Generals hold off Northview

1/20/2008
BY DONALD EMMONS
BLADE SPORTS WRITER
  • Generals-hold-off-Northview-2

    Northview's Karly Kasper goes to the basket in front of teammate Katelyn Dobson and Anthony Wayne's Briege Donahue in Saturday's game.

    Jeremy Wadsworth

  • Anthony Wayne's Allison Papenfuss, who had 12 points and 10 rebounds, drives to the
basket against Northview's Katelyn Dobson.
    Anthony Wayne's Allison Papenfuss, who had 12 points and 10 rebounds, drives to the basket against Northview's Katelyn Dobson.

    Anthony Wayne girls basketball coach Justin Zemanski did not ask anyone in particular to elevate her game after recently losing a key starter to a season-ending injury.

    Yet, several members of the defending Northern Lakes League champion team responded with some of their best play of the season last night.

    The result: a 43-32 home victory over Northview to keep the Generals tied with Perrysburg in first place.

    Allison Papenfuss paced the Generals with

    another double-double performance, scoring 12 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.

    But Papenfuss received plenty of assistance.

    Ashley Bromley scored 11 points while Erika Schmidt finished with eight. Ja'Neisha Galloway, who started in place of injured Jordan Floyd

    (knee), scored two points and also contributed six rebounds and five steals.

    "I can't say enough about Erika Schmidt, who was playing at 75 percent, and Ashley Bromley," Zemanski said. "Ashley had her best game of the year. The kids faced adversity and met it head on."

    Northview's Karly Kasper goes to the basket in front of teammate Katelyn Dobson and Anthony Wayne's Briege Donahue in Saturday's game.
    Northview's Karly Kasper goes to the basket in front of teammate Katelyn Dobson and Anthony Wayne's Briege Donahue in Saturday's game.

    The Generals (13-2, 8-1 NLL) took the lead midway through the first quarter and maintained it for the rest of the night, even when Papenfuss sat out all of the second quarter after picking up her second foul with two minutes remaining in the first quarter.

    "The bottom line is we just couldn't make any shots," Northview coach Jerry Sigler said. "They played the second quarter without Allison and we couldn't capitalize on it."

    Olivia Fouty had 15 points and five rebounds to lead Northview (11-4, 6-3 NLL). Katelyn Dobson added eight points and five

    rebounds.

    Papenfuss scored eight of her points in the second half after her built a 23-19 lead going into halftime.

    "I can not say enough about them," Papenfuss said. "They stepped up today and proved to everyone we're not a one-player team. We proved tonight that everyone can contribute.

    "They played great in the second quarter, but it was tough watching on the bench."

    Both teams struggled in the second quarter with only 10 points scored - five for each team. Kelsey Conklin accounted for all of AW's points, including a 3-pointer to give the Generals a 21-16 lead with 3:26 left.

    Conklin scored on a breakaway layup off an assist from Galloway to make it a four-point lead with a minute remaining.

    Fouty scored Northview's only two baskets during the period, while Paige Maroney made 1 of 2 foul shots.

    "That's the sign of a good team when other players step up," said Sigler.

    AW trailed 7-5 when Bromley knocked down a 3-pointer with 4:39 left in the opening quarter to start a decisive 9-0 run.

    Erika Schmidt followed with a layup off a Northview turnover to give AW a 10-7 advantage with 3:56 left in the period.

    Papenfuss made it 12-7. Schmidt followed with another hard drive to the basket to give the Generals a seven-point advantage with 2:57 remaining.

    But the Wildcats closed the quarter with a 5-2 spurt to end up trailing 16-12 after one quarter. The Generals played the final two minutes of the second quarter without Papenfuss after she was called for her second foul.

    In the third quarter, when Papenfuss returned, Anthony Wayne outscored Northview 10-7 to take a 33-26 lead into the fourth quarter.

    The Generals never allowed the Wildcats to pull any closer than three in the final period.

    Contact Donald Emmons at: demmons@theblade.com or 419-724-6302.