Alleman stays in 2nd place with win over Lady Rocks
- Font Size:
- Default font size
- Larger font size
By Christopher Maloney | Friday, January 26, 2007 |
In a battle for second place in the Western Big six and temporary bragging rights in Rock Island, Alleman’s Don Morris Gym was the site for Thursday night’s 52-46 Alleman victory over the Rock Island Lady Rocks.
With the Pioneers’ victory, Rock Island dropped to 4-3 in the conference while Alleman improved to 6-2.
The Rocks took charge at first as Rocky senior forward Mia Mayberry scored the game’s first six points to stake Rock Island to an early lead.
Alleman responded with senior center Liz Dunsworth, who tied the game at 12-12 at the end of the first with a last-second basket and proceeded to score 12 points by halftime.
Constant first-half Pioneers turnovers kept Rock Island in the game, though, as the Lady Rocks climbed back from an
18-12 second quarter deficit to get within a point at halftime, 25-24.
Dunsworth, who finished the game with 16 points, said Rocky’s speed was the main source for the turnovers and untaken open shots in the first half.
“It definitely took some time to adjust to their speed, in fact it took until halftime,” she said. “In the second half, we made the most of our opportunities. We came out strong and shot a lot better.”
The third quarter was when those opportunities shined as Alleman outscored its inner-city foe 17-8.
When Pioneer senior guard Kelly Layer scored her lone basket late in the quarter, Alleman found itself ahead by 10.
Rocky tried to get back in the game by shooting 3’s but none fell in. Instead, the Lady Rocks fell to 12-8 overall and farther away from a conference regular-season title.
Mayberry finished the game leading the Lady Rocks with 13 points.
Alleman head coach Jay Hatch said his team’s improved focus in the second half was key to pulling away.
“A lot of the turnovers in the first half were us just throwing the ball away,” he said. “We were also able to keaep Rock Island from getting many second shots, especially in the second half. With Rocky’s size and athleticism, that was good for us. That third-quarter run was also good for us because we made them get out of their zone (defense). Not only did Liz shoot well but (junior guard) Mollie Yeargle had one shot in the third that I thought was the dagger to put them away.”
A lot of what happened in the third quarter to the Lady Rocks was mental, according to Rock Island head coach Rod Leatherman.
“I thought that for three-and-a-half quarters, we played pretty well,” he said. “That part of the third, we left what got us the early lead. Instead of going to the post like we did in the first quarter, the girls took a lot of long shots. Instead of going inside, they (the Lady Rocks) were shooting out of desperation. When we play our game, we play better than this; but I think we will see them (Alleman) again in the regionals.”
Contact the sports desk at (563) 333-2285 or at sports@qctimes.com.
del.icio.us
Digg
NewsVine
Fark
redditMore Stories By Christopher Maloney
» More Sports Stories
- Indy’s Insiders: Illini Colts know Turner’s offense inside and out
- Grossman family, friends in Indiana rooting for Bears
- Hawkeyes’rally falls just short
- Alleman stays in 2nd place with win over Lady Rocks
- Bulls end Mavs’ 8-game winning streak
- Baseball notebook: Erstad, Sox agree on $1M deal
- Key win, bonus points lift Bulldogs
Highest Rated Articles from the last 7 Days
- Technology News Articles
- Computers, MP3, Phones & More. See Product Pics, Specs & Reviews.
- www.NexTag.com
- Cheap Airfare
- Compare multiple travel sites. Discount web fares made easy.
- www.LowFares.com
- Promoter's Arsenal - Article Equalizer
- Content Generator For Your Website. Download fee, today only $97.00.
- promotearsenal.com/article
- Ads by Yahoo!
