Published: January 29, 2008 11:36 pm            

GIRLS BBALL: Kokomo upsets No. 5 North Central

Kokomo closes regular season with win

The Kokomo Lady Kats made a statement Tuesday night at Memorial Gymnasium.

The Lady Kats, hosting Class 4A No. 5-ranked North Central, rose to the challenge and out-toughed the Panthers for a 43-40 upset. In the process, Kokomo served notice that it will be a force to be reckoned with in postseason play, beginning with the Logansport Sectional next week.

The Lady Kats (15-5), who appear to be peaking at the right time, have won four straight and nine of their last 10. In knocking off the Panthers, the only team to defeat Class 4A No. 1 Ben Davis this season, Kokomo showed that it is ready to compete in the tournament with the state’s top teams.

Kokomo coach Jason Snyder was especially pleased that the big victory came on senior night, as Kayla Drake, Shakeeta Cotton, Kelcey Ackison, Aelleon Woodard, and Katie Zunick played their last games at Memorial Gym.

“This is a great senior group,” said Snyder. “I am just so proud of the way they have bought into what we’re doing, and they’ve been such a great group in the locker room. They enjoy being around each other, and it has been a special season no matter what happened [Tuesday] night, but it was really nice to be able to finish off on our home floor with a win.”

The game featured two of the state’s best guards in Kokomo’s Drake and North Central’s Brianna Bass. With Drake guarding her most of the night, Bass, who averages 18 points per game, was held to 12 points on 3 of 12 shooting from the floor. On her end, Drake led the Kats with 15 points, nailing 6 of 9 shots, including 3 of 4 from 3-point range.

“I was excited,” Drake said of her head-to-head battle with Bass. “I thought it would be a good matchup. I look at me and her as two of the top guards in the state, and I thought it would be a good challenge for me.”

In a game that stayed close from start to finish — neither team led by more than four points at any time — the Kats came through when they had to. After eight ties and 17 lead changes, the 18th and final lead change came at the 1:53 mark of the fourth quarter when Drake nailed a 3-pointer off an Ackison assist to put Kokomo up 42-39.

The Panthers (14-5) turned the ball over on the ensuing possession and were forced to foul Ackison to stop the clock at :50. Ackison made the first of a one-and-one trip to the line to put Kokomo up 43-39, but she missed the second. However, Woodard hustled on the rebound to keep the ball alive. The Kats kept possession, and Cotton was fouled with 42 seconds left.

Cotton missed the front end of the bonus, and North Central’s Kira Carter, who led the Panthers with 15 points, was fouled on the rebound and made one of two to cut the margin to 43-40.

The Kats had an opportunity to put the game away at the line but missed the first of a bonus, and the Panthers had one last chance. After Bass missed a trey, a jump ball kept North Central in possession. Carter missed a triple from the right corner at :07, and Panther Jalissa Chatlos missed a putback as time expired.

“Everybody played real well together,” Drake noted, “and I am so proud of our post [players] for getting those good rebounds at the end.”

Indeed, the Kats outrebounded the Panthers 29-21 on the night. Kelly Hopkins had a game-high eight, Aelleon Woodard grabbed six, and Zunick and Clarissa Woodard nabbed three apiece.

Cotton, who played solid defense on Carter for much of the night, had 11 points for Kokomo.

“We’ve worked hard,” senior forward Aelleon Woodard said. “We deserved it. The whole team’s really gotten better the whole year, and it’s worth it.”

“I feel really good about [sectionals],” added Zunick, “because we’ve come so far. We had a couple of really tough losses at the beginning [of the season]. Now that we’re playing together and winning hard, tough games, I feel really good about the tournament.”

        

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