As the 2010-11 season has unfolds two trends stand out. The Lady Wolves basketball team has either played down or up to the competition. The amount of turnovers has determined the outcome of the game.
Last week was a prime example as the Lady Wolves dropped a non-conference game to Nekoosa 47-35 on Tuesday Jan. 18, and last Friday they dropped a 43-28 verdict to Bonduel. In a game that was a lot closer than the final score indicates.
The Papermakers despite a 4-7 record for the season lead from start to finish and had very little trouble with the Wolves. The Bears on the other hand used a big second quarter and took advantage of Manawa’s poor shooting second half to finally put the game away.
The Lady Wolves committed 31 turnovers in the two games.
Nekoosa
Nekoosa has been struggling all of this year as graduation hit them hard. Last Tuesday, they jumped out to a 5-0 lead after they converted a turnover into a three-point play and never looked back.
Senior Mary Kay Heinz’s basket pulled the Lady Wolves to within one at 5-4 with 4:18 left in the first quarter. That would be the closest Manawa would come to taking the lead.
A six-zero run to end the first quarter allowed the Papermakers to increase their lead to 13-6 with 6:41 left in the first half. Freshman guard Lexi Brost tallied seven of her team’s nine points to finish the first half, as Nekoosa held a 22-12 halftime lead.
Manawa managed only one basket during the second quarter with just 25 seconds to play.
Senior Makayla Johnson’s three point play to open the second half gave the Lady Wolves life as they crept within seven points and a score of 22-15. An 8-2 run lead by Brost put the Papermakers comfortably ahead at 30-17 with 5:35 left in the third. Their lead grew to seventeen points with one minute to play.
Manawa held Nekoosa scoreless in the final three minutes and finished with a 6-0 run to make the score respectable.
Desi Schuh took game honors for Nekoosa with 14, and Brost finished with 11. Junior Krista Braun led Manawa with seven, and junior Katrina Wilz added six.
Bonduel
Facing one of three teams tied for the lead in the CWC-Eight ,the Lady Wolves played with a lot more energy and had a vision of an upset.
Senior Lana Draska’s basket to open the game gave the Lady Wolves a 2-0 lead and another basket helped Manawa regain the lead at 4-3 with 3:34 left in the opening quarter.
The Bears struggled against the Lady Wolves 2-3 zone as their long range bombs failed to find the bottom of the basket. Free throw shooting kept them in the game as Katie Woldt’s free throw tied the game at 4.
Senior Caryn Frazier’s basket regained the lead for Manawa. That triggered a 6-0 retaliation run from the Bears, which helped them carry the lead for the rest of the game.
The Bears 1-3-1 half court trap triggered their run as they converted two of our turnovers into baskets to regain the lead at 12-6.
Manawa turned the tide by going on a 6-2 run and only trailed by two (14-12) on Draska’s basket with 5:22 left in the first half.
Bonduel’s pressure defense forced the Lady Wolves into 11 second quarter turnovers, allowing the Bears to finish the quarter with a 12-4 run and grab a 26-16 halftime lead.
A physical third quarter favored the Bears on their home court as the Lady Wolves managed to get within eight points twice, only to see them respond with a run of their own to hold a 35-23 lead after three quarters of play.
Bonduel maintained their 12-point lead until midway thru the final quarter when they went into a delay game. Over two and one half minutes went off the clock before Manawa would foul. Karisa Pederson nailed four free throws to seal the victory for the Bears.
Pederson finished the game with 13 points and Woldt added 11, as the Bears remained in a three-way tie for first. Draska finished the game with eight points to lead the Wolves.
Manawa’s losing streak has reached six straight. The girls will try to snap that streak this Friday night, as they host Iola-Scandinavia, and Tuesday, Feb. 1, Manawa will host Marion in a non-conference contest.