By Chris May
Guest Columnist
WASHINGTON — The Junior All-Star girls team gave their Indiana All-Star counterparts all they could handle June 15 at Washington High Schoolâ??s Hatchet House before falling, 85-84, in the first of three â??junior-seniorâ? summer matchups.
Despite outrebounding the Junior All-Stars, 62-33, the All-Stars committed 21 turnovers and made just 19 of 32 free throws, allowing the juniors into the game.
The undoubted early most valuable player for the All-Stars was Jerri Taylor of South Bend Washington, who nailed 7 of 9 shots — including all four of her 3-point attempts — for 19 points. Most impressive was the fact that Taylor did her damage in just 13 minutes of play before injuring her elbow with 13:19 to go. Following the game, Taylor said the elbow injury was nothing too serious, and she fully expects to play June 18 against Kentucky.
Taylor was particularly helpful in providing spurts of offense that helped her team maintain leads late in the first half and in the middle portion of the second. After the Junior All-Stars cut the lead to five with 36 seconds left before halftime, Taylor made a layin and a 3-pointer in a span of 23 seconds to take her team to the locker room up eight.
Taylor then hit back-to-back 3-pointers in the minute before she was injured, pushing a 14-point game up to 20. But following Taylorâ??s exit, the juniors stormed back on a 23-10 run to make it a ballgame, and they carried that strong play into crunch time.
In the final minute, however, Miss Basketball runner-up Cassie Kerns of Valparaiso hit a clutch basket that was ultimately the difference. The Junior All-Stars had multiple looks on the last possession but couldnâ??t find the bottom of the net.
Miss Basketball and HoosierAuthority.com correspondent Jodi Howell finished the night 3 of 8 from the floor, with an uncharacteristic 0-for-2 effort at the charity stripe, for seven points and five rebounds. Taylor led the All-Stars with her 19, while Corydonâ??s Dana Beaven had 13 points and eight rebounds and Kerns finished with 12 and eight.
Kokomoâ??s Audrey McDonald paced the Junior All-Stars with 18 points on 6-of-11 shooting. Melissa Lechlitner of South Bend St. Josephâ??s scored 13, while Bloomington South forward Megan Payton had 10. Another impressive junior was Jessica Huffman of Whiteland, who totaled eight points, four assists, and four steals.
â??Nameâ? players Amber Harris and FahKara Malone struggled statistically, combining for only four field goals. But the 6â??5â? Harris showcased her ball-handling skills and shooting range, bringing the ball down the floor and using a crossover dribble multiple times while draining 1 of 2 from behind the arc.
The remaining All-Star itinerary â?¦
The June 15 doubleheader in Washington was the first of five games the girls and boys all-star squads will get to play before the summer fun ends June 25. Hereâ??s the remaining schedule:
* June 18: Indiana All-Stars vs. Kentucky All-Stars, Diddle Arena, Bowling Green, Ky. (girls 6 p.m., boys 8:05 p.m.) â??? tickets are $19, $16, and $11
* June 21: Indiana All-Stars vs. Junior All-Stars (North), Pendleton Heights High School, Pendleton (girls 6 p.m., boys 8 p.m.) â??? tickets are $6
* June 23: Indiana All-Stars vs. Junior All-Stars (Central), Richmond High School, Richmond (girls 6 p.m., boys 8 p.m.) â??? tickets are $6
* June 25: Kentucky All-Stars vs. Indiana All-Stars, Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis (girls 5 p.m., boys 7:30 p.m.) â??? tickets are $100, $18, $16, $12, and $5
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