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| 12/11/2009 3:31:00 PM | Email this article • Print this article | USV girls win first league game
By Virginia Bandy
Ada Herald Editor
The Lady Rams of USV now have their first league game in the books and it was an easy win, 66-10. The undersized and short-handed Fighting Irish of Marion Catholic were no match to the Rams. The USV coaching staff found it to be an opportunity to improve the team's defensive skills.
"We wanted to come out and get better tonight," Head Coach Mike Risner said. "We needed to work on our man-to-man defense."
Everyone on the varsity roster got to play in the game, including two girls from the JV squad: Katie Anderson and Aspen Rose. All 11 Rams scored at least one basket for the team during the contest.
Starting senior Katie Hicks opened up the game's initial possession with a three-pointer that set the tone for a 23-point first period. The Lady Rams, especially Hicks and Whitney Carroll, were stealing the ball away from Marion and turning it into easy lay ups. The Irish couldn't make a basket until the final 26 seconds, when freshman Lizzie Flugga connected with the hoop. With only four seconds to go, Kayla Prater nailed a trey to end the stanza.
Period two wasn't as high scoring for the Rams, with only five baskets made. Some out of bounds passing and missed shots kept USV to a game low of 10 points. Megan Doty of the Irish was fouled under the basket, and made one of two free tosses. Avery Pfeifer, an MC junior, canned a three-pointer to give the Irish a total of four points in the second. The half time score was 33-6.
"We started out well but then we started mixing up combinations," Risner said.
Ram junior Ginnie Critten turned up the heat in the third, working under the basket to get four shots in the hole. Hicks got fouled three times while trying to score, and made four of six at the line. The Rams managed to keep Marion from scoring in the third, keeping them at six points.
In the last period, Hicks, Carroll and Critten were given a rest, as the rest of the roster got to see playing time and earn some points. Marion junior Doty made two additional baskets for the Irish, but they were the final markers for the squad.
USV points: Katie Hicks 18, Ginnie Critten 10, Kayla Prater 9, Whitney Carroll 8, Mikayla Coburn 6, Katie Anderson 4, Emily Coburn 3, Paige Mullins 2, Morgan Hunsicker 2, Shelby Conley 2, and Aspen Rose 2. Three-pointers: Hicks (2) and Prater (1).
MC points: Megan Doty 5, Avery Pfeifer 3, and Lizzie Flugga 2. Three-pointers: Pfeifer (1).
1 2 3 4 F
USV 23 10 20 13 66
MC 2 4 0 4 10
There was no JV game, as Marion Catholic couldn't support a squad this year.
The Rams, now 4-1 (1-0 NWCC), will prepare for the Fairbanks game next week.
"They're one of the favorites in the conference," Risner said of Fairbanks. "They're a really good team on their home court. We will have our hands full."
Risner noted that sickness has been plaguing the Lady Rams and they will need that week to prepare for the Panthers on Dec. 17.
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