Lady Cats win four straight
December 21, 2021 at 9:48 p.m.
Lady Cats win four straight
By Chris Louden and Will Fehlinger -
Visiting OA was down by a mere 15-12 at the halftime break and a pair of free throws by junior Ashley Borgman tied the contest at 17 with a minute left in the third period. But too much Kiersten Schell in the final eight minutes – the junior poured in 12 points (6-of-6 at the foul line) and a key assist – had the Lady Wildcats closing on a 20-6 rally to win a seventh straight in the series and fourth consecutive overall.
A deep three by junior Josie Rolfes just beat the third-quarter buzzer, put the home team up three at 20-17, and triggered a string of 14 unanswered points for the Cats. A drive by sophomore Kate Weber would finally end the Twister drought and coach Eric Feller called timeout, down by a dozen with three minutes to go.
Schell began shelling Oldenburg about midway through the fourth, hitting from the baseline to make it 25-17. She went back to that same shot on the next possession for a double-digit FC lead. Seconds later, the junior bounced one into classmate Macy Crain for an easy two. Also, during the run, Schell canned two free throws as OA missed the front end on two trips.
Schell drove to the bucket for two more with 2:24 left and knocked down four more charities to put the game on ice. Sophomore Rachel Lamping hit from the field at the 1-minute mark, just the third of its kind for OA in the second half.
Rolfes sent FC to a 5-0 advantage with an early layup and corner 3-pointer three minutes later; the bomb forced an OA timeout as Feller's squad had three fouls and no points. The guests then rallied to take a 10-5 lead into the second quarter. Soph Ellie Ryan hit a trey ahead of a transition score by junior Hannah Haverkos and a Borgman fielder; the latter added a triple with time running out in the frame.
OA was called for a pair of offensive fouls to start the next stanza. FC inched back with a nice give-and-go from Nicole Mears to senior Jenna Bruns. The teams combined to miss six FTs in a row, before Lamping banked in a long two. Rolfes' three made it 12-11 and her coach Kyle Van Meter wanted time. His squad ended the half on a 7-0 run, Schell getting her first bucket and Rolfes connecting from the stripe.
Borgman's steal and score helped OA knot the game at 15 early in the last half. A pretty feed to Crain had FC briefly regaining the edge at 3:34.
Rolfes led all scorers with 15 and Schell posted 14. Borgman's 10 paced OA.
Next week brings two games for the Twisters – Dec. 29 vs. Switzerland County in the Feldhaus and Dec. 30 at Waldron, currently the top-ranked team in Indiana's Class A. FC will partake in the Triton Central holiday tournament Dec. 28-29.
Scoring
OA (3-8) – Lamping 4, Borgman 10 (3), Weber 4, Haverkos 2, Ryan 3 (3)
FC (8-6) – Rolfes 15 (3 3s), Schell 14, Alex Gillman 2, Crain 4, Bruns 2
Vs. Batesville (Dec. 14)
The Lady Wildcats dominated conference foe Batesville last week. The 44-22 win marked the third in a row for the Lady Cats and was also their first conference win this year.
FC defense shut down the Lady Bulldogs, allowing only three points in the first half. The Cats dominated on the boards early, turning offensive rebounds into second-chance points. Kassidy Schell led the way for FC, scoring the first six points for the Wildcats' first-quarter total. Batesville managed to score one point in the first quarter with a Bre Wells free throw.
Emma Weiler added two more Batesville points on free throws in the second period. The Lady Cats got a three-point basket from Bruns, and Schell scored on a drive in the lane. Kiersten Schell also got in the scoring column in the period. FC took to the locker room, up 16-3 at the midpoint.
The Lady Cats spread the ball around in the third quarter, with Saige Mergenthal and Gillman collecting buckets and Ka. Schell adding four more to her total for the game. FC led 24-6 after three.
Batesville made a late-game surge in the fourth, scoring 16 points, but FC outpaced the Lady Dogs by scoring 20 points, nine of which came from the charity stripe.
SCORING
FC 6-10-8-20 44
Batesville 1-2-3-16 22
FC Scoring: Ka. Schell 16, Gillman 5, Bruns 5, Rolfes 5, Ki. Schell 4, Mergenthal 4, Kylie Lea 3, Crain 2
Batesville Scoring: Calley Kaiser 7, Sarah Ripperger 5, Isabel Raab 4, Carley Pride 3, Weiler 2, Wells 1
Vs. South Ripley (Dec. 11)
The Franklin County Lady Wildcats held off a determined South Ripley team on Saturday afternoon, Dec. 11, edging the Lady Raiders 32-29.
