Oregon-Davis Comes From Behind For Big Road Win

It was yet, another exciting night provided by Winamac Community High School! On Saturday, the Warriors boys and girls teams would play host to the Bobcats of Oregon-Davis. The first game would feature the Lady Bobcats and Warriors, in one of the more exciting games WKVI has seen so far this season.

While first quarter scoring would not be exactly where fans thought it might be for the two talented teams, it would end with a huge spark by Winamac Senior Maggie Smith. With Oregon-Davis holding a 9-6 lead and time running out in the opening quarter, a deep three-point attempt would be put up by the Lady Warriors, which came up short. The ball, however, would bounce off the front of the rim and directly into the hands of the 6’0 Senior, who took a single power dribble before hoisting the ball over the front of the rim from five feet out. The ball ripped through the net as the horn sounded, with Oregon-Davis now leading by a single point at 9-8.

The Lady Warriors would continue to control the first half, behind Sophomore Kendal Johnson, who was able to put up 11 first half points to lead her team. The Lady Warriors would operate at a high level of efficiency in the second quarter, as they continued on the momentum gained from the tail-end of the first quarter. Winamac would continue to apply pressure on the Lady Bobcats, continuing to put the ball in the basket at an efficient rate as they outscored the Lady ‘Cats 18-10 in the second quarter, giving the Lady Warriors a 26-19 lead at intermission.

The third quarter would see Oregon-Davis begin to take control. The control would first be grasped by Junior Mercedes Rhodes, who has spent much of the season near the top of the state’s leading scorers this season. After being held to 8 points in the first half, the 5’7 Junior would explode for 19 second-half points. Rhodes would be seen creating shots off the dribble, as well as multiple catch-and-shoot scenarios, resulting from her constant movement when the ball was not in her hands. The biggest series of events in the third quarter came with just 15.2 seconds remaining. The Lady Warriors had the ball out of bounds, with their basket on the opposite end of the floor, and the Lady Bobcats applying a full-court press. Winamac was unable to get the ball in bounds as the official’s whistle blew, with five fingers held in the air, indicating a five-second violation. After the turnover, the Lady Bobcats took control, with Rhodes inbounding the ball to Senior Katy Sauer. After a few back-and-forth passes, Rhodes regained possession, and attacked the basket. The Winamac defense immediately collapsed around Rhodes and was able to steal the ball from the Junior. Never giving up on the play, Rhodes was able to steal the ball back and put it in the basket as time expired, cutting the Lady ‘Cats deficit to just three points at 32-29.

In the final quarter, the re-energized Lady Bobcats would continue to scrap and claw against the Lady Warriors, relentlessly attacking the basket with all five players constantly going towards the hoop. When the dust settled in the fourth quarter, the Lady Bobcats had outscored The Lady Warriors 22-15 to get their 5th consecutive win, and their 15th win of the season.

The Ashley Derrickson/Five Star Player of the Game on WKVI, not surprisingly, went to Oregon-Davis’ Mercedes Rhodes, who put up a game-high 27 points, 19 of which came in the second half. Rhodes hit 7-10 free throws as well as two 3-pointers, while pulling down 5 rebounds, and getting 2 steals in the win!

The Lady Bobcats (15-3) will be back in action Tuesday night when they play host to John Glenn in the first round of the Teachers Credit Union Bi-County Tournament, a game that will be aired on K99.3. The Lady Warriors (12-8), meanwhile, will be back at it on Tuesday night as well, when they play host to the Plymouth Lady Pilgrims.

Game Statistics

Scoring:

Oregon-Davis(51): Katelyn Sauer-5, Madi Hudspeth-4, Mercedes Rhodes-27, Jayden Worthington-15

Winamac(47): Kendal Johnson-21, Kingsley Kroft-3, Maggie Smith-4, Blake Bailey-1, Hailey Sanders-9, Taylor Jennings-7

Rebounding:

Oregon-Davis(30): Elizabeth Johnson-2, Katelyn Sauer-7, Madi Hudspeth-6, McKenna Chessor-3, Mercedes Rhodes-5, Jayden Worthington-5, Kylee Saylor-2

Winamac(28): Kendal Johnson-6, Kaya Campbell-1, Maggie Smith-11, Blake Bailey-2, Alyssa Villanueva-1, Hailey Sanders-3, Taylor Jennings-4

Steals:

Winamac(11): Kendal Johnson-4, Aubrey Gearhart-1, Blake Bailey-3, Alyssa Villanueva-1, Hailey Sanders-1, Taylor Jennings-1

Oregon-Davis(9): Elizabeth Johnson-1, Katelyn Sauer-2, Madi Hudspeth-1, McKenna Chessor-1, Mercedes Rhodes-2, Jayden Worthington-1, Kylee Saylor-1

*Statistics In This Article Provided By Kankakee Valley Broadcasting Staff. These Are Not Official Game Statistics*