Lady Wildcats drop season opener to East Clinton
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
MOWRYSTOWN — Being in the process of rebuilding their girls basketball program, the Whiteoak Lady Wildcats opened their 2017-18 season with nine players on their roster and suffered a loss in that first game, falling to the East Clinton Lady Astros, 63-17.
Playing in the regular season for the first time on their new court, the Lady Wildcats hosted their non-conference opponent with some tough spots in the first half, including trailing by a 17-0 score after the first quarter was completed.
Committing many turnovers in the opening two quarters saw the Lady Astros — of the Southern Buckeye Athletic and Academic Conference (SBAAC) — take full advantage of the Whiteoak miscues, leading to Whiteoak trailing by a 25-0 score with 3:47 left in the second quarter.
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Whiteoak scored their first points of the game with 2:51 left in the first half as Sha Vanlieu sank a bucket, with that being the only points scored by WHS in the first two quarters, trailing at halftime by a 27-2 score.
Following the halftime break, Whiteoak — of the Southern Hills Athletic Conference (SHAC) — played their best quarter of the game offensively, scoring 13 points, though allowing 14 points to trail by a 41-15 score after three quarters. In that third frame, though, it was Whiteoak who started off the scoring with a 3-pointer from Megan Botts with 7:12 on the clock, later followed by another 3-pointer by Whiteoak’s Kara Ward.
Botts and Ward led the Lady ’Cats with five points each.
Still in the third quarter, Courtney Gross scored two points on a layup at the 1:56 mark, then WHS forced a turnover with 1:40 left in the third where they eventually scored another 3-pointer in the quarter, this one from Hailey Monteith with 1:23 left in the scoreboard. The Lady ’Cats added two more points in the third, this time from Ward on a jumper with 58 seconds remaining.
“The third quarter, we came back out and we actually looked to shoot the ball,” WHS head coach Steve Smith said following the game. “I told them in the first half, we weren’t even looking to get any shots, and we were just looking to pass the ball, turning it over and throwing it away.
“The third they worked the ball, got some shots and scored 13 points, then in the fourth quarter we went right back to the same thing and not looking to score. I know it is going to be a long year, and we are rebuilding and I think it will get better. We saw a spark at times, and everybody did as good as everyone else.
“We have work to get Megan and Cylee (Bratton) more shots.”
WHS (0-1) was outscored 22-2 in the fourth quarter by East Clinton in the non-conference season opener. The two points for WHS came from a jumper by Botts late in the fourth for the final points of the game.
As for East Clinton (1-0), they were led in scoring by Lacey Peterman with a game-high 15 points, consisting seven two-point baskets and one free throw conversion.
Also tied as the EC scoring leader in the game was Sierra Christian by scoring 15 points. Her points came with seven two-point buckets and one free-throw conversion.
Mackenzie Campbell was next in scoring for EC with 14 points, making six two-point baskets and was 2-of-2 from the free-throw line.
Bre Davis finished with eight points for EC, followed by Paige Lilly with six points. Both Kaitlyn Talbott and Kaitlin Durbin each scored two points, and Gracie McCarren added one point in the win.
Overall, the Lady Astros made 27 two-point field goals and were 9-of-15 from the free-throw line. For WHS, they finished with four two-point baskets, three 3-pointers and were 0-of-2 from the free-throw line.
Next for the Lady Astros is a road game on Tuesday, Nov. 28 at Paint Valley in non-conference play. From there, WHS plays on the road on Thursday, Nov. 30 at Peebles, then on the road on Dec. 4 at Fairfield.
Playing in the regular season for the first time on their new court, the Lady Wildcats hosted their non-conference opponent with some tough spots in the first half, including trailing by a 17-0 score after the first quarter was completed.
Committing many turnovers in the opening two quarters saw the Lady Astros — of the Southern Buckeye Athletic and Academic Conference (SBAAC) — take full advantage of the Whiteoak miscues, leading to Whiteoak trailing by a 25-0 score with 3:47 left in the second quarter.
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Whiteoak scored their first points of the game with 2:51 left in the first half as Sha Vanlieu sank a bucket, with that being the only points scored by WHS in the first two quarters, trailing at halftime by a 27-2 score.
Following the halftime break, Whiteoak — of the Southern Hills Athletic Conference (SHAC) — played their best quarter of the game offensively, scoring 13 points, though allowing 14 points to trail by a 41-15 score after three quarters. In that third frame, though, it was Whiteoak who started off the scoring with a 3-pointer from Megan Botts with 7:12 on the clock, later followed by another 3-pointer by Whiteoak’s Kara Ward.
Botts and Ward led the Lady ’Cats with five points each.
Still in the third quarter, Courtney Gross scored two points on a layup at the 1:56 mark, then WHS forced a turnover with 1:40 left in the third where they eventually scored another 3-pointer in the quarter, this one from Hailey Monteith with 1:23 left in the scoreboard. The Lady ’Cats added two more points in the third, this time from Ward on a jumper with 58 seconds remaining.
“The third quarter, we came back out and we actually looked to shoot the ball,” WHS head coach Steve Smith said following the game. “I told them in the first half, we weren’t even looking to get any shots, and we were just looking to pass the ball, turning it over and throwing it away.
“The third they worked the ball, got some shots and scored 13 points, then in the fourth quarter we went right back to the same thing and not looking to score. I know it is going to be a long year, and we are rebuilding and I think it will get better. We saw a spark at times, and everybody did as good as everyone else.
“We have work to get Megan and Cylee (Bratton) more shots.”
WHS (0-1) was outscored 22-2 in the fourth quarter by East Clinton in the non-conference season opener. The two points for WHS came from a jumper by Botts late in the fourth for the final points of the game.
As for East Clinton (1-0), they were led in scoring by Lacey Peterman with a game-high 15 points, consisting seven two-point baskets and one free throw conversion.
Also tied as the EC scoring leader in the game was Sierra Christian by scoring 15 points. Her points came with seven two-point buckets and one free-throw conversion.
Mackenzie Campbell was next in scoring for EC with 14 points, making six two-point baskets and was 2-of-2 from the free-throw line.
Bre Davis finished with eight points for EC, followed by Paige Lilly with six points. Both Kaitlyn Talbott and Kaitlin Durbin each scored two points, and Gracie McCarren added one point in the win.
Overall, the Lady Astros made 27 two-point field goals and were 9-of-15 from the free-throw line. For WHS, they finished with four two-point baskets, three 3-pointers and were 0-of-2 from the free-throw line.
Next for the Lady Astros is a road game on Tuesday, Nov. 28 at Paint Valley in non-conference play. From there, WHS plays on the road on Thursday, Nov. 30 at Peebles, then on the road on Dec. 4 at Fairfield.