Knights use 16-0 start to drop Eagles

A 16-0 run to start a game sets the tone for a basketball game.

The Northview Knights sprinted out to a 16-0 first-quarter lead en route to a 44-26 victory over the host South Putnam Eagles in a Western Indiana Conference girls’ basketball game Friday night.

Brynlee Clark had 11 first-quarter points for the Knights while the Northview defense turned the Eagles over 12 times in the first quarter as the 16-0 lead led the Knights to victory and improved their record to 13-6 and 6-2 in the WIC. The loss dropped the Eagles to 6-11 on the season and 2-6 in conference play.

Northview dominated from the tip. The Knights turned the Eagles over on their first two possessions and led 7-0 when the Eagles called their first timeout.

Five more points led to South calling a second timeout with just over three minutes to go and the Knights leading 12-0. The Knights would finish the quarter up 16-0 as their defense dominated the game.

The Eagles finally got off the zero mark with 4:44 left to play in the first half on a Kelsey Custis three-pointer. The Eagles would cut the lead to 22-10 at the half behind Custis’ six points, but the Knights’ Audri Spencer matched the six points and the Eagles still trailed by double-digits.

“It’s hard to simulate size in practice. One of the biggest things is seeing openings in the defense. I thought we learned tonight to see some of those openings after that first quarter,” South Putnam head coach Brian Gardner said.

Northview put the game away early in the second half. The Knights opened the third quarter with a 10-2 run as Clark again led the way with eight of her game-high 19 points. The Eagles tailed 32-12 before playing even with the Knights the rest of the way.

Chlara Pistelli would get seven points in the quarter, but that would not offset Reagin White’s three treys in the period and the Knights led 40-21 heading into the final quarter of play.

Gardner echoed that sentiment as he said, “They made that run in the third quarter and took us out of it.”

The teams slowed the game down offensively in the final period as the Eagles would not get any closer than 15 points ad the Knights would establish the final 44-26 margin.

“Take away that first quarter and we are the same. We gave up some second-chance points and some in transition,” Gardner said.

Northview was led by Clark’s 19 points and Spencer added 12 with White chipping in 11. Pistelli led the Eagles with 13 points.

NORTHVIEW (44) –R. White 4-11 -0-0- 11, Clark 9-15 0-2 19, Buchanan 0-2 0-0 0, Eldridge 1-3 0-0 2, Spencer 4-12 2-3 12, Jones 0-1 0-0 0, Rods 0-4 0-0 0, D. White 0-0 0-0 0, Terrell 0-0 0-0 0, Dowell 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 18-48 FG, 2-5 FT, 44 TP.

SOUTH PUTNAM (26) – Custis 2-8 2-2 8, Cline 1-7 0-0 2, Pistelli 6-12 0-1 13, Pilcher 0-3 1-2 1, Gardner 0-1 0-0 0, Emmerich 0-5 0-2 0, Dooley 1-3 0-0 2, Jeter 0-0 0-0 0, Wallace 0-0 0-0 0, Kempf 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 11-39 FG, 3-7 FT, 26 TP.

3-point shooting – NV 6-22 (R. White 3-9, Clark 1-3, Buchanan 0-2, Spencer 2-6, Rounds 0-2), SP 3-11 (Custis 2-5, Cline 0-1, Pistelli 1-2, Emmerich 0-1, Dooley 0-2) Rebounds – NV 27 (R. White 1, Clark 1, Buchanan 5, Eldridge 1, Spencer 6, Jones 5, Rounds 2, Terrell 1) SP – 31 (Cline 8, Pistelli 9, Pilcher 7, Gardner 3) FG Pct. – NV 37.5, SP 29.0. FT Pct. – NV 40.0, SP 42.9. Turnovers – NV 16, SP 24.