Home | Back

Nordonia girls' offense roars to life, routs Parma

Share_print Print Story    |    Comments    |   

February 3, 2010

by Devan Matthews

Correspondent

The Nordonia High School girls basketball team had more than a week between games, but it didn't take long for the Knights to knock off any rust that may have accumulated.

After a semi-slow start, Nordonia pounded Northeast Ohio Conference Lake Division foe Parma by the score of 62-37 on the road Jan. 30.

With that lopsided victory, the Knights improved their overall record on the campaign to 13-3 and they also remained undefeated in division action at 6-0.

Nordonia led just 10-7 at the end of the opening quarter, but the Knights outscored the Redmen 22-9 in the second period, 14-12 in the third stanza and 16-9 during the fourth frame.

According to Nordonia head coach Gary Tipton, Nordonia's 10-day layoff between contests was evident early, but the Knights warmed up quickly.

"We were a little slow in the first quarter, but the second, third and fourth quarters were strong," said Tipton. "We executed well."

According to Tipton, senior forward/center Danielle Zuercher enjoyed her best game of the season against Parma. She produced 23 points, six rebounds, two blocked shots and two assists.

In addition, junior point guard Kelsey Shirey scored 15 points and dished out five assists, while junior guard Courtney Cole added eight points and three assists.

Sophomore forward/center Sara Andrasik contributed six points, and senior forward Ashley Puscian added four markers.

Nordonia definitely controls its own destiny as far as the division title is concerned. All of the Knights' remaining regular-season games are within the division. If they win them all, they'll be crowned Lake Division champions.

"We're very happy with where we stand," said Tipton. "We have a one-game lead over Normandy, and we play them in a couple of games (Feb. 10). The girls have a really good divisional record, but we're also kind of happy with how we've done in the whole conference. We're 9-1 in the NOC overall."

Once again, Nordonia has just one game this week. That contest is this Saturday, when the Knights will battle division rival Garfield Heights at home. Tipton is wary of the Bulldogs.

"They're an extremely athletic team," he said. "It's going to be a highly competitive game. We're going to try to come out and play good defense and make some early shots."

The Division I district tournament draw is scheduled for Feb. 7 at Warrensville Heights High School, also the site of the tournament.

"We're hopeful of getting a good seed, given our record," said Tipton. "The girls deserve all the credit. We're happy with how they've progressed. The team has exceeded expectations."

E-mail: stowsports@recordpub.com

Phone: 330-688-0088 ext. 3113




Comments
By Posting to this site, you agree to our Terms of Service Be polite. Inappropriate posts may be removed. The-News-Leader.com doesn't necessarily condone the comments here, nor does it review every post.

Login above or Register to comment.
 0 Total Comments Home | Back