Friday, February 25, 2000
Badin girls win 9th title in 10 years
Rams rally past Indian Hill
BY DAVE SCHUTTE
The Cincinnati Enquirer
For the ninth time in the past 10 years, the Hamilton Badin Rams won a Division II sectional girls basketball championship. The Rams beat Indian Hill 38-35 Thursday at Kings High School.
“Winners win,” Badin coach Dan Purcell said. “They had the opportunity, but they've never been here. We haven't blown out anybody all season. In fact, 19 of our 23 games have probably been decided in the final four minutes.”
Trailing 32-30 with 4:04 remaining, senior center Caitlin Wolf scored off a rebound at the 3:37 mark to tie the game. Cydney Overton followed with a baseline jump shot for a 34-32 advantage.
Substitute junior guard Angela Vilkoski then came up with the play of the game, stealing the ball off the press and driving in for an uncontested layup with 38.5 seconds remaining.
“I read the eyes of the girl with the ball,” Vilkoski said. “When I saw her throw it, I stepped in and stole it. I had no doubts that I would score on the layup.”
While Vilkoski was confident, Purcell had doubts.
“Angela's had trouble shooting the layups all season,” Purcell said. “She's one of the first players off the bench and plays good defense.”
Indian Hill's Kari Tepe followed with a baseline jump shot but Kerri Fiehrer sank two free throws with 16.6 seconds re maining to put it away.
However, after Fiehrer made the first free throw, she missed the second but an Indian Hill player entered the free throw lane too soon, giving Fiehrer a third opportunity.
“The pressure that Badin puts on the ball you can't duplicate in practice unless you put eight players on defense,” Indian Hill coach Jon Perry said.
“We played well at times but maybe we were too tight. I have to be positive because 18 wins is a school record, and I'm proud of these girls.”
Although the fourth quarter turned out exciting, the first three were anything but pretty. The teams combined for 34 turnovers, 18 by Badin, while Indian Hill made only 4-of-15 free throws in the first half.
It wasn't until just before the game that Purcell learned that Fiehrer would start.
“Kerri injured her knee on Monday and hasn't practiced all week,” Purcell said. “She came to me about 10 minutes before the game and said she was ready.”
Indian Hill scored off the opening tipoff but that was the only field goal it would get in the first quarter, enabling Badin to take an 8-3 lead that the Rams extended to 17-11 at halftime.
In the third quarter, Tepe led the Braves on both ends of the floor. She scored six points and was outstanding on defense. Indian Hill took a 23-22 lead into the fourth quarter.
INDIAN HILL (35) — Lightfield 1 2 5, Schmitt 0 2 2, Tepe 5 3 13, S. David 1 1 3, Warden 3 2 8, Ellis 2 0 4. Totals: 12 10-24 35.
BADIN (38) — Vilkoski 1 0 2, Bennett 1 0 2, Fiehrer 0 3 3, Beckett 1 0 2, Brennan 1 0 3, Shull 2 0 4, Morner 2 0 4, Overton 4 2 10, Wolf 4 0 8. Totals: 16 5-9 38.
3-pointers: I—Lightfield. B—Brennan. Records: I 18-5, B 19-4.
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