Published: January 18, 2008 11:11 pm      

‘We believe’: Lady Lions top Kerens 81-73 in front of packed house

BLOOMING GROVE — Senior Kelsie Tipping said prior to Friday’s game against Kerens that it was the biggest game of her career.

Tipping put up a season-high 32 points and pulled down 12 rebounds as the Lady Lions finally got the monkey that was the Kerens’ Lady Cats off their back.

Blooming Grove defeated Kerens 81-73 in front of a packed house Friday at the Lions Den, handing the Lady Cats their first district loss.

“Finally,” Blooming Grove coach Kendra Atkinson said. “Words can’t express how big of a win this is for us. In my three years here, I have only beat Kerens once.

“We knew what was on the line.”

On the line for the Lady Lions was a possible co-district championship.

With the win, Blooming Grove (7-1 District 20-2A) is now tied with the Lady Cats at the top of the district standings and would force a co-district championship if both teams win out.

“I am excited,” Tipping said. “I wasn’t going to let this one slip away. We wanted it.”

And the Lady Lions got it.

Tipping had 31 of her 32 points by the close of the third quarter.

Kerens and Blooming Grove started the dog-fight early, but Tipping wasn’t letting this one get away.

Kerens jumped out to a lead late in the first quarter, before Tipping started a 12-point rampage that saw the senior hit 6-6 free throws and finish the quarter with 12 points as both teams ended the quarter tied up at 18.

The Lady Cats took a 9-point lead midway through the second quarter on a 9-0 run that was all three-point field goals, started by freshman Nicole Kelm.

BreAnna Lawrence hit back-to-back threes on the Lady Cats next possession to put Kerens up by nine with 2:34 left in the half.

But the Lady Lions were too determined as Briana Sims started a 10-2 run with 1:21 left in the half that commenced with a buzzer beater three-pointer from half-court by Cecilly Phillips.

Phillips, who finished the game with 24 points and 10 rebounds, scored 11 points in the second quarter as Blooming Grove took a 42-40 lead into the locker room.

Tipping went into the locker room with 23 points and six boards.

“She had a huge game,” Atkinson said. “She said earlier that this was the biggest game of her career and she stepped up like it tonight.”

Blooming Grove never surrendered the lead through the third quarter, but the Lady Cats fought back and stayed within striking distance.

Kelm and Michelle Jordan started a short 6-0 run that tied up the game with 3:04 left in the quarter.

But Tipping wasn’t about to give in and put up her 31st point of the game with 2:48 left in the quarter to give Blooming Grove back the lead.

Kerens again came fighting back in the fourth quarter, but much like the rest of the game, free-throw shooting finally did in the Lady Cats.

Kerens was 11-24 from the charity stripe that included a 5-12 fourth quarter.

“You can’t win if you don’t hit free throws,” Kerens coach Denise Lincoln said. “We played hard. We just didn’t play hard enough to win.”

Blooming Grove took an 11-point lead with 2:08 after Sims hit a layup.

As the curtain closed on the third showdown between the two heavyweight, fans erupted in a “we believe” chant as the seconds ticked off the clock.

“We have to keep this energy going,” Tipping said. “There are a lot of girls on this team that probably won’t stop smiling for days.”



Kerens (7-1) 18 22 15 18 73

Bl. Grove (7-1) 18 24 17 22 81



Blooming Grove: Kelsie Tipping, 32; Cecilly Phillips, 24; Briana Sims, 11; Johnna Smith, 6; Laura Bennett, 5; Kayla Stout, 2; Rebecca Bennett, 1.

Kerens: RoShonda Tolliver, 18; BreAnna Lawrence, 12; Michelle Jordan, 12; Taneque Williams, 7; Jessica Bivins, 7; Nicole Kelm, 7; Cheyenne McClure, 5; Jaycee Colvin, 5.

3-pointers: BG: Phillips. K: Lawrence (3), McClure, Kelm.