By Dan Truttschel
Sports Correspondent
The road has been a bit rough recently for the young East Troy High School girls basketball team.
Host Whitewater was the latest to add to the Trojans’ woes in the regular-season finale last week.
The Whippets, who have been ranked in Division 3 throughout the season, jumped out to a 22-2 first-quarter lead and never were challenged from there in a 58-13 victory.
East Troy closed the regular season at 8-14 overall and 5-11 in the Rock Valley Conference. The Trojans have lost their last seven games, with their last win a 57-49 decision Feb. 7 over visiting Beloit Turner.
“We had a tough time with their press,” East Troy coach Jeff Brown said. “They also shot pretty well.”
At the other end of the floor, Brown said the Whippets took full advantage of his team’s miscues. East Troy had 33 turnovers in the contest.
The Trojans were held to single-digit scoring in each quarter. They trailed 29-7 at halftime and 52-11 heading into the final eight minutes.
“They did a great job pressuring us into turnovers,” Brown said. “The shots we did get were contested.”
Brown has battled Whitewater several times since his arrival at East Troy, and the Whippets usually have put a talented team on the floor.
But not like the one they have this year.
“They are the best Whitewater team since I have gotten to East Troy,” Brown said. “They have size, scoring and senior leadership.”
Katrina Santos led the Trojans with six points, 11 rebounds and three steals, followed by M.E. Dodge with five points and nine rebounds.
While his team wasn’t competitive this time around with the Whippets, Brown said not all was lost in defeat.
There was a good lesson to be learned.
“We know we have to get better,” Brown said.
East Troy now turns its attention to a Division 3 regional semifinal later this week. The Trojans, who received the No. 2 seed, host either third-seeded Milwaukee North or sixth-seeded Milwaukee Tenor in a semifinal contest Friday night at 7 p.m.
The winner advances to a regional final Saturday against either top-seeded St. Thomas More, fourth-seeded Saint Francis or fifth-seeded Saint Joan Antida.
Brown doesn’t know much about either regional opponent, but said even more important may be how team approaches the tournament game this week.
“We have to take care of the ball,” he said. “We play pretty good defense, so we can’t let them get turnovers and a chance to score when we are not set.”
Trojans fall by eight
Visiting Indian Trails Academy outscored East Troy 25-17 in the fourth quarter, and that proved to be the difference in a 68-60 non-conference win Feb. 25.
East Troy led 32-26 at halftime before the visitors knotted the score heading into the fourth quarter. Indian Trails used an advantage from the free-throw line to pull away.
Santos led the Trojans with 23 points, followed by Dodge with 13, Emily Leising with nine and Jessi Spaight with five.
The inside play of Santos and Dodge was a highlight, Brown said.
“We were very effective getting the ball inside,” he said. “Emily and M.E. did a great job getting the ball to Katrina.”
