Cadillac, Mich. - The Dow Chargers had the defending state champion Rockford Rams on the ropes but could not deliver the offensive knockout blows. The Rams rode past the Chargers 39-22.
Both sides traded baskets in the first quarter, with Rockford gaining a seven-point lead after forcing a turnover and getting a buzzer-beater corner three from Jordan Mateer.
In the second quarter, the Rams were the better shooting team. Mateer led Rockford with 9, three from beyond the arc in the first half. Dow first-year Allison Stockton scored five of their 12 total first-half points. The Rams led 25-12 at halftime.
The Chargers defense stepped up in the third quarter, holding the opposition to four. Sophomore Melanie Kolnitys helped limit Rockford junior Anna Wypych to just two points in the frame and five in the first three quarters.
Dow got nine, all from junior Dalton DeBoer, and the Chargers entered down eight into the final quarter.
The first two minutes saw no score from either team, but Dow got into foul trouble, reaching five with 4:10 left. The fifth foul put Wypych at the line, where she went 1-for-2. The next infraction was committed by Dow's Riley Schikorra, which took the Dow senior out of the game.
From the four to the two-minute mark, the Chargers were held to one point, a free throw, shooting 1-for-4 in that span. Trailing by 11 points with two minutes to go, Dow thought they forced a momentum swing as Rams senior Grace Lyons struggled to get past a double-team with the ball jutted out of bounds and given to the Chargers.
The call made by one official was overruled by another with Rockford taking over possession. The Rams utilized two timeouts to draw up an inbound and break the press and pressure of Dow.
An inbound pass was knocked away, but Anna Wypych scooped up the loose ball, and Kolynits fouled her. It sent Wypych to the line and Kolnitys to the bench with her fifth and final foul.
The game archive is available here.
Rounding Things Out
Dow - Jr. Dalton DeBoer 12 points | FY. Allison Stockton 5 points | Sr. Lauren VanSumeren 4 points | So. Melanie Kolnitys 1 point
Rockford - Jr. Anna Wypych 12 points | So. Jordan Mateer 9 points | Sr. Grace Lyons 8 points | So. Kate Higgins 7 points | So. Audrey Muterspaugh 2 points
Up Next
The Rockford Rams will face conference foe Holland West Ottawa in the quarterfinal round on Tuesday, March 19th. The rest of the MHSAA boys and girls playoff schedule is available at mhsaa.com.
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