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With three NCAA Division 1 schools especially touting Barneveld point guard Hannah Whitish, the junior didn't let them make the trip for nothing.
She hit a trio of three pointers to start the game for a 9-3 Eagle lead and continued to score 11 points in that frame. She sat out the second quarter with two fouls and then came back in the second half, with the midway score knotted at 28, and helped guide a 27-10 third period advantage and finish the night with 25 points. Tha led to a convincing 67-48 win over Division 2 Oregon in non-conference girls basketball play Friday night.
She also was 7x7 from the free throw line.
The schools that came to view the season opener for the Eagles were Creighton, Ohio and North Dakota State Universities.
The Eagles jumped to an 18-8 lead after the first quarter, but Oregon wasn't going to give up. They outscored Barneveld 20-10 in the second frame, many points coming off of Eagle turnovers and fouls.
The Lady Panthers took their first (and only) lead of the game at 35-34 shortly into the third quarter, but four timely three pointers - from different players - put the Eagles on top for good as they steadily pulled away.
Kelsee Fargo, Taylor Owens, Mia Whitish and Rachel Slaney all connected from downtown during that run. Fargo also buried another three in that quarter.
The game ended with the Eagles holding a 12-10 margin down the stretch.
Slaney finished the night with 14 points while Mia Whitish added 11.
The game was marred by 44 fouls being called, 28 going against the Eagles. But it was Oregon who had two players foul out in 5'11" senior forward Riley Rosemeyer and 5'4" sophomore guard Kelsey Jahn.
Barneveld lost 6'2" senior center Maggie Oimoen via the five fouls while three other players were saddled with four.
"Foul trouble had three and even four starters out at the same time at one point in the game," said Barneveld coach Jim Myers. "Having at least two starters on the floor helps our reserves, but having so many out hurts."
He said in the second half they tried not to go 100 MPH like they did in the first half and "we talked about taking care of the ball better at halftime", he added.
"I was pleased with the points from our secondary players. Also, we hit some three pointers at very key times. In the third quarter, every time Oregon would make a basket, we'd answer with a three."
"Oregon is going to win a lot of games in the Badger South. They are a quality team," Myers said. "At halftime they had all the momentum. We had missed a lot of close-in shots. We just didn't finish on a lot of shots."
The Panthers were led in scoring by 5'8" junior guard Cassidy Nikolai and 6'1" freshman forward Ellen McCorkle, both with 11 points.
SCORE BY QUARTERS
O-8 20 10 10-48
B-18 10 27 12-67
BOX SCORE
OREGON 48 (fg, ft, tp) Koopman 3-2/5-9, Nikolai 4-2/3-11, Schofield 0-4/10-4, Schmidt 1-2/2-5, Keishing 0-0/2-0, Rosemeyer 1-6/7-8, McCorkle 5-1/5-11. Totals 14-17/34-48. F-16. FO-Rosemeyer, Jahn. 3-pointers: Koopman, Nikolai, Schmidt.
BARNEVELD 67: Fargo 2-0-6, Bahr 0-0-0, Owens 1-0-3, H. Whitish 7-7/7-25, M. Whitish 4-2/2-11, Schave 2-0-4, Cannoy 0-0-0, Roberts 0-0-0, Slaney 3-7/8-14, Malin 0-0-0, Oimoen 2-0-4. Totals 21-16/18-67. F-28. FO-Oimoen. 3-pointers: Fargo 2, Owens, H. Whitish 4, M. Whitish, Slaney.