2001/2002 Game Results Last Updated: November 30, 2001

November 30, 2001  

Raiders' defense muzzles Huskies

By Steve Beaudry
Leader-Telegram staff

Heather Dekan went gliding through the lane and right into dangerous territory Friday night.

Annie Nelson tried to power past Eau Claire North's Jessica Groh during Hudson's victory Friday night at the Doghouse. Nelson, a University of Wisconsin basketball signee, had 15 points, 12 rebounds and seven blocks. Staff photo by Shane Opatz

As the Eau Claire North sophomore point guard soared toward the basket, she let a running jump shot roll off her fingertips. The ball dangled in the air like a pinata ... long enough for Hudson center Annie Nelson to swat it away from behind.

The disheartening first-quarter rejection helped the Raiders set the tone in their eventual 63-41 Big Rivers Conference victory at the Doghouse. Hudson's vise-tight defense never let the defending BRC-champion Huskies establish any kind of offensive rhythm.

The 6-foot-2 Nelson spearheaded Hudson (1-0, 1-2) with six blocked shots in the first half as the Raiders surged ahead 34-23 by intermission.

Nelson's block on Dekan's drive, which came with North (0-1, 1-2) leading 8-7, energized the Raiders. They promptly mounted a 9-0 run and never trailed again.

"I was happy with our defense," said Hudson coach Dave Johnson, whose team has an 86-5 Big Rivers record since 1994-95 -- with three of those losses coming to North. "Once we tightened up on defense and got some weak-side rebounding help, everything seemed to fall into place for us offensively."

Nelson spurred the Raiders offensively with 15 points, though North's staunch interior defense --led by juniors Amanda Eisold and Jessica Groh -- made her sweat for every shot. Nelson, who shot 7-for-16 and had a game-best 12 rebounds, was knocked to the floor three times while driving the lane.

"She's going to have to expect to get banged around a lot more this year," Johnson said of Nelson, the lone member of last season's five-player All-BRC first team who didn't graduate. "She'll have to work extra hard for her points, and she knows that. She'll be up to the challenge."

The 5-10 Eisold scored nine of her game-high 16 points in the first half, but the Raiders proved Friday that even when Nelson is being curtailed, their offense has more options than an aardvark at an ant farm.

Sophomore guards Jess Vadnais and Liz Preller both shot 50 percent and scored 13 points apiece, and reserve wing Alison Obr scored eight points -- including five in a 1-minute span late in the first quarter that gave the Raiders momentum they never surrendered.

Johnson was pleased his team won comfortably despite senior starters Emily Anderson and Megan Hanson, who averaged a combined 18.3 points per game last season, teamed to score just four points.

"Our bench people really gave us a lift," Johnson said. "That's something we'll need to be successful."

North too got a boost from its bench -- namely the 6-foot Groh, who played extensively at power forward because of Michelle Burns' absence. Burns, a 5-8 sophomore starter who scored 12 and 22 points in the Huskies' first two games, sprained her left ankle in practice Wednesday and sat out Friday.

"She grew up a lot tonight," Huskies coach Dan Sippel said of Groh, who'd totaled four points in her two previous varsity games. She scored 13 Friday and had a team-high 10 rebounds. "She's a real hard worker but is kind of quiet and doesn't get too excited.

"She might be too nice on the court. If she'd get a little mean streak in her when she's out there -- ooh, boy, she'd be really dangerous."

Said Eisold: "Jess did awesome. She got some rallies going, and she didn't back down from Annie Nelson. But we've got to have more than just her. We've got to have everyone doing a lot more -- me included."

The Huskies' three starters other than Eisold scored a combined seven points. Other than Groh, their reserves totaled five.

"We worked hard and got the shots we wanted in the first half, but so many of 'em didn't fall," said Sippel, whose team shot 9-for-31 (29.0 percent) in the first half and 14-for-52 (26.9 percent) for the game. "If one or two of those shots fall, it's a completely different game.

"But you know what they say about ifs and buts and candy and nuts."

HUDSON (63)

FG-A FT-A TP: Emily Anderson 1-5 0-0 2, Jess Vadnais 4-8 4-4 13, Liz Preller 5-10 1-2 13, Megan Hanson 1-5 0-0 2, Annie Nelson 7-16 1-2 15, Alison Obr 3-4 0-0 8, Ashley Ferkovich 0-2 2-2 2, Anna Moeller 3-4 0-0 6, Carly Syfko 0-1 0-0 0, Jessica Tewes 0-2 0-2 0, Heather Bouzard 0-0 0-0 0, Amanda Wolske 0-0 2-2 2. Totals 24-57 10-14 63.

EAU CLAIRE NORTH (41)

Heather Dekan 0-5 0-0 0, Anne Connell 1-7 0-0 2, Tessa Pecha 1-9 0-0 3, Corisa DeMoe 0-2 2-2 2, Amanda Eisold 5-13 5-6 16, Jessica Groh 5-8 3-5 13, Trina Harper 0-0 0-1 0, Rian Bauerkemper 1-4 0-0 3, Annie Hoffman 1-3 0-0 2, Kelley Boyle 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 14-52 10-14 41.

Hudson 16 18 16 13 -- 63

Eau Claire North 10 13 9 9 -- 41

3-point goals: Hudson 5-11 (Obr 2-3, Preller 2-4, Vadnais 1-3, Ferkovich 0-1), North 3-17 (Eisold 1-2, Bauerkemper 1-3, Pecha 1-6, Hoffman 0-2, Connell 0-4). Rebounds: Hudson 41 (Nelson 12, Preller 7), North 33 (Groh 10). Fouls: Hudson 15, North 13. Turnovers: Hudson 14, North 19.

RECORDS: Hudson 1-0, 1-2; North 0-1, 1-2.

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