1999/2000 Game Results Last Updated: January 15, 2000

January 14, 2000  

North 37, Chippewa Falls 50

Red-hot Cardinals dominate

Stellar shooting, rebounding, balance spur Chippewa Falls

By Mark Andrew Trapani Leader-Telegram staff

Red was an appropriate color for the Chippewa Falls girls basketball team to be wearing during its Big Rivers Conference contest against Eau Claire North Friday night.

It matched the team’s shooting performance -- red-hot.

North's #22 Nicki Robinson Leader-Telegram Photo

The Cardinals made 53 percent of their shots (16 of 30) as they stormed to 50-37 victory over the Huskies at the Doghouse.

"We played awesome," Chippewa Falls senior Becca Spaeth said. "We came out right away and jumped on them on defense. That was what we wanted to do.

"We held them under 40 points, which was our goal. We knew we would be able beat them if we did that."

Spaeth, a 6-foot-1 center, scored 13 points -- most from right underneath the basket -- before fouling out late in the fourth quarter.

Angie Ott, a 6-foot junior, forward tossed in 13 points and pulled down seven rebounds for the Cardinals (4-2, 9-3). Point guard Danni Borneman added nine points and seven rebounds.

"I’m so pleased," Chippewa Falls coach Jeff Olson said. "North’s an outstanding team, and we knew that we had to come in and play well in order to have a chance.

"I don’t think (the Huskies) had their best game out there tonight. But, just the same, give our kids a lot of credit. They went out and did what they had to do to win."

Meaning they shot well and rebounded better.

The Cardinals held a 36-22 edge in rebounds over the Huskies (4-2, 8-3) and never trailed after gaining a 7-6 advantage on a three-point play by Spaeth midway through opening quarter.

Scooter goes for a steal Leader-Telegram Photo

"We told our kids they needed to control the boards," Olson said. "They did, and I think that was a big difference for us tonight."

While Chippewa Falls sizzled the nets with its hot shooting, the Huskies appeared to be throwing snowballs off of the backboard, making just 16 of 56 attempts from the floor (29 percent).

"We didn’t play very well. That’s the bottom line," North coach Dan Sippel said. "You can’t play a top-notch team and shoot like we did and win."

Although the Huskies, who were led by Nicki Robinson’s 11 points and seven rebounds, turned the ball over just five times and made 17 steals, they never seemed to find a rhythm on offense. They rushed shots, forced off-balance 3-pointers (making just one of 13) and failed to establish anything inside the lane.

Six-foot junior center Larissa Parr, normally one of the Huskies’ most productive players, wasn’t a factor. She scored just four points and pulled down two rebounds.

North guard Emilee Planert, who’d been out of action since the season opener with a stress fracture in her left leg, played 10 minutes Friday. The NCAA Division I signee shot 0-for-9 and finished with two points.

"All of us know in the Big Rivers Conference that we’ve got four our five good teams," Sippel said. "If you’re not at the top of your game, if you’re not ready to play, you’re not going to win."

Beating the Huskies on the road was a big step toward respectability for the Cardinals, who are tied for third place in the conference standings with the Huskies -- two games behind Hudson.

"This was absolutely huge for us," Spaeth said. "Now we know what we can do. We made a statement to the conference and to the rest of the state tonight."

CHIPPEWA FALLS (50)

FG-A FT-A TP: Sally Wellbourn 1-2 1-1 3, Becca Spaeth 5-6 3-5 13, Danni Borneman 2-4 4-6 9, Tara Johnson 0-0 0-0 0, Steph Hayes 1-4 2-4 5, Jolyne Burdick 0-0 0-0 0, Tina Balsinger 2-4 3-4 7, Angie Ott 5-9 2-2 13, Natalie Licht 0-1 0-0 0, Andrea Olson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 16-30 15-24 50.

EAU CLAIRE NORTH (37)

Anne Connell 1-2 0-1 2, Beth Hoenisch 0-2 0-0 0, Kricket Whyte 4-9 1-2 9, Scooter Aspen 2-5 0-0 5, Nicki Robinson 5-15 1-4 11, Lindsey Rongstad 2-5 0-0 4, Jesse Quick 0-0 0-0 0, Emilee Planert 0-9 2-4 2, Larissa Parr 2-7 0-0 4, Gretchen Schroer 0-1 0-0 0, Andrea Thorsness 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 16-56 4-11 37.

3-point goals: Chippewa Falls 3-9 (Welbourn 0-1, Borneman 1-2, Hayes 1-4, Ott 1-2), Eau Claire North 1-13 (Connell 0-1, Hoenisch 0-1, Aspen 1-3, Robinson 1-4, Rongstad 0-1, Planert 0-3, Parr 0-2). Rebounds: Chippewa Falls 36 (Borneman, Ott 7), Eau Claire North 22 (Robinson 5). Fouls: Chippewa Falls 11, Eau Claire North 23. Fouled out: Chippewa Falls, Spaeth; Eau Claire North, Rongstad. Turnovers: Chippewa Falls 21, Eau Claire North 5.

RECORDS: Chippewa Falls 4-2, 9-3; Eau Claire North 4-2, 8-3.