Lady Bulldogs pressure Chaffee into 60-42 loss

Friday, January 4, 2013
Sikeston's Trenice Greer (32) and Brianna Sherrell (25) surround Chaffee's Adrienne Eichhorn (with ball) into a turnover Thursday at the Sikeston Field House. Sikeston won the game 60-42. Chris Pobst, Staff

SIKESTON -- When the Sikeston Lady Bulldogs are able to do the things they do best, good things happen for them.

With their pressure defense leading the way, the Lady Bulldogs forced 11 turnovers in the first half which led to a lopsided halftime score and a 60-42 final in favor of Sikeston.

The Bulldogs ended 2012 with a 1-6 record not winning their first game until Dec. 22 beating Scott City in the seventh place game of the Kelso Supply Holiday Classic.

"From where we were to the beginning of the year compared to now, we're a lot better," Sikeston head coach Matt Schonhoff said. "It's through our player's hard work and their intensity in practice is starting to show on the court."

Behind four 3-pointers, Hayli Chapman led the Lady Bulldogs with 16 points. Chapman also added four steals and three assists.

Mikala Nichols added 15 points, three steals and three assists.

Each team traded leads and momentum to start the game. Chaffee held a slim 7-6 lead early in the first, but kept turning the ball over.

Sikeston's defense and poor passes had everything to do with their early mishaps.

"We didn't execute enough, we didn't get to the basket enough and we were passing the ball over the top too much," Chaffee head coach Darrin Pruitt said. "Sikeston's girls can get up and jump. We knew that we couldn't pass the ball over the top of them. They're aggressive enough and (Sikeston's) up in your face. It makes it harder."

The Lady Bulldogs took advantage of Chaffee's errors with an 11-0 run to end the quarter. Sikeston continued to pour it on in the second, outscoring the Lady Devils 16-4 heading into the half. Sikeston found themselves ahead 33-11 at halftime.

"Our offense is getting better and we're getting more active on the defensive end so we can get some layups," Schonhoff said.

As opportunistic as Sikeston's defense was in the first half, they were the opposite in the second.

The Lady Bulldogs went from forcing 11 first half turnovers to just two in the last two quarters. Something that didn't go unnoticed by Schonhoff at the end of the game.

"We had a great first half in terms of team defense. The second half we didn't have that. We gave up way too many points," he said.

Chaffee outscored the Lady Bulldogs in both quarters of the second half -- 32-27 -- and also had a hand in Sikeston's nine second half turnovers.

"It took us awhile to get it going," Pruitt said.

Jordan Pruitt led the Lady Devils with 14 points, which included four 3-pointers. Ellie Sigman and Julia Sutterfield chipped in 12 and 11 respectively.

Chaffee741517--42
Sikeston17161413--60

CHAFFEE (42) -- Jennifer Sutterfield 3, Jordan Pruitt 14, Ellie Sigman 12, Julia Sutterfield 11, Lindsey Koch 1. FG 14 FT 10-15 F 15. (3-pointers: Pruitt 4. Fouled out: Sigman.)

SIKESTON (60) -- Hayli Chapman 16, Aleah Little 10, Mikala Nichols 15, Erica Peet 2, Ariana Beard 6, Trenice Greer 2, Yolanda Johnson 9. FG 25 FT 7-18 F 16. (3-pointers: Chapman 3. Fouled out: none.)

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