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Milestone win

Tims Observer Photo by Matt Spielman Warren girls basketball coach Lisa LaVan, center, celebrates with her team after recording her 200th career victory Monday night against Harbor Creek.

On Warren’s first possession of the second quarter, Emma Ruhlman drove into the lane and was fouled before her shot fell through the hoop.

The junior let out a scream as her teammates converged around her.

Whether the emotions came from the frustration of Thursday’s loss to Villa Maria when she made no field goals or the elation of knowing the Dragons were well on their way to knocking off Harbor Creek, it was apparent the play meant a lot to Ruhlman.

Although she missed the free throw, she ran down her own rebound and Kelsey Stuart eventually hit a 3-pointer on the possession, which started the hosts on an 11-2 run that helped put away the Huskies in a 50-24 Region 6 victory Monday evening at Warren Area High School.

“We know what Villa is. We know that Villa is at a different level,” head coach Lisa LaVan said. “We know that we have to get the games we should be getting and then sneak out a few. Today was one we needed to get.”

Times Observer Photo by Matt Spielman Warren’s Emma Ruhlman drives to the basket during Monday’s basketball game against Harbor Creek.

Even more meaningful than getting back in the win column, the victory was the 200th of LaVan’s career.

“It means a lot. I don’t remember her first win very well, but I remember the 100th,” said Ruhlman, LaVan’s oldest daughter. “It was very nice to get her 200th with myself and my two sisters (Sammie and Gracie) here.”

Junior Riley Childress led the Dragons with 18 points, including four 3-pointers, to go along with four assists while Ruhlman had 15 points, 12 rebounds and four assists.

“Teams have been catching on and shutting Riley and I down,” said Ruhlman, who scored 6 points in Thursday’s loss to the Victors. ” … Scoring is pretty fun so it’s kind of nice to get back on track with that. Hopefully it continues.”

“They have to work hard for all of their shots,” LaVan said of Emma Ruhlman and Childress. “They are lucky to have each other because they can feed off each other.”

Times Observer Photo by Matt Spielman Warren’s Riley Childress drives to the basket during Monday night’s basketball game against Harbor Creek.

Stuart chipped in 10 points for the winners.

“You can’t say enough about the other combinations we have on the floor,” LaVan said. “They are great role players, they know what is expected of them and they work really hard.”

Samantha Zank led Harbor Creek with 8 points.

“Our defense has been something from the summer … that has been our pride and joy,” Ruhlman said. “Our man-to-man was very good today. Harbor Creek is very good at off-ball screens … I thought we did a really good job with that.”

Warren led 13-5 after the first quarter, but took over the game in the second. Harbor Creek made both of its field-goal attempts during the period, but turned the ball over six times resulting in 6 of the Dragons’ 9 points in the quarter.

“It’s not about a steal,” LaVan said. “It’s about getting them to take a bad shot and getting the rebound. … Let the defense be your offense. We did that tonight.”

After Stuart’s early 3-pointer, Childress found sophomore Sammie Ruhlman for a bucket and Emma Ruhlman finished the quarter with back-to-back scores.

Childress hit a pair of her 3-pointers and Stuart added 5 of her 10 points in the third quarter as Warren went 7 of 12 from the field. Its lead ballooned to 24, allowing LaVan to play plenty of players off the bench in the final eight minutes.

“Harbor Creek is always a good rivalry game,” Ruhlman said. “Last time we played them, we kind of let them come back into it in the second half. This time we did a good job from start to finish keeping them out of the game.”

With seconds remaining, Stuart and Teagan Paris — the team’s lone seniors — scurried to the locker room, and when they re-emerged they had a picture frame full of photos, a bedazzled basketball and a sign commemorating LaVan’s 200th victory, which comes in her 13th season on the sideline for the Dragons.

“It’s obviously not about me. I played a small part in it, but it’s my coaching staff through the years … and the biggest thing is the players,” LaVan said. ” … You can be a good coach, you can know the X’s and O’s, but if you don’t have the players and the kids that want to be dedicated you are never going to get those wins. I’m blessed to be here and I’m blessed to have the players that I’ve had.”

NOTES: Warren went 19 of 44 (43.2%) from the field, including 6 of 15 (40%) from 3-point range, and turned the ball over 13 times. … Harbor Creek was 11 of 27 (40.7%) from the field, including 2 of 9 (22.2%) from 3-point range, and turned the ball over 25 times — resulting in 21 points for Warren.

HARBOR CREEK (24)

Maloney 0 0 0, HSmith 1 0 2, Humphreys 1 0 2, Weber 1 0 2, Sidelinger 1 0 3, Pulvino 1 1 3, MSmith 1 0 2, Zank 4 0 8, Born 0 0 0, Bresee 0 0 0, Kaspar 1 0 2. Totals 11 1 24.

WARREN (50)

SRuhlman 0 0 0, MBeers 0 0 0, Sivak 0 0 0, Kuzminski 0 0 0, Childress 7 0 18, Stuart 3 3 10, ERuhlman 6 2 15, Barney 0 0 0, Paris 1 1 3, GRuhlman 2 0 4, Munksgard 0 0 0. Totals 19 6 50.

3-point goals–Sidelinger, Childress 4, Stuart, ERuhlman.

Harbor Creek 5 4 8 7 — 24

Warren 13 11 17 9 — 50

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