-5) and East (13-4), with the winner facing East Central (6-11), probably the only team here that won't be given much of a chance to advance.

"It's going to be a tough sectional," South coach Larry Winters said. "You have to take care of yourself because no one is going to give it to you."

South (12-3) and North (11-6), who both had games against Columbus East snowed out for good this week, are both hoping to pick up a piece of the Conference Indiana title on Saturday and have evolved plenty since their mid-December meeting.

"After that loss, I think as a team collectively, we said, let's draw them at sectional and play again," North coach Alana Harrington said. "And it's come true. So No. 1, we have that chance. No. 2, that sectional is wide open and if we're going to play them, let's play them right off the bat. But that's about as far as I've thought about it.

"We have to continue to finsh our season strong and take care of business on Saturday (at Columbus North) and then Edgewood. And then we'll have 11 days to focus on South. We're playing some really nice basketball right now and I'm very pleased with where we're at."

North seniors celebrate another key victory

By Andy Romey, January 24, 2009

North gave its seniors a fitting send-off.

The Cougars beat Pike, 53-37, Friday night on Senior Night to remain tied atop Conference Indiana with South and Perry Meridian at 5-1.

"It's a pretty big win for us," North coach Alana Harrington said. "Not only is it senior night, but it's a fight for the conference championship."

North, which never trailed, was paced by big performances from juniors Pendah Jallow and Mo Hirt as well as sophomores Kaity Hoy and Shaw-Nee Winningham. Hoy finished with eight points and 11 rebounds, and Winningham tallied six points, seven boards, five assists and six steals. Hirt had 13 points and seven rebounds, while Jallow scored 15 points and grabbed eight boards.

Jallow hadn't scored a field goal in over three games, but she hit 5-of-7 from the field to lead the Cougars, who shot 13-of-22 from the field in the second half.

"A good all-around team effort," Harrington said. "That's a very nice win for us."

The Cougars led 8-4 at the end of the first quarter, and outscored the Red Devils 10-4 in the second period. In the first half, Pike only shot 4-of-25 from the field, including 0-of-9 from 3-point range. The Red Devils finished 14-of-51 shooting.

"If you hold a team like Pike to eight points at halftime and keep them shooting only outside shots, you are going to be doing pretty good," Harrington said.

North was equally dominant on the boards. The Red Devils, who used four players 6-foot or taller, finished with 29 rebounds. The Cougars have only one player at 6-foot - Hoy - but had 45 boards. Four of North's five starters had seven rebounds or more.

"We needed a big rebounding effort from (Hoy)," Harrington said. "She got some really big boards for us."

North led 18-8 at halftime but began the third quarter with an 11-3 run. Two 3-pointers from Hirt fueled the scoring swing and paced the Cougars through a big third quarter, which saw them improve their lead to 40-22.

The Red Devils put together an 11-4 run in the fourth quarter and pulled within 12 points, but a field goal from Hirt swung the momentum back to North.

Pike went to a full-court press for much of the fourth period, but the Cougars shot 7-of-14 from the free-throw line to fend off the Red Devils. On the night, the Cougars shot 17-of-32 from the stripe, while Pike finished 6-of-10.

North struggled at first to break the press, but Winningham's ball-handling was the answer. She dished out all five of her assists in the second half and sprinted down the floor to give her teammates plenty of open looks underneath the basket, with Pike's defense extended the entire length of the court.

"I can't say enough about Shaw-Nee and the season she has had on both ends of the floor," Harrington said.

Cougars come up just short against top-10 team - again

By Jeremy Price, January 21, 2009

Twice before, the North girls' basketball team has gone up against one the top seven teams in the state. Twice before, they have come away disappointed.

Make it three times.

Senior Katie Dunbar shot the Cougars into the lead at halftime, but No. 5 Mooresville battled back for a 51-46 victory Tuesday night at the Cougar Den.

It left North coach Alana Harrington sounding like a broken record. "We're so close," she said six times in three minutes.

The Cougars have now lost to No. 3 Terre Haute South, then-No. 7 Jay County and now the Pioneers inside of a month. All of those teams are unbeaten.

"What an opportunity," Harrington said. "We have battled with top 10 teams in the state. I think we're so close, we're so close. I think a lot of teams take us lightly, but when we come to battle, we have shown that we can compete with anybody at any given time."

