Thursday, March 09, 2000
Madeira girls play tall
BY JOHN SCHUTTE
Enquirer contributor
VANDALIA — The Madeira girls basketball team found itself in a familiar situation Wednesday night. For the second straight game, the Amazons carried a one-point lead into the fourth quarter against a bigger team in the biggest game of the season.
And for the second straight game, Madeira responded with a nearly flawless fourth quarter in beating Morral Ridgedale 44-38 in a Division IV Regional semifinal game at Vandalia Butler. Madeira posted a win against Versailles in the district championship after leading 21-20 through three quarters.
Madeira advances to the regional championship game for the second time in school history and the first time since 1990. It will play Northwestern at 1:30p.m. Saturday at Vandalia.
“At the end of the third quarter, I went to the bench and told the team this was the situation last game against Versailles,” Madeira senior Ann Staubach said. “We had no doubt we could get it done again.”
Ridgedale seemed to hold the upper hand.
Madeira center Amanda Davis was forced to sit for most of the game with foul trouble, Madeira's leading scorer Bess Krietemeyer was struggling, and center Lindsey Barnhart was on the bench with an ankle injury suffered in practice Monday night.
None of that mattered for Madeira.
Staubach picked up the slack on offense, and the defense played its usual solid game. Staubach led Madeira with 22 points, including 12-of-12 from the foul line.
With 5:22 remaining, Madeira scored seven straight points, led by a field goal and two free throws by Staubach, to push its lead to 37-30.
The Amazons sank nine of 10 free throws down the stretch to seal the outcome.
Krietemeyer, Staubach and Amy Mackris each hit both ends of one-and-ones in the final 1:03 to keep Madeira's lead at seven.
“I've been coaching 28 years, and I've never seen a team with a bigger heart,” Madeira coach Dave Schlensker said. “They refuse to lose.”
Madeira took an 18-16 halftime lead and held Ridgedale in check by using a collapsing defense to combat a huge size disadvantage.
Ridgedale's Shelly Simpson and Beth Rohler, both 6-foot-1, posed matchup problems for the Amazons, especially when Davis was forced to sit.
“We were forced to play real small; we wanted to make their outside shooters beat us,” Schlensker said. “We have smart kids that are scrappy and aggressive, and they stepped up.”
RIDGEDALE (38) — Simpson 8 4 21, Rohler 4 1 9, Price 1 0 2, Rosebrough 1 0 2, Dibling 1 0 2, Murphy 0 2 2. Totals: 15 7 38.
MADEIRA (44) — Staubach 5 12 22, Davis 2 0 4, Shaw 3 1 7, Oheland 2 0 4, Krietemeyer 1 3 5, Mackris 0 2 2. Totals: 13 18 44.
Ridgedale ....... 5 11 12 10—38
Madeira ....... 10 8 11 15—44
Three-pointers: R- Simpson. Records: M 18-6, R 21-4.
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