FC got off to a quick start, beginning the contest on a 5-0 run. The Lady Raiders responded with a 6-0 run to end the first frame with a one-point lead. The Lady Cats came back in the second to outscore South Ripley 11-1 in the period and take a 17-9 lead into halftime.
The Lady Raiders hit their stride in the third frame, pulling within two points of FC at 17-15. The Lady Cats then had another run mid-quarter to pull ahead 27-19. South Ripley finished the third strong, scoring six unanswered points.
With a one-point lead, FC pulled ahead by three on a jump shot by the sophomore Mears. South Ripley's Rachel Meyer sank a three-pointer to tie the game at 29 each. Kassidy Schell put the game away for the Cats – for a second consecutive game - going three for four from the line and giving FC the win.
Ka. Schell led FC with 10 points and Crain posted 7.
At Richmond (Dec. 7)
The Lady Cats stopped a 4-game losing streak Tuesday, Dec. 7, in a dramatic 41-40 win at Richmond.
The visitors knocked down 10 of their 11 free throw attempts in the fourth quarter, none more vital than Kassidy Schell's with just 3.3 seconds remaining. Lady Red Devil senior Jayci Allen, the team's top offensive threat, gained an offensive board and went to the foul line with about 15 seconds to go. Her shots had put RHS up 40-39.
FC coach Kyle Van Meter called timeout, instructing his charges to attack the basket. After Schell's makes, the coach stopped play again to set up the defense. He made sure the Devils didn't beat his squad with a deep pass, placing Bruns on Allen.
“We're ecstatic to get rolling on wins again but know to get where we expect to get at the end of the year, we have to execute and do all the little things all the time,” said Van Meter.
The mentor revealed his game plan was to pack it in and force the Devils to shoot from outside. Richmond spoiled the plan with a pair of threes, causing FC to switch from zone to man-to-man. Van Meter's lone beef with his team Tuesday was a lack of rebounding that let the hosts stick around until the end.
Schell's winning FTs gave her a team-high 11 points; twin sister Kiersten added 7, as did Rolfes. Crain scored 6 in the paint, freshman Tiffany Billman notched 5 and Bruns buried four foul shots in the decisive quarter.
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Visiting OA was down by a mere 15-12 at the halftime break and a pair of free throws by junior Ashley Borgman tied the contest at 17 with a minute left in the third period. But too much Kiersten Schell in the final eight minutes – the junior poured in 12 points (6-of-6 at the foul line) and a key assist – had the Lady Wildcats closing on a 20-6 rally to win a seventh straight in the series and fourth consecutive overall.
A deep three by junior Josie Rolfes just beat the third-quarter buzzer, put the home team up three at 20-17, and triggered a string of 14 unanswered points for the Cats. A drive by sophomore Kate Weber would finally end the Twister drought and coach Eric Feller called timeout, down by a dozen with three minutes to go.
Schell began shelling Oldenburg about midway through the fourth, hitting from the baseline to make it 25-17. She went back to that same shot on the next possession for a double-digit FC lead. Seconds later, the junior bounced one into classmate Macy Crain for an easy two. Also, during the run, Schell canned two free throws as OA missed the front end on two trips.
Schell drove to the bucket for two more with 2:24 left and knocked down four more charities to put the game on ice. Sophomore Rachel Lamping hit from the field at the 1-minute mark, just the third of its kind for OA in the second half.
Rolfes sent FC to a 5-0 advantage with an early layup and corner 3-pointer three minutes later; the bomb forced an OA timeout as Feller's squad had three fouls and no points. The guests then rallied to take a 10-5 lead into the second quarter. Soph Ellie Ryan hit a trey ahead of a transition score by junior Hannah Haverkos and a Borgman fielder; the latter added a triple with time running out in the frame.
OA was called for a pair of offensive fouls to start the next stanza. FC inched back with a nice give-and-go from Nicole Mears to senior Jenna Bruns. The teams combined to miss six FTs in a row, before Lamping banked in a long two. Rolfes' three made it 12-11 and her coach Kyle Van Meter wanted time. His squad ended the half on a 7-0 run, Schell getting her first bucket and Rolfes connecting from the stripe.
Borgman's steal and score helped OA knot the game at 15 early in the last half. A pretty feed to Crain had FC briefly regaining the edge at 3:34.
