(PHOTOS BY RENEA KESSLER / THE VILLAGE REPORTER)
UNCONTESTED … Archbold’s Grace Meyer glides in for an uncontested layup in the first half of the Bluestreaks win at Evergreen. VIEW 79 PHOTOS OF THIS CONTEST FOR FREE AT WWW.THEVILLAGEREPORTER.COM
SCOOP AT THE HOOP … Kennedy Emmitt splits the Archbold defense to get off a shot. Emmitt had a game-high 20 points for Evergreen.
By: Joe Blystone
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
METAMORA (January 23, 2025) – Back in the ‘90s, Arkansas’ pressure defense drew the moniker of “40 Minutes of Hell” on their way to a series of successful seasons and an NCAA title.
Archbold’s and Evergreen’s girls replicated that theme with 32 minutes of creating havoc on a frosty night at Evergreen.
In the end, in a game that had a combined 46 turnovers, Archbold shot 61 percent from the floor, and a sizzling 70 percent clip in the fourth quarter to hold off Evergreen 48-43.
“We got on them at halftime about turning the ball over and giving Evergreen second and third chances,” Archbold veteran coach Brian Ziegler said.
“I thought Makena Thiel came up big in the second half rebounding wise, made some nice passes and got a big bucket late.”
The Bluestreaks got layup after layup in the first against the Vikings press, with Miley Gericke being the main beneficiary, scoring 11 points to pace Archbold to an 18-13 lead.
However, in the second, Evergreen’s pressure took its toll as the Vikings battled back to a one-point halftime deficit.
Lanae Manz’s triple after one of Archbold’s eight second period turnovers put Evergreen up 19-18 with 5:12 left in the half.
Thiel and Grace Meyer went back-to-back to regain a three-point Streak lead but Kennedy Emmitt’s floater and Manz’s bucket with 35 ticks left, made it 26-25 at the break.
Alanna Pedraza’s stop-and-go move that left three Viking defenders statuesque, boosted the gap to 33-27 with 5:20 to go in the third.
Archbold maintained their six-point gap when Charlee Forward got her first bucket of the night 15 seconds into the fourth.
Again, Evergreen turned up the heat. Consecutive hoops off Streak turnovers 10 seconds apart by Emmitt and Kyla Risner at the six minute mark knotted the game at 35-35.
Forward got inside again with 5:40 to go to give the lead back to Archbold, but Emmitt buried a long three-ball with 4:30 left to put Evergreen on top 38-37.
Meyer split a pair at the line to tie the game, then the afore mentioned Thiel gave the Streaks the lead for keeps off a Viking turnover at 40-38, with 2:20 on the clock.
Forward scored twice more, one of those off another of Evergreen’s nine fourth quarter miscues to double the advantage to 44-40.
“It hurt us early on when Charlee got two quick fouls,” Ziegler explained regarding Forward’s eight point fourth quarter. “She’s one of our best scorers and with Klaire (Kern) also being out tonight, two of our top three were down.” “Other kids stepped up, it was a team effort.”
Emmitt’s triple, the last of her 10 fourth quarter points got Evergreen within a point with a minute left, but Gericke got loose again against the press 10 seconds later to make it 46-43.
Adison Kinsman put a cap on the victory by knocking down 2/2 from the line with nine seconds left.
“Give Evergreen credit, they play hard, they have girls that can shoot and knock down three’s,” Ziegler said.
“Every time we thought we could pull away; someone would hit a big three or got loose for a layup. That’s what teams do that compete hard.”
Gericke led Archbold with 19 points. Emmitt had 20 for Evergreen who had 24 turnovers and shot 46 percent.
Archbold now stands at 14-4 (3-2 in the NWOAL) and currently stands third in the Division V, Northwest District 2 RPI rankings.
The Streaks are .001 ahead of fourth seeded Paulding with a week left before the February 2 drawing date for the tournament.
“We told them every game is big going into the tournament draw,” Ziegler expressed. “This is a quality win because Evergreen has nine wins and beat Wauseon that has 12 or 13 wins so this should give us a little bit of boost.”
Evergreen (9-9, 2-3 NWOAL) is third in Division VI, Northwest District 1, .013 ahead of number four Ottawa Hills.
ARCHBOLD (48) – Pedraza 4; Forward 8; Kinsman 2; Thiel 7; Gericke 19; Wendt 2; Meyer 6; Totals – 20-1-5 – 48
EVERGREEN (43) – K. Emmitt 20; Burgermeister 0; Vaculik 0; Risner 6; Lumbrezer 5; Manz 10; A. Emmitt 2; Totals: 11-6-3 – 43
AHS 18 8 7 15 – 48
EHS 13 12 4 14 – 43
Junior Varsity: Evergreen, 24-15