Knox likely ends Downing's career in win

Updated: March 23, 2011 9:28AM

GARY - If Calumet's legendary coach Dori Downing has coached her last high school basketball game, then the 15-year coach couldn't have been more proud of the effort her Warriors (14-7) displayed in their first-round 59-53 sectional loss to a scrappy Knox (8-13) squad.

"We came out sluggish, but the effort was still there and that's why I love these kids," Downing said with tears in her eyes following the loss. "It's still about 90-10, but I'm tired. These kids really need you to be there all the way and for me that's winter, summer and spring."

Andrean (13-8) knocked off Kankakee Valley (5-15) 44-30 in the second game of the night with an enormous effort by Brittany Anderson, who finished with 17 points.

The Redskins were all over the Warriors from the start, behind Elizabeth Caudill's strong effort. She scored 10 of her game-high 17 points in the first eight minutes and chipped in six rebounds and a block.

"This is such a big game for us, because we needed some confidence since we will be playing Griffith in the next round," Caudill said. "It was the best game we have played all year I think."

Already up 14-10 after one quarter, the Redskins continued to pull away from the Warriors in the second quarter thanks to eight points by Hope Wagner, including two 3-pointers.

"Hope hit two real big 3s for us and helped extend (the Warriors' defense)," Redskins coach Dan Huizenga said.

"We are going to have to do a lot better job on the boards against Griffith, because Ashley Parish is going to come with an all-state kind of game."

Wagner was one of three Redskins that finished in double figures with 10 points, along with Caudill and Kierstynn Combs' 13 points and five rebounds. The Redskins' biggest lead of 49-37 came at 2:54 in the third quarter when Warriors forward Theresa Strong picked up her fourth foul.

The Warriors rallied right back in the fourth quarter behind seniors Alyssa Nieto and Kyra Monroe. The duo combined for 15 fourth-quarter points trimming the lead to just four. Nieto finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds, Monroe chipped in seven points and three steals and Darcy Kwiatkowski also had a game-high 17 points and 10 rebounds.

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