Young’s free-throws keep ‘Hawks at bay
by Gregory R. Norfleet · Sports · January 04, 2018
Every time Mid-Prairie had a moment, even a short run, West Branch had an answer, and in the final game before Christmas break, the girls basketball team closed 2017 with a 54-50 win over the visitors.
And the Bears did it against a team with only one other loss up to that night.
West Branch’s ability to hit three-pointers early kept the Golden Hawks from getting too far ahead, then the Bears took the lead in the second quarter, turning the visitors into the chase team. Mid-Prairie almost found a way to catch up late, but West Branch showed an improvement at the free-throw line to keep the Hawks at bay.
“Like I told my team coming into the game, Mid-Prairie’s always well-coached, (Head Coach) Stephen Bender always does a great job,” West Branch Head Coach Jarod Tylee said. “He has plans for us, and we knew it would be a grind. But, fortunately, we had more points at the end.”
Bender said rebounding in the first half and third quarter by the Bears made a “big difference” in the game.
“West Branch had a lot of second-chance looks,” he said. “We didn’t do a good enough job boxing out and they were keeping it alive. … I think in the first half (the Bears) had nine off second-chance points. We needed to do a better job than that.”
West Branch counted 33 rebounds to Mid-Prairie’s 28 in four quarters. The Bears collected 17 offensive rebounds to Mid-Prairie’s 12. Bear sophomore Kaiya Luneckas led the team in rebounds with 13, followed by senior Tatum Koenig with eight.
Bender said it takes more effort to box out Luneckas than the average player.
“I thought we did a better job in the fourth quarter, and we were boxing out, but she’s so long she can still get the ball,” the Mid-Prairie coach said. “So you have to bring her farther back from the hoop. You have to push her back. We didn’t do that early, and when we did that later in the game, it was too late. That was a real key for West Branch.”
Mid-Prairie fell to 6-2 after the loss; West Branch improved to 6-4.
The stats tell a story themselves, with West Branch shooting just under 32 percent from two-point range compared to Mid-Prairie’s nearly 48 percent. Yet the Bears hit 39 percent of its shots from three-point range over the Golden Hawks’ 29 percent; and the home team fared better at the free-throw line, dropping in 71 percent compared to the visitors’ 56 percent.
Senior Tatum Koenig led the Bears with 22 points, 15 coming from three-point range, with freshmen Taya Young and Sasha Koenig both scoring 14. West Branch made nine triples, making up half its 54 points.
West Branch put heavy pressure on the Mid-Prairie offense, which Tylee said “we like to do.”
“That creates a weapon for our offense and we feel good about our bench,” he said. “We feel like, ‘if we can get the other team tired a little bit, we can go and do our thing.’ We’re a little deeper than other teams and it’s been helpful for us.”
The Hawks received few good looks from the edges, but fared well making up with its inside game.
“They have a really good inside game,” Tylee said. “So we wanted to play an inside game. (Mid-Prairie) did a really good job scoring points, but we closed out on the shooters and did a decent job rebounding.”
Bender said West Branch shot well against the Hawks’ defense on the outside, including nine three-pointers.
“We did not want to double the posts, but I think, just out of habit, the guards did that,” he said. “That left a lot of open shooters outside and they hit a lot of threes. And our outside shot wasn’t falling. We hit some near the end there to get back in the game, but they hit a few of their three-point shots early in the game, which made it harder when we were trying to come back. Their guards are really good.”
The fourth quarter saw the Bears’ intensity and efficiency ratchet up and widen a six-point lead to 10, and the Hawks fought back with a better outside game and fouling that squeezed that back to two points. Then Bear freshman Taya Young made two free-throws with less than 10 seconds left to put the game out of reach for the visitors.
The two teams combined to call four time-outs to try to control momentum and adjust strategy.
“In our time-outs we talked about getting the ball inbounds against their press,” Tylee said. “We knew they were going to foul us and we had to make our free-throws. We didn’t shoot free-throws really well, and we missed a few down the stretch, but Taya Young stepped up as a freshman to make those two free-throws at the end. That’s a lot of courage for a 14-year-old girl in a big game.”
Bender said the fouling helped the Hawks extend the game and was pleased to see the margin shrink to a single basket.
