The Manchester Enterprise
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Flying Dutch blast Jayhawks
Mutchler and Fielder dominate the boards, spark Manchester rout
By Ed Patino, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: February 7, 2008
With the district playoffs less than two weeks away and the stretch run of the regular season in full swing, the Manchester varsity girls basketball team picked the right time to have its best offensive performance of the season.
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With Julie Fielder and Amanda Mutchler dominating in the paint, the Flying Dutch stormed to a 72-40 victory over the Vandercook Lake Jayhawks in a Cascades Conference game Jan. 29.
The 72 points were the most scored by Manchester (6-9, 4-6 Cascades) this season. Every player in the lineup for the Flying Dutch scored in the game, and a big run in the second quarter helped them put the game away.
The Dutch swept the two-game season series from Vandercook Lake (0-16, 0-10 Cascades), having also posted a 37-point victory over the Jayhawks at home in December.
"We're heading in the right direction and moving toward our goals," Manchester coach Cori Kastel said. "One of our goals was to score more than 10 points in each quarter and we did that."
The teams exchanged runs in the first quarter. Manchester started fast and built a double-digit lead early in the frame, but the Jayhawks answered with a run of their own and pulled to within 18-15 by the end of the quarter.
That's as close as it would get the rest of the night. The Dutch took control of the game with a 19-4 run in the second quarter. Mutchler and Fielder crashed the boards throughout the run, pulling down several offensive rebounds for putbacks and extending the length of Manchester's possessions. When the damage was done, the Dutch carried a 37-19 lead into halftime.
"It was a lot of high-low play (during the run)," Kastel said. "Julie really got the job done on the boards and Mutchler stepped up. They really ignited us in the second quarter and we didn't look back."
The teams combined for 35 points in the third quarter before Manchester sealed the win with a 15-6 run in the fourth.
For the game, the Dutch outscored Vandercook Lake 42-20 in the paint. Manchester's bench also outscored Vandercook Lake's bench 28-7. The Dutch were credited with 48 rebounds on the night.
Manchester also did a better job of getting to the free-throw line, making 31 trips to the stripe compared to 27 times for the Jayhawks. However, the Dutch only made 16 of their free throws (51.6 percent).
"Our goal is to be at least 70 percent with our free throws," Kastel said. "The girls did a nice job and we won, but there are still areas that need to be fixed if we're going to hang with the good teams in our district."
Mutchler recorded a double-double, scoring 18 points and grabbing 10 rebounds to lead Manchester. The senior also recorded seven steals on the night. Fielder grabbed 13 rebounds to go with nine points and handed out four assists.
Stephanie Preston came off the bench to score 10 points, while Tracy Schaible had nine points and four rebounds. Laura Coltre scored six points and handed out three assists, while Megan Bossory had six points and four rebounds. Jenny Stautz threw in six points and Emily Werner grabbed six rebounds and scored four points. Stephanie Ball forced seven steals, while Emily Lobbestael had five assists for the Flying Dutch.
Manchester hosted Blissfield for a non-conference game Monday after the newspaper's deadline. The Dutch will play consecutive games today and Friday, hosting Hanover-Horton before making up their game with Addison which was originally scheduled for Feb. 1.
The game at Addison is part of a rare boy-girl basketball doubleheader. The Manchester varsity girls team will play at 5:30 p.m. Friday, while the varsity boys team faces Addison approximately a half hour following the conclusion of the girls game.
"It's a big transition year for everyone, and I know other leagues in the state have the boys and girls teams travel together," Kastel said. "I don't like playing back-to-back nights because it doesn't leave much time to prepare, but we'll give this a shot before we decide what we like and don't like."
The Dutch will look to avenge a pair of losses earlier in the season to Hanover-Horton and Addison. Cascades leader Hanover-Horton posted a 48-29 victory over the Dutch in a Jan. 4 meeting, while Addison escaped with a 52-41 victory at Manchester in the final game before the holiday break Dec. 21.
Staff Writer Ed Patino can be reached at 428-8173 or epatino@heritage.com.
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