RallyNorth.net

Fri, Mar 01, 2013 07:00 PM @ Windham

Team	1	2	3	4	Final
Pelham	8	5	14	9	36
Windham	17	4	16	14	51

Jaguars look to erase last year's finish

Friday, March, 01 By Jeff Hamrick

WINDHAM – A defeat suffered 12 months ago has proven the impetus for a season the Windham girls hope lasts another week.

The third-seeded Jaguars earned a second consecutive trip to the Division II semifinals with a convincing 57-36 over 11^th-seeded border-rival Pelham last night. Windham (18-5) looks to improve on last season’s two-point semifinal loss to Kearsage in which the Jaguars failed to connect on a buzzer-beating jumper.

“Last year, the girls got a taste of what it’s like to play at a bigger venue,” Windham coach Joe Mason said. “That really has fueled our run all season. Previously I have been to a state-championship game when I was on the Bishop Guertin staff and I’ve kept on explaining to these kids what a wonderful experience it is.”

His Jaguars will have a better chance of making that run if they play more like they did in the second half then the opener against Pelham.

After taking a nine-point lead 3 minutes into last night’s quarterfinal, Windham managed only 10 points the following 13 minutes. Luckily for the Jaguars, Pelham was unable to capitalize as the teams combined to make only 3-of-19 second-quarter shots while committing 12 turnovers.

“I think we were a little frustrated,” Kelsey Scheibel said. “(Pelham) has really good team defense. So, as a team we decided we needed to pull it together, run our offense through more than once and not do anything on the first try unless we had an opening. We slowed down, gained our composure and played really well as a team.”

Windham proved much more effective after intermission, quickly turning a 21-13 advantage into a 13-point lead. Leading the charge was junior Brianna Angelini and Bernadette Connors, who combined to score 12 of their 20 total points in the crucial third period.

Junior Clairee Putnam (15 points) and Kelsey Scheibel (10) once again paced the Jaguars’ offense. Despite taking only three shots in the fourth, Windham maintained its double-digit lead by converting nine of its 11 free-throw attempts.

 “We have to keep doing the little things well,” Mason said. “We focus on that in practice: the little things like making free throws and lay ups … being patient with what we have and believing and supporting each other.”

Next for Windham is a semifinal match up at 5:30 p.m. Monday against No. 2 Portsmouth at Southern New Hampshire University. The Jaguars took a 59-55 decision at Portsmouth on Feb. 19. And you can be sure the Jags will spend the weekend thinking back to how disappointing their last trip to SNHU was.

 

 “I think (last year’s semifinal loss) has given everyone a little bit of fire in their belly,” the senior Scheibel said. “It’s funny how our first year (of varsity two seasons ago) we came out losing in the quarterfinals. Last year, we lost in the final four, so we have something we need to finish and this is the year we have to get it all done.”