By Dana Harding (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
SPRINGFIELD, MO – Death. Taxes. Kickapoo’s defensive pressure.
Item three was once again front and center Tuesday, as the Chiefs rolled to a 56-45 win over Logan-Rogersville in the White Division championship of the Pink & White Lady Classic.
From the opening tip, Rogersville looked to exploit its size advantage in the interior with 6-foot-2 Reagan Rasmussen and 6-foot Hailey Buckman; however, Kickapoo’s defense proved up to the task – turning away repeated shot attempts.
While Rasmussen finished the contest with 9 points, only one basket came in the first half.
“(Rasmussen) is a great basketball player,” Kickapoo head coach Leslie Hanchey said. “We knew that she was going to get a lot of looks, and we knew that she was going to make some shots, so we just wanted to stay between her and the basket. We knew that she’s so good with her body that if we tried to fight and get over the top, they would be able to pass it in and just get it to her for an easy layup, so we were just trying to stay between her and the basket.”
Kickapoo’s Lexi Ringgold, a 6-foot-1 senior, spent most of the first half on Rasmussen, until an ankle injury forced her to the bench.
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Enter Aniyah Doig.
With the Chiefs forced to play small, the 5-foot-5 junior suddenly found herself responsible for picking up the slack on the interior.
“I knew that when Lexi went down, we were going to have to go small,” Hanchey said. “And I had Doig. She’s 5-foot-5, but she plays like she’s 6-foot-1. We call her ‘Fo-Fo’ because she’s a little bull dog. I looked at her and I said, ‘Can you handle 35 (Rasmussen), and she just went Yeah-Yeah.’”
Doig was equally effective at the offensive end, chipping in with 15 points on the afternoon.
“I just focused on cutting and helping my teammates get open,” Doig said. “So they can help me get open. Then it’s just attacking the rim and finishing. This just helps us know what we need to do moving forward as a team and how we can grow from this.”
A steal by senior Josie Salazar near the end of the first half turned into a fastbreak layup opportunity for Doig and pushed Kickapoo to its largest lead of the game at 31-17.
Salazar, a 5-foot-6 all-state selection and Drury University signee, showcased her abilities at both ends of the court – finishing with 12 points and, more importantly, converting a crucial block late in the third quarter to quell a 6-0 Rogersville run.
“Josie is an all-state point guard for a reason,” Hanchey said. “Whenever things get tight, she’s cool under pressure. She gets us what we need to be in, and when we need a big shot, she’s always the one that’s there to get it or get the ball to who needs the ball. She’s always been our Steady-Eddie player, and it showed tonight.”
A Rasmussen putback trimmed the Kickapoo lead to six at 40-34 with 2:20 left in the third period; however, Rogersville would get no closer.
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The Wildcats were led in scoring by Buckman (15 points) and Millie MacPherson (12 points).
“Our goal is to try and get three stops in a row, one play at a time,” Salazar said. “So I knew that they were getting an accumulation of points, and that that stop was a pivotal moment, because if they continue to score, they could get a run with it. So I just knew that we needed to get a stop as a team.”
The win marks a second-consecutive Pink & White Lady Classic title – and No. 16 overall – for Kickapoo (10-0).
The Chiefs captured 11 Lady Classic championships prior to the 2012 merger with the Pink & White.
WHITE DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP: Kickapoo – 56, Rogersville – 45
Rogersville 12 07 17 09 | 45
Kickapoo 16 15 14 11 | 56
Rogersville scoring: Hailey Buckman 15, Millie MacPherson 12, Reagan Rasmussen 9, Sidney Holland 4, Eden Kibby 3, Addison Cleghorn 2
Kickapoo scoring: Anaya Perry 18, Anyiah Doig 15, Josie Salazar 12, Amari Perry 5, Ni’Ell Ross 4, Lexi Ringgold 2