Rolfes led all scorers with 15 and Schell posted 14. Borgman's 10 paced OA.
Next week brings two games for the Twisters – Dec. 29 vs. Switzerland County in the Feldhaus and Dec. 30 at Waldron, currently the top-ranked team in Indiana's Class A. FC will partake in the Triton Central holiday tournament Dec. 28-29.
Scoring
OA (3-8) – Lamping 4, Borgman 10 (3), Weber 4, Haverkos 2, Ryan 3 (3)
FC (8-6) – Rolfes 15 (3 3s), Schell 14, Alex Gillman 2, Crain 4, Bruns 2
Vs. Batesville (Dec. 14)
The Lady Wildcats dominated conference foe Batesville last week. The 44-22 win marked the third in a row for the Lady Cats and was also their first conference win this year.
FC defense shut down the Lady Bulldogs, allowing only three points in the first half. The Cats dominated on the boards early, turning offensive rebounds into second-chance points. Kassidy Schell led the way for FC, scoring the first six points for the Wildcats' first-quarter total. Batesville managed to score one point in the first quarter with a Bre Wells free throw.
Emma Weiler added two more Batesville points on free throws in the second period. The Lady Cats got a three-point basket from Bruns, and Schell scored on a drive in the lane. Kiersten Schell also got in the scoring column in the period. FC took to the locker room, up 16-3 at the midpoint.
The Lady Cats spread the ball around in the third quarter, with Saige Mergenthal and Gillman collecting buckets and Ka. Schell adding four more to her total for the game. FC led 24-6 after three.
Batesville made a late-game surge in the fourth, scoring 16 points, but FC outpaced the Lady Dogs by scoring 20 points, nine of which came from the charity stripe.
SCORING
FC 6-10-8-20 44
Batesville 1-2-3-16 22
FC Scoring: Ka. Schell 16, Gillman 5, Bruns 5, Rolfes 5, Ki. Schell 4, Mergenthal 4, Kylie Lea 3, Crain 2
Batesville Scoring: Calley Kaiser 7, Sarah Ripperger 5, Isabel Raab 4, Carley Pride 3, Weiler 2, Wells 1
Vs. South Ripley (Dec. 11)
The Franklin County Lady Wildcats held off a determined South Ripley team on Saturday afternoon, Dec. 11, edging the Lady Raiders 32-29.
FC got off to a quick start, beginning the contest on a 5-0 run. The Lady Raiders responded with a 6-0 run to end the first frame with a one-point lead. The Lady Cats came back in the second to outscore South Ripley 11-1 in the period and take a 17-9 lead into halftime.
The Lady Raiders hit their stride in the third frame, pulling within two points of FC at 17-15. The Lady Cats then had another run mid-quarter to pull ahead 27-19. South Ripley finished the third strong, scoring six unanswered points.
With a one-point lead, FC pulled ahead by three on a jump shot by the sophomore Mears. South Ripley's Rachel Meyer sank a three-pointer to tie the game at 29 each. Kassidy Schell put the game away for the Cats – for a second consecutive game - going three for four from the line and giving FC the win.
Ka. Schell led FC with 10 points and Crain posted 7.
At Richmond (Dec. 7)
The Lady Cats stopped a 4-game losing streak Tuesday, Dec. 7, in a dramatic 41-40 win at Richmond.
The visitors knocked down 10 of their 11 free throw attempts in the fourth quarter, none more vital than Kassidy Schell's with just 3.3 seconds remaining. Lady Red Devil senior Jayci Allen, the team's top offensive threat, gained an offensive board and went to the foul line with about 15 seconds to go. Her shots had put RHS up 40-39.
FC coach Kyle Van Meter called timeout, instructing his charges to attack the basket. After Schell's makes, the coach stopped play again to set up the defense. He made sure the Devils didn't beat his squad with a deep pass, placing Bruns on Allen.
“We're ecstatic to get rolling on wins again but know to get where we expect to get at the end of the year, we have to execute and do all the little things all the time,” said Van Meter.
The mentor revealed his game plan was to pack it in and force the Devils to shoot from outside. Richmond spoiled the plan with a pair of threes, causing FC to switch from zone to man-to-man. Van Meter's lone beef with his team Tuesday was a lack of rebounding that let the hosts stick around until the end.
Schell's winning FTs gave her a team-high 11 points; twin sister Kiersten added 7, as did Rolfes. Crain scored 6 in the paint, freshman Tiffany Billman notched 5 and Bruns buried four foul shots in the decisive quarter.
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