Lady Cougars take 2nd in Kris Kringle tourney
By Rex Overholser

The Lady Cougars loaded up for a long journey to Mishawaka, hoping to take their game to another level in the first round of the Kris Kringle Holiday Tourney. They drew the 4A Elkhart Central Blue Blazers as their first opponent. The Blazers won that match 49-32.

The Lady Cougars finished the Kris Kringle Klassic in an upmode as they outran the Hammond Bishop Noll 2A Warriors in the consolation game, 57-48. Krystal Brazel was named to the all-tournament team as the result of her play.

Vs. Elkhart Central

Coach Clay Hanna’s squad showed quick intensity to take a 7-2 lead that evaporated to a 10- 10 tie at the end of the first quarter. The Blue Blazers were bigger, more athletic, and applied solid defensive pressure to gain control of the game. They held a 28-20 lead at the end of the first half.

Nothing seemed to work for the unemotional Cougars. The game was sleepy in the second half with Carroll not able to make any runs while Elkhart just played its game for the easy win.

Sarah Brown had the most inspired game of her senior year, playing a well-rounded, overall game to lead the Cougars with 12 points and 8 rebounds. She was the bright spot for the Cougars as her team managed only 38 shots for the game and hit 11. The Blazers improved to 4-9 after their victory with a 49-32 win.

vs Hammond Bishop Noll

The Lady Cougars came out of the gate with enthusiasm and with some key three-point shooting by Brooke Yoder (13) and some inspired play by Abby Reinke, who scored 8 points in

the first quarter to help Carroll take a commanding 34-19 lead at the end of the first half. Brown played another excellent overall game, adding 7 points and 11 rebounds to help sustain the Cougars’ momentum. A key play by Morgan Yoder (7) with a rebound of a missed shot, resulted in a 3-point play that sealed the victory with 1.01 left in the third quarter. Carroll’s lead was 45-31.

The Lady Cougars had 9 players contributing to the offensive stat sheet, showing balance as they improved to 6-5 for the trip home. Hammond Noll dropped to 2-11 with the loss.

The Cougars get back into action with a conference game on Friday at 6:30 p.m. at Clinton Central. They host Winamac at home on Saturday, at 12:30 p.m. and then have a tough test on Monday at 6:30 at home against Maconaquah.