By Dan Truttschel
Correspondent
The goal for the East Troy girls basketball team all season has been a gradual build up toward bigger games at the end of the year.
That time is nearing quickly – and the Trojans appear to be firing on all cylinders.
East Troy rolled to a pair of easy wins last week to improve to 16-0 overall and 11-0 in the Rock Valley Conference heading into a home game Tuesday against Clinton.
Results of that matchup were unavailable by press time. East Troy entered play this week ranked second in Division 3, according to the latest wissports.net poll.
East Troy opened the week with a 65-48 non-conference win Jan. 29 at Waterford, followed by a 66-39 RVC victory Jan. 31 at Beloit Turner.
Against Turner, the Trojans got off to a hot start and never looked back. East Troy led 22-10 after the first quarter and 37-17 by halftime to take control.
Rachel Atchison led the way with 22 points, followed by Breanna Gaspervich with 18 points, four assists and six steals. Alicia Oleson chipped in with 13 points, five rebounds, seven assists and five steals.
In the week’s first game, the Trojans controlled three of the first four quarters to run past Southern Lakes Conference foe Waterford.
East Troy jumped out to an 18-10 first-quarter lead and held a 31-18 halftime advantage. The teams played nearly even the last 16 minutes, but the outcome never was in doubt.
Gaspervich led a balanced scoring attack with 19 points, four assists and six steals, followed by Oleson with 19 points, nine rebounds and five assists.
Atchison added 14 points, four rebounds and three steals, followed by Frankie Morris with five rebounds and Andrea Olson with four steals and four rebounds.
The Trojans’ game Tuesday with Clinton marked the first of three critical challenges this week. Clinton entered the game at 14-4 overall and 8-4 in the RVC South Division.
East Troy then travels to Edgerton Friday night for a rematch with the Tide. The Trojans won the first matchup in November 63-59.
But the biggest contest of the week comes Monday night, Feb. 11, when East Troy hosts Brodhead at 7:15 p.m. The Cardinals began play this week at 16-0 overall, 11-0 in the RVC and were ranked fourth in the wissports.net poll.
The two teams have been on a collision course since last year’s regional final won by East Troy 58-37. East Troy was victorious in the next round to advance to the state tournament for the first time ever.
Brodhead is led by Carly Mohns and Taylor Douglas, who average 12.4 and 10.5 points, respectively. Rachel Heller and Kylie Moe are next at 9.2 per game, followed by Meg Duffield at 6.6.
