Portage, Chesterton to square off

Updated: March 23, 2011 1:58PM

Portage didn't play like a team that started the season 1-11 or entered a girls basketball sectional semifinal with a 7-13 record on Friday night.

Just ask the players, coaches and fans at Crown Point.

The hosts prevailed 55-49, advancing to tonight's Class 4A Portage Sectional championship game against Chesteton, which won a 62-61 thriller in the second game over Merrillville.

Crown Point finishes 14-8, a mark that included two regular-season Duneland Conference victories over Portage.

This time, senior Tori Bliss led the way with 23 points and 14 rebounds, a command performance inside that propelled coach Chris Seibert's team into the title round.

"With us playing five sophomores all year, all of our seniors have had to do a great job of leading," Seibert said.

Another senior, Carly Bermes, stepped up big with 12 points. One of those sophomores, Nicki Monahan, scored 15 points, including 5-of-6 from the line in the fourth quarter.

Kelly Gross had 16 points for Crown Point, and the Bulldogs' Michaela Prough added nine.

Portage struggled a bit early with Crown Point's full- and half-court traps, but found ways to solve the pressure defense.

"We just needed to be patient," Seibert said. "The press is designed to speed you up. We stress not only breaking it, but attacking it."

In the second game, Chesterton withstood a last-second shot attempt to prevail, in an exchange that featured the game's two standout performers.

With 14.5 seconds remaining, the Trojans' Claire Holba made one of two free throws to give Chesterton a 62-60 lead.

Merrillville's Raveen Murray drew a foul at the other end. Murray made the first free throw but missed the second. Holba grabbed the rebound, but with time running out, Murray stole the ball. Murray converted a short bank shot as the buzzer sounded, but the officials ruled that time had expired, giving Chesterton the victory.

Both Holba and Murray had amazing nights. Holba, a 6-foot-1 senior post player, finished with 27 points and nine rebounds. She scored 21 points in the second half and was 15-of-19 from the foul line.

Murray, a 5-foot-6 junior guard, scored 30 points, and was stellar after scoring just two points in the first quarter.

Brooke Gardner added 16 points for Chesterton. Audrianna Downs had 10 for Merrillville. The Pirates finished the season at 14-8, the same record Chesterton takes into the sectional championship contest.

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