Packer girls score their first win
Published 10:22 pm Friday, December 21, 2012
Austin's Steph Justice looks to get a pass around Waseca's Katie Miller during the first half Friday night in Ove Berven Gym. -- Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
The Packer girls basketball team had its best offensive and best defensive night in the same game as it put a seven-game losing streak to rest against Waseca (7-3 overall) in Ove Berven Gym Friday.
The Packers led from wire-to-wire as they rolled to a 74-54 win.
“We not only wanted to, we needed to get this win,” said Austin senior guard Steph Justice, who had 16 points and three assists. “We finally played two halves in a game.”
The Packers (1-7 overall) had played as good as they did Friday in spurts in previous games. But they couldn’t put it together for a whole contest.
Austin's Shayley Vesel drives the baseline against Waseca's Abby Collins during the first half Friday night Ove Berven.
On Friday, Austin scored 14 more points than it’s previous high scoring game and the Packers’ tied a season’s best total for points allowed.
“Sometimes it’s hard to break the skid, especially when you have seven losses in a row. Sometimes you forget to play to win,” Austin head coach “We got big baskets from a number of kids. I thought a lot of kids stepped up for us tonight.”
Nine different Packers scored in the win and senior center Jenna Svoboda started the flurry as she hit a pair of threes early on to lead Austin to a 17-5 lead. Svoboda finished with 19 points, 18 rebounds and five assists.
“I felt bad for coach that we hadn’t gotten him a win and we finally got him one,” Svoboda said. “We’re learning to have patience and that helps. The younger girls are starting to learn to slow everything down and it’s not about rushing.”
Svoboda had been struggling with foul trouble and she didn’t have any fouls in the first half, which Johnson said was huge for his team.
“I thought Jenna did a great job of setting the tone,” he said. “She was able to play hard without worrying about fouling out. She was huge early in the game.”
Austin sophomore Mer Gach had 11 points and 11 rebounds and Merideth Fritz had 11 points and six steals.
The Packers forced 22 turnovers in the win.
Waseca 27 27 — 54
Austin 40 34 — 74
Austin scoring: Jenna Svoboda, 19; Steph Justice, 16; Merideth Fritz, 11; Mer Gach, 11; Taylor Lady, 5; Kristine Snyder, 4; Jocelyn Sheehan, 4; Gabby Wagner, 2; Shayley Vesel, 2; free throws: 52 percent (13-for-25); rebounds: 44 (Svoboda, 18); turnovers: 30
