Girl's Basketball

January 31, 2011

By David Selig       

STEPHENS CITY- Erin Drumheller was in the middle of a television interview following Saturday's game, when Sherando girls' basketball coach Kevin Reed had a question for his point guard that just couldn't wait.

"Weren't you 0-for-16 [from 3-point range] coming into tonight," Reed interrupted, trying to confirm the details of his senior's recent shooting slump so he could answer a reporter's question.

"I was about to go on a roll here!" Drumheller shouted back. "I am not good at this, and then you interrupt me?"

Reed was about the only one who could take Drumheller out of rhythm Saturday night. The Handley transfer poured in a career-high 38 points, each of which was crucial in a 68-62 come-from-behind win over visiting James Wood.

Led by senior forward Shannan Thorne's 23 points and 20 rebounds, the Colonels (8-10, 0-5 Northwestern) led in each quarter and carried a five-point edge into the fourth. But Drumheller almost single-handedly made up for the fact that most of her Sherando (15-4, 4-2) teammates had tough shooting nights. Drumheller - whose previous high was 28 points as a member of the Judges - made 13 of 25 field goals (including 4 of 9 from 3-point range) and she hit 8 of 10 from the foul line.

Not bad for a player who had actually made just 1 of her last 18 3-point attempts dating back to the Warriors' first game against James Wood on Jan. 7.

"Slumping is not even the word," said Drumheller, who also had five assists and five steals Saturday. "It's worse than a slump. But they keep telling me to keep shooting, so it feels good to come back and finally make something."

The Warriors needed Drumheller to make those 3-pointers early, as the Colonels came out in a 2-3 zone, taking away all penetration lanes and forcing Sherando to fire away from deep.

The Warriors made just 7 of 22 field goals in the first half, but by that point Drumheller had four threes and 19 points, and Sherando held a 33-31 lead.

James Wood adjusted in the second half, shifting into a 3-2 zone to take away the open 3-point looks. But then Drumheller found lanes to the basket.

She wasn't shy about discussing her slump after the game, but Reed was convinced she didn't let it alter the way she played.

"I think [it's] her strong-will and determination, and realizing that we needed her to make plays," Reed said. "I think she just sheds all that and says, 'We've got to make a play and help our team win.'"

Two of her biggest plays came early in the fourth quarter. Trailing by five, Drumheller began the period with a drive to her left, resulting in a three-point play. She then forced a steal and scored to tie the game 47-47 just 58 seconds into the quarter.

Drumheller went on to make 6 of 8 free throws in the final 1:25 to help close it out.

A victory over the district's last-place team might not bolster the Warriors' resume. But the Colonels played them tough in both meetings - Wood led early in the fourth quarter of a 70-57 loss to Sherando the first time - and the Warriors also faced the challenge of coming off back-to-back lopsided losses.

After falling 76-50 at Liberty Jan. 21, Sherando went a full week before Friday night's 64-40 defeat at Millbrook.

"[Friday] night could have stayed with us. And, you know, it's hard to block stuff like that out," said Drumheller, who admitted to having tired legs after playing two full games in just over 24 hours. "It's definitely still in our minds, but I think it shows a lot of our character to come out tonight and play through it."

James Wood showed plenty of character, too. The Colonels began the game on a 10-2 run, and they weren't deterred each time Sherando pulled back ahead.

Along with Thorne's usual dominance in the paint, Kelsey Seymour had 14 points and nine rebounds, and Erica Hepner added 12 points and nine rebounds.

Ultimately, ball-handling proved to be an issue, though, as Wood turned it over 28 times - 10 in the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, Sherando had just three second-half turnovers - none in the fourth quarter.

"For us, passing has been an issue all year," Colonels coach Rhonda Slider said. "But they were able to see more of the floor and see each other. So, I'm proud. I'm proud of what they did tonight."

Morgan Sirbaugh chipped in eight points and nine rebounds for Sherando, and Megan Sirbaugh added eight points and four assists. Hannah Rossi also contributed a key three-point play in the fourth quarter, and Courtney Reid made 5 of 6 free throws in the final period.

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