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Girls Basketball: Shannon Butler powers Joliet Catholic past Tinley Park
Updated: January 3, 2012 9:32PM
Joliet Catholic’s Shannon Butler scored 21 points and grabbed 13 rebounds as the hosts defeated Tinley Park 56-47 on Tuesday night.
Butler, a center, scored 10 points in the first quarter as the Angels (6-8) jumped to a 20-8 lead. Joliet Catholic also forced the Titans (7-10) into eight first-quarter turnovers.
The Angels’ Miranda Morales scored 10 points in the second quarter to lead Joliet Catholic to a 38-19 halftime advantage. The Angels shot 16-of-35 from the floor.
“We didn’t handle the ball in the first half. We didn’t get any rebounds in the first half. It was never a game, because we didn’t come ready to play,” Tinley Park coach Jason Becker said.
The Titans managed to trim the lead to 53-43 with 2:07 left in the game behind the three-point shooting of Simona Sidaugaite and by playing better defensively.
“In the third quarter and the fourth quarter we decided to play,” Becker said. “We only committed two or three turnovers in the second half, and we started to rebound. We started to attack the basket and be more aggressive defensively.”
Joliet Catholic coach Ed Schodrof was pleased with his team’s effort, especially that of Butler, a senior.
“We had an excellent first half, shooting-wise,” he said. “Shannon had a great first half. She’s been averaging around 18 points a game, and she’s been a real workhorse in the middle. She’s had a very good season for us so far.”
Schodrof also had praise for the visiting Titans.
“That was a good basketball team we played. Their coach has taken them a long way,” he said.
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