Early on, it didn't appear there was much chance of an upset as Mooresville hit six of its first seven shots to open up a 12-3 lead. After a Cougar free throw, Dunbar hit a 3 at the end of the first quarter to make it 12-7.

She was just getting started. Dunbar hit back-to-back-to-back 3s in the second quarter to push North in front at 16-15, then added a mere 2-pointer for good measure. Mo Hirt put the capper on a big second quarter for the Cougars when she completed an old-fashioned three-point play with .2 seconds remaining for a 25-21 halftime lead.

"Katie Dunbar came up big tonight with a big spark off the bench," Harrington said. "She's done that because of hard work and determination. Not only has she developed into a good shooter for us, she's an excellent person off the floor.

"I can't say enough about that kid and how hard she's worked in the offseason to be the spark that she has been all season long."

In the third quarter, Mooresville scored the first four points and the last four points to erase the deficit and take a 39-37 edge into the final period.

North was never able to regain the lead, although it wasn't for lack of opportunity.

Trailing 43-42 midway through the quarter, the Cougars had four cracks at taking the lead. But two turnovers and two missed 3s by Kaity Hoy later, North was still trailing.

Mooresville standout sophomore Jama Sharp finally ended the scoring drought for both teams with two free throws.

The Pioneers twice missed the front end of a 1-and-1 to keep the Cougar hopes alive, and it ultimately came down to one last possession. With 14.8 seconds left and down by three, Zibba Huck got a good luck at a game-tying attempt. Her shot was on target, but long, and Mooresville rebounded. Sharp scored the last two of her game-high 17 points to leave the Cougars disappointed again.

Dunbar managed just two second-half free throws to finish with 16 points and lead North, which shot 14-of-50 from the field and committed 17 turnovers.

"We've got to shoot the ball, we've got to take care of the ball. Those two combinations right there, I don't know how we were in the ballgame," Harrington said, and proceeded to answer her own question. "I'll tell you why, because we rebound, we're gutsy and we have some intensity and effort. That a lot of times helps make up for some areas you lack in."

The Cougars dominated the backboards, 37-19, and also made 14-of-17 free throws to stay close.

"We had a great crowd tonight, a great benefit," Harrington said of the Coaches vs. Cancer Night featuring Jane Hoeppner as honorary coach. "It was a lot of fun to be a part of and darn it, we didn't end where we wanted to be."

High school girls basketball: No. 5 Mooresville wins 51-46

Jama Sharp scored 17 points to lead Class 4A No. 5 Mooresville over host Bloomington North 51-46 Tuesday night in high school girls basketball.

Maegan Callaway added 12 points for the Pioneers (15-0), who outscored the Cougars 30-21 in the second half. Katie Dunbar led Bloomington North (10-6) with 16 points.
      
Mooresville 12 9 18 12 -- 51
Bloomington No. 7 18 12 9 -- 46

Mooresville -- J. Sharp 17, Callaway 12, C. Sharp 9, Wellspring 6, Chabra 5, Antic 2, Clark 0. 3-pointers: C. Sharp. Totals: 19 12-21 51.

Bloomington North -- Dunbar 16, Huck 8, Hirt 5, Winningham 7, Jallow 4, Hoy 6, Kinzer 0. 3-pointers: Dunbar 4. Totals: 14 14-17 46.

Bloomington North 46, Franklin Central 37

Maureen Hirt scored 17 points and Shaw-nee Winningham chipped in 13 points for the visiting  Cougars (10-5, 4-1) in a Conference Indiana victory over the Flashes (3-10, 1-4). LaTeasha Hill led Franklin Central in scoring with 14 points.
      
Bloomington North 11 14 8 13 -- 46
Franklin Central 5 6 15 11 -- 37

Bloomington North -- Hirt 17, Winningham 13, Dunbar 6, Huck 4, Hoy 4, Kinzer 2, Jallow 0. 3-pointers: Hirt 3, Dunbar 2. Totals: 15 11-12 46.

Franklin Central -- Hill 14, Sa. Carnes 8, Campbell 6, St. Carnes 4, Kelly 2, Taft 2, Ashworth 1, Martin 0, Prewitt 0, Ross 0. 3-pointers: Campbell 2. Totals: 15 5-9 37.

North's win forces 4-way tie in Conference Indiana

INDIANAPOLIS - After watching a 14-point halftime lead melt to one, North scored the last eight points of the game to claim a 46-37 Conference Indiana victory at Franklin Central Saturday.

