English Valleys came in with a 10-wins girls basketball team featuring two girls with good scoring averages.
So the mission for the Bravettes was to crank up their defense.
Misson accomplished.
Montezuma held the Bears to single digit scoring in all four quarters of a 57-21 win in a Saturday matinee game at home on Jan. 27.
What’s more, the Bravettes limited the Bears to .163 shooting from the field.
Montezuma led 24-10 at halftime and broke it open with a 20-9 third quarter.
“Our defense was unified,” said Montezuma Coach Janel Burgess. “We had some possessions where we didn’t finish, but overall, it was a very good game on the defensive end.”
On offense, the girls got 15-point games from both Ellen and Vivian Cook, and 12 from Shiressa Wetering. Vivian Cook knocked down 5 of 6 three-point attempts.
“Offensively, I felt like we were efficient and patient within reason,” Burgess said.
The win lifted the Bravettes to 15-2 overall and 12-2 in SICL play.
English Valleys is at 10-7 and 7-5.
UP NEXT – The Bravettes are part of a girls-boys doubleheader at Moravia on Monday, Jan. 29. The program will recognize its seniors at home against HLV on Tuesday. Then on Friday, the Bravettes host Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont, the number 6 team in Class 2A.
SCORE BY QUARTERS
English Valleys 3 7 9 2 – 21
Montezuma 12 12 20 13 – 57
MONTEZUMA (57) – Rylee Wolford 0-0, 0-0, 0, 0. Ellen Cook 5-10, 3-3, 0, 15. V. Cook 5-6, 0-0, 1, 15. Sydnee Burgess 1-2, 1-2, 2, 4. Claire Erselius 2-9, 0-0, 1, 6. Izzy Roorda 0-1, 0-0, 1, 3. Jordan Ranfeld 1-2, 0-0, 1, 2. Lindsey Henry 0-1, 0-0, 1, 2. Mya Smothers 0-0, 0-0, 0, 0. Shiressa Wetering 6-15, 0-0, 2, 12. AJ Kercheval 0-0, 0-0, 0, 0. TOTALS – 21-50, 4-5, 10, 57.
ENGLISH VALLEYS (21) – TOTALS – 7-43, 4-12, 3, 21.
Line score legend: field goals made-attempted, free throws made-attempted, personal fouls, total points.
Turnovers: Montezuma 10, English Valleys 24.
Three-pointers: Montezumz 11-26 (V. Cook 5-6, E. Cook 2-6, Erselius 2-6, Burgess 1-2, Roorda 0-1, Sharer 1-4, Henry 0-1); English Valleys 3-17.
Rebounds: Montezuma 26 (Wetering 6, E. Cook 4, Burgess 4, Erselius 4, Roorda 3, Sharer 2, team 3); English Valleys 28.
Assists: Montezuma 15 (E. Cook 6, V. Cook 4, Erselius 3, Roorda 1, Sharer 1).
Steals: Montezuma 14 (E. Cook 6, Erselius 4, Sharer 3, Wetering 2, Henry 1).
Deflections: Montezuma 11 (Roorda 4, Burgess 3, E. Cook 2, Erselius 1, Ranfeld 1).
Blocks: Montezuma 5 (Wetering 3, E. Cook 1, Sharer 1).