Lady Whippets to play for state title Saturday
By Heather Ruenz
The Lady Whippets came out of the gate Friday ready to play and never let up, leading the entire semi-final game and defeating Div. 3 defending champion Kettle Moraine Lutheran, 47-30.
On Saturday, around 2:30 p.m., Whitewater (27-0) will face Appleton Xavier in the state title game and attempt to become the first undefeated Div. 3 champion since 2010.
Sophomore Myriama Smith-Traore was the first to score in the game and helped Whitewater’s defensive stance throughout, denying shots, getting steals and going up strong for rebounds to limit the Chargers’ shot attempts.
Nearly each time Kettle Moraine made a basket, the Whippets had an immediate answer, if not two or three. While the Chargers played man-to-man defense, the accurate, fast passing attack by Whitewater – combined with solid screens – opened inside lanes allowing the Whippets to score.
Near the end of the first half, Whitewater was up 22-11 and refused to let the Chargers score, knocking the ball out of bounds on pass attempts and keeping the inside protected against open players.
The beginning of the third quarter was a bit quieter, 26-15 in favor of the Whippets with about four minutes left. Kettle Moraine tried to pick up the pace but that led to a steal and basket by Whitney Treder.
The Chargers again tried to score quickly and got the ball inside but Sarah Schumacher blocked the shot attempt, leading to a quick two points on the other end of the court by Rebekah Schumacher on an assist by Kailey Reynolds.
At the end of three, the Whippets were up 35-18.
In the fourth quarter, Smith-Traore and Sarah Schumacher dominated the battle of the boards, going up strong for defensive rebounds.
Whitewater held its lead and increased it to nearly 20 points at 43-24 with just over three minutes remaining in the game.
Kettle Moraine had to work hard to put the Whippets in the foul bonus in an attempt to help with clock management, but Whitewater continued to move the ball fast, limiting the number of fouls the Chargers could deliver once the bonus was in place.
With just under two minutes left, the hundreds of fans from Whitewater could be heard chanting, “Undefeated! Undefeated!”
In the press conference following the game, coach Judy Harms said the team knew “if we came out nervous… it wasn’t going to be a good thing. Our kids came out ready to play. I think they were hungrier than the other team.”
Player of the game, Sarah Schumacher talked about the defensive effort.
“Rebounding and defensive stops were a huge key in the win,” Schumacher said.
Smith-Traore said the things they’ve practiced recently worked well today.
“We’ve really been working on moving our feet and boxing out,” she said.
As they’ve done all season, it was a total team effort featuring unselfish play on Whitewater’s part, resulting in a scoring attack that saw seven Whippets contribute.
Rebekah Schumacher led the Whippets scoring with 14; her sister, Sarah, 13 points and 13 rebounds; Smith-Traore added 7 points and 13 rebounds; Melanie Martinez, 7 points; Kailey Reynolds, 3; and Whitney Treder and Keely Fiedler, 2 apiece.
But the key was the defensive effort all four quarters with Whitewater forcing 24 turnovers and dominating on rebounds, 45 to Kettle Moraine’s 31.
While both teams played a physical game, good sportsmanship on both sides was evident. For example, about halfway through the second quarter when the feet of Treder and Kettle Moraine’s Belke became tangled and both players ended up on the floor, they gave each other a high-five once on their feet again. Similar gestures could be seen several times during the game.
Asked to comment on going into the championship game, Sarah Schumacher said “We want it so bad… not only for ourselves, but for our school, for our community, for everyone. We’re really hungry. We want a championship.”
“Like I told them all: ‘Pack for Saturday,’” Harms added with a smile.
