This Friday’s showdown between the Burlington Demons and the Tosa West Lady Trojans was a game the Trojans simply refused to lose.
Right out the gate, the Trojans began fast paced and hard working. They looked sharp, moving the ball around the court, sticking to their assignments well, and putting up quick points. Trojans including Senior Elise Ditscheit and Junior Abby Jones contributed to the scoreboard in order to take the lead.
It seemed as if this would be an easy win for the Lady Trojans… until the curse of the bad pass caught them from behind. Whether it was the fact that the Demons knew exactly where West wanted to pass to, or that West had no idea what to do with the ball once they were inside their own territory, Burlington repeatedly intercepted many passes in West’s territory throughout the first quarter and cashed in on the turnovers. It was a repeat problem that handed the Demons points, and left the Lady Trojans without possessions they could have converted on.
Edging their way back from an early deficit, Burlington took the lead 6-12 to start the 2nd quarter. But the Trojans were quick to pick up. Ball handling became much more fluid, and passes were less risky and more rewarding. West picked up on Burlington’s tendencies in their own territory and caused turnovers themselves.
Gaby Zabala worked the court with her lightning speed, flawless ball handling, and smart placement of the ball to keep the Trojans’ drives alive. Ashley Lindstrom single-handedly scored 5 points in the span of about 4 minutes, bringing her team back into striking distance of the faltering Demons. A buzzer beater by Burlington gave them the lead going into the half, but the Lady Trojans didn’t lose an ounce of momentum.
Coming out of the locker room and starting the second half, the Trojans looked more like a battle unit ready for war then a high school women’s basketball team on a Friday night. They appeared unworried but urgent, and fierce at the point of attack.
A breakaway score by Ashley Lindstrom and shots by Amani Pettiford put the the Lady Trojans back on top in the third quarter 26-23. And the Lady Trojans continued to put on the heat. The determination and fierceness of the team was unbelievable. They ripped, shoved, and fought with passion. Sure, it landed the Lady Trojans with their fair share of penalties, but the fire was lit and there was no stopping the Trojans. The beat up and exhausted Burlington Demons were caving. There were times a glimpse of hope for a comeback would light up the Burlington sideline, but the Trojans were quick to extinguish it. Keeping about a 10 point constant lead, Ditscheit added an impressive three point shot from beyond the arc to reassert West’s dominance. Still, they never let up. Jones ripped a ball out of a Burlington defender’s hands with an expression of almost scary determination and drive. Yolanda DeLarosa and Libbi Fassbender contributed to the Trojan’s lead while Lindstrom put in free throw after free throw (totaling 6 on the night).
Once the team stepped out of their own way, there was nothing the Demons would do but endure the Trojans’ attack and stare into the determined scowles of Jones, Ditscheit, Lindstrom, and the entirety of the Trojan unit as they were ripped apart in the second half.
Their drive and never-say-never attitude proved to be a valuable asset for the Lady Trojans, as they came away with a rewarding 46-35 win over Burlington. Looking to continue their hard work, west hopes to offer up the same fate to Kettle Moraine high school at home next Friday at 7:30 p.m.