NORTH EAST -Signature win.
The 2011-12 season is the season the Warren girls basketball team was expecting to step up to that next level.
The first half of the season showed the Lady Dragons could play with the elite teams in Region 6.
On Thursday, the Lady Dragons showed they could win - 37-34 at North East.
"They came in with the same game plan, we came in with the same game plan," Warren coach Lisa Ruhlman said of North East's 40-39 win over Warren less than a month ago. "But, definitely, both teams tightened up the defense."
Warren improves to 12-4 overall, and 6-3 and in a tie for third place in the region. North East is 11-6 overall and 6-3 in the region. Mercyhurst Prep is 9-0 in region, and General McLane 7-2. After a non-region road game at undefeated Bradford on Saturday, Warren hosts McLane on Tuesday.
Fact Box
WARREN (37): Kristie Reynolds 1 0-2 2, Jaimie Eaton 1 4-6 6, Sabrina Anderson 5 0-0 11, Kristin Hultquist 1 0-0 2, Alexa Bupp 2 1-3 7, Emily Sherman 4 1-2 9, Taylor Mineweaser 0 0-0 0. Totals 14 6-13 37.
NORTH EAST (34): Bowen 3 0-0 8, Artise 5 2-4 12, Kowalewski 1 0-0 2, Turiczek 6 0-0 12. Totals 15 2-4 34.
Warren 13 6 10 8 - 37
North East 16 6 6 6 - 34
Junior varsity game
WARREN (36): Ashlee McClure 0 1-2 1, Megan Smoulder 0 0-0 0, Meghan Loutzenhiser 1 10-12 12, Amy Castagnino 0 1-6 1, McKenzie Merenick 2 6-6 11, Lexi Edie 0 1-4 1, Brittni Merenick 4 0-0 8, Brittany Massa 1 0-0 2, Totals 8 19-30 36.
NORTH EAST (26): Bogart 1 0-0 2, Barnes 1 2-5 4, Klenz 2 0-0 4, Maas 4 4-6 13, Newara 0 1-2 1, Blose 1 0-0 2. Totals 9 7-13 26.
Warren 4 10 4 18 - 36
North East 6 4 8 8 - 26
3-pointers: W-M. Merenick; N-Maas.
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EISENHOWER (26): Lyssa Knapp 1 0-0 2, Kristen Williams 0 2-2 2, Holly Chapman 4 2-3 10, Halie VanOrd 2 2-2 6, Alyssa Peterson 2 0-2 4, Dakota Williams 0 1-2 1, Danielle Bradish 0 1-2 1, Kari Santo 0 0-1 0, Kearsten Maine 0 0-0 0, Haylie Birt 0 0-0 0, Totals: 9 8-14 26
CONNEAUT LAKE (37): Lucian 1 0-0 2, Betts 4 3-6 12, Gregg 1 0-0 3, Moss 1 0-1 2, K. Hughes 1 12-16 14, L. Hughes 1 2-2 4, Totals: 9 17-25 37
Eisenhower 9 7 8 2 - 26
Conneaut Lake 12 9 6 10 - 37
3-pointers: E- None; C- Betts, Gregg
Junior varsity game
EISENHOWER (35): Haylie Birt 4 1-2 11, Sierra Lange 0 1-2 1, Meghan Hagberg 2 0-0 4, Cassidy Edwards 1 0-0 2, Bailey Burch 0 0-2 0, Danielle Bradish 6 2-5 15, Dakota Williams 1 0-0 2, Kearsten Maine 0 0-0 0, Chelsea Parmenter 0 0-0 0, Jackie Talasky 0 0-0 0, Aysia Peters 0 0-0 0, Kourtney Knapp 0 0-0 0, Totals: 14 4-11 35
CONNEAUT LAKE (33): Lowery 8 4-9 20, Millen 3 0-2 6, Hoover 1 3-6 5, Nadar 1 0-2 2, Totals: 13 7-19 33
Eisenhower 4 5 15 11 - 35
Conneaut Lake 9 13 8 3 - 33
3-pointers: E- Birt 2, Bradish; C- None
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ERIE BETHEL (34): A. Austin 2 0-0 4, Simmons 1 0-0 2, Collins 6 2-4 18, E. Trevino 4 0-1 10. Totals 13 2-5 34.
