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MOUNTULLA— Two things were proven in a girls basketball game Tuesday night at West Rowan High School.
No. 1, emotion can carry a team a very long way.
No. 2, Toni Wheeler still knows how to coach a ballclub to victory.
With head coach Angie Waddell absent due to the Monday morning death of her father, assistant coach Wheeler watched a pumped-up Falcon team race out to a 10-0 lead, stave off every Northwest Cabarrus rally, hit every big shot, sink every big free throw and defeat the Trojans 58-53.
It was an impressive outing for the up-and-down Falcons against a Northwest team that was 14-2 (8-2 in the South Piedmont Conference) coming in.
And the players will be the first to tell you why they gave that heartfelt performance: they wanted it for a coach they adore.
“It was a lot more emotional (than usual),” said senior Jenny Sloop. “We wanted to play our best for her. We dedicated the game to her.”
Despite the fact West has had trouble shooting at times this season and despite the fact turnovers have plagued the Falcons at times, this fact remains. With the win, West tied Northwest for second place at 8-3, and improved to 11-7 overall.
“They put a little more intensity into it tonight,” said Wheeler. “You could see it.”
Before the game, the players told Wheeler it was going to be “Waddell Night.” The Falcons promptly went out and played with such vigor that they stunned the Trojans with a 10-0 run right off the bat.
Freshman Hillary Hampton started things with a baseline jumper. Danielle Scearce then made two pretty moves. Sara Pieper drained a jumper and Sloop scored on a rebound.
Just like that, Northwest was in a big hole.
“We came out flat and it cost us,” said Northwest coach Scott Burleson, who pointed out his team has had that problem in recent games. “But with the athletes West has, it’s a lot harder to pull yourself out of it. Credit them.”
The Trojans didn’t score for six minutes and when Hampton started the second period with a bucket, West was rolling, 18-9.
“It was all emotion,” Sloop said. With a laugh, she added, “I don’t know what happened to us.”
Wheeler knew. West played up to its potential.
Wheeler, who was the head coach before giving way to Waddell a few years ago, decided to go with the up-tempo game. The Falcons got a rebound or a loose ball and was gone, outrunning and outgunning the Trojans.
“We’ve had a hard time scoring in the halfcourt offense,” Wheeler explained. “We tried to push the ball downcourt as hard as possible before Northwest got back. I told them if it didn’t work, it was my fault. We haven’t been doing this.”
Burleson’s team is much too good to fold, of course, and it did make comebacks. But the Trojans were never able to grab the lead. Each time they tied West, the Falcons answered.
Northwest knotted the score at 25 but Sloop scored off a Hampton assist. Northwest tied the game at 27 but Allison Moore hit a lefty hook off a feed from Pieper and West went into halftime up 29-27.
The Falcons finally created some breathing room in the third quarter, going on a 12-4 run for a 43-34 lead. Kristen McNeely started the spurt with a 3-pointer. Shameeka Wansely, who dominated the boards with 15 rebounds, scored underneath. Natalie Jones swished two free throws. Later, when Hampton went coast-to-coast for a layup, West was in good position for the kill.
West led by 11 but behind Jenny Volpicelli’s nine fourth quarter points, Northwest tied the game at 53 with 55 seconds remaining.
Time for the Falcons to fold? Not with Waddell in the back of their minds. It was time to shoot free throws.
“Every time we’ve play this team in the past two years, it comes down to free throw line,” said Wheeler. “We told them they’d have to hit ‘em.”
Hampton went to the line with 38.4 seconds left. Swish. Swish. 55-53.
Northwest threw the ball away and Pieper managed to hit one of two with 20.6 seconds left.
When Chrissy Killian missed a long 3, Sloop was fouled at the 9.1 mark. Wheeler pointed out that Sloop was very close to her head coach. So you know what happened. Swish. Swish.
58-53. Game over.
Wheeler was taking none of the glory.
“All the credit goes to Coach Waddell,” she said. “She is the one who prepared this team.”
And how did Wheeler like being the head honcho again?
“It was fun,” she smiled, “but just for one night.”
But what a night.
n
NOTES: Hampton (13) and Scearce (10) hit double figures while McNeely and Wansley had eight each and Pieper and Sloop six each. ... Hampton dished out five assists and five rebounds. ... West was 10-of-14 from the line in the fourth period. ... Phil Townsend was Wheeler’s assistant coach. ... Waddell was expected back at practice today. ... West hosts Kannapolis Friday night.
NWCABARRUS (53) — Volpicelli 16, Edwards 10, Florence 10, Baumgardner 6, Killian 5, Curtis 4, Archery 4.
WEST ROWAN (58)— Hampton 13, Scearce 10, McNeely 8, Wansley 8, Sloop 6, Pieper 6, Jones 5, Moore 2, Massey.
NWCabarrus 9 18 9 19 — 55
West Rowan 16 13 15 18 — 58
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