Indians come up short against IWA

~ The state's No. 1-ranked team beat Jackson 58-43 on Saturday.

The Jackson girls basketball team has not been blessed with great size over the past few seasons.

The Indians, who do not have a player on their roster this year taller than 5-foot-10, have continued to overcome that deficiency, following up a 22-4 season last year with a 13-1 start to this season.

But facing the state's No. 1-ranked team in Class 5 on Saturday at the Notre Dame Shootout, Jackson's lack of size came to the forefront.

Incarnate Word Academy starts two players taller than 6-0, and has two more players 6-0 or taller on its roster.

The Red Knights used their height to coast by the Indians 58-43 in the marquee match of the five-game Shootout at Notre Dame Regional High School.

"We battled as hard as we could," Jackson coach Sam Sides said. "We're just not big enough or strong enough."

The game was a punishing game on both sides, as the referees allowed plenty of contact. Jackson (13-2) did hold 6-2 DePaul recruit Felicia Chester to just three points in the first half.

While the battles inside were more wrestling than guarding, IWA was able to turn to its perimeter shooting to take an early edge. Ashlee Barrett and Kayla Person hit back-to-back 3-pointers to give the Red Knights their first double-digit lead midway through the second quarter, and by halftime Jackson trailed 33-17.

"Obviously a lot of people concentrate on Felicia down low, so when you can hit some outside shots like that it really helps to spread that zone out some," IWA coach Dan Rolfes said.

IWA (16-1) continued to work the ball inside and out in the second half, going up by as many as 24 late in the third. Jackson remained in the game largely due to its outside shooting. The Indians sank four 3-pointers in the third quarter after making just one in the first half.

"We're basically a 3-point shooting team," Sides said. "We've got to hit some outside shots. If you get around them, you've got two 6-footers you have to shoot around. You've got to shoot a good percentage to beat them."

Jackson held IWA to just eight points in the fourth quarter, but only managed to outscore the Red Knights 11-8. The 15-point margin was the 13th win of 10 or more points for the Red Knights.

"We always talk about not playing the score, just still play the team," Rolfes said.

Chester and Barrett led the Red Knights with 13 points apiece.

Kylie Werner led the Indians with 12 points. Gabrielle Garritano added eight points off the bench.

The Indians got extensive minutes from reserves Andrea Barnes, Garritano and Tara Kelley in the loss. With four games this coming week, the Indians will need to get quality minutes from their bench.

"Andrea Barnes plays well off the bench," Sides said. "She blocks out as well as anyone I've got. Gabrielle did a good job scoring for us. Our bench did a good job."

Next for the Indians is an away game at Dexter on Monday. Jackson hosts Notre Dame on Thursday, is at state-ranked Nerinx Hall on Friday and will play in the Metropolis Shootout on Saturday.

"I told the girls we'll find out how tough we are over the next week," Sides said.

Incarnate Word 58, Jackson 43

Incarnate Word 13 20 17 8 -- 58

Jackson 8 9 15 11 -- 43

INCARNATE WORD (58) -- Felicia Chester 13, Ashlee Barrett 13, Theresa Davis 7, Sabrina Drennan 8, Jami Kroll 3, Bianca Beck 9, Kayla Person 5. FG 24, FT 6-11, F 11 (3-pointers: Kroll 1, Person 1, Beck 1, Barrett 1. Fouled out: none)

JACKSON (43) -- Cody Goodpasture 7, Kylie Werner 12, Gabrielle Garritano 8, Bobbie Jones 7, Amanda Peiffer 3, Lindsay Poole 3, Andrea Barnes 3, . FG 17, FT 4-8, F 13 (3-pointers: Werner 1, Jones 1, Barnes 1, Goodpasture 1, Poole 1. Fouled out: none)

Notre Dame 51, Eureka 45

Notre Dame came back from a seven-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat Eureka.

The Bulldogs trailed 43-36 midway through the fourth after a Kate Stuckwish 3-pointer, but thanks to a game-tying 3-pointer from Brooke Beussink with about two minutes remaining and some clutch free throw shooting, the Bulldogs were able to come out on top.

"This team is just about how we are, and that's the way the score came down," Notre Dame coach Jerry Grim said.

Notre Dame improved to 7-9, while Eureka fell to 5-11.

Beussink's 3-pointer, the only Notre Dame 3 of the game, tied the score at 45-45 with 2:10 to play. Notre Dame scored the last six points of the game from the free throw line. The Bulldogs were 2-6 from the line through three quarters, but hit six of their last eight.

"We only shoot 52.2 percent [from the line]; that's not very good," Grim said. "So I was really happy they hit those at the end."

Kristain Burger led the Bulldogs with 20 points, 15 coming in the first half. Burger's dominating first half helped Notre Dame build a 27-18 halftime lead.

Eureka took advantage of some sloppy Notre Dame play early in the third quarter to get back into the game. Eureka outscored Notre Dame 18-7 in the third and led 36-34 heading into the fourth.

"We were trying to do too much," Grim said. "We turned the ball over the first six times down the floor. Once we settled down we were OK."

Eureka 12 6 18 9 -- 45

Notre Dame 11 16 7 17 -- 51

EUREKA (45) -- Kate Stuckwish 13, Dominesha Newton 8, Emily Woodland 8, Stephanie Haller 8, Julie Weitzel 2, Erika Share 4, Brittany Lomax 2. FG 18, FT 6-11, F 13 (3-pointers: Stuckwish 3. Fouled out: none)

NOTRE DAME (51) -- Kristain Burger 20, Amanda Toole 10, Meridith Medlin 10, Brooke Beussink 7, Emily Blattel 2, Pagie Schumer 2. FG 21, FT 8-15, F 14 (3-pointers: Beussink 1. Fouled out: none)

St. Charles 55, Central 32

Central scored in double figures in only one quarter in a lopsided loss.

Freshman Wendi Zickfield led the Tigers with 14 points.

St. Charles 16 16 14 9 -- 55

Central 9 10 8 5 -- 32

ST. CHARLES (53) -- Whitney Eufinger 6, Abby Schaberg 2, Abby Schultehenrich 20, Erin Bekebrede 14, Kate Muir 2, Lisa Witte 7, Cesilee Kuker 4. FG 20, FT 7-9, F 5 (3-pointers: Schultehenrich 4, Bekebrede 3, Eufinger 1. Fouled out: none)

CENTRAL (32) -- Dani Gross 7, Wendi Zickfield 14, Kristin Shirrell 2, Paige Rothenberger 2, Courtney Schuessler 3, Kinsey 2. FG 14, FT 4-7, F 11 (3-pointers: none. Fouled out: none)