POPLAR GROVE – The seventh-grade girls’ basketball team at North Boone Middle School has finished a perfect season.
The Lady Vikings A team was undefeated during the regular season and then swept through the Mid-Northern Conference tournament, defeating Hampshire, 46-16, in the championship game March 7.
For North Boone, pressure defense is what it’s all about.
A high-energy, full-court press forced 12 turnovers and allowed the Lady Vikings to take a 9-0 lead with 3:36 left in the first quarter. Hampshire was held scoreless until the 2:45 mark and trailed, 15-2, after the opening period.
Defense fueled North Boone’s offense with Riley Meyers scoring its first two baskets on fast-breaks after Hampshire turnovers. Andrea Kruckenberg, a dominant force inside who scored a game-high 14 points, hit twice from down low and Meyers added a free throw during the 9-0 run.
“Defense, that’s been it” all season, head coach Megan O’Donnell said afterward. “They did a nice job today.”
The Lady Vikings were relentless in the closing moments of the first quarter, with Kruckenberg netting three more points, Des Ryan putting back a missed shot and Meyers adding another point from the free-throw line.
Hampshire was limited to six shots in the opening period, stymied by North Boone’s starting lineup of Brianna Smitko, Natalie Emanuel, Meyers, Kruckenberg and Ryan.
Meyers, who finished with eight points, scored to open the second quarter and make it a 17-2 game.
The Lady Whip-purs continued to be forced into taking low-percentage shots, but managed to put six points on the board while North Boone got 10 of its own to lead, 25-8, at halftime.
Emanuel collected two baskets for the Lady Vikings in the second quarter, with Dominique Blanco and Natasha Marcus coming off the bench and adding one apiece.
Not much offense
Hampshire was held to fewer than 10 points in each of the four quarters.
In the third period, North Boone outscored the visitors, 17-6, to increase its lead to 42-14. Ryan and Meyers scored in the first minute and were followed by Kruckenberg, Emanuel and Reaganne Graff the rest of the way.
The fourth quarter was filled with missed shots and turnovers as the Lady Vikings held Hampshire to a pair of free throws while counting two baskets from their own Jillian Dickerson.
North Boone won the first meeting with the Lady Whip-Purs, in a battle of first and second place teams. This time the Lady Vikings won by an even wider margin.
“They were really fired up,” coach O’Donnell said. “They were ready to win.”
“It’s been quite a year,” she added. “They worked hard and they improved.”
Ryan and Emanuel scored six points each in the win over Hampshire.
Other members of the seventh-grade A team were Breyon Johnson and Erin Osadjan.
