By By ADAM FISHER / Niles Daily Star
Niles girls' basketball team used hot shooting and tough defense in Tuesday's first half to build a lead large enough to get it through a mistake-riddled second half. The Vikings beat Kalamazoo Central 56-31 to go 2-0 on the season.
The Vikings built a double-figure lead in the first quarter by scoring the period's final 11 points after an early 4-4 tie. They kept the offense flowing in the second quarter, taking a 36-18 lead into halftime.
Niles came out in the second half and committed 10 turnovers and shot 6-for-17. The Vikings scored just nine points in the third quarter.
Junior Brandie Radde sparked the scoring run for Niles in the first half. She scored 15 points in the half. After she hit her third three of the half to put the Vikings up by 13, Radde skipped to half-court with her arms raised in celebration.
In all, Radde scored 23 points, including five 3-pointers, on 9-for-18 shooting to lead Niles offensively. The total tied her career high.
Senior guard Amber Peters said Radde's hot shooting made things easier for the rest of the team.
Junior forward Sarah Dreher struggled Thursday after leading the team with 22 points in its first game of the season. Dreher finished with 11 points, shooting 2-for-7 from the field and 7-for-11 from the line.
She finished with a double-double for the second straight game, grabbing 10 rebounds.
But where Dreher struggled, Arnold said, Peters, on the heels of a triple double in Niles' last game, picked up the slack. She scored 15 points and went 9-for-11 from the free throw line.
Peters had another good all-around performance, adding six assists, eight rebounds and three steals to her 15 points.
Arnold said he was overall pleased to get the victory and stay undefeated this season. His team, however, isn't where he wants them to be, he added.
Niles……………………….56
Kalamazoo Central…..31
KC - Nicole Carr 4 0-4 8, Teleshia Saunders 0 1-2 1, Nicole Parker 1 1-4 3, Rashel Goodwin 1 0-0 3, Jasmine Ruffin 3 0-2 6, Danielle Brown 2 0-0 6, Takarra Dunning 2 0-0 4, Talanda Ollie 0 0-0 0. Totals: 13 2-12 31.
NHS - Ashley Pingel 0 1-2 1, Amber Peters 3 9-11 15, Meghan Scameheorn 0 0-0 0, Leigh Tyler 1 0-0 2, Brandie Radde 9 0-0 23, Sarah Dreher 2 7-11 11, Stephanee Schrader 0 0-0 0, Jessica Shinsky 0 0-0 0, Kate Whittaker 0 2-2 2, Becca Teske 0 0-1 0, Melissa Olsen 1 0-0 2. Totals: 16 19-26 56.
KC 4 18 24 31 - 31
NHS 15 36 45 56 - 56
Halftime score - NHS 36, KC 18
3-point shooting - KC 3 (Brown 2, Goodwin); NHS 5 (Radde 5). Rebounds - KC 41; NHS 44 (Dreher 10). Fouls (fouled out) - KC 19 (Ollie); NHS 9 (none). Records - KC 2-1; NHS 2-0.