Western’s girls basketball team used stifling defense and balanced scoring to take down a state power on its home floor Wednesday night when the Panthers won 51-48 at Class 3A No. 3-ranked Lebanon. Caitlyn O’Neal scored 13 points to lead the Panthers, who improved to 8-1.
“It was big. It’s one of those games where you’d like to say it was a statement game,” Western coach Chris Keisling said. “We were able to go over to their court and get a huge win. We defended extremely well. We were able to keep their shooters in check most of the night.”
Allison Lindley added 11 points, Ashley Givens 10, Raven Black nine and Carley O’Neal eight.
“I thought Raven played an excellent game for us inside, defending inside like she did, and was able to get nine points. We stayed out of foul trouble by moving our feet. I thought Givens hit a huge shot at the end to put us up three. That was a big shot there deep in the fourth quarter to allow us to handle the ball and go to the foul line and put the game a little further out of reach. It still came down to one defensive stand at the end of the game where they had a chance to tie it with a 3. They got a look, but it didn’t go down.”
After a banner 2011-12 season, the current squad is making its own set of waves.
“They did some big things for Western last year by going to the final four in the semistate, and this year they put themselves on the map by beating an excellent, excellent Lebanon team,” Keisling said. Lebanon fell to 7-2.
The coach said Western got great effort from all six Panthers that played.
“Caitlyn O’Neal came up huge for us the second half,” Keisling said. “She hit four huge free throws at the end to really help us ice it away as well. She played really heads-up basketball that second half. Lindley was consistent the whole game, and kept us in the game the first half with some big buckets. [Kiersten] Durbin came in [when Carley O’Neal was in foul trouble] and was phenomenal handling the ball and on defense.”
Taylor 46, Alexandria 36
The Titans snapped a seven-game losing streak with the home victory over the Tigers.
Taylor (2-7) trailed by one at the half, 28-27, but limited Alex (1-8) to just eight points in the second half, including a single free throw in the fourth quarter.
Freshman Brie Boehler led the Titans with 10 points, while classmate Lydia Owens added nine.
“We did a great job on [Courtney] Skinner and [Peyton] Quinn. They combined to score 36 against us last year and [Wednesday] night they only had 17,” Taylor coach Dennis Bentzler said, also noting strong performances from Owens and fellow freshman Savannah Delgado. “We did a great job on the press in the third quarter. We switched things up on them and got some steals and took control from there. The kids are learning how to win. They’re starting to get the hang of things. The game is starting to slow down a bit for them after our tough schedule to start the season. I’m proud of my kids from the defensive standpoint. We really turned things up on [Alex] in the second half.”
Girls swimming
Hamilton Heights 105.5,
Kokomo 79.5
The Wildkats collected a couple victories in the Heights pool. Alyson Rohlfing won the 200 free in 2:17.42. Taylor Coram won the diving competition with a score of 199.15 and Hannah Reecer followed to give the Kats a 1-2 finish on the board.
“We could hang with them for a little bit but then our girls ran out of steam, struggled to apply some of the racing strategies we tried to apply,” Kokomo coach Donita Walters said. “I thought it would be a closer meet. We saw some good things: My big thing was Katie Harbaugh, a young lady who’s dropped almost a minute in the 500 free; newcomer Kristina Moreland had some awesome swims. So, a lot of positives, but I see a lot of things we need to work on in the pool and apply in our races.”
Boys swimming
Hamilton Heights 99, Kokomo 71
Nathan Banush won the 500 free for the Wildkats in a time of 5:24.24, the 200 free relay team of Logan Hawk, Phil Heilman, Blake Brookshire and Banush won in 1:39.03, and the 400 free relay team of Adam Harding, Dustin Lytle, Josh Church and Chase Jackson won in 3:58.9.
“They’re just very strong this year,” Kokomo coach Jay Glick said of the Huskies. “We didn’t swim our best I don’t think but they’re pretty tough.”
Sports
WHS girls take down Lebanon
Panthers upset Class 3A No. 3 squad on the Tigers’ floor.
- Sports
-
-
Northwestern takes down West Lafayette
Northwestern played a very solid game on both offense and defense in defeating West Lafayette 8-5 in the opening round of the IHSAA Class 3A Peru Baseball Sectional Thursday night.
-
10 area athletes advance to boys track state finals
Austin Roark’s first season as the head boys track and field coach at Eastern High School just keeps getting better and better.
A week after guiding the Comets to their first sectional title since 1998, Roark will join six of his athletes at next weekend’s IHSAA state finals after advancing out of Thursday’s Kokomo Regional at Walter Cross Field. -
Eastern dominates Taylor in softball
GREENTOWN — The third time turned out not to be the charm for the Taylor softball squad as Eastern improved to 3-0 on the season over its backyard rival Wednesday night, ousting the Titans from the Class 2A Eastern Sectional 15-0 in five innings.
