Girls basketball: Princeton’s third win over Bureau Valley comes much easier

Princeton's Mariah Hobson drives on Bureau Valley's Kate Stoller Thursday night at Prouty Gym. The Tigresses won 48-34.

The Princeton girls basketball team had twice defeated rival Bureau Valley earlier this season, but neither win came easy.

The Tigresses set out Thursday at Prouty Gym to get the job done a little less stressfully the third time around against the Storm.

They outscored Bureau Valley by 12 points in the second quarter to take a 13-point halftime lead on the way to a 48-34 win in Three Rivers East action.

“We had it in the back of our minds that they thought they were better than us and we had to prove to them that they weren’t,” Princeton senior Mariah Hobson said.

Mariah Hobson

“We knew it was going to be a battle,” Princeton coach Darcy Kepner said. “We thought they kind of outplayed us through three quarters the last two games, and we just wanted to come out and prove we were the better team, and I felt the girls played a great four quarters.

“Our goal is we want to sweep the conference and we just wanted to prove we were the best team in the conference tonight.”

Kepner said the difference for the Tigresses on Thursday was the energy they brought on defense with their 1-3-1 trap.

“We made some adjustments with our [defense], just knowing where their shooters were at and getting out and executing against their half-court man,” she said.

Princeton's Camryn Driscoll shoots over Bureau Valley's Kate Stoller Thursday night at Prouty Gym. The Tigresses won 48-34.

The Tigresses (22-3) notched their 22nd win, the second most in program history, improving to 9-0 in league play. They are the defending champions in the TRAC East.

Kate Stoller hit two free throws with 6:22 left in the second quarter to give the Storm a 12-11 lead, but they never led again.

PHS senior Erin May hit two free throws to start a 10-0 run, and ended it with a left-handed hook shot in the lane to give the Tigresses a 21-12 lead with five minutes left in the second quarter.

Stoller sank two more free throws at the three-minute mark, but the Storm did not score again in the half.

Hobson scored on a drive, freshman Camryn Driscoll scored on a left-handed layup, and classmate Keighley Davis scooped up a loose ball for an easy bucket to send the Tigresses to a 27-12 halftime lead.

After taking an early 8-3 lead, the Storm went stone cold, shooting 20% on 4-of-20 shooting.

“That’s two games in a row our team’s been off. We need them to keep shooting. They have to understand, you can’t shoot yourselves out of a slump by not shooting the ball,” BV coach Matt Wasilewski said. “They’re in a little bit of a slump, and they’re letting it affect not only their shooting, but other aspects of the game. [We had a] lot of turnovers.

“Their defense forced the turnovers, and we have to not let that happen.”

Bureau Valley (10-15, 6-3) mounted one last late charge, getting a jumper by Lynzie Cady and another by Kate Stoller from the top of the key to close to within 40-32 with 2 1/2 minutes left. A hoop by Kate Salisbury got the Storm back within eight at the two-minute mark, but Princeton closed shop with the final six points of the game.

“I told them at half, I wanted it down to eight going into the fourth quarter, and we had it down there. But we put them on the line, and next thing you know, they’re up by 11,” Wasilewski said. “So we had them where we wanted to be, but we just weren’t able to get over the hump.”

Davis led the Tigresses with 19 points, scoring six in both the first and fourth quarters, and was a handful, Wasilewski said.

“Davis had a great game. She’s very athletic. She’s more athletic than anybody we have. When she decides she wants to go to the hole, there’s not a lot any of our players can do,” he said.

Hobson finished with 12 points.

Cady and Stoller both scored 14 points for the Storm (10-15).

Notes: Bureau Valley won the freshmen game and Princeton took the sophomore game. The Tigresses will return to action at 2 p.m. Saturday at home in a Three Rivers crossover against Sherrard (16-5), which could help determine the top sub-sectional seed.

Princeton's  Miyah Fox drives on Bureau Valley's Taylor Neuhalfen Thursday night at Prouty Gym. The Tigresses won 48-34.