By Dan Truttschel
The East Troy High School girls basketball team has engaged in many epic battles with Whitewater through the years.
And in that time, the Whippets certainly have put outstanding teams on the floor – but maybe none better than this season’s version.
Whitewater, currently ranked second in Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Division 3 by wisssports.com, jumped out to a 24-6 first-quarter lead Friday night and cruised past the young East Troy squad 72-32.
The loss dropped the Trojans to 3-10 overall and 2-7 in the Rock Valley Conference, while Whitewater stayed perfect at 13-0 and 8-0 in the RVC.
“Whitewater is the best non-Rock Valley team I have seen in my five years (at East Troy),” East Troy coach Jeff Brown said. “In my opinion, they are better than last year. Their size and athleticism is impressive.”
East Troy cut the deficit a bit in the second quarter and trailed 35-. 21 at halftime.
But the second half was all Whippets.
Whitewater put the game out of the reach with a 26-5 third quarter and closed out the game with an 11-6 fourth.
The Whippets made life difficult on both sides of the floor, Brown said.
“Defensively, their diamond press is really good,” he said. “They get a lot of points off of their defense.
“Offensively, they pass the ball very well and they find easier shots.”
Brown was pleased with his team’s effort, especially in the second quarter.
“I was proud of our effort throughout the game,” he said. “We had a great second quarter. Katrina (Santos) played a great game. We’re really improving.”
Santos led the way with 15 points, eight rebounds and six steals, followed by Katie Hodges with seven points and three steals and Maddie Rosin with six assists.
Whitewater’s Sarah Schumacher led all scorers with 22 points.
Vs. Beloit Turner
In the week’s first game, the Trojans held off a late rally and a missed shot at the buzzer last Tuesday night to defeat host Beloit Turner 42-40.
East Troy led by four points with eight seconds left on two free throws by Rosin. A basket by Turner cut the deficit in half, followed by a jump ball that gave the hosts the shot at the buzzer that was off the mark.
“It was our best effort of the year,” Brown said. “Everyone scored. We played great. The kids earned, and they should gain some confidence.”
Santos had a huge night with 17 points, 15 rebounds, three steals and two blocked shots. Rosin added eight points and three assists, while Jessi Spaight also had three assists.
East Troy will host Parkview Thursday night and will travel to Big Foot next Tuesday for an RVC crossover game with the Chiefs.
Brown hopes his team can keep moving forward.
“We are looking forward to the week,” he said. “We are playing better and improving.”
