Lady Bulldogs fall to Portage 58-37 in Sectional opener to end season

A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith
02-09-2007

Tuesday, February 6, 2007 - Class 4A, Sectional 2 Quarterfinal at Portage

CROWN POINT (37)  Daniela Tarailo 2-0-5, Kristi Quigley 1-0-2, Amanda Moore 2-5-10, Kristen Morason 0-0-0, Anjellica Rospond 1-0-2, Maegan Maloney 3-2-8,  Sydnee Reeves 3-1-7, Jessica Martinez 0-0-0, Flori Garcia-Vicente 1-0-2, Andjalina Obradovic 0-1-1, Brittany Clements 0-0-0, Nicci Brown 0-0-0.  TOTALS:  13 (7-10) 37.

PORTAGE (58)  Kacey Kornacki 2-0-4, Gloria Hernandez 5-3-13, Tara Ellis 1-0-3, Tiffany Keil 6-1-15, Lisa Samplawski 4-7-17, Ashley Thompson 1-2-4, Hannah Pajor 1-0-2, Kayla Criswell 0-0-0, Taylor Haraminac 0-0-0, Brittany Buzea 0-0-0.  TOTALS: 20 (14-18) 58.

FREE THROWS:  CP (7-10, 70%) Moore 5-7, Reeves 1-1, Obradovic 1-2;  PORTAGE (14-18, 77.5%) Samplawski 7-9, Hernandez 3-3, Ellis 1-2, Keil 1-2 Thompson 2-2.   

REBOUNDS:  CP (23) Rospond 6, Moore 5, Tarailo 4, Reeves 4, Quigley 3, Garcia-Vicente;  PORTAGE (30) Hernandez 7, Samplawski 6, Ellis 6, Kornacki 5, Pajor 2, Thompson 2, Criswelll, Keil.

ASSISTS:  CP (8) Clements 2, Garcia-Vicente 2, Tarailo, Moore, Martinez, Reeves;   PORTAGE (13) Hernandez 3, Samplawski 3, Keil 3, Ellis 2, Thompson, Haraminac.

STEALS:  CP (11) Maloney 2, Reeves 2, Garcia-Vicente 2. Tarailo, Quigley, Rospond, Clements, Obradovic.  PORTAGE (14) Kornacki 5, Keil 4, Samplawski 3, Hernandez, Ellis.

TURNOVERS:  CP (26), PORTAGE (22).

FOULED OUT:  (CP) Anjellica Rospond - 4th Q.

PORTAGE, IN (02-06-2007) -  You know what usually happens when you beat a team twice during the regular season and then you face them in the playoffs?  Most times, you beat them again.  Why?  because you are a batter team.

That's what happened in the opening game of the Class 4A Portage sectional last Tuesday night.  Portage had defeated Crown Point twice during the 14-game Duneland Athletic Conference (DAC) league season, jumping out to a significant halftime lead both times.  Tuesday, Portage led 15-2 early in the second quarter and the Lady Bulldogs never got back closer than seven, losing 58-37 to end the Crown Point girls basketball season.

Junior Lisa Samplawski scored 17 points and added six rebounds, three assists and three steals as the home team dominated the game after a nearly scoreless first period.

"I thoughT we controlled the game in the first quarter," said CP coach Tom May later.  "But we couldn't put the ball in the basket.  They played well.  You've got to give them credit.  Give us Samplawski and let's play the game over."

"We had some kids who committed to this in the off-season," said Portage coach Kristen Peterson, "and you can see the momentum build this season.  I take pride in any game we win right now.  Especially after the last two (both 4-17) seasons."

Crown Point scored the first basket of the game, but they then fell painfully cold.  Under full court defensive pressure, the Lady Bulldogs (10-11) were 4-of-20 in the first half and were lucky to trail just 20-13 at halftime.  At one point, Portage scored 15 points in a row over seven minutes.

With all due respect to Portage, CP simply wasn't a good offensive team this season.  The loss of senior center Courtney Perry hurt them badly in this game because Portage had no fear of a scoring CP post player.  They double-teamed the ball with no fear that CP could split the heat with dribbles or passes for easy scores.  Without a true lead guard who could get the ball into the front court and make strong passes, CP was helpless.  And since most DAC teams return the majority of their squads next season, the search for a point guard (and a wing shooter) will be CP's No. 1 off-season priority.

