By Rob Potter
JEFFERSONVILLE — December 14, 2001 – So far, so good for the Sullivan West girls’ varsity basketball team.
In its first game ever as one combined squad, Sullivan West ran past visiting Ellenville, 69-29, Monday night in Jeffersonville.
The Lady Bulldogs used a variety of ways to defeat the Lady Devils. They scored inside the lane, shot mid-range jumpers, swished three-point shots and converted Ellenville turnovers into easy baskets.
In the first quarter, SW (1-0) used its inside game and pressure defense to open a lead. Center Tiffany Hauser scored 11 of her game-high 21 points in those opening eight minutes of action. (She also pulled down 10 rebounds during the contest.)
Hauser’s inside play and the team’s overall defensive prowess allowed the Lady Bulldogs to open up a 20-8 lead at the end of the quarter.
Although the second quarter was a bit closer, SW still enjoyed a 36-19 lead at the halftime break.
SW bolstered its lead and dashed Ellenville’s hopes of comeback in the third quarter. The Lady Bulldogs began the period with a 10-2 run and held the Lady Devils to only three points in the frame.
“They have a nice team that runs the floor well,” Ellenville Coach Mike Guiney said of the Lady Bulldogs. “They have nice shooters and an inside game. Basically, they have a lot of good players.”
Guiney added that his squad would try and quickly forget about the lopsided loss.
“We have a young team and I think we’ll get better quickly,” he said. “This game gave us an idea of some things to work on and we will get better.”
SW Coach Ron Bernhardt was pleased with the way his team “stepped it up defensively” and the squad’s overall play.
“It was a really pleasing way for us to start,” he said. “I think one of the best things was that we were unselfish, everybody was looking for everybody [offensively].”
In addition to Hauser, one other Lady Bulldog, Erin Bose, netted double figures in the scoring column. Bose, a senior guard, finished with 10 points.
Jen Ackermann and Aileen Semenetz each added nine points for SW. Ackermann also grabbed 10 rebounds and Semenetz dished out seven assists.
Melody Rubin led Ellenville (2-2) with nine points, while Samantha Ellis added seven.
Although he noted that the team has only been practicing together for a few weeks, Bernhardt is very optimistic.
“We have a lot of quality players on this team,” the veteran coach said. “We have a few shooters, a few slashers and a few post players. We’re learning to play together everyday in practice. As long as the girls continue to work together and play unselfishly, I think the team will be o.k.”