By RYAN WALKER
Eastbrook ended its perfect season after a trip to The Castle Wednesday night 68-38.
The Knights improved to 8-2 overall and did it against one of the better 2A programs in the state. This was all while holding the Panthers (6-1) to 20 points below their average and creating 20 turnovers.
“When you can limit (Eastbrook) to the 30s — that team at the beginning of the season was the top-scoring team in the state,” Norwell head coach Eric Thornton said after the game. “And for us, just playing a really good non-conference team like that. I think they’re good enough to win 2A, and I think they will.”
That’s not to mention that Norwell was lights out from the floor, going 36-55 on the night (65 percent). But it wasn’t like Eastbrook didn’t carry its offense with them. The team still had a respectable 14-36 showing from the floor at 38 percent, but it was the number of opportunities it had taken from them by an imposing Norwell defense.
And that was how Kennedy Fuelling’s night got going on offense — on the defensive end.
The game’s first two buckets were uncontested layups via turnovers by the Marian University signee. Every point that the Panthers had in the first quarter was drowned by an answer.
Olivia Howell for Eastbrook hit a shot before Fuelling nailed an open three. Estah McKim swished two free throws only to have Fuelling follow with another three. Sophia Morrison, who leads the Panthers with 22 points per game, hit her first of four triples of the game, but Makenzie Fuess hit her first 30 seconds later.
And for good measure, Fuelling knocked down two more threes in what was a 16-point first quarter to put the Knights ahead 22-7.
That was only four of the eight that she would get for the game, finishing with 32 total points.
On the other side, Morrison scored 14 for Eastbrook. Although she was short of her season average, the Panthers got a spark from her on four made triples and had Norwell’s attention.
Howell and Audri Prater also score in double figures per night, but Thornton’s defense held both to just 10 total by the final buzzer. Part of the game plan for Wednesday was to not key in on just Morrison, but to limit all three of them.
“It’s tough to do because you’ve got Prater and Howell on the inside,” Thornton said. “They just really have nice weapons offensively. It’s tough to get all that covered, but all in all, we tried to know where (Morrison) is.”
Norwell kept the game in its own hands for the rest of the night, outscoring Eastbrook in every quarter.
The Knights got some production from a few of of their role players off the bench. Haley Green hit both of her shots for four points, while Addie and Lilly Norris hit threes. Fuess finished with 16.
The non-conference challenge was the last game before the big one Friday night at Columbia City.
The Eagles are a perfect 9-0 so far and have taken the state of Indiana by storm with wins over the No. 2 and No. 5 teams, and are No. 1 themselves.
The No. 16 Knights will need to continue shooting the rock as it did against Eastbrook to have a chance to knock off Columbia City and potentially retake the Northeast 8 Conference crown. Shooting 65 percent and getting Fuelling to 11-16 is a good start.
“It’s big because with Friday coming, you want kids going in there feeling confident in their game and their shots. It’s good to see her knock some down,” Thornton said.
That game will start at 7:30 p.m.
Norwell won the junior varsity game 74-12. Macie Saalfrank dropped 23 points to lead the Knights, while Ashley Waldman scored 15, and Jada Dale and Larkin Smith each had nine.
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NORWELL 68, EASTBROOK 38
At Norwell
EASTBROOK (6-1): Sophia Morrison 6-14 0-0 14, Audri Prater 2-4 0-0 6, Kortney Goff 2-5 0-0 6, Olivia Howell 2-5 0-0 4, Estah McKim 2-5 2-2 6, Mia Busstos 1-3 0-0 2. TOTALS: 14-36 2-2 38.
NORWELL (8-2): Kennedy Fuelling 11-16 2-3 32, Makenzie Fuess 5-11 4-5 16, Lillian Norris 2-4 0-0 5, Vanessa Rosswurm 2-7 0-0 4, Haley Green 2-2 0-0 4, Addie Norris 1-1 0-0 3, Dekota Hubble 1-1 0-0 2, Annabelle Johnson 0-0 0-2 0, Ali Riley 0-1 0-0 0, Ryland Graft 0-0 0-0. TOTALS: 36-55 6-10 68.
Eastbrook 7 10 11 10 –– 38
Norwell 22 11 18 17 –– 68
Three-point FG: Eastbrook: 7-18 (Morrison 4-8, Goff 2-5, Prater 2-4), Norwell: 12-26 (Fuelling 8-12, Fuess 2-8, A. Norris 1-1, L. Norris 1-1, Riley 0-1, Rosswurm 0-3). Rebounds: Turnovers: Eastbrook 20, Norwell 10. Fouls: Eastbrook 9, Norwell 5 Fouled Out: None. Technicals: None.
JV: 74-12 Norwell.