Portage would simply double-team the ball-handler deep in the back court and steal the pass.  If they didn't get the steal initially, they would run up behind the CP ball-handler and knock the ball away.  Once Portage got the lead in the second half, they fell into a 2-3 zone defense and CP could only shoot jump shots.  The Lady Bulldogs were 13-of-46 for the game, a devastating 28% from the floor.  And that's including sophomore substitute Maegan Maloney who was 3-of-3 in the fourth quarter.

Portage wasn't great.  The CP full court press forced 22 turnovers and the Indians were only 8-of-26 in the first half.  The Indians can't get past Merrillville (16-5), a runaway 76-45 winner in the other sectional quarterfinal Tuesday.  But wing shooter Tiffany Keil sank 16 points with 6-of-11 shooting off the bench.  But she didn't crate her own shot and May knew who did.

"Every time they got those open shots," said May, "it was Samplawski who was making the penetration to set it up."

Crown Point gave a solid effort in most games, but despite an experienced front line of Perry, Rospond and Amanda Moore, the Lady Bulldogs could not control games without good ball-handlers.

Portage beat CP three times with superior confidence.  They repeatedly (and quite legally) pushed CP players out of the way to grab loose balls and snatched rebounds out of CP hands.  Portage was a more physically tough team every time these squads met.

Next year's team will have to change dramatically.  Nicci Brown was the only junior on this year's varsity.  All of CP's size graduates except for 6-foot back-up center Nicci Brown.  Five sophomores who played Tuesday night, 5-foot-5 guards Jessica Martinez and Flori Garcia-Vicente and 5-foot-10 wings Daniela Tarailo, Sydnee Reeves and 5-foot-8 Maegan Maloney will be the core of the team next year.

That's five good athletes who will be able to press full court with a vengeance.  But unless they find a floor general (they will try to make Tarailo that player) next season will resemble this season.  All you have to do is look at the returning starters on the other eight DAC teams.  Next year's returning group is a true lead guard away from being a league and sectional title contender.  But then, so was last year's team.  And so was the 2005 playoff team.

"I don't think we gave up," said CP senior Anjellica Rospond, who fouled out of her final game.  "The second group that came in pushed it real hard.  I don't think we ever gave up."

Hopefully, the sophomore class won't give up improving in the off-season.

SECTIONAL NOTES:  The crowd at the opening night of the playoffs was less than 300 for four schools, due in part, to a significant snowfall and single digit temperatures outside.  The weather canceled dozens of quarterfinal games state wide Tuesday.

Crown Point defeated Portage to open the 2006 playoffs before losing 46-31 to Chesterton in the Chesterton 4A sectional semifinals.  Before 2006, CP was eliminated four consecutive years by Valparaiso at the sectional level.  The Lady Bulldogs' last sectional championship came in 2001.

Portage guard Brittany Buzea, the daughter of Portage football coach Craig Buzea, took an elbow to the face in the first quarter and did not return.  The junior guard had a cut above the eye after the game but she planned to play in Friday's semifinals.

Under coach Kristen Peterson, Portage was 4-17 the last two seasons.  As you might guess, some parents and locals have not been kind to the new coach.

"It's been difficult," she said.  "I'm not going to lie.  You do have a lot of people questioning you.  I had five seniors who weren't mine the first year.  Last year we lost Lisa (Samplawski, to a broken hand).  We'd have been a lot better last year.  I feel like I'm doing the right thing.  You do a lot of soul searching.  I've been doing this a long time.  I've been a coach and a player and I've got to believe in my way.  If we lose, we'll lose doing it my way."

Tom May says that CP will be small and quick next year after four years with 6-foot forwards Anjellica Rospond and Courtney Perry, who missed the last month with a broken foot.  The sophomore class, led by 2007 varsity players Maegan Maloney, Daniella Tarailo and Sydnee Reeves, must play extensively this summer in preparation to lead the team in word and deed.

"I was happy with Maloney and Garcia tonight and Syd Reeves," said May Tuesday.  "Syd got tired.  Those three kids played three of their better games tonight.  I wish everybody had played like that.  They were in an attack mode.  They attacked."

"Next year, you're looking at five guards.  Trapping, pressing, running.  Open post.  A lot like what Jim East ran at Merrillville a couple of years ago.  Up and down the floor.  But it makes no difference.  You still have to have ball skills.  Somebody has to make passes.  We have people open.  We have to make passes and make shots."

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