By RICHIE HALL
WESTFIELD – The Westfield girls basketball team put together a tremendous season-opening victory Wednesday night.
The Shamrocks beat North Central 61-41 in a home game at CSI Gymnasium. Westfield got an outstanding shooting performance from senior Reagan Lorenzen, scoring balance across the board, as well as solid rebounding and defense to begin their season.
“We just keep talking about the fact that this is a journey,” said second-year Shamrocks coach Kelsey Steele. “Every single day, every single time that we come into practice, it’s a journey and we’re on a process together. We know it’s the first step. We’re climbing on this mountain and it’s just the first step along the way. I’m hoping that it gives us confidence and it’s the goal that we can just continue to build and get better every single day.”
Lorenzen opened the game with a 3-pointer, and there would be more to come. The Panthers scored the next five points for a 5-3 lead, but Lorenzen nailed two more triples to start a 13-0 run.
Lorenzen
Ellie Kelleher added two free throws, Kelleher hit another 3, and Sam Price made a layin. Just like that, Westfield led 16-5. The ‘Rocks would stay comfortably ahead for the entire game.
Lorenzen totaled four 3s in the first quarter. She wasn’t done yet, though. The senior made one more triple in each of the next three periods, finishing with seven and a game-high 21 points.
“It was kind of like a high almost,” said Lorenzen. “It was nice to be able to get out there and shoot and my teammates hyping me up. It was a great way to start our first game of the season.”
Westfield led 26-19 at halftime, as the Panthers stayed within striking distance during the second quarter. But the Shamrocks pulled away for good in the third period. Aubrey Crockett opened the second half with a 3-pointer, then Lindsey Van Dyke made a layin, and a free throw to make it a 6-0 run.
Aubrey Crockett calls out a play as she brings the ball down the floor. (Richie Hall)
The ‘Rocks later went on a 12-0 spurt that bridged the third and fourth quarters. Lorenzen hit triple No. 6, Price hit a layin and Kelleher’s basket finished the third period. Kelleher would turn that into a personal 7-0 run, as she opened the fourth quarter with a layin and a 3. Westfield now led 48-29 and rolled through the final period.
“We got really good looks,” said Steele. “We were able to work the ball inside against their zone, which helped us create some open looks offensively. Ultimately, I felt like we played together. And I really felt like we were able to stay poised under some of their pressure.”
“I’m really proud of how we played,” said Lorenzen. “Our goal this season was toughness, so I’m just really proud of our team being able to come out tough.”
Kelleher added 14 points. Eight different Westfield players scored at least two points, with MaKayla Hatcher adding seven and Price scoring six.
“We know that they’re all capable of that,” said Steele. “We just want them to continue to be the best versions of them.”
The Shamrocks’ next game is Saturday afternoon at Pendleton Heights.
WESTFIELD 61, NORTH CENTRAL 41
Westfield FG FT TP PF
Ellie Kelleher 5 3-4 14 3
Aubrey Crockett 1 0-0 3 4
Kiki Loveless 1 3-4 5 1
Reagan Lorenzen 7 0-0 21 0
Lindsey Van Dyke 1 1-2 3 1
Meg Hamilton 0 0-2 0 3
MaKayla Hatcher 1 5-7 7 3
Sam Price 3 0-0 6 3
Madeline Linville 0 0-0 0 1
Mia Crask 0 0-0 0 0
Kate Roh 0 2-2 2 0
Totals 19 14-21 61 19
Score by Quarters
North Central 8 11 10 12 – 41
Westfield 16 10 17 18 – 61
Westfield 3-pointers (9) Lorenzen 7, Kelleher, Crockett.