By Kevin Cunningham
sports correspondent
The defending state champions had quite the scare on Feb. 4, as the Whitewater High School girls basketball team (18-1) defeated Edgerton (11-8), 35-28 on the road. The Whippets were described as playing uncharacteristic by head coach Judy Harms, and she said the team just needs a break.
In the seven-point victory Myriama Smith-Traore was the only scorer in double-digits in the game, with 12 points. Smith-Traore also recorded 13 rebounds and three steals.
Other than Smith-Traore, the team shot 9-of-40 from the field, including 1-of-9 from behind the arc. The Whippets also shot 10-of-19 from the free throw line. Only five Whippets scored in the game, compared to Edgerton’s six.
Outside of the Edgerton game, only one other time this season outside of the two-point overtime loss, have the Whippets won a game by single digits. Five days after the narrow win, the team faced Evansville at home.
The Whippets got back to its usual dominance in this one, owning a 20-point lead at halftime and going on to win, 80-37. Three players scored in double figures, led by Smith-Traore’s game-high 21 points.
It was senior night, and Harms said it was great to be able to play all five seniors together and get them substantial playing time in the process. The five seniors honored were Keeley Fiedler, Chey Minton, Maddy Fero, Andi Markham and Michaela Schumacher.
The team is now 18-1 overall with three games remaining in the regular season. The Whippets’ next game is slated to begin at 7:15 p.m. on Friday against McFarland on the road.
McFarland is 11-8 overall and 9-5 in the conference, good for second place behind Whitewater. McFarland is coming off a 19-point defeat to Jefferson and were winners of its previous four games after starting the season 7-7.
