January 26, 2012 at 2:37 p.m.
Pointer girls down River Valley
The Pointers took advantage of several Blackhawk mental miscues early in the contest, which would ultimately prove to be the difference maker in a 49-44 victory for the home team.
Kortnie Cowley scored the game's first points, but Emily Mitchell responded for Mineral Point with her team's first six of the game. Caitlyn Qualley and Hannah Lawinger added a basket each, while Morgan Johnson chipped in three for Valley, to make the score 10-5 at the end of one.
The Hawks rolled to start the second quarter. A basket and two foul shots by Hannah Buringa, and a hoop by Johnson, tied things at 11 all with 6:16 to go, and the Hawks re-took the lead at 15-12 behind a three from Johnson and a free throw from Cowley. The Pointers missed some free throws, which allowed Valley to keep things close. Lawinger hit for two as the horn sounded to put the Pointers in front at the break 20-19.
Mitchell dialed from long range to start the second half, which would be part of a 7-2 Pointer run. Johnson then took over for Valley, compiling a 7-0 run of her own, but Hannah Goninen had an answer in two jumpers. A hoop from Cassidy Ottoway with 1:13 remaining was the final scoring by either team in the frame, with Point still ahead 33-30 entering the fourth.
A 7-0 Pointer run beginning the fourth, capped off with a three from Paige Pilling, made the score 40-32 at the 5:47 mark, and it was the Hawks trying to play catch up from there. Mineral Point stayed patient, took and hit the open shots when available, and cashed in at the line to keep Valley away en route to the win.
Buringa led all scorers with 23 points. Johnson added 14.
Mitchell and Goninen were the top Pointers with 13 and 12 points each, respectively.
"Too many unforced errors," said Valley coach Eric Briehl. "I think four out of our first five possessions resulted in turnovers, which proved to be the biggest thing in the end."
"We hung around, but at crucial time we had mental lapses. We played well in spurts, and the effort was there, but so were too many mental breakdowns," he concluded.
"Our defense was solid early," said Pointer coach Mitch Wainwright. "We took some things away in the first quarter, which was nice to see and allowed us to control the tempo. It was also nice to see good free throw shooting in the fourth quarter."
"I told the girls in the locker room that this was a good team win," he added. "Maybe everything didn't show up in the scorebook, but everyone contributed, either with loose balls, good defense, or rebounds."
The Pointers host Boscobel Friday in a SWAL contest and battle Belmont Monday at home in a non-conference game.
River Valley travels to Prairie du Chien in the SWC on Thursday and hosts Reedsburg in non-conference action Tuesday.
SCORE BY QUARTERS
RV: 5-14-11-14--44
MP: 10-10-13-16--49
BOX SCORE
RIVER VALLEY (fg-ft-tp) 44: Buringa 8-7/13-23, Johnson 5-2/2-14, Je. Wahl 2-0-4, Cowley 1-1/2-3. Totals: 16-10/17-44. Fouls: 17. Three pointers: Johnson 2.
MINERAL POINT 49: Qualley 2-2/2-6, L. Graber 0-1/2-1, Pilling 2-0-5, Mitchell 6-0-13, Wainwright 0-1/2-1, Lawinger 4-1/3-9, Ottoway 1-0-2, Goninen 4-4/8-12. Totals: 18-9/17-49. Fouls: 16. Three pointers: Mitchell 1, Pilling 1.
