Girls basketball: Michigan City gets road victory over Portage
By Dave Melton Post-Tribune correspondent November 30, 2012 11:18PM
Portage's Kaitlyn Steers has the ball taken away from her by Michigan City's Jameka Collins in the first quarter Friday night at Portage High School. | Jeffrey D. Nicholls~Sun-Times Media
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Updated: January 2, 2013 6:13AM
PORTAGE — Michigan City grabbed an early lead in its road matchup with DAC rival Portage and never let it go, holding on to a double-digit advantage for most of the way in a 61-47 victory.
“We were hovering around a 16- or 17-point lead for most of the second half,” Michigan City (5-0, 3-0 DAC) coach Mike Megyese said. “We thought we were in control for all four quarters.”
The Wolves’ trio of Toni Murphy (15 points), Michal Miller (15 points) and Keshyana Cooper (14 points) led the Michigan City attack.
In the first half, Cooper and Miller each took control of a quarter. In the first period, Cooper scored 10 points and the Wolves led 20-12 after eight minutes.
Miller then caught fire in the second quarter, hitting a pair of 3s as part of her eight points in the period as Michigan City extended its lead to 36-21. Miller left the game after awkwardly landing on her left arm in the third quarter and did not return.
In the second half, Portage’s (4-2, 1-2 DAC) Nicki Monahan began lighting up the scoreboard. She hit one shot from the floor in the third period — a 3-pointer — but hit 8-of-9 free throws. After scoring nine more points in the final period, Monahan went from having two points in the first half to a game-high 22 points by the end of the night.
“I thought she was very assertive in the second half and she did a great job of leading on the floor,” Portage coach Chris Seibert said.
Monahan’s points were not enough for Portage to catch Michigan City.
“Against a team like that you can’t afford to get down,” Seibert said. “They made that one big run in the second quarter and it seemed like every time we hit a big shot they had an answer. That’s what the good teams do.”
