2000/2001 Game Results Last Updated: February 1, 2001

Defensive dynamo

Whyte mutes big guns for first-place Huskies

By Steve Beaudry
Leader-Telegram staff

Staff photo by Shane Opatz Along with being Eau Claire North's defensive stopper this season, senior Kricket Whyte (22) is the Huskies' second-leading scorer.

You had to look closely to notice, but Joanna Leafblad was hurting Friday night. The Eau Claire Memorial senior's brick-red fingernail polish hid the dried blood caked under her right thumbnail.

"I jammed it late in the first quarter, I think. I don't remember," the 5-foot-9 guard said.

Leafblad entered the night as the Big Rivers Conference's top scorer in girls basketball this season. But, after her season-low seven-point output in the Old Abes' 45-41 loss to Eau Claire North, she relinquished the league scoring lead to Chippewa Falls senior Angie Ott.

And Memorial relinquished its spot atop the conference standings, which it shared with North and Hudson.

When asked what role her injured finger played in her whooping-crane-rare off night, Leafblad responded quickly with a one-word answer:

"None."

"I could hardly get a shot off," she continued, "because every time I tried to square up, Kricket Whyte was right in my face. She's very quick and stayed right with me the whole night."

Leafblad isn't the first prolific scorer who's fallen victim to Whyte's sticky defense. She's simply one of the latest.

With a lot of work and little fanfare, Whyte, a 5-foot-9 senior, has turned blunting the Big Rivers' top weapons into an art form and played a leading role in the Huskies' eight-game winning streak, 14-2 record and perch atop the Big Rivers standings.

To opponents Whyte is that pebble they can't get out of their shoe. She's rap music at 1,000 decibels. She's the migraine even ibuprofen can't fix.

"I'm biased because she's one of my best friends, but I can't think of a better defensive player in the conference than Kricket," said North senior center Larissa Parr, who's averaged a team-high 14.5 points per game. "It's frustrating going against her in practice.

"She's just fierce. She won't let me drive. She won't let me square up. Sometimes I can't even get a pass off when she's on me. After going 1-on-1 with Kricket in practice, the games are a piece of cake."

What makes Whyte's conquests especially noteworthy is the fact North coach Dan Sippel always assigns her to defend an opponent's top scorer -- regardless of that player's position.

Sometimes, like last Friday, she's dueling with a fleet-footed, long-range sharpshooter like Leafblad. Other times it's a rangy, nimble forward like 6-foot-1 Hudson junior Annie Nelson. The ultimate challenge thus far has been Ott, a 6-foot do-it-all-and-then-some force who led the BRC in scoring as a junior and currently is on top at 16.0 points per game.

When North played at Chippewa Falls on Jan. 12, Ott made her first field goal with 1 minute, 57 seconds elapsed in the fourth quarter -- with the Huskies leading 35-16 in their eventual 43-29 victory.

Ott went on an 11th-hour tear, once game's the outcome no longer was in doubt, to finish with 11 points -- quite a comedown from the 20-point outings she had in the Cardinals' previous two games.

Whyte's encore two games later was holding Rice Lake senior Holly Olson, whose speed and range rival Leafblad's, to no field goals through the first three quarters and seven points -- her second-worst output this season.

"I guess my thing is I'll do whatever Coach (Sippel) wants me to do," Whyte said. "If he has confidence in my defense, then I want to have confidence in my defense. I like the challenge."

Sippel said he'd feel confident assigning Whyte any role because of her athleticism and ask-no-questions, get-the-job done attitude.

"Whatever Kricket does she does all out, and you never hear a peep out of her," Sippel said. "We need her to be our defensive stopper, so that's what she does. But it's not like she doesn't do other things well."

Like score, for instance. Whyte's averaged 9.0 points per game this season, second on the team to Parr, and scored in double figures in seven games.

"Kricket's not flashy," Sippel said, "but she works hard on her game and is very hard on herself."

Almost too hard, Parr says.

"Kricket always tries to find something wrong with herself," said Parr, who's been good friends with Whyte since they were fourth-graders. "Like she'll totally take some big scorer out of the game, and we'll win, and she'll be, 'Oh, but I only scored four points.'

"And she doesn't take compliments well. Like one time Lindsey (Rongstad, a Huskies senior guard) was telling her how good she was playing, and Kricket punched her. Not in a mean way -- (but) more of a 'be-quiet' way."

Whyte's challenge Tuesday was to quiet the offensive exploits of Nelson, who'd averaged a team-high 14.6 points per game for Hudson this season. Whyte came through, holding Nelson to two field goals in the Huskies' 67-56 win that put them in sole possession of first place in the Big Rivers standings.

"I'd say Kricket is our most valuable player," said Parr, who's secured an NCAA Division I basketball scholarship to Boston University. "I mean, she's good at everything she does."

Beaudry can be reached evenings at 833-9212 or (800) 236-7077 or at steve.beaudry@ecpc.com.