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Cougars hold off Lancers

JANESVILLE — The bulk of Amanda Hamilton’s contributions to Janesville Craig’s 53-41 victory here Monday over Madison La Follette won’t be found in the box score.

While the Craig High junior point guard scored 12 points, it was her dynamic ball-handling that staved off the Lancers’ late-game rally in Big Eight girls basketball.

“Our girls showed a lot of mental toughness. A year ago, we probably lost this game,” Craig coach Mark Marsden said of his team that won just five conference games a year ago and was swept by La Follette.

Hamilton only scored two points in the first 20 minutes as she ran an efficient offense that built a 32-16 lead just 1:07 into the second half when she drove and skipped a pass to Ally Marshick for a three-point shot from the left wing. Marshick hit, making her the 10th Cougar to score.

With 3:32 left in the third, Hamilton hit a right-handed low-angle lay-up to give the Cougars their largest lead at 40-19.

But the Lancers’ guards clamped down on defense and keyed an 11-0 run, capped by Clare Gloede’s second three-pointer in less than four minutes just over a minute into the fourth quarter She hit the bomb from WNBA distance, about five feet beyond the arc right of the top of the key.

“They shoot the ball extremely well, and we were wondering when some of those shots were going to drop,” Marsden said.

Senior post Anne Morgan, who led Craig (4-2, 3-2 Big Eight) with 13 points, got to the rim for zero-footers twice in two minutes to keep the Lancers (2-5, 1-4) at bay.

Leigh Hodge got La Follette back within eight at 44-36 with 3:30 to play before Hamilton hit the proverbial dagger. After having her dribble disrupted as she drove the right side of the lane, she regained control before tip-toeing the left baseline all the way to the left corner, where she measured up and connected on a three-pointer.

When she missed the first of two technical free throws a minute later, she stepped away from the line and stared at the floor, visibly angry with herself.

“She’s a 90-percent free-throw shooter, and she takes it personally,” Marsden said.

She hit the next free throw and four more down the stretch.

Craig closed the first half on a 25-9 run. Ciarra Sroda hit two three-pointers in the final 75 seconds, first setting a screen to get Emily LeGreid an open look that she drilled from left of the circle. Then Sroda drove the lane and kicked the right corner, where Lindsey Oliver swished a triple with six seconds left in the half, giving Craig a 29-16 lead at the break.

Hamilton and company broke La Follette’s press with ease, just as they did in a confidence-building 49-39 loss to Middleton on Thursday

“(Hamilton) virtually nullified their press, and we had a few girls who handled the ball really well” Marsden said. “We’re very difficult to press. Just a few things to clean up in the half-court and we’ve got it.”

CRAIG 53, LA FOLLETTE 41

La Follette (41)—La Plant, 1-0-2; Bradley, 0-6-6, 1-6-6; Hodge, 1-1-3; Gloede 2-4-10; Stephens 3-1-7; Schwartzer 0-1-1; Sigh 1-1-12. Totals: 13-10-41.

Craig (53)—Hamilton, 3-5-12; Kennedy, 1-1-3; Oliver, 2-0-6; Storbakken, 2-0-5; Sroda, 1-0-2; Sitorius, 1-0-2; LeGreid, 1-0-3; Morgan, 5-3-13; Marshick 2-0-5; Hinman 1-0-2. Totals: 19-9-53.

Madison La Follette 11 7 13 5—41

Janesville Craig 16 13 13 11—53

Three-point goals—La Follette 3 (Gloede 2, Sigh), Craig 6 (Oliver 2, Hamilton, Storbakken, LeGreid, Marshick). Free throws missed—La Follette 13, Craig 6. Total fouls—La Follette 18, Craig 20. Fouled out—Glode.

Sophomores— Craig 67, La Follette 21. Craig leading scorers: Emilie O’Donnell, 20; Kristi Crandall, 10.