Hall hopes to ride momentum into Oregon Sectional
by Brad Martin- BCR
February 12, 2008
OREGON — The Hall Lady Red Devils would love nothing more than to head to the Oregon 2A Sectional Tuesday night with the same intensity that they had Friday night in their 56-42 dominating upset victory over St. Bed in the 2A Princeton Regional.
Hall faced two good teams, Bureau Valley and St. Bede, and will need that same intensity at Oregon, if they want to advance further.
“I can not say enough about our intensity,” Hall coach Pat Cinotte said. “The girls stepped up and (coaches) Dave Kain and Jim Faletti broke down film and scouting reports to help get these girls ready for games.”
Hall (20-8), which won four straight regionals, will face Byron (24-4), a 54-33 winner over Forreston Friday night. The Tigers are led by Megan Considine who can light up the scoreboard.
Considine nearly outscored Forreston by herself Friday night, as she torched the nets for 32 points in the Lady Tigers regional victory. Those 32 points pushed her point total over the 2,000 mark for her career.
“A player with 2,000 points is amazing,” Cinotte said. “She is a combination of a point guard and off guard, who loves to attack the basket. Another thing is, whether Byron is down 20 or up 20 points, they are going to press the entire game, so we have to be ready, once again.”
The Lady Tigers, though, have their own things to worry about with the Lady Red Devils, as Hall has three players they rely on, on the offensive end.
Senior center Jen Andes has been outstanding, as of late, and looks to lead her Lady Devil teammates against Byron.
Andes is used to the big games, as this is her fourth time playing in front of the sectional crowd.
Andes had 23 points and 10 rebounds over St. Bede Friday night, and will need another solid performance to fuel the Lady Red Devils against Byron
“Jen Andes has just been on a mission since the first St. Bede game,” Cinotte said. “She’s a leader out there on the floor and loves the challenge.”
Andes became the first player in Lady Devils history to win four regional titles, and she will be looking to lead her team to state, which would also be her second trip to Normal.
Junior Lindsay Wallaert is another threat for Hall, as she can hit the three-point shot as well as take the ball to the basket, aggressively. Wallaert is also no stranger to double digit rebound totals also.
“I can’t say enough about Lindsay (Wallaert),” Cinotte said. “She is a warrior out there and is always in the middle of every loose ball. She gives a tremendous effort on both ends of the court.”
Prokup had 13 points against the Lady Bruins and is often called upon to guard the opponent’s top player, due to her tremendous defense.
“Carly is a lot like Lindsay,” Cinotte said. “She excels on defense and can get to the basket or shoot from outside for us. All these girls on the team are just great kids and put forth a tremendous effort, every night.”
In the other sectional semifinal games, Sterling Newman (25-3) defeated Oregon 43-32 and will face the winner of the Hall-Byron game Thursday night for the sectional championship.
The winner will advance to the Monmouth Supersectional for a chance to play in the Final Four at Illinois State University’s Redbird Arena
Oregon 2A Sectional at a glance
Where: The Blackhawk Center, Oregon High School.
Pairings: Monday — Sterling Newman 43, Oregon 32. Tuesday — Game 2, (3) Hall (20-8) vs. (1) Byron (24-4), 7:30 p.m. Thursday — Title, (1) Sterling Newman (25-3) vs. winner 2, 7:30 p.m.
Players to watch: Jen Andes, Hall sr. C; Megan Considine, Byron sr. G; Carissa Oelke, Oregon jr. G/F; Michele Salvatori, Newman jr. G/F; Amanda Trancoso, Newman jr. G.
BCR insider: Hall has won four straight regional titles and added one sectional (2006) in that span. Senior center Jen Andes has played on all four of those regional winners, the only ones in the history of the Hall program. Seven of Hall’s eight losses have come to teams who have been ranked this season, including a 67-49 loss to No. 6 Sterling Newman in the State Farm Classic at Bloomington-Normal. ... With four juniors in the starting lineup and only one senior on the team, the Comets will be a team to reckon with in the future, if not now. Their best players are the Salvatori twins, Michele, a wing player, and Megan, a post. Newman won its own regional with a 62-31 thumping of Amboy, on Saturday. Oregon (22-9) topped host Hampshire 33-26. ... Considine, who scored 34 points to reach the 2,000-point plateau, comes from a strong pedigree with a brother, Sean, playing for the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles. ... Oregon (22-9) tied a school record for wins with Friday’s 33-26 win over the host at the Hampshire Regional. The 22 wins matches the total compiled by Oregon’s only other regional champions of 2001. Oregon lost to Byron in Big Northern Conference play.
Last year’s sectional finals: Princeton 47, Hinckley-Big Rock 37; Forreston 64, Polo 48.
Favorite: Byron.
Watch out for: Newman, Hall.
Next: Winner advances to the Monmouth Supersectional to face the winner of the Knoxville Sectional on Feb. 18.