It allowed the Cougars (10-5, 4-1) to join a four-way tie with South, Columbus North and Perry Meridian for first in the league.

"Now it's wide open again," North coach Alana Harrington said. "And we have to do our part to be in the fight for a conference championship."

North did its part in the first half, shooting 50 percent to go up 25-11. The Flashes cut the deficit to 38-37 with under three minutes to play. North responded on defense with Pendah Jallow shutting down FC center LaTeasha Hill (14 points) and making 8-of-8 free throws in the fourth.

The Cougars went 11-of-12 at the line, Shaw-Nee Winningham (13 points, seven rebounds, six steals) going 7-of-8.

"It was nice seeing that confidence," Harrington said.

Mo Hirt had three 3s and 17 points to lead North, while Jallow had eight rebounds, five offensive. Zibba Huck had four assists.

No. 3-ranked Terre Haute South girls remain unbeaten, take care of Bloomington North 46-37

By David Hughes, The Tribune-Star

TERRE HAUTE - Fans of Terre Haute South's undefeated girls high school basketball team got  everything they wanted Wednesday night inthe Braves' gym.

Well, almost everything.

Wishful-thinking students standing in the X-Factor section displayed a "No School Tomorrow" sign. Unless the weather gets worse than expected, the Vigo County School Corp. has ruled there will be only a two-hour delay today.

But as far as basketball went, spectators saw the Class 4A No. 3-ranked Braves seriously threatened by Bloomington North before they pulled out a 46-37 triumph in their lowest-scoring performance of the season.

Still, a win is a win and red-hot South now has 13 of them.

Senior guard Randa Rector, who didn't score all evening until she hit a big 3-pointer late in the third  quarter, sank all six of her free throws in the final 1 minute and 26 seconds to secure the outcome.

"Randa's very unselfish," South coach Dave Cassell said of Rector, who attempted only one field goal but finished with nine points. "She wants everybody else to succeed."

With the score tied 6-6, Bloomington used a medium-range jumper by Shaw-Nee Winningham and a 3-point goal by Kaity Hoy to seize an 11-6 advantage. Another trey by Hoy closed the first-quarter scoring and gave the visitors a 14-8 lead.

South opened the second period with eight unanswered points - back-to-back buckets by Krista Smith, a layup by Haley Seibert set up by teammate Dragana Grbic's block/rebound at the other end of the court and two free throws by Grbic - to move ahead 16-14.

But Bloomington North answered with an 8-0 run of its own on a 3-pointer by Mo Hirt, a fielder by Hoy and a loooong 3 by Hoy to catapult back on top 22-16.

The visitors led 25-19 early in the third period, but a 12-0 South explosion - highlighted by two field goals apiece from Smith and Grbic - put the Braves ahead 31-25.

The pesky Cougars kept nipping at the Braves' heels, however, using a trey by Hoy to end the third frame and another trey by Hoy to start the fourth frame to grab a 35-34 lead.

But South responded with a 15-foot jumper by Smith, an inside bucket by the previously cold Tessa Johnson and a pair of free throws by Johnson to jump ahead to stay at 40-35.

Rector's perfect free-throw shooting down the stretch sealed the victory.

"We did a good job in the fourth quarter of realizing if we take care of the ball and play with poise, we can dictate how the game's going to end," Cassell noted.

Smith and Grbic paced South's offense with 14 and 11 points respectively, while Bloomington North got 18 points from Hoy and 11 from Hirt.

"They've won nine games," Cassell said of the Cougars. "They have weapons. They have some good athletes. They have two 3-point shooters [Hoy and Hirt] who can get scary-hot."

From the Bloomington North perspective, coach Alana Harrington thought her squad hung tough with one of the top girls teams in the state.

"We had many opportunities throughout that game to make a huge difference," she said. "We had some wide-open shots that we didn't convert."

But Harrington also acknowledged that South had plenty to do with the final score.

"I give credit to Terre Haute South," she said. "They didn't quit, which we knew they wouldn't."

Cougars give No. 3 TH South a run

H-T Report, January 15, 2009

TERRE HAUTE - North took No. 3 Terre Haute South deep into the fourth quarter before falling, 46-37, Wednesday night.

The Cougars came out strong defensively, holding the Braves (13-0) to eight points in the first quarter, and never let up.

