Girls basketball: Annawan gets the gang back together, storms Bureau Valley

MANLIUS - The Annawan Bravettes got all the gang back together for the first time in 15 days Thursday night at Bureau Valley.

They looked like the newly ranked Associated Press Class 1A No. 4 team, defeating the host Storm soundly 55-33 at the Storm Cellar.

“We haven’t had everybody at a practice or a game since the day after the Wethersfield game (on Nov. 29),” Annawan coach Jason Burkiewicz said. “It’s been rough. It’s been going through us, but it’s been going through a bunch of teams. You look at the scores and can probably assume other teams are battling it, too. Just got to get through it and get reenergized.”

The Storm (7-5) played the Bravettes (10-2) even at 4-4 before Kaylee Celus and the Bravettes got going. Celus scored seven points and Olivia Goodley hit a 3-pointer to give the Bravettes a 16-5 lead.

Kate Stoller drew the Storm within 16-8 when she hit nothing but net on a 3-pointer just as she crossed halfcourt at the buzzer.

Stoller carried that momentum over into the second quarter with a 2-pointer and a more traditional 3-pointer to keep the Storm within 28-15.

Annawan scored the final four points of the half on buckets by Zoey Vance and Celus and the first five points, including two more baskets inside by Vance, to take a 37-15 lead.

Taylor Neuhalfen played some inspired ball, scoring all eight of the Storm’s third-quarter points, but couldn’t keep the Bravettes from taking a 44-23 lead at quarter’s end.

She finished with a team-high 12 points, while Stoller netted nine, but leading scorer, Kate Salisbury, was shut out.

“Taylor played outstanding,” BV coach Matt Wasilewski said. “When we went into a triangle and 2 defense, she took on guarding Olivia Goodley, I believe. She obviously led us in scoring and I think she led us in rebounds by quite a bit. She took over for us.”

Celus finished with a game-high 19 points, 13 in the first half, with Vance adding 13 and Goodley 10.

Burkiewicz said it was a not a perfect game for the Bravettes by any means.

“We’re not taking care of the basketball real well tonight. Just a little messy in certain areas, taking care of the basketball and being sharp. We got to clean up those things, but our ability took over tonight,” he said.

Wasilewski saw a lot of positives, despite the loss, playing the No. 4-ranked team in the state.

“They’re a good team, but we’re not (22) points worse than they are in my opinion,” he said. “We missed four or five layups in the first half. You can’t miss them. We were down 17 at half? That’s the difference being 15 and eight down, those missed layups. Annawan doesn’t miss those layups. We can’t miss those layups.

“You have to make shots. If you’re missing shots, you have to look to score. We had a couple players that didn’t look to score as much as they should have. But we had some players step up tonight. Yeah, they’re a good team. But there in the second half, I’m trying to think how many shots they made out of their initial offense and not on offensive rebounds.”

The No. 4 state ranking was announced just over 24 hours before the Bravettes took the floor Thursday. That’s nothing new to a Annawan program that’s won two state championships in the last 10 years and Burkiewicz didn’t think it had any effect on the Bravettes.

“It’s a group that’s played varsity basketball for over 70 games. The top six players have played varsity ball since they were freshmen and been on the court,” he said. “We’re ready for this. This is what we want. This is the season we’ve been waiting for.

“I think we’ve just got to get our energy levels back up. I know they’re feeling better, but there’s just some layover from some of the illness and we’re not moving as quick as we can. Hopefully, Alleman pulls that out of us Saturday.”

Alleman, which is ranked No. 6 in Class 2A, calls on the Bravettes at 11 a.m. Saturday in a battle of two of the best small school teams in the state.

*BV won the F/S game, 50-35. Jamison had 14 points, Zemke 12 and Wright had 10. Aleigha Witte had 10 points for Annawan, which was coached by former BV volleyball coach Caitlyn DeMay, who now teaches second grade at Annawan.