Lady Redskins One Win Away From 3-Peat!
A team win. That is exactly what the Knox Lady Redskins achieved in the Semifinal Round of Sectional play at Harold Weinberg Gymnasium on Friday night. In a game where the Lady Redskins would have a clear advantage in nearly every statistical category, it would not be due to the effort of a single individual. Rather, each player who came on to the floor for Knox against Hanover Central would contribute in significant fashion.
The first couple of minutes would see the nerves being worked out by both teams. It would not take much longer than that for the Lady Redskins to kick into high gear, not surprisingly, because of their defense. The Lady ‘Skins would frustrate the Lady Wildcats with their multifaceted defensive attack, as they would trap nearly every inch of the court when Hanover had the ball. The defensive aggressiveness of Knox would result in 14 first half steals, of which many were turned into points at the other end. The Lady Redskins would rely on the inside-outside duo of Juniors Remi Jordan and Felicity Olejniczak for the the bulk of their first half scoring, with Jordan putting up 15 of her game-high 18 points in the first half, while Olejniczak would put up all 12 of her points in the first two quarters, leading the Lady Redskins to a huge 41-15 lead at the half.
The second half would be a good test for the Lady Redskins from a focus standpoint. Would they be able to continue playing disciplined defense? Or would the big lead cause them to lose some focus and allow Hanover to fight their way back in during the final 16 minutes? The Lady Redskins were more than willing to provide the answer, as they continued to stifle the Wildcats with their defense, and find ways to spread the ball around on offense, not allowing Hanover much chance to breathe. As the half wore along, the Lady ‘Skins would begin to become much more deliberate with the ball, working the clock to make sure they secured the win, with everyone healthy at the end. They were able to do just that, as they would outscore Hanover in the second half 16-10, to secure the 57-25 victory, and a chance at a third consecutive Sectional Championship on Saturday night. The Ashley Derrickson/Five Star Player of the Game went to Knox Junior Remi Jordan, who scored 18 points, pulled down 8 rebounds, had 5 steals, and hit 4-5 at the free throw line, in helping her team to a third straight birth in a Sectional Championship game!
Knox will not only be looking to defend their home floor and win their third straight Sectional Championship, but they will also be looking to win the first Sectional Championship on their home court since 1995, which incidentally, was the last year of Knox’s other 3-peat run of Sectional Championships. The Lady Redskins will be taking on Kankakee Valley, who defeated Wheeler 56-29 in game one on Friday night, in Saturday Night’s Sectional Championship game at Harold Weinberg Gymnasium. You will be able to hear the game on K99.3 as well as on the web at WKVI.com. The tipoff is set for 7:30cst.
Game Statistics
Scoring
Knox(57): Megan Bolen-3, Kaitlyn Fitzgerald-4, Remi Jordan-18, Felicity Olejniczak-12, Brianna Korcha-7, Madison Moss-8, Preston Minix-5
Hanover Central(25): Amanda Schreiber-7, Reagan Noel-2, Kaitlyn Kil-2, Julia Blue-8, Nevaeh Govert-6
Free-Throws
Knox: 10-20 50%
HC: 3-9 33%
3-Point Shots Made
Knox(3): Felicity Olejniczak-2, Preston Minix-1
HC(2): Amanda Schreiber-1, Julia Blue-1
Rebounding
Knox(25): Riley Messer-2, Megan Bolen-4, Remi Jordan-8, Felicity Olejniczak-2, Brianna Korcha-2, Madison Moss-3, Preston Minix-3, Addison Eskridge-1
HC(17): Allison Mueller-3, Star Sanchez-1, Amanda Schreiber-6, Kaitlyn Kil-1, Julia Blue-3, Nevaeh Govert-3
Steals
Knox(24): Riley Messer-2, Megan Bolen-5, Kaitlyn Fitzgerald-3, Remi Jordan-5, Brianna Korcha-1, Madison Moss-2, Preston Minix-5, Addison Eskridge-1
HC(7): Allison Mueller-2, Amanda Schreiber-3, Julia Blue-1, Nevaeh Govert-1
*Statistical Information In This Article Provided By Kankakee Valley Broadcasting Staff. These Are Not Official Game Statistics*
*Photos Sponsored By Momma’s Pizzeria In Downtown Knox*
