2007 Girls Basketball Sectional Tournament Preview:  Lowell Lady Red Devils A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith (02-03-2007)

Class (4A) Lowell Red Devils (4-15)
Sectional titles (2) 1994, 2000
Regional titles (1) 2000

Class 4A at EAST CHICAGO (CST)
2/6 (Tu) Munster [16-6] at Gary West Side [15-5]
2/6 (Tu) Highland [16-5] at Lake Central [7-13]
2/9 (F) Munster/West Side vs. Highland/LC
2/9 (F) LOWELL [4-15] vs. East Chicago [2-18]
2/10 (S) Sectional championship game - 7:30 p.m.

Class 4A at Portage (CST)
2/6 (Tu) Portage [12-8] vs. CROWN POINT [10-9] 6 p.m.
2/6 (Tu) Chesterton [7-12] vs. MERRILLVILLE [14-5]
2/9 (F) Portage/CP vs. Chesterton/MERRILLVILLE - 6 p.m.
2/9 (F) Valparaiso [6-13] vs. Hobart [6-13]
2/10 (S) Sectional championship game - 7:30 p.m.

Class 4A at (SB) Washington (EST)
2/6 (Tu) South Bend Clay [13-9] vs. Michigan City [20-1] 6 p.m.
2/6 (Tu) South Bend Washington [21-1] vs. South Bend Adams [7-12]
2/9 (F) Clay/MC vs. Washington - 6 p.m.
2/9 (F) South Bend Riley [6-16] vs. LaPorte [10-9]
2/10 (S) Sectional championship game - 7:30 p.m.

Class 4A at Concord (EST)
2/6 (Tu) Elkhart Central [7-13] vs. Mishawaka [3-17] 6 p.m.
2/6 (Tu) Goshen [11-9] vs. Penn [14-6]
2/9 (F) Elkhart Central/ Mishawaka vs. Goshen/Penn - 6 p.m.
2/9 (F) Elkhart Memorial [17-5] vs. Concord [2-19]
2/10 (S) Sectional championship game - 7:30 p.m.

Class 4A at Valparaiso Regional (CST)
2/17 (S) EC champ vs. Goshen champ - 11 a.m.
2/17 (S) Riley champ vs. Portage champ - 1 p.m.
2/17 (S) 4A Regional championship game - 7 p.m.

Strengths:  Senior leadership in Kara Lamb and Kelly Johnson.  Strong, physical forwards in Kim Bell and Gabi Goetz.  Lowell can be a very physical team.  The team clearly has not given up despite a very bad season.

Weaknesses:  Scoring obviously.  But the ability to handle and pass the ball without unforced errors has been a season-long problem.  Youth.  There are only five players in the program above the sophomore level and that shows on the floor against more experienced players.

Outlook:  They got a great draw.  As good as they could possibly have received.  The Devils needed a bye in the first round.  Lowell is 0-7 against 4A schools, but they lost to Munster by 10 and 13 points.  The Devils have lost just three games (Andrean, Merrillville and Hammond) by more than 15 and none of those teams is here.  Even though they probably average nearly 30 turnovers a game, Lowell has allowed just 50 points three times in 19 games.  The defense is good.  With a week off and a lot of positive thinking based on the draw, Lowell seems ready for a big effort.


Lowell's Key Players:

1. Kelly Johnson - 5-6 senior guard

Johnson is a confident all-court player who has been slowed for two years by knee and shoulder problems.  But she is doubtful for at least the East Chicago game.  With a separated shoulder, I don't know if she can score, even if she does play.  But I would bet that if Lowell defeats East Chicago, that Johnson will attempt to play Saturday.

2. Kim Bell - 5-10  junior forward

Lowell, has to win with defense and rebounding.  Bell can defend the post and prevent lay ups.  The Devils also need her to shoot the 15-foot jump shot with confidence and score 10 points a game.  But even if she does not get that done, she can be a major factor against an EC team that does not shoot well as a rule.

3. Gabi Goetz - 5-9 junior forward

Gabi is not a normally scorer, although she could be against EC.  If she would spin with confidence quickly to the basket, the Cardinals have no one who can stop her.  But even if that does not occur, Gabi has to limit the other team to one shot.  She averages almost eight rebounds a game and if she can grab 10 a game next week, Lowell has a good chance to win.



EAST CHICAGO -  The Red Devils get a bye through the quarterfinal round and the semifinal foe for Lowell, is East Chicago (2-18), a team that has found the road very long and dark all season.  East Chicago will be favored over Lowell because of the home court and a significantly tougher schedule.  EC has lost 15 games by 10 points or more.  But they have played Chicago superpowers Whitney Young and Hope as well as Penn and South Bend powers Clay and St. Joseph's.

Lowell has been held to 35 points or less 12 times in the first 18 games.  That dog wont hunt.  The Devils were 0-12 in those games.  So where can Lowell get enough points to win?

5-10 sophomore guard Kasey Manis could score 10-15 points every game if she was aggressive dribbling and shooting the ball.  No one is stopping her.  One day she will start scoring in double figures every game and she won't stop.  That day could be this weekend.  Mallory Pratt is showing improvement as an offensive player and Kara Lamb has stepped up her all-around game.  But I'm not going to lie to you.  They're 4-15.  And Lowell is 4-15 because they have a very ineffective offense and basketball is an offensive game.  It's the only major team sport where you have to score a lot to win.  To do that, players have to be somewhat selfish and take shots.  Lowell just does not do that.  Somebody's got to believe they can score.

The Devils need a lot of things to go right next week.  But here they are: If Kara Lamb can handle the ball under pressure.  If Kim Bell and Kasey Manis score in double figures and if Gabi Goetz rebounds in double figures.

If Munster beats Gary West Side and then Highland beats Munster, then Lowell can beat Highland.  Lowell is a good defensive and rebounding team and scoring drops in the post-season as a rule.  Lowell is 0-3 against Munster and Highland but they played them well.  If they can slow East Chicago and come out on top, then it's just one game.

And if that one game is not against Gary West Side, a Lowell sectional title is not out of the realm of possibility.

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Revised: February 03, 2007 .