Battle to the end

NEW KNOXVILLE - If there was anything that New Knoxville girls basketball coach Tim Hegemier took from his team's game against Fort Loramie, it's that he knows that they can play right with the defending Division IV state champs.

Which, considering the two might meet again in the postseason, is a big deal.

Fans expecting a good defensive battle between the Redskins and Rangers on Tuesday night got their tickets' worth in the battle of state-ranked Division IV girls basketball teams.

Top-ranked Fort Loramie got the lead for good early in the second quarter and had to fend off fourth-ranked New Knoxville for the final 22 minutes of the game to pick up the 44-39 victory at Ranger Gymnasium, snapping the Rangers' 13-game winning streak.

The game was about even in every aspect. Loramie (18-0) was slightly better in the field goal percentage department (45.2% to 41.2%) and had two fewer turnovers (15-17) with the Rangers holding the slim 26-21 rebounding edge. The five-point margin is the closest any team has come to the Redskins this season.

It came down to 3-pointers and free throws. Fort Loramie was 4-of-9 from beyond the arc with the Rangers making just one trey and the Redskins were 12-of-19 from the stripe with the Rangers clocking in at 10-of-16.

"We didn't shoot the ball well from the outside," said Hegemier. "Missed a couple easy bunny shots inside and free throws. They hit their free throws and we didn't. That's the game.

"I told the girls we can play with them. It's a matter of cleaning a couple things up."

Both teams played perfect pressure defense. Loramie kept New Knoxville from getting any decent looks outside the paint, so New Knoxville worked inside to sisters Carsyn and Avery Henschen, who combined for 27 of the team's 39 points.

But a few missed bunnies that would have led to Fort Loramie points in transition (fast breaks, turnovers) were stymied by the Rangers. The Redskins had just four transition points at the half and six for the game.

"They played great defense and we knew coming in it was going to be a defensive battle," said Fort Loramie coach Carla Siegel. "I told the girls we wanted to push the ball up and down the court and get transition points, but at the same time be smart about it. We got caught up in the speed of the game."

"I've been playing Loramie for years and all their buckets are right in there," said Hegemier, motioning to the paint. I told them one thing is we can't turn the ball over. Turn it over, it's a transition bucket. Two, we have to get back on defense or they'll score. I thought we did a pretty decent job."

Avery Henschen's bucket 20 seconds into the second quarter gave New Knoxville its final lead of the night at 11-10, and Colleen Brandewie followed with a 3-pointer a minute later to give Loramie the lead to stay. The Redskins pushed the lead up to six at 20-14 with four minutes to play, but Ellie Gabel knocked down the lone Ranger trey of the night to cut it to three and a Rebecca Leffel free throw got the Rangers to within two with 3:15 to play. The Redskins went to the half up 24-20 on Victoria Mescher's driving layup just before the horn.

The lone Ranger cold spell came at at the start of the third quarter with three straight turnovers, but other than a trey by Ava Turner early on, the Redskins couldn't put distance between themselves and the Rangers. A bucket by Haley Fledderjohann and a free throw by Avery Heschen cut the margin to 27-23.

Carsyn Henschen scored with 68 seconds remaining in the quarter to get New Knoxville to within a point, but a Riley Heitkamp trey with 16 seconds remaining returned the margin to four to end the third quarter.

Fort Loramie tried to put some cushion into the lead, eventually going up 40-29 with 2 1/2 minutes to play, but the Rangers put together a string of points to get back to within five at the final buzzer.

"I was happy with our defense," said Hegemier. "The one thing we did do a little bit too much is gamble. Every time we gambled and didn't get the ball, they scored."

"This was definitely a defensive showdown," said Siegel. "New Knoxville has a great team (and) well-coached and phenomenal athletes. Every shot we tried were hard except for the transition layups at the end. Definitely a battle."

Colleen Brandewie was the only Redskin to reach double figures with 10. Avery Brandewie added nine.

Avery Henschen finished with 15 for New Knoxville with Carsyn Henschen adding 12 points and 12 rebounds.

While New Knoxville returns to the court Thursday with a Midwest Atheltic Conference game at Parkway, Fort Loramie returns to action on Saturday at the Hangar against Marion Local.