Sports
Blackshirts Make Quick Work of Northstars to Win 42-17
South starts the game on a 15-0 run and never looks back
The Waukesha South High School Blackshirts' girls basketball team focused a lot of their effort this week in practice on working hard on defense and defending passing lanes, said head coach Paul Darling.
That effort did not go to waste as South forced the Waukesha North High School lady Northstars into more than 20 turnovers in a 42-17 victory for the Blackshirts.
The Blackshirts(12-6, 6-5) forced North into turnovers on seven of the first eight possessions, allowing the Northstars to get just one shot attempt in the first five minutes of play.
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The strong defensive play of South led to many open looks on the offensive end of the court and the Blackshirts jumped out to a 15-0 lead.
"We were trying to emphasize good positioning, appropriate ball pressure and to also have your hands up," said Darling about his team's defense. "Certainly coming out and having a great start gave us some momentum."
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The Blackshirts' defensive intensity was strong throughout the game. After allowing only two points in the first quarter, the girls allowed just two more in the second, and only three in the third.
On offense, the Blackshirts were successful in attacking the hoop with multiple strong plays. The girls executed strong cuts and quality passes to get many lay ins.
Junior guards Molly Pugh and Eileen Van Horn led the South offensive attack with Pugh scoring 12 and Van Horn adding seven, but they received lots of help from their teammates.
In total nine Blackshirts scored at least two points in the game.
"We have some pretty special players on our team and we tried to get them the ball when we could," Darling said. "But when they got doubled teamed, our supporting cast did a real nice job and eased the pressure."
The Northstars (4-14, 0-11) played strong defense in the second half allowing just 16 points. Freshmen forward Elizabeth Kelliher had a pair of blocks to keep the Blackshirts in check.
Offensively, the lone bright spot for Waukesha North was the fourth quarter in which the team scored 10 points. Sophomore Tori Aho and Freshman Courtney Johnston led the Northstars with four points each.