"I can't say enough about our defensive intensity and how we competed," North coach Alana Harrington said. "The girls took it to a whole new level and showed we can compete with anyone in the state."

North (9-5) led by six after one and was up 22-18 at the half.

"We had them on their heels," Harrington said.

But the Braves outscored the Cougars 16-10 in the third quarter to take a 34-32 lead into the fourth.

Terre Haute South led by five with three minutes left, and the Cougars had a chance to cut it to three on a steal and layup by Shaw-Nee Winningham. But Winningham was called for traveling and the Braves started holding the ball.

"They kind of gave our girls a lot of respect when they went to a stall because of our defensive effort," Harrington said.

The Cougars were forced to foul, but "(Randa) Rector hit 6 of 6, so we backed off," Harrington said.

Kaity Hoy hit four 3-pointers and led the Cougars with 18 points. Mo Hirt added 11, while Zibba Huck and Winningham each had four. No other Cougar scored, but Pendah Jallow had seven offensive  rebounds, and Harrington praised the entire team's effort.

"It was a really nice performance by our entire team," she said.

Krista Smith had 14 points and Dragana Grbic 11 for the Braves, who outscored the Cougars 13-1 from the line.

Defense the difference as Cougars top Bears, 36-24

By Jim Gordillo, January 11, 2009

Lawrence Central coach John Albers kept yelling, "Sag! Sag!" at his zone defense whenever a North  layer started wandering toward the basket.

The Cougars' offense sagged right along with them, shooting 38 percent and making just 7 of 24 free  throws to keep it close against another punchless Bears team.

Credit a defense that rang up 18 steals and 28 turnovers, debit an offense that had trouble making quick scores off them and North wound up with a 36-24 win that keeps it in the Conference Indiana race.

Lawrence Central (1-11, 0-4) has now dropped 35 straight league games and 44 of its last 45, but it  was improved on defense, giving up 50 points a game as opposed to the 63, 68 and 73 of the past three years.

Quick in their zone, they smartly, as it turned out, fouled frequently when North did find an opening inside.

"Their best defense was sending us to the free throw line," North coach Alana Harrington said. "It's concentration. We've got to do a better job. Our ball movement was good. We had some nice passes and unselfish play."

The Cougars (9-4, 3-1) had 11 assists on 13 baskets. So the looks were there, the finishes, not so much. The Cougars are an icy 18-of-41 at the line in their last three games, to counter 71 forced turnovers, with the toughest stretch of their schedule ahead of them.

"We work on free throws in practice, we come in early and work on them, too," North forward Pendah Jallow said. "They were just not falling. I think we thought it would be like Eastern (a 52-17 win) and it would be another team we would just walk over."

But defense made sure they still walked away happy as Shaw-Nee Winningham had eight steals and Mo Hirt four.

On offense, Hirt clicked outside with a 6-of-10 day for 14 points.

"Mo shot the ball well," Harrington said. "(LC) knew that. But for the most part, they had shorter people in the back of that 1-3-1 and we tried to get it inside. We didn't connect on our free throws.

"It just shows the importance of free throws. The margin could have been a lot bigger. Rebounding (LC had a 28-18 edge) I wasn't pleased with either."

LC actually led 9-8 with 3:50 left in the first quarter when the Cougars switched from a 2-3 to a trapping 1-2-2 along with an occasional full-court press.

After that, the Bears made just four field goals the rest of the way to finish 8-of-22 from the field as missed opportunities piled up for both teams like post-Christmas bills.

North was 1-of-6 at the foul line to end the quarter ahead 10-9.

A 3 by Hirt and layups by Kaity Hoy and Jallow seemed to spring the Cougars free while LC had just one point over a span of 10:20. But an 0-of-6 string from the stripe deflated all that momentum before a stickback by Jallow made it 19-12 at the break.

"At the beginning, we were slow and not moving as fast as we do in practice," Jallow said. "Mo starting hitting some shots and that opened up more things inside."

Three-pointers by Hirt and Erin Kinzer a minute on each side of the third-quarter horn built a 30-17 lead. That was good enough to survive 4-of-11 free throw shooting by North as the Bears made just one field goal in the final 9:25.

"It was ugly. But it's a victory," Harrington said. "A conference win. We'll take it and hope the door opens up at the top (of the standings)."

