Closer the second time around.
After a 51-12 win over the Wolverines in the Warren County Tip-Off Tournament, Youngsville's girls basketball team had to hold off Sheffield this time around, 48-40, on Wednesday at Sheffield High School.
Sheffield came out strong in the first quarter. The Wolverines put up 14 points while holding Youngsville to seven.
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Times Observer photo by Tyson Himes
Grabbing win
Youngsville’s Julie Jameson (24) plays defense on Sheffield’s Ashley Davidson, grabbing for the ball, during a 48-40 Youngsville win on Wednesday at Sheffield High School.
In the second quarter, things tightened up.
Once Youngsville settled into the game, they were able to get into a rhythm, offensively. The Eagles passed the ball through Sheffield's 2-3 zone and got some open looks. At the end of the half the score stood at 23-18 in favor of the Wolverines.
After losing to the Eagles by 39 earlier in the season, the Wolverines went into halftime with a lot of confidence being up by five points.
Youngsville coach Allison Kitchel put her team in a full-court press to start the second half. This move totally changed the momentum of the game.
Right away, the Eagles were getting steals and wide open looks at the basket. When Sheffield would turn the ball over on its half of the court, it became difficult to get back into its zone. Without the zone being set, the Wolverines could not rotate to the ball without leaving somebody open. With a few passes, Youngsville was able to break down the defense and get a good shot. The Eagles went from being down five, to being ahead by six at the end of the third quarter.
"Once we broke their pressure, we didn't attack enough, we pulled the ball back out," said Sheffield coach Jeff Labesky, whose Lady Wolverines were held to four third-quarter points.
Youngsville had a comfortable lead through the fourth quarter until Sheffield's Sami Pollock hit a long-range shot to tighten the game up to 41-37 Youngsville.
Then Sheffield started to press and foul Youngsville, a strategy which ended up putting the Eagles on the line 43 times in the game.
In the final minutes, Sheffield could not score enough on offense and Youngsville made enough free throws to ice the win.
Katie Chuzie was an offensive standout for the Eagles (7-5), scoring a game-high 20 points. Jen Isenberg scored 13 points for the Wolverines (2-12).
"We're improving, but we still have a long way to go," said Labesky.
YOUNGSVILLE (48): Katie Gustafson 1 1-4 3, Karissa Cratty 1 0-2 2, Katie Chuzie 6 6-8 20, Jess Jameson 0 3-10 3, Kennedy Cratty 1 1-2 3, Amber Fox 1 2-6 4, Lindsey Lyon 3 7-11 13. Totals 13 20-43 48
SHEFFIELD (40): Hannah Vile 2 3-4 7, Sami Pollock 2 0-0 5, Ashley Davidson 1 3-8 5, Abby Labesky 2 4-5 8, Julie Ely 1 0-0 2, Jen Isenberg 5 2-6 13. Totals 13 12-23 40
Youngsville 7 11 15 15 - 48
Sheffield 14 9 4 13 - 40
3-pointers: Y-Katie Chuzie 2. S-Jen Isenberg 1, Sami Pollock 1.
Junior varsity game
YOUNGSVILLE (37): Julie Jameson 2 1-2 5, Piper Olsen 1 0-2 2, Karissa Cratty 6 3-9 15, Jorie Clark 1 1-2 3, Cierra Ohl 3 2-8 8, Kennedy Cratty 1 2-2 4. Totals 14 9-25 37
SHEFFIELD (19): Marlea Sprandle 1 0-0 2, Jackie Kifer 0 0-0 0, Jade Moore 2 0-2 4, Abby Cromwell 0 0-0 0, Anna Baldensberger 0 0-0 0, Rachel Maines 1 0-0 2, M. Fitzgerald 5 1-4 11, Tierra Hanson 0 0-0 0. Totals 9 1-6 19
Youngsville 8 16 6 7 - 37
Sheffield 4 2 6 7 - 19
3-pointers. Y-None. S-None.