December 15, 2001
Valparaiso at Crown Point

Crown Point 35, Valparaiso 37

In a game that was theirs to win, Crown Point most likely handed over the Duneland Conference championship to Valparaiso in the last minutes of a pivotal DAC game by giving up the ball five times and missing five free throws to be outscored by Valpo 12-2 in the final five minutes of the game.

Even though CP came into this game as the state-ranked team and had the home floor advantage, the Bulldogs basically came out tentative in the first quarter, looking out of synch and back on their heels, and Valpo took advantage. The Vikes jumped out to a 8-4 lead in a slow first quarter.  Only two buckets, one each by seniors Alex Webster and Janel Heneghan, gave the Bulldogs their only points for the quarter.

At the start of the second, CP came out gunning and evened up the score 8-8  in just 30 seconds behind a tough turnaround jumper in the paint by soph Blayre Reeves and a Carissa Triplett bucket off a Reeves assist. Valpo answered back with two buckets of their own over the next minute to go up 12-8.  From then on, the Bulldogs controlled the quarter, forcing Valpo to commit five turnovers, and seniors Webster (7 points) and Triplett (4 points) went to work, scoring the next 11 CP points to Valpo's 2 to take a 19-14 lead and the game momentum into the locker room.

In the third, CP went on an 6-2 run, capped off by a Cassie Pruzin shot just inside the three-point line, making the score 25-17 at 5:38 to go in the quarter. Valpo then made a small run, closing the gap to 4.  Two more buckets by CP, matched by two from Valpo, kept the gap even at 29-25.  Crown Point had a chance to up the lead to 7 when Webster buried a trey from the right wing, but the shot was waived off due to an offensive foul on a moving pick just as the shot was made with about a minute to go in the quarter.  A CP steal on the next Valpo possession meant another chance to increase the lead for the Bulldogs, but CP turned the ball over on a perimeter pass.  Both teams matched scoring with a bucket apiece the remainder of the quarter to send CP and Valpo to the bench at the final break four points apart at 31-27.

To start the final quarter, Webster scored a 10-footer 30 seconds in to put the Bulldogs up by 6 at 33-27. CP increased the lead to 8 points on a bucket by Allison Isailovich off of a Webster assist with 5:31 to go.  But over the next four minutes, the Bulldogs turned the ball over four times and missed the front end of two one-and-ones, giving Valpo a 4-0 run to close the gap to 35-31 with 1:09 left on the clock.  On the ensuing CP possession, the Bulldogs turned the ball over at the halfcourt on the Valpo full court press, and Viking Brooke McAfee received the feed for a bucket and a foul. With the score now 35-33, McAfee's free throw went wide, and CP's Isailovich pulled down the rebound in traffic. However, as she got swarmed by several Valpo players, the officials anticipated a jump ball, even though Allison still had sole possession of the ball. The possession arrow was pointing Valpo's way with :49 left on the clock.  A CP defensive breakdown on the Valpo inbounds play left soph Lauren Hutton wide open as she buried a three-pointer from the left corner to put Valpo up 36-35. On the next play, CP's Webster was fouled in the backcourt and got to the line, but was unable hit the the free throw, while Valpo came up with the rebound.  Pruzin stripped the ball near the halfcourt and on the scramble, CP got possession on the jumpball with about 35 seconds to go.  Down one and with a chance to take the lead, Webster took the ball in hard to the bucket on the baseline, attempting to get the bucket and the foul, but she was knocked to the ground from behind into the duo of McAfee and Compton.  Not sure what to make of the play, the officials called a travel in front of an unhappy and vocal CP crowd.  Over the next 9 seconds, Valpo went to the line four times.  In order to stop the clock and gain possession, CP fouled the Vikings, who converted on the first of a one-and-one.  The second shot missed, but a failed CP box out on the rebound resulted in another foul and Valpo went to the line to hit two more. Valpo now led 39-35.  With :22 to go and down by 4, the Bulldogs brought the ball down with the intent of hitting the three. After the ball made its way around the perimeter, Webster put it up in traffic, but it did not go. Valpo got the wide rebound, but Webster immediately stripped the ball, drop-stepped clear and buried a baseline jumper with :02 on the clock. As the shot dropped, she called for a time out to a nearby official, but the official would not acknowledge the request and let the clock run out.

Although this was an exciting game to watch, it didn't need to be and should have been a solid DAC win for the Bulldogs if they had put it all together down the stretch. Crown Point had several opportunities to put the game away, being up by 8 points early in the final quarter and in bonus from the 2:03 mark on.  But again, miscues, missed free throws and turnovers did the Bulldogs in while Valpo slowly chipped away at the lead and made the shots for the win.

Leading scorer on the night was Alex Webster, who had 17 points to go with 8 steals, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Senior Carissa Triplett followed that up with 10 points and 5 rebounds, while frosh Cassie Pruzin contributed with 4 steals, 3 rebounds and 2 points.

Unofficial Stats for CP:  Webster 17 (8s 5r 4a), Triplett 10 (5r), Heneghan 4, Pruzin 2 (4s 3r), Reeves 2 (2a)
 

JUNIOR VARSITY