Cougars turn defense into offense in rout of T-Birds
North forces 31 turnovers in 52-17 win over Eastern Greene

By Lynn Houser, January 7, 2009

As a young team still searching for its identity, the North Cougars have been able to hang their hats on one constant throughout the season - defense.

The North defense was in full fury Tuesday night against visiting Eastern Greene, limiting the T-Birds to 17 points and forcing 31 turnovers. It allowed the Cougars to overcome a sluggish offensive start and go on to a 52-17 victory in girls' basketball.

"Our defensive intensity absolutely dictated the ball game," North coach Alana Harrington said. "It has been our strength all season and it showed even more tonight."

Harrington also liked the fact that the Cougars enjoyed a 31-23 rebounding advantage and had more assists (11) than turnovers (10).

"We are playing nicely as a team," she said. "Mo Hirt (15 points) led us tonight, but on any given night it could be anybody. We have been a slow starting team, offensively, but we are working on it, working on making the extra pass."

In addition to Hirt's 15 points, the Cougars got seven each from forwards Shaw-Nee Winningham and Pendah Jallow. Kaity Hoy, Katie Dunbar and Hannah Lukemeyer combined for 19 points off the bench.

Freshman guard Erin Kinzer continued to emerge as a floor leader with four points, five steals, two assists and five rebounds.

"Kinzer gave us an all-around great effort," Harrington said. "She touched every category. She does so many little things that I don't even think of her as a freshman anymore."

Eastern Greene coach Dan Fidago also was pleased with his team's defense, but had little else to feel good about.

"To make 31 turnovers and give up just 52 points, we played great defense," he said. "But we played with zero confidence on the offensive end. We have to make smarter decisions with the basketball. If you make 31 turnovers, you won't beat anybody."

The T-Birds did get 10 rebounds from center Kaci Helms. Caitlyn Frye led them in scoring with seven points. The T-Birds face a sectional opponent Saturday, North Knox.

"I guarantee we will be ready Saturday, even if it means our arms will be tired from doing push-ups," Fidago said.

North hosts Lawrence Central Saturday. The starting time has been moved up to 2:30 for the varsity contest.

Stepping up her game
Extra work over summer helped prepare Jallow to take a lead role for Cougars this season

By H. Williams Kellenberger, December 23, 2008

On the first day of winter break, with three shopping days left before Christmas, Pendah Jallow woke up early.

She, along with the rest of the North girls' basketball team, underwent a two-hour practice that began at 8 a.m. By the time practice was over, it had warmed up outside - to an absolutely balmy 19 degrees.

No complaints, though. No cries of desperation for an afternoon practice time, one that may have allowed for a few more hours of sleep and a little less of a chilly temperature.

"After that loss to South, we know we have to get in here and work harder," Jallow said.

The work to get here, though, started in earnest this summer. That's when Jallow ran through hours of workouts, trying to improve just about every facet of her game in preparation for a season in which she would be counted on.

For the first time in recent memory, there is not a Big Ten center on the North roster. Jallow, at 5-foot-9, is being asked to play inside.

So far, Jallow has responded.

An inconsistent sophomore season has served as the example of what not to do.

Those summer workouts, combined with an increased focus on her AAU efforts, has allowed Jallow to excel now that the weather has turned cold, the competition has gotten tougher and it would be easy to slip away into mediocrity.

So far, that has not happened.

"Consistently, she's been our best player," coach Alaina Harrington said. "She's been our best on both ends of the floor, and consistently been our best off the floor. When you combine all those, good things are happening."

Take note of Saturday's rivalry game against South. While Jallow (2-of-9 from the field) and the rest of the Cougars certainly struggled from the field, she did a better than credible job against South's Kaila Hulls.

Hulls, averaging 17 points a game coming in, was held to 13 points on 4-of-12 shooting, including a 1-of-5 mark from 3-point range.

"She did a nice job with her," Harrington said. "She hasn't had that responsibility, where she's had to guard someone like that."

Jallow freely admits that six straight wins to open the 2008-09 season had the Cougars fat and happy.

"We lightened up," Jallow said. "We decided we didn't have to work as hard as we did."

Three straight losses have fixed this notion.

It'll be four more days until North plays again, tipping off at 10 a.m. against Anderson in the Bedford North Lawrence Tournament.

Until then, in between the presents and the hot chocolate and the family gatherings, Jallow and the  Cougars will be in the gym.

"We just have to focus," Jallow said, "and work harder in practice."