(January 16th, 2015) – PETTISVILLE: Pettisville and Fayette are about as different as two basketball teams can get.
Take their respective three-point shooting percentages in their first meeting of the season, which took place in Pettisville. The Lady Blackbirds shot 75% from beyond the arc, connecting on 3 of their 4 attempts. Fayette, on the other hand made only 27% of their three-point attempts, knocking down 6 of their 22 shots from long range.
Pettisville is very much a defensive-minded team, trying to slow the game down and maximize their own possessions along the way. The Lady Eagles pack an explosive offense, relying on their accurate shooters to carry them to victory.
On January 16, defense won, as Pettisville defeated Fayette 52-39.
The Lady Blackbirds took the lead in the first quarter, ending the period with a 15-10 advantage. The second quarter saw Fayette improve defensively, but continue to struggle putting points on the board. At the half, the girls of Pettisville held on to a 24-17 lead.
In the third quarter, the Lady Eagles still were unable to make up any ground. With Pettisville scoring 1 more point than them in the period, the visitors from Fayette saw their deficit increase to 8 points. Down the homestretch, the Blackbirds closed out strong, outscoring the Eagles 18-13 to secure the 13 point victory.
Both teams took care of the ball extremely well. Fayette only had 5 turnovers for the entire duration of the contest. Pettisville wasn’t too far behind that number, as they committed just 8 turnovers.
Rebounding was a key to the game. The Lady Blackbirds outrebounded their guests from Fayette by 8. Pettisville brought in 26 boards, while the Lady Eagles managed to procure just 18.
A trio of players produced the majority of Pettisville’s points. Leading the pack was senio Mikala Avina, who nailed 2 three-point attempts on her way to 17 points. Another senior, Dana Fricke, knocked down a triple as well, putting up 14 points on the evening. A third senior, Jordyn Pursel, normally more attuned to the defensive end of the floor, worked the inside for 10 points.
Pettisville won because they were able to limit the Fayette offense, particularly on the perimeter. That effort began with containing Taylor Griffiths. The Fayette senior, accustomed to scoring well into double figures, was held to just 9 points, with just a single three-point field goal. Hannah Machacek connected on 3 shots from beyond the arc to earn 9 points as well. Alex Fruchey, a junior for the Eagles, made a three-point shot on her way to 9 points also.
Pettisville Head Coach Jadon Waldvogel could not have felt better about his team’s performance.
“I am not sure that I can ask a team to play together any more than they did tonight.” The Blackbird Coach began. “They were solid as a unit on defense and rebounded really well. Offensively, we were patient and found the open person.”
And it wasn’t just a few players who helped pull off this incredible victory.
“I am extremely proud of their effort…each and every one of them!”
While they haven’t been perfect, the Lady Blackbirds have been playing excellent team basketball all year long. This is what allowed them to take down a team that is probably more naturally talented than they are.
Still, it will be interesting to see what happens when Fayette gets to host Pettisville in what will surely be a highly anticipated rematch later on this season.