| 12/27/2002 3:00:00 PM | Email this article • Print this article |
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| Southwestern’s Catherine Graham (left) has a tough time against the defense of Shenandoah’s Teran Warner (55) and Chelsea Miller (23) during Monday’s morning semifinal of the City Securities Hall of Fame Classic in New Castle. Graham finished with a game-high 27 points. Staff photo by David Campbell. |
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Shenandoah takes rematch 72-60
By David Campbell, Courier Staff Writer
NEW CASTLE, Ind. — Despite a marked size advantage, Shenandoah needed its outside shooting and foul shooting to defeat Southwestern, 72-60, in the City Securities Hall of Fame Classic this morning.
Shenandoah guards Chelsea Miller and Kara Keesling combined for 34 points to negate the suddenly ferocious Southwestern zone defense as the Raiders claimed a bit of revenge after losing to Southwestern in last year’s Class 2A state championship game.
Shenandoah will face the winner of the Beech Grove/Terre Haute South game at 8 p.m. today while Southwestern will take on the loser of that second semifinal at 6 p.m. today.
Last season, Southwestern won its first state championship in any sport at the expense of Shenandoah in Conseco Fieldhouse 70-64.
While all five Raider starters returned from that team, Southwestern had just two returning starters on the floor this morning.
The difference in the game figured to be Teran Warner and Amanda Norris, who had their way at times with Rebels in the 2002 state finals. Norris scored a state finals record 30 points against Southwestern and came in averaging 19.0 points a game.
But the 5-foot-11 Norris and the 6-foot-1 Warner, were denied any open looks inside as Southwestern shut down the interior.
Today’s rematch was tight early.
Led by all-state candidate Catherine Graham, the Rebels held a 13-12 lead before a ticky-tack foul on 6-foot-1 freshman Kayla Hay in the first quarter forced the only size Southwestern could muster from the floor with her second personal in the game.
Shenandoah took advantage with Hay out of game to begin pulling away — to 36-28 by halftime and 49-36 after three quarters — but didn’t get full control of the game until the fourth quarter. The Raiders led by as many as 16 before Southwestern made a late run.
It was Miller who was the big gun for Shenandoah early, hitting on 6-of-8 shots from the floor and 3-of-5 from 3-point range, and finished with a team-high 22 points. Keesling added 12, Warner had 11 and freshman Amber McKinley added 10.
Norris, one of the top players in the state and headed to Ball State next year, finished with just seven points.
Graham led all scorers with 27 points on 11-of-23 shooting, but many of those shots were taken in traffic on the lane. Hay played her best game to date, scoring 12 points while sophomore Kristi McVey added 10.
The rebounding, an issue that worried Southwestern through much of the week, was virtually even. After leading 11-9 in that department in the first half, Southwestern finished down just 29-27 in rebounds. But the Rebels managed just one offensive rebound.
Shenandoah outscored the Rebels 27-11 at the foul line as Shenandoah hit 27-of-40 while Southwestern made just 15 trip sand hit 11.
Senior Autumn Walker, held to just nine points on 3-of-11 shooting, grabbed nine rebounds and had three steals. Warner was the top rebounder for Shenandoah with eight.
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