Ozaukee defeats Elkhart, earns share of CLC title
FREDONIA – Ozaukee earned a share of the Central Lakeshore Conference girls basketball title with a 48-33 win over the Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah Resorters here Friday night.
Senior guard Kaitlyn Thill sparked the Warriors’ attack with 25 points – 10 in the fourth quarter. Ozaukee (18-4 overall) tied Oostburg for first in the CLC at 16-2.
The Resorters finished 11-7 in the league and ended the regular season at 14-8.
The Warriors got off to a blazing start – building a 21-7 lead after one quarter. Ozaukee shot a blistering 9-for-12 (75 percent) from the field. Senior post player Erin Hartnett tallied eight points and Thill had six to key the Warriors’ offense in the period.
“They came out on fire. They hit all over and they were all net,” said Resorter head coach Don Kulow.
Elkhart lost starting center Anna Vollrath to a neck injury midway through the first quarter. The injury wasn’t serious but Vollrath was held out of the rest of the game as a precautionary measure.
“We dug ourselves too big of a hole. We were short-handed and had trouble matching up with Hartnett,” Kulow said.
Elkhart had only seven players available after Vollrath went down.
“Thill steps up in big games. You can’t stop her with just one player. She is the real deal.”
The lightning-quick Thill sank two three-pointers and was also effective driving to the basket. Her 13 points propelled Ozaukee to a 32-15 halftime lead.
Elkhart’s defense buckled down in the third quarter and held Ozaukee to only two points. The Resorters were only able to score eight points in the period as they missed several good shots.
“I give our kids a lot of credit. We battled,” Kulow said. “Our help-defense was better in the second half.
“Kate Vollrath was aggressive in going to the basket. Chelsea Watry played well.”
Kate Vollrath, a senior forward, led Elkhart in scoring with 13 and was 9-for-10 at the foul line. Watry had a team-high seven rebounds and Kate Vollrath had five.
Stephanie Knepfel paced the Resorters in assists with two and steals, three. Elkhart shot only 24 percent (10 of 41) from the floor.
| GIRLS
| | |
| BASKETBALL
| | |
| ELKHART | 33 | |
| LAKE | | |
| OZAUKEE 48 | |
Score by Quarters
Elkhart Lake..……………7 8 8 10 – 33
Ozaukee…..…………....21 11 2 14 – 48
Elkhart Lake scoring: Stephanie Knepfel 5, Rachel Knowles 4, Maddie Landgraf 2, Kate Vollrath 13, Chelsea Watry 6,
Anna Vollrath 3.
Ozaukee scoring: Kaitlyn Thill 25, Erin Hartnett 13, Hillary Johnson 4, Caitlin Siesco 4, Jeanette Lapinski 2.
Three-point goals: Johnson 2, Thill 2.
Field goals: Elkhart Lake 10-41, 24%; Ozaukee 16-37, 43%. Free throws: Elkhart Lake 13-17, 76%; Ozaukee 13-16,
81%.
Rebounds: Elkhart Lake 22, Ozaukee 27. Turnovers: Elkhart Lake ___________________________ 13, Ozaukee 18.
