(December 19th, 2014) – STRYKER: The Young Lady Panthers defended their home court admirably against an Edon team led by veterans.
Stryker defeated the Bombers 46-41.
The Panthers led early on, taking a 10-6 advantage from the first quarter. The were able to build on that a bit in the second period, holding a 23-17 lead over the Edon girls. The Lady Bombers battled back, winning the third quarter 11-7. This put them down just 2 points heading into the last period. Stryker refused to lose this game, though. A 16 point fourth quarter kept Edon at bay, giving the Panther girls a 5 point victory.
Turnovers, typically an issue for the Panthers, was still a problem. They gave up the ball 21 times in the contest. However, Edon also turned the ball over 21 times, essentially canceling out the Stryker errors.
Both teams also performed well from the free throw line. Stryker went 15 for 25 from the charity stripe, giving them a 60% average as a unit. Making 17 out of 21 shots from the line themselves, the Edon girls boasted an 80% team percentage. Despite the 20% differential, both teams scored nearly the same amount of points from the free throw line, as the Lady Panthers were able to earn a few extra attempts.
This win came down to scoring ability, pure and simple. Taylor Haines stepped up in a big way for the girls of Stryker. The sophomore produced a team-leading 12 points in a strong showing. Junior Audra Rupp did her part as well, putting up 11 points. But it was senior Maddie Uribes, who’s struggled to get her season going, who made the difference with her 8 points. This is significant because that total is more than she’s scored in any game this season. Having her be a solid source of scoring adds a dimension to the Stryker offense.
Only two of Edon’s three primary scorers had big games, which doesn’t bode well for the Bombers given their lack of depth. Kaitlin Chrisman, an Edon senior, led all scorers in the game with 14, spreading her field goals out through the game. Fellow senior Alex Kiess gained most of her twelve points from the free throw line, typical her slashing style of play. Kaitlyn Sonneberger had difficulty finding the basket, however, contributing just 6 points from 1 field goal.
The victory was an important one for Stryker. Fresh off of a blowout loss to Wauseon, the youthful Lady Panthers bounced back to beat a solid Edon team. That resiliency will continue to serve them well throughout the year.