“I thought we had a chance there,” he said. “We fouled their freshman and she gets two big free-throws there. If she doesn’t hit them, you’ve got a chance to tie. So we got a chance at the end, but gave them too big a lead. It’s hard to come back when you’re under by 10. And with a couple minutes left, we made a pretty good effort, but it was just not quite enough.”
Tylee said the girls basketball team benefitted from the fellow students who showed up.
“Our student section and pep band have been outstanding to this point,” he said. “We’ve had multiple games — whether it’s Cascade, Regina or tonight — and they’ve been outstanding and we appreciate the noise they bring and the support. I hope it continues. They do a good job.”
Mid-Prairie won the tip-off, but West Branch scored first, with Young firing off a three-pointer to kick off the game. Mid-Prairie opened with a two-pointer from senior Addison Rath, to which T. Koenig lobbed in a second Bear trey.
The Hawks rattled off four unanswered baskets to take a 10-6 lead, but another T. Koenig three-pointer closed the margin to one.
The visitors dropped in two free-throws, and Bear sophomore Mackenzie Heise joined in with a layup, with the quarter ending 12-11, Mid-Prairie.
To get things going in the second quarter, Rath tossed in the Hawks first triple, answered by a Luneckas layup. Mid-Prairie called time-out up 15-13 with 4:14 left in the first half.
Coming back to the court, Young banked a layup and drew the foul, putting in a gimmie to complete the three-point play. Rath scored on a layup to regain a one-point lead, then freshman Sasha Koenig made her presence known to Mid-Prairie with back-to-back three-pointers to take the lead back for the Bears. West Branch called time-out ahead 22-17 with 2:11 left to the half.
A Golden Hawk two-pointer put the final points on the board for the half, which ended 22-19, West Branch.
Rath, on her way to a team-leading 20 points that night, jumped into the third period with back-to-back baskets, followed by another Hawk basket and a 25-22 lead. S. Koenig threw up a trey, then Mid-Prairie senior Anna Vilovchik put up her second basket of the night. Baskets by Young, then Rath, then T. Koenig followed and West Branch called time-out with a 30-29 lead and 4:44 left to the third quarter.
Vilovchik put in her first triple, then two free-throws by Young, a three-pointer by S. Koenig and a layup by Young retook the lead and opened a six-point margin when West Branch called time-out with 1:57 on the clock.
A Hawk basket and two free-throws by T. Koenig ended the quarter with the Bears up 39-33.
Vilovchik opened the fourth quarter with a three-pointer for the visitors, and T. Koenig made one free-throw on a three-point foul. S. Koenig made a basket, answered by Rath, then T. Koenig tossed in a triple for a 45-38 Bear lead and Mid-Prairie calling time-out with just under four minutes left.
The Hawks, with seven points to make up, started fouling. In the next two minutes, T. Koenig made two one-and-ones to add four points and Mid-Prairie put in a three-pointer. West Branch called time-out with an eight-point lead and 1:40 left to play.
S. Koenig put in two free-throws while Mid-Prairie sank a trey and Rath put in a layup, cutting the Bear lead to five with the Golden Hawks calling time-out with 51 seconds to go.
S. Koenig again went to the line, making one, while Mid-Prairie made a three-pointer and the front end of a one-and-one. The visitors called another time-out with 17 seconds to go and just a two-point deficit.
It took seven seconds to foul, and this time Young went to the line for West Branch, dropping in both attempts and widening the Bear lead to four. Mid-Prairie did not score again and the Bears finished with a 54-50 victory.
1 2 3 4 T
WB 11 11 17 15 54
MP 12 7 14 17 50
West Branch stats: Abbey Fryauf 1 rebound, 1 steal, 3 fouls; Kaiya Luneckas1 0-0 2, 13 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 4 fouls; Tatum Koenig 5 7-9 22, 5 3-pointers, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 7 steals, 2 fouls; Taylor Thein 1 rebound, 2 assists; Taya Young 4 5-5 14, 1 3-pointer, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 foul; Sasha Koenig 4 3-6 14, 3 3-pointers, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 2 fouls; Mackenzie Heise 1 0-0 2, 2 rebounds, 1 foul. Team totals: 15 15-21 54, 9 3-pointers, 33 rebounds, 14 assists, 11 steals, 13 fouls.
