Basketball is a numbers game.

The LaPorte girls basketball team hit on 13-of-25 shots from 3-point range en route to a 63-39 Duneland Athletic Conference victory over Chesterton Friday night.

“They shoot the 3,” Chesterton coach Jack Campbell said. “That’s what they do and if they shoot it well, you’re in trouble. If you make 13 three’s, you’re going to win.”

Not only did the Slicers hit 13 3’s, they held the Trojans to just 15 baskets on the night.

“At times we had shots that we turned down,” Campbell said. “Not having Jocelyn (Lipscomb) tonight was big. We had some kids that had to take shots, and whether they didn’t feel comfortable or whatever, they didn’t take them.”

Chesterton ended the first quarter on a 4-0 run with baskets from Hannah McCafferty and Caroline Puntillo that pulled the Trojans within 15-13.

But, Chesterton wouldn’t make a field goal in the second quarter and made just two in the third quarter as they were outscored 26-7 during the stretch and fell behind 41-20.

“Part of the problem tonight was them and part of it was us,” Campbell said. “They came out in a really wide 1-3-1 defense and we just wouldn’t attack the gaps.”

The Trojans never made a serious threat in the final quarter as LaPorte’s Maddie Voelker, who scored a game-high 16 points, hit four triples in the last stanza.

Puntillo led Chesterton with 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the field. Kassidy Scott added seven points with Sarah Richards and McCafferty tallying six points each.

Chesterton (13-3-4-19)

Sarah Richards 2-4 0-0 6, Kelsey Conway 1-3 0-1 2, Hannah McCafferty 2-6 2-2 6, Caroline Puntillo 7-9 1-4 15, Kelly Braun 0-0 0-2 0, McKenzie Sullivan 0-1 0-0 0, Kassidy Scott 2-5 2-2 7, Kayla Malackowski 0-1 0-0 0, Mary Mochen 1-1 0-0 3, Jordan Wadding 0-0 0-0 0, Hayley Sekula 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 15-33 5-11 39.

LaPorte (15-12-14-22)

Maddie Volker 5-5 1-2 16, Jaclyn Heath 4-13 0-0 11, Taylor Thompson 6-7 0-0 13, Delanie Alcorn 3-6 0-0 9, Kelsey Gushrowski 3-4 3-4 9, Jill Campos 0-0 0-0 0, Rachel Hill 0-0 0-0 0, Abby Vaughn 0-0 0-0 0, Savannah Vaughn 0-0 0-0 0, Jocelyn Colburn 0-0 0-0 0, Kate Ulmer 2-9 0-0 5. Totals 23-44 4-6 63.

3-point field goals: Chesterton 4-13 (Richards 2-3, McCafferty 0-3, Puntillo 0-1, Sullivan 0-1, Scott 1-3, Mochen 1-1, Sekula 0-1); LaPorte 13-25 (Voelker 5-5, Heath 3-9, Thompson 1-1, Alcorn 3-5, Ulmer 1-5). Rebounds: Chesterton 15 (Conway 3, McCafferty 3, Puntillo 3); LaPorte 29 (Thompson 10). Steals: Chesterton 4 (Puntillo 3); LaPorte 6 (Gushrowski 3). Assists: Chesterton 9 (Richards 3); LaPorte 15 (Alcorn 6).

Posted 12/31/2012