The Manchester Enterprise
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Dutch start slow in loss to Napoleon
Defense keeps Pirates in check, but offense struggles in 43-31 loss
By Ed Patino, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: January 31, 2008
The score was much closer than the teams' previous meeting, but not close enough for a different result.
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Despite a strong defensive effort, the Manchester varsity girls' basketball team was dealt a 43-31 loss to the Napoleon Pirates in a Cascades Conference game Jan. 24.
Manchester (5-9, 3-6 Cascades) overcame a sluggish first quarter and pulled to within eight by halftime. After an even third quarter, Napoleon (12-2, 8-1 Cascades) shut down the Dutch in the fourth to secure the win and remain in a first-place tie with Hanover-Horton in the conference title race.
Unlike the teams' previous meeting, a 76-48 Napoleon victory in mid-December, the Dutch kept Abbie Richardson, the Pirates' senior standout, in single digits and held the Pirates to one three-pointer. Manchester also held Napoleon to its second-lowest point total of the season.
"We were never out of it, and that's a big thing," Manchester coach Cori Kastel said. "Napoleon is still one of the top contenders in our league, and this shows that we can compete with the big teams. It would've been a bonus if we had beaten them, but we have to take what we get."
Although the Dutch held Napoleon to nine points in the opening frame, they went scoreless in the quarter themselves. Manchester had several open looks at the basket in the first quarter, but nothing dropped through.
That changed in the second quarter as the Dutch began to find their offense. The teams exchanged baskets throughout the quarter, and Napoleon carried a 21-13 lead into halftime.
"The first quarter was a wake up call," Kastel said. "We haven't played four complete quarters yet, but we played with a top team."
The Dutch continued to hang with Napoleon in the third quarter, but were unable to grab the lead. The Pirates carried a nine-point lead into the fourth quarter, then outscored Manchester 9-6 in a defense-dominated frame.
Kastel credited her team's defensive intensity in keeping Manchester in the game. She was especially happy with the play of guards Laura Coltre and Stephanie Ball, who combined to hold Richardson to five points on the night.
"Our guards didn't get pushed around by (Richardson) this time," Kastel said. "We played more of a man defense and were more aggressive than the first game."
Manchester's struggles came on offense. For the game, the Dutch shot 22 percent from the floor. They also didn't get to the free-throw line until the fourth quarter and finished 4-for-10 from the stripe. Likewise, the Pirates were 10-for-17 from the line on the night.
Ball finished with nine points to lead the Dutch. Amanda Mutchler added seven points, seven rebounds, four blocked shots and three steals, while Julie Fielder had six points and six rebounds. Coltre scored four points, grabbed five rebounds and handed out three assists and Tracy Schaible had three points, six rebounds and three steals for Manchester.
"We're improving at the right time of the season," Kastel said. "A game like this showed how much progress has been made. That's the momentum we'll play on to get ready for districts."
Haley Sullivan scored a game-high 15 points to lead Napoleon, while Jacea Smith added 10 points. Lindsey Gifford had five points for the Pirates.
The Dutch hosted LCAA-power Blissfield in a non-conference game Tuesday after the newspaper's deadline. They return to Cascades action today when they host Hanover-Horton.
The Comets won the teams' first meeting of the season, posting a 48-29 victory over Manchester in a Jan. 4 game at Hanover-Horton.
Dutch at Ann Arbor Greenhills
The Flying Dutch rode a big first half en route to a 57-44 victory over the Ann Arbor Greenhills Gryphons in a non-conference game Jan. 22.
Greenhills entered the game with a 9-1 record, but it was Manchester that took control from the tip. With their offense firing on all cylinders, the Dutch raced to an 18-6 lead by the end of the first quarter. Manchester continued to spread the ball around in the second quarter and extended its lead to 33-12 by halftime.
"Anyone who has nine wins is going to be good, but we had our best shooting night of the season," Kastel said. "It was a great offensive and defensive night, and everything finally fell into place."
The Gryphons cut into the lead during the third quarter and eventually pulled to within 12, but Manchester matched baskets with Greenhills in the fourth quarter to put the game away.
Amanda Mutchler recorded a double-double to lead the Dutch, scoring 16 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Stephanie Ball added 13 points, while Julie Fielder had seven points and eight rebounds. Tracy Schaible scored seven points and handed out four assists and Laura Coltre had four points, five rebounds, four assists and five steals.
Stephanie Preston had four points, four rebounds and four assists, while Jenny Stautz added four points. Megan Bossory and Emily Lobbestael each scored a point for Manchester.
"It's nice to get a win when everyone contributes," Kastel said. "Everyone who touched the ball put it in the basket."
Staff Writer Ed Patino can be reached at 428-8173 or epatino@heritage.com.
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