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	The Manchester Enterprise A Heritage Newspaper Weekly Publication

Dutch win finale on the boards

Manchester finishes regular season with victory over Trojans

By Ed Patino, Staff Writer

PUBLISHED: February 21, 2008

The regular season ended on a high note for the Manchester varsity girls basketball team.

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With several players turning in strong performances on the boards, the Flying Dutch held on for a 39-36 victory over the East Jackson Trojans in a Cascades Conference game Feb. 15.

Manchester (8-12, 6-8 Cascades) finished with three more victories than last year's regular season and built momentum entering the playoffs. The Dutch faced Clinton in the opening round of the Class C district tournament Monday at Clinton.

Despite shooting just 26 percent from the floor, Manchester made up for it by grabbing 45 rebounds on the night.

"Defensively we played great, but we needed to be more patient and more poised on offense," Manchester coach Cori Kastel said. "We didn't shoot well from the floor, and there weren't many second opportunities. All of our points in the fourth quarter were free throws."

The Dutch led throughout the game, but East Jackson (5-14, 2-12 Cascades) kept within striking distance. Manchester held a 23-22 lead at halftime, then the teams exchanged baskets in the third quarter. The Trojans never let Manchester pull away in the fourth quarter, but clutch free-throw shooting down the stretch helped the Dutch hang on.

Manchester went 4-for-4 from the free-throw line in the game's final minute. The Trojans had a chance to tie the game with under 30 seconds remaining, but Tracy Schaible came up with a steal for the Dutch with 19 seconds left, then hit a pair at the line to seal the win.

"It helped that we didn't panic," Kastel said. "This team matured throughout the season, and ending the regular season with a win helps our confidence."

Amanda Mutchler and Julie Fielder led the way for the Dutch. Mutchler scored 12 points, grabbed seven rebounds, blocked three shots and forced three steals. Fielder recorded a season-high 15 rebounds to go with six points.

"Julie was a huge presence for us inside the paint," Kastel said. "Her rebounding saved us."

Schaible added seven points, five rebounds and three assists, while Stephanie Preston had six points, seven rebounds and three assists. Laura Coltre grabbed five rebounds, forced four steals and handed out three assists for Manchester.

Kayla Miles scored 11 points to lead East Jackson. Devina Rogers added nine points, while Emily Sherwood finished with eight points for the Trojans.

Dutch at Grass Lake

A big second quarter made up for a slow start as the Manchester varsity girls basketball team stunned the Grass Lake Warriors for a 56-48 victory in a Cascades Conference game Feb. 12 at the Joe Bechtel Athletic Complex.

Trailing by four after the first quarter, the Flying Dutch erupted for a 17-9 run in the second quarter. Manchester took a 23-19 lead into halftime.

The teams combined for 29 points in a close third quarter, but the Dutch scored 19 points in the fourth to put the game away.

For the game, the Dutch shot 40 percent from the floor and were 18-for-27 from the free-throw line. Meanwhile, Grass Lake went 8-for-23 from the stripe.

"We were steady throughout our lineup in the first half," Manchester coach Cori Kastel said. "We knew it would be a rough atmosphere in their gym, but the kids played well."

Three players scored in double figures for Manchester. Amanda Mutchler led the way with a double-double, scoring 14 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. She also handed out four assists, blocked four shots and recorded three steals. Stephanie Ball had 12 points and five steals, while Laura Coltre had 11 points and four assists. Tracy Schaible added eight points and Emily Werner and Julie Fielder each grabbed five rebounds for the Dutch.

"It's a breath of fresh air knowing that other kids can put the ball in the hoop and that we can beat good teams," Kastel said.

Danielle Powaga finished with 16 points to lead Grass Lake. Jeni Lindamood added seven points, while Michelle Danko had six points. Marylorette Ryan and Brittani King each scored five points for the Warriors.

Staff Writer Ed Patino can be reached at 428-8173 or epatino@heritage.com.