-
Barnes sets Taylor's career hits record
Taylor baseball standout Logan Barnes made his final game at George Phares Field one to remember.
Barnes pitched four solid innings to lead Taylor past Monroe Central 9-3 Tuesday. In addition, he went 2 for 3 at the plate, pushing his career hits total to a school-record 142. -
Kats drop heartbreaker
When the postseason arrives, emotions surge like a roller-coaster. One minute, it’s a long uphill, then a wild series of events offer a barrage of frights and thrills. And then, for one team, the ride ends and there aren’t any more tickets for another go around.
After two days of chills and thrills, Kokomo’s softball team ran out of tickets Tuesday night in the Class 4A Harrison Sectional. The Kats dropped a 4-3 decision to Harrison in eight innings, giving up a run in the top of the extra frame, and having a runner tagged out at home in the bottom of the frame.
“It was a great game,” Harrison coach Dick Mitchell said. “It’s always nerve-wracking to coach in one of them, but both teams played their hearts out. Nobody deserved to lose that game, but unfortunately somebody does.” -
Comets turn heads at track regional
Heading into Tuesday’s IHSAA girls track and field regional at Fort Wayne Northrop High School’s Spuller Stadium, event workers alike weren’t sure of Eastern High School’s location.
After the dust settled, they may feel compelled to get a map out and find out where Greentown is located.
Led by seniors Sarah Wagner, Brittany Neeley and Bethany Neeley, the Comets qualified for the state finals in six separate events to finish fourth as a team with 55.5 points, behind host and champion Northrop (78), Bellmont (68) and Carroll (Allen) 66. -
GASKINS: Hibbert’s block was thing of beauty
For the better part of the NBA season, ESPN devoted all kinds of time on SportsCenter episodes to replays of two dunks. Anyone who watches any ESPN at all surely knows the two to which I’m referring: 6-foot-11 DeAndre Jordan of the Los Angeles Clippers posterizing 6-3 Brandon Knight of the Detroit Pistons, and 6-8 LeBron James of the Miami Heat hammering home a dunk over 6-2 Jason Terry of the Boston Celtics.
Day after day, ESPN commentators lavished endless praise, which quickly grew tiresome. The dunks were strong, but Jordan and James were much taller and heavier than Knight and Terry and the dunkers also caught perfect alley-oop passes with the defenders in poor positions to defend. Still, ESPN commentators loved these plays.
I kept wondering if a great defensive play would receive the same kind of love. -
Coons, Walker, Glassburn reach Victory Lane
When the dust settled Sunday evening at the Kokomo Speedway, a pair of drivers who have visited Victory Lane in the past at the local oval found themselves there once again while a talented up-and-comer hit the hallowed ground for the first time.
Jerry Coons Jr. had his way in the sprint car feature and Craig Walker seemed to get faster as the laps wound down to win the Street Stock main event, however Kokomo High School sophomore Kory Glassburn had to scratch and fight before scoring the first feature win of his career in the Thunder Car A-main. -
Field is set for Indianapolis 500
After being bumped from the starting field while sitting on the qualifying line on pole day, Josef Newgarden turned the fastest time on bump day, assuring himself a spot in the Indianapolis 500.
The field of 33 cars will have one final opportunity to practice on Friday before next Sunday’s 97th running of the 500.
One year ago the Sarah Fisher Racing Team withdrew Newgarden’s entry on the first day of qualifying and had to qualify on bump day. This year the team decided not to make another qualifying run and got bumped. -
Athlete of the week
Cole led the small-school Comets to the Kokomo Sectional title, their first title since 1998.
- More Sports Headlines
-
American Held in Grisly Czech Murders
Raw: Jersey Shore Reopens for Summer
UK-bound Pakistan Plane Diverted, 2 Men Arrested
Officials: Tsarnaev Friend Linked to Slaying
Obama:Sexual Assault Threatens Trust in Military
Bridge Collapse Survivor: 'Rough Day'
Jersey Shore Open for Business
Raw: Memorial Day Flags Placed at Arlington
New Wheelchair Lift Promises More Access
First Person: Mom Discusses Famous Tornado Photo
Raw Video: Washington State Bridge Collapse
Boy Scouts Approve Plan to Accept Gay Boys
Officials: Truck Hit Bridge Before Collapse
Sheriff: No Sign Killing of 2 Kids Was Planned
Obama Defends Drone Strikes, With Limits
Raw: Jurors Deadlock on Jodi Arias Penalty
Boy Scouts Decision "First Step" Say Activists
Raw: Utah Teen Arrested in Death of His Brothers
Closer Look at Okla. School Where Children Died
Two Suspects in Murder Known to London Police
