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Concordia Lutheran won its fourth consecutive sectional championship on Saturday, dispatching of Angola 53-41 at the Class 3A Bishop Dwenger Sectional
Here are five keys to the Cadet victory:
1. Two-way play of Courtney Smith
Not only did the junior drop 12 points and grab five rebounds, she also smothered Angola’s Rachel Rinehart all game on the defensive end. Rinehart entered Saturday averaging 17 points per game, but finished with just seven, all of which came at the free throw line.
2. Hitting free throws
When the Cadets began to pull away in the fourth quarter, Angola began sending Concordia to the free throw line. But that backfired as the Cadets finished the game hitting 22-of-28 free throws, killing any hope of a comeback.
3. Surviving foul trouble
Things did not look good for Concordia when senior Jacqueline Dixie picked up her second foul early in the first half, but she played smart the rest of the game, finishing with just those two fouls while falling just one point short of a double-double with nine points and 11 rebounds.
4. Kammeyer stepping up
A sophomore on a big stage, point guard Rachel Kammeyer came through huge for the Cadets. She finished with just three assists, but that could have easily been doubled if a few layups would have dropped. Plus, at least twice her passes led to free throws. She only turned the ball over three times.
5. Determination
With the game close, there was no way Concordia was going to let it slip away late. Smith and sophomore DeJour Young took their game to another level in the fourth quarter, grabbing loose balls, pulling down rebounds and hitting shots.
