Ben Greller | Staff Writer
Tonight the Lady Trojans will face defending state champion Warren Central. In last year’s contest, the Trojans handed the Warriors one of their five losses of the year in a game that saw Emma Utterback and Cassidy Hardin combine for 44 points on just 25 shots. Warren Central would go on to win the state championship and earn a top 80 national ranking. The game tonight is scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off at Warren Central High School.
The Trojans will look to slow down senior guard Shaila Beeler, Warren Central’s point guard who led the Warriors in scoring and assists last season. Beeler had 19 points in last year’s matchup and in the first game of her senior season, she posted a double-double with 12 points and 10 assists. Another focus point will be the towering 6’5” Cydni Dodd, a Michigan State commit. In Dodd’s four years of varsity basketball, she has a career average of 11 points and an impressive 12 rebounds a game.
“In order to beat Warren, we need to have a good offense. We will need to run our set plays efficiently. They will most likely play a zone defense, so we will just have to be calm and composed with the ball,” junior Ashley Eck said. “We’re going to need good ball movement and be smart about taking the right shots. If we take care of the ball and play solid defense, then we have a good chance of getting the job done.”
On the offensive side of the ball, the Trojans will look to continue the success that they saw in the fourth quarter comeback Tuesday against Brownsburg.
“In the fourth quarter, we started playing together more as a team and used everyone’s strengths to our advantage. We took better shots and were more patient on offense,” junior Claire Rake said.
Last year’s win was a huge step forward for Coach Kevin Stuckmeyer’s program. Tonight will be just as big of a matchup for both teams.
“This game is a great opportunity for us to bounce back after a tough loss against Brownsburg on Tuesday night,” senior guard Ella Thompson said. “Considering Warren won state last year and they returned just about everyone, it will be a good test for us.”
The Lady Trojans are coming off of a six-point loss to Brownsburg on Tuesday. It was a game that saw the Trojans trail by 24 at the end of the third quarter. The Trojans would make a comeback, closing the gap to within three points before losing 54-48. The Trojans are now 1-1. The Warriors are 2-0 and have had two blowout wins over Cathedral and Mt. Vernon. Both teams will be seeking their first conference win.