TCCS (20): Loralee Lindemuth 5 0-0 11, Lacy Wolford 2 0-2 4, Lacy Kitelinger 0 0-0 0, Aubree Sonney 0 1-2 1, Robbi Kitelinger 1 2-2 4, Morgan Molek 0 0-0 0, Emalei Schaberl 0 0-0 0. Totals 8 3-6 20.
Erie Bethel 6 6 16 6 - 34
TCCS 8 6 2 4 - 20
3-pointers: E-Collins 4, E. Trevino 2; T-Lindemuth.
In the first meeting with North East, Warren battled back from a 12-0 deficit for a chance to win at the end of the game. This time, Warren trailed by four points with a minute and a half to play in the game.
The Dragons played their best basketball from then on.
Alexa Bupp hit a 3-pointer to pull Warren to within one point, then the Dragons tightened up to a full-court defense. After a stop on defense, Emily Sherman quickly hit a 15-foot jumper to take the lead.
"After that, we kept getting stops, and they had to foul," said Ruhlman.
Jaimie Eaton hit both ends of a 1-and-1, and North East couldn't connect.
"The other huge defensive play was, at about 3:50 (in the fourth), Taylor (Mineweaser) took a charge on Artise, and that was (Artise's) fifth foul," said Ruhlman.
In the first meeting, Alex Artise and Alexis Bowen combined for 34 of the Grapepickers' 40 team points. In this game, Sabrina Anderson held Artise to 12 points, six below her average. A combo of Kristie Reynolds, Mineweaser, Bupp and Eaton held Bowen to eight, or eight points below her average.
It was a team effort, "even the ones that didn't get in and were our scout team for two days," said Ruhlman.
Anderson finished with 11 points - nine in the first half - and eight rebounds; Sherman nine points and four steals; Bupp seven points; Eaton six points and five assists; Kristin Hultquist added five rebounds.
Warren's junior varsity team also got a solid team effort in a win. Meghan Loutzenhiser hit 10-of-12 free throws - 9-of-10 in an 18-8 fourth quarter - for 12 points. McKenzie Merenick added 11 points.
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Conneaut Lake 37, Eisenhower 26
CONNEAUTVILLE -Eisenhower ran out of steam down the stretch during Thursday's game at Conneaut Lake, dropping a 37-26 decision to the Lady Indians.
The Lady Knights (4-13) were actually down just three entering the final quarter, but were unable to get anything going offensively to mount a charge. Conneaut Lake held a big advantage at the free throw line, outscoring Eisenhower 17-8.
"I thought Halie VanOrd played a very good game both offensively and defensively," said Ike coach Mike Logue. "We were a little shorthanded tonight and she didn't get many breaks. But she hustled all the way to the end of the game."
Holly Chapman led the Knights in both scoring and rebounding with 10 points and six rebounds. VanOrd added six points and six boards and Alyssa Peterson chipped in with another four points.
The Knights are back in action Monday at Cochranton.
Ike's junior varsity team overcame a 13-point halftime deficit to win, 35-33. Danielle Bradish led the Knights with 15 points.
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Erie Bethel 34, TCCS 20
Tidioute Charter got its first win of the season on Tuesday, and had a good chance for its second in a row on Thursday.
We actually started out like we were going to do it," said TCCS coach Ted Nuttal, and faded in the third quarter."
TCCS was 14-12 at halftime, after losing 46-26 earlier this season.
Bethel outscored Tidioute Charter 16-2 in the third quarter en route to the win.
"We've definitely improved from the beginning of the season," said Nuttal. "It's starting to show to them that they do have talent, if they believe."
Senior Loralee Lindemuth scored 11 of TCCS' 20 points.