Mid-Prairie, Wellman stats: Anna Vilovchik 4 2-2 12, 2 3-pointers, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 5 fouls; Kessa Jones 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block, 4 fouls; Ella Cadena 1 rebound, 2 fouls; Addie Rath 9 1-3 20, 1 3-pointer, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 4 fouls; Shae Becker 3 2-2 9, 1 3-pointer; 5 rebounds, 3 assists; Myah Lugar 1 0-0 3, 1 3-pointer, 1 foul; Phalen Hostetler 3 0-2 6, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 2 blocks; Delaney Smith 1 rebound, 2 assists, 1 foul; Georgia Nisly 1 foul. Unknown: 4 rebounds. Team totals: 20 5-9 50, 5 3-pointers, 28 rebounds, 14 assists, 4 steals, 3 blocks, 18 fouls.
West Branch 48
Camanche 42
Sisters Tatum and Sasha Koenig each dropped in three three-pointers and they, as well as freshman Taya Young scored in double digits in a 48-42 win when Camanche visited on Dec. 18.
1 2 3 4 T
WB 16 14 8 10 48
Cam 12 8 10 12 42
West Branch stats: Abbey Fryauf 3 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block, 1 foul; Riley Vaughan 1 rebound, 2 assists; Kaiya Luneckas 14 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 fouls; Tatum Koenig 7 3-5 20, 3 3-pointers, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 steals, 3 fouls; Bridget Buol 2 fouls; Taylor Thein 1 0-0 3, 1 3-pointer, 1 foul; Taya Young 3 2-4 10, 2 3-pointers, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 fouls; Sasha Koenig 4 0-0 11, 3 3-pointers, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 2 fouls; Mackenzie Heise 2 0-0 4, 3 rebounds, 1 steals, 3 fouls. Team totals: 17 5-9 48, 9 3-pointers, 33 rebounds, 10 assists, 8 steals, 1 block, 16 fouls.
Camanche stats: Lea Lefebure 5 0-0 10, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 blocks; Camaryn Carsten 1 0-0 3, 1 3-pointer, 4 rebounds, 2 steals; Madi Parson 4 0-0 8, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 5 blocks; Sami Puckett 1 3-6 6, 1 3-pointer, 1 rebound, 1 steal; Hanna Nissen 0 0-2 0, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 block; Marly Bussa 3 2-4 8, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals; Paige Walz 1 1-2 4, 1 3-pointer, 3 steals; Alexandra Nielsen 1 0-0 3, 1 3-pointer, 1 rebound, 2 assists. Team totals: 16 6-14 42, 4 3-pointers, 31 rebounds, 10 assists, 9 steals, 10 blocks.
West Branch 65
West Liberty 31
West Branch visited West Liberty Dec. 16 and defeated the Comets 65-31.
The Bears shot more than 43 percent from the field and 50 percent from the free-throw line.
West Branch stats: Abbey Fryauf 0 1-4 1, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 2 block; Lexie Peak 1 rebound, 1 steal; Riley Vaughan 2 rebounds, 1 foul; Kaiya Luneckas 1 1-4 3, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 5 steals, 2 fouls; Tatum Koenig 8 2-2 20, 2 3-pointers, 3 rebounds, 8 assists, 5 steals, 1 foul; Bridget Buol 3 0-0 6, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal; Maddi Luneckas 1 block; Taylor Thein 2 2-2 6, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 3 fouls; Taya Young 6 1-2 14, 1 3-pointer, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block; Sasha Koenig 6 0-0 15 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, 1 foul; Rylan Druecker 1 rebound, 1 steal, 1 foul; Maddie Hatfield 1 rebound; Mackenzie Heise 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 blocks, 4 fouls. Team totals: 26 7-14 65, 6 3-pointers, 36 rebounds, 17 assists, 15 steals, 7 blocks, 13 fouls
West Liberty stats: Haylee Lehman 0 0-2 0, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 foul; Madison McIntosh 1 0-0 3, 1 3-pointer, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 fouls; Macy Akers 4 4-6 13, 1 3-pointer, 4 rebounds, 4 steals, 3 fouls; Isabel Morrison 2 2-6 6, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 3 fouls; Martha Pace 1 0-0 2, 5 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 foul; Janey Gingerich 3 0-0 7, 1 3-pointer, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals, 1 foul. Unknown: 4 rebounds. Team totals: 11 6-14 31, 3 3-pointers, 26 rebounds, 3 assists, 11 blocks, 11 fouls
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