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Parker girls advance to sectional

JANESVILLE — Parker advances in regional final

By Stan Milam

Capitol News Service

Janesville Parker High School’s girls basketball team advanced to WIAA Division 1 sectional play with a 40-29 win over Stoughton here Saturday afternoon.

Beyond that, Parker coach Tom Klawitter had few positive comments about his team’s play. At times during the low-scoring grinder, Klawitter appeared confused as to what his players were doing on offense and defense.

Despite Stoughton’s low scoring, Klawitter was disappointed in his team’s defensive effort, especially after trailing 8-7 after the first quarter.

“Our defensive effort should have been a lot better,” Klawitter said. “We had a game plan, but when you get three or four kids doing the game plan and one or two not, it really affects your defense.

“I thought we could have shut them down early and made a point right away, but we didn’t follow through with that.”

Parker (18-5) could not shake free from Stoughton (11-13) in the first half. Had it not been for three three-point goals by Kathyrn Pernot in the second quarter, Parker might have been in a deep hole. Pernot’s hot shooting, however, gave Parker an 18-16 halftime edge.

In the decisive third quarter, Parker’s defense came alive, holding Stoughton to just four points, all on free throws. The Stoughton shooters were stone cold with seven attempts and hitting no field goals.

Parker finally had a balanced scoring attack in the third quarter, with Kaynesha Zinn scoring from the lane and then Pernot and Savannah Shepler shooting over the Stoughton zone.

Parker had a 32-20 after three quarters and held on in the final period for the win, allowing Stoughton only two field goals in the second half.

“We played only well enough in the second half to win,” Klawitter said. “There was a lack of concentration on shooting the ball. We were not shooting it. We were just throwing it up there.”

Parker went into the regional final after a week off because of its No. 2 tournament seed and first-round bye.

“The time off didn’t do us any good at all,” Klawitter said. “I thought the practice would do us good, but it didn’t—we should have played.”

Before the game, Stoughton coach Rami Hoaglin said a key would be if her team could stop Danielle Flood, Parker’s junior point guard. Flood scored only three points and was held scoreless until just 2:57 remained in the game, with Parker holding a 12-point lead.

“We were successful on Flood, but Pernot picked up that slack,” Hoaglin said. “We knew they had other scorers, but the tapes showed us that we had to stop Flood.

“It’s tournament time, and other players need to step up,” Hoaglin said. “Pernot stepped up for them when they needed it.”

Flood is playing with back pain that kept her out of practice last week, but Klawitter said he wasn’t sure what caused her scoring lapse.

“She just had an ‘off’ night shooting,” Klawitter said. “Let’s hope she gets her touch back, but she just didn’t shoot the ball well. She wasn’t squared, but who knows what the problem is? I do know she couldn’t even practice the other night.”

Klawitter had two words for Pernot’s team-high 14 points.

“Thank goodness,” he said. “Somebody had to step up. That’s what tournament play is all about, and sometimes it’s the unknown player who steps up. We’re hoping that someone will step up again next week.”

The next game will be at 8 p.m. Friday against Milton, a strong 22-game winner, in the sectional semifinals at Janesville Craig.

“We’re the underdog,” Klawitter said. “It’s plain and simple. I don’t care if we are the two seed or not.”

Klawitter said his Vikings will concentrate on preparing for Milton (22-2), but by tournament time, the team is what it is.

“It’s all comes down to how hard you have worked all season,” he said. “It will just come down to playing basic basketball, and that’s what we need to get back to.”

Klawitter used an example of what he referred to as “basic basketball.”

“Stoughton went to a 1-2-2 trap,” he said. “There’s not a whole lot of offense I could give them for that. You just have to play.

“So we’re just going to have to turn up the heat in practice and make sure they understand the pressure and the stress of the situation.”

PARKER 40, STOUGHTON 29

Stoughton (29)—Mersberger, 1-0-2; M. Bower, 2-0-4; B. Bower, 4-8-16; Daellenbach, 0-1-1; Krause, 2-0-4; Christofferson, 1-0-2. Totals:

Parker (40)—Franklin, 1-0-2; Pernot, 5-0-14; Flood, 1-1-3; Shepler, 4-0-10; Zinn, 3-0-6; Hartwig, 1-1-3; Green-Kenerson, 0-2-2. Totals: 14-6-40.

Stoughton 8 8 4 9—29

Janesville Parker 7 11 14 8—40

Three-point goals—Parker 6 (Pernot 4, Shepler 2). Free throws missed—Stoughton 7, Parker 8. Total fouls—Stoughton 18, Parker 14.