Big quarter leads Wildcats

MINSTER - It was a milestone night for Minster coach Nann Stechschulte as she picked up career win number 500 in the Wildcats' 54-42 triumph over Coldwater, although the Cavaliers didn't make that result easy to come by.

Coldwater put Minster into an early hole but the Wildcats - led by Rosie Westerbeck's 22 points - fought back with a monster run in the second quarter and never trailed again.

Stechschulte, who won 84 games at Oak Hills before returning to coach her alma mater, became the 19th girls coach in Ohio history to reach 500 wins. Her resume includes four state appearances and two state championships with the Wildcats in 1998 and 2004.

"One more win than last time," she said with a laugh. "This is just like birthdays ... except every year is one more and every game there may be one more if you're lucky. It might be more like your 50th. Since I'm on the north side of 50 I can say that. It makes you reflect a little more.

"I'm just happy that we were able to survive. I saw them play Tuesday and I've probably watched five films and I knew how scrappy they were. They got us on the ropes there in the first quarter."

Coldwater's Brooke Welsch and turnovers were a big reason why the Wildcats were in that predicament early.

Welsch's bucket in transition with 5:20 to go was the first field goal of the game. Sarah Kanney followed with a score shortly afterward and Coldwater took a 4-0 lead. Mariah McKenzie ended a 4 1/2 minute scoring slump for the Wildcats with a jumper and Taylor Trego's layup moments later tied the game at 4-all. Welsch scored the final seven points of the period, including a three-pointer just before time expired to put her team in front 11-4.

Minster went down 17-9 before going on an 18-3 run to finish the second quarter. Alicia Arling collected her own rebound off a missed free throw and kicked it to McKenzie for a shot to tie the score at 20-even with 1:30 left. Westerbeck followed with five points in a row - a three-point play and a layup off a steal - and totaled nine in the quarter. McKenzie added six of her 11 points as the Wildcats took a seven-point lead into half.

The orange and black padded their lead to nine in the beginning of the third quarter, before Coldwater scrapped back by creating turnovers. Maura Hoying stole Minster's inbounds pass and then dumped it to Kanney for a easy bucket. Erica Sudhoff split a pair at the foul line and the Cavs trimmed the deficit back to four at 31-27. But Westerbeck closed the quarter on a self-run of 6-0 and Minster pushed its lead to 37-27 entering the fourth.

Coldwater went on a 5-0 run in the first minute of the final period, with Emma Homan's three making the score 37-32. That, however, was the closest the Cavs could get.

"They outrebounded us. The foul line killed us," Coldwater coach Connie May said. "We played hard. We played well for a quarter and a half. We made some very bad mental errors at the end of the first half. We just couldn't regain that composure from there.

"Our field goal percentage ... we missed so many bunnies. We kind of shot ourselves in the foot a little bit. We played hard, though."

"They're doing a great job over there," Stechschulte said. "The kids work hard. They bust their butts the entire game. I told the girls, I said 'You better have your running shoes on because it's going to be a track meet,' and it was. I said we better take care of the ball and we didn't of course, in the first quarter for sure, and rebound. They went after every loose ball and every rebound. I'm just happy to get out of here alive."

Westerbeck's game-high 22 points helped Minster overcome 29 turnovers. The sophomore guard scored all of those points in the final three quarters. The Wildcats were, however, plus nine in the rebounding category and shot 18-of-26 from the charity stripe compared with Coldwater's 6-of-10.

Minster returns to the court at home against Anna on Saturday.

Welsch finished with a team-high 13 points and Lauren Leugers added eight for the Cavs, who finish off the regular season at home against New Knoxville next Thursday.