Lady Cavaliers Come From Behind For Sixth Win!
The West Central Lady Trojans came out on the attack Thursday night, as they entered John R. Nelson Gymnasium at Culver Community High School. The Lady Trojans and the Lady Cavaliers played in the first round of a matchup that will meet again in the first round of the Oregon-Davis Sectional on Tuesday night!
In the first quarter, the Lady Trojans would force Culver into four turnovers as they climbed to a slim two point lead at the end of the first eight minutes of play. Mara Sharpe and Emily Pilarski would be two of the thorns in the side of Culver throughout the first half, as the two would combine for ten points in the first and second quarter, scoring five apiece. A back-and-forth would begin to pick up pace between the two teams as the second quarter progressed. The Lady Cavs would force West Central into three turnovers in the second quarter, after the Lady Trojans had not turned the ball over a single time in the first quarter. Each team would be able to put more points on the scoreboard in the second quarter, as the two squads began to calm down. Maddie Shedrow and Alina Pizza of Culver would be consistent scoring forces for the Lady Cavs in the firs half, with duo accounting for eight of the team’s fifteen first half points, scoring four points each. The Lady Trojans would have six players score in the first half, as they took a slim nineteen-fifteen lead into the locker room at the half.
The third quarter would prove to be the biggest difference in the ballgame. Coming out of the locker room, the Lady Cavaliers appeared to have a new fire as they took the court. Senior Maddie Shedrow would turn into the scoring machine every Lady Cavalier opponent fears. After putting up just four points in the first half (all coming at the free throw line), Shedrow would erupt for twelve second half points, scoring a game-high sixteen points in the victory. The interesting part of Shedrow’s scoring total would come from how she was able to accumulate her points. The 5’6 Senior would not hit a single two-point field goal in the ballgame. Her nonstop, aggressive mindset on the offensive end of the floor caused the West Central defense to become slightly off balance as she looked to attack the rim, often ending in free-throw opportunities. Shedrow would hit ten out of thirteen free throw attempts, while knocking down two 3-point shots.
In what was maybe the biggest surprise of the entire night, at least for the WKVI broadcast crew, the sharp-shooting of Culver Freshman guard Grace Sieber would be jaw dropping! After hitting one long ball to account for her three first half points, Sieber would erupt with three more triples in the the second half, on her way to twelve huge points for the Lady Cavaliers! Teammate Baleigh Binkley would also aid in the second half surge of the Lady Cavs, as the 5’5 Sophomore would drop in seven points in the final two quarters, giving her nine total in the game. The most consistent scoring force for Culver would come in the post from Junior Alina Pizza, who tallied seven points in the game, with four coming in the first half and three in the second.
The rebounding battle would be in favor of the Lady Cavs throughout the ballgame, as Culver out rebounded West Central thirty-eight to twenty-three in the game. Shedrow would lead both teams in rebounding as she was able to pull away an impressive twelve boards in the game, rounding out her double-double. For West Central it would be Mara Sharpe and Crisney Shepperd who would handle the bulk of the rebounding responsibilities, as the two would combine for ten boards, pulling down five apiece. It would be the three-point shooting that would ultimately put Culver over the top, as they were able to outscore West Central by twelve from behind the arc, hitting seven three’s compared to the Trojans’ three. The third quarter would be the biggest difference in the game with Culver outscoring West Central seventeen to four in that third period, to take a thirty-two to twenty-three lead into the final quarter. West Central would be able to bounce back somewhat in the final stanza, but it would not be enough as Culver would outscore the Lady Trojans fifteen to ten, to get their sixth win of the season.
The Starke County Co-Op Play of the Game on WKVI came with 1:02 remaining in the third quarter, when Grace Sieber knocked down a three-point shot to give the Lady Cavaliers a nine point lead. One of four made three-pointers by Sieber, who had only made seven the entire season, prior to Thursday night.
The Ashley Derrickson/Five Star Player of the game was Culver Senior Maddie Shedrow, who scored a game-high sixteen points, hitting ten of thirteen at the free throw line, while also knocking down two three-point shots. Shedrow would round out her double-double with twelve rebounds, accomplishing all of that while only committing two fouls in the win!
The Lady Cavaliers get back to work Friday night when they travel to North Judson, while the Lady Trojans are off until the first round of the Oregon-Davis Sectional, where they will be taking on the Culver Lady Cavaliers.
Game Statistics
Scoring
Culver(47): Grace Sieber-12, Baleigh Binkley-9, Maddie Shedrow-16, Mackenzie Banks-2, Alina Pizur-7, Avery Garland-1
West Central(33): Tori Culp-7, Crisney Shepperd-3, Mara Sharpe-12, Jenna Patton-2, Emily Pilarski-7, Emma Nielsen-2
Made 3-Point Shots
Culver(7): Grace Sieber-4, Baleigh Binkley-1, Maddie Shedrow-2
West Central(3): Tori Culp-2, Emily Pilarski-1
Free-Throw Shooting
Culver: 12-25 48%
West Central: 8-19 42%
Rebounding
Culver(36): Grace Sieber-4, Baleigh Binkley-4, Maddie Shedrow-12, Mackenzie Banks-5, Luci Overmyer-2, Alina Pizur-5, Lizzie Pugh-4
West Central(23): Tori Culp-3, Crisney Shepperd-5, Mara Sharpe-5, Jenna Patton-3, Olivia Mellon-1, Brooklynn Mellon-1, Emily Pilarski-3, Emma Nielsen-2
Steals
West Central(8): Tori Culp-2, Crisney Shepperd-1, Mara Sharpe-1, Jenna Patton-1, Olivia Mellon-1, Emily Pilarski-1, Emma Nielsen-1
Culver(4): Grace Sieber-1, Baleigh Binkley-2, Mackenzie Banks-1
*Statistical Information In This Article Provided By Kankakee Valley Broadcasting Staff. These Are Not Official Game Statistics*