Girls Basketball: Elkhart rally sinks Cougars

VALPARAISO -- Elkhart Memorial shook off a slow start to oust West Side 58-53 in a Class 4A regional semifinal Saturday at Valparaiso High School.

The Chargers (22-4) had 10 turnovers in the first quarter to trail 13-8 though West Side shot just 5-of-15. Memorial had 17 miscues the first half but just six the second as the Chargers went inside more and used their height advantage.

The Chargers, down 26-21 at the half, took charge with an 18-11 third period as Jada Buggs scored seven and Akyah Taylor six.

The 6-foot Buggs got 16 of her team-high 18 in the second half. She hit 10-of-12 at the line. Taylor, a 5-9 freshman, tallied 13 points and 10 rebounds.

"We were out of sync offensively a little bit the third quarter," Cougars coach Rod Fisher said. "And they started attacking the basket; 34 (Buggs) started penetrating and 55 (Jasmine Watson) was open inside." The 6-2 Watson had 17 points, six rebounds and three blocks.

Memorial, winner of nine straight, played defending champion South Bend Washington for the title. The Panthers routed Michigan City 88-66 in the first semifinal behind Skylar Diggs' 40 points.

The young Cougars (18-5) had two turnovers to start the third, shooting 0-2 as Memorial took the lead for the first time, 29-28, on a Watson layup. West Side shot just 5-of-15 in the third to trail 39-37 starting the fourth.

A banked 3-pointer by Breanna Haggard gave West Side its final lead, 40-39. But Buggs drove for a goal and Brown got a fastbreak layup. The Chargers twice led by seven, the first time as Buggs hit four foul shots; she was 7-of-8 at the line in the fourth and her team 11-14.

Meanwhile the Cougars shot 3s to try and catch up but hit just 3-of-10 then to finish an icy 5-of-25 from the arc. The shorter Cougars shot just 4-of-8 at the free-throw line total to Memorial's 17-of-25 (68 percent).

"Fouls were the difference; they hit a lot of free throws," said Aurielle Anderson. The 5-6 junior guard led West Side with 19 points and 11 rebounds. She hit seven straight shots in the middle periods to end 9-of-15.

Senior Jasmine Brown ended her career with 18 points and eight boards. Haggard scored nine but six of 11 Cougars who played were blanked, including two starters.

Brown's three-point play cut it to 54-50 at 54 seconds but Nicci Desimone's two free throws iced it 57-50 with 31 seconds left.

"A lot of people didn't think we'd do this well; we're a young team (three seniors, 11 underclassmen)," Anderson said. "We proved a lot of people wrong and surprised a lot."

Fisher said she and Brown "carried us most of the season. Most fans probably feel we exceeded expectations. We had some girls not come out and called up some from JV. We need kids to commit to playing year-round to get to the next level. We don't have enough.

"We did an excellent job the first half of taking them out of their game plan. But they countered the second half."

Memorial coach Larry Fielstra said the Cougars "are a good team, well coached. We rushed too much the first half and panicked. We've not seen a team that quick in 10 games, since Clay and Washington.

"We pleaded with Jada (Buggs) all game to go to the basket; they were packed in a zone a lot. Jasmine had a great game; she changed several of their shots." The Cougars were outshot .465 to .344; they took 23 more shots but hit only two more. West's Kenneka Alexander had five assists.