L-P uses size advantage in convincing nonconference win over Mendota

LA SALLE – For the past two weeks, the La Salle-Peru girls basketball team knew what it needed to do when the Cavaliers returned to action with a nonconference game against Mendota.

The Cavs entered Thursday’s game at AJ Sellett Gym with the game plan of capitalizing on their size advantage and handling the Trojans’ press.

L-P executed both well as the Cavs rolled to a 66-20 victory in their first game since Dec. 21.

“I thought we played pretty well for the game coming back from New Year’s,” L-P coach Adam Spencer said. “We practiced a lot over break. We practiced with the sophomores so we could go up and down and play simulated games. That helped prepare us for this, because we knew what they were going to run for two weeks.”

Right off the bat, the Cavs got the ball inside to Brie Ruppert.

The junior post scored on a putback on L-P’s first possession, and after a Phoebe Shetterly bucket scored three straight baskets, including back-to-back on post feeds from Elli Sines, to help the Cavs to a 10-2 lead.

Kelsey Frederick added a putback to give L-P a 12-2 lead with 4:18 left in the first quarter.

“I knew that we couldn’t have a slow start,” Ruppert said about her strong first quarter.

Mendota coach John Hansen said he knew L-P’s height could be a problem for the Trojans.

“[Assistant coach Matt] Gehm and I talked the whole bus ride about how nervous we were about how we would match up with their height, especially with Cass [Gonzalez, who is 5-foot-10] out with [an illness],” Hansen said. “It definitely gave us problems.”

After Ruppert’s hot start, the Trojans focused more defensive attention on her, which helped open up other players for the Cavs.

Emma Jereb scored on a drive to the basket and followed with a bucket on a cut through the lane off an assist from Alexus Hines. Drew Depenbrock and Sines also scored as the Cavs extended their lead to 20-5 by the end of the first quarter.

“We finished some shots inside, which opened stuff up on the outside, and we made a couple,” Spencer said.

The Cavs had little trouble handling Mendota’s pressure with just three turnovers in the first quarter.

“We didn’t really get in the middle as much as I wanted to, but the spacing with the bigs – the scissor action when one flashed and one went deep – worked out,” Spencer said. “We got a couple layups off passing, which was good to see. Hopefully that translates well when we get a little more pressure.”

Defensively, the Cavs limited Mendota to one field goal in the first quarter and two in the second as L-P took a 40-11 halftime lead.

“We really wanted to work on eliminating as many drives as possible,” Ruppert said. “We knew they were going to drive and cut, drive and cut, so we had to make sure to stop that.”

The Cavs led 57-17 after the third quarter, and the clock ran throughout the fourth quarter.

“I felt like we left our defense and energy in 2024,” Hansen said. “I’m really hoping we were just kind of stuck in New Year’s break and just weren’t all ready to go. It certainly didn’t look like the energy we’ve had all season.”

Ruppert scored a game-high 18 points, including hitting 6 of 6 free throws, and grabbed seven rebounds. Jereb finished with 12 points, and Frederick added nine.

L-P (6-8), which has won two of its past three after a five-game losing streak, plays Saturday against Marquette.

“Hopefully we can string together a couple wins to start the new year,” Spencer said.

Ella Coss led Mendota (3-11) with seven points.