Blackhawks breeze past Bulldogs, win 13th straight

By RICHARD TORRES

For The Reporter

SHERIDAN – Jaidlin Bradshaw wasn’t sure if senior guard Kenzie Garner was going to play Tuesday night.

Under the weather prior to Class 2A No. 12 Sheridan’s home game against potential Sectional 39 foe 2A Lapel, Garner was far from 100 percent.

Even at less than optimum, Garner, a Ferris State commit, is more than capable.

The Blackhawks’ 6-foot-1 leading scorer buried the game’s first point with a mid-range jumper and set her team’s 13^th-straight victory in motion with a follow-up 3-pointer before Sheridan ran away with a 57-41 win.

Garner finished with a game-high 27 points, increasing her career total to 1,469, and the Blackhawks continued their torrid pace that began following a home loss against 3A Brebeuf Jesuit, 54-51, on Nov. 19.

“We really didn’t know what we were going to get from her. She has felt terrible. I think it says a lot about her character, about her as a person, how she shows up for her team even when she is sick,” Bradshaw said. “I’m really proud of her.”

Coach Bradshaw had plenty to beam about as her Blackhawks improved to 2-0 against sectional opponents and 10-1 on their home floor this season.

Sheridan (15-1) established a 14-point advantage in the first half behind a 13-2 run, and even as Lapel (12-7) cut the margin to 27-20 by halftime, the veteran team’s chemistry never waned.

The Blackhawks answered Lapel’s late first-half 11-3 comeback fueled by a trio of 3-pointers from Bulldogs’ senior Taylor Mroz with a 10-3 run of their own to start the second half, and the defense forced more than 15 total turnovers.

“A lot of it is we have five awesome seniors who hold themselves and everyone on the team accountable, and that certainly helps keep us where we need to be going,” Bradshaw said. “Their mental toughness and focus are outstanding, and they run the show for us, and we’re hoping they continue to do that, and we get to play a lot more basketball.”

Last year, the Blackhawks captured their first sectional title since 2015, won their first regional title and appeared in their first-ever semistate before losing to Eastern Hancock in overtime, 62-54.

Sheridan got their revenge against Eastern Hancock, 57-36, on Dec. 27 in the championship game of its own holiday tournament. Tuesday’s win against Lapel at home could be a preview of things to come when the Blackhawks host the sectional next month.

“I think it was a really good test. Obviously, we saw a lot of things we still want to work on, so tonight kind of showed us this is where we’re at and this is what we need to improve on,” Bradshaw said. “Also, it gives us perspective on what we can add in for the sectional and what can we take out. It was nice to see it, but we told the girls, it’s an amazing win, but it really doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. We’re looking to February.”

Whichever team they draw this postseason, their opponent will face more than one player with senior Cecilia Timme, who is averaging 10.2 points per game, posting 15 points with two assists and two rebounds against Lapel.

Sophomore Brielle Garner had six points off a pair of 3-pointers, and both seniors Shelby Eaton and Mac Smith provided four points each. Eaton added five rebounds, while Kenzie Garner had a team-best eight rebounds.

Senior Nova Cross chipped in one point with five boards and sophomore Sadie Timme collected three rebounds with steady defense throughout.

“The experience we have really from our seven. They did this last year. They played a lot of basketball last year, so we’re hoping that we get to play a lot more basketball this year, and they keep rolling,” Bradshaw said.

Against Lapel, the goal was to limit junior standout Laniah Wills, who was averaging 25.9 ppg. Wills finished with a team-high 18 points, seven rebounds, two assists and a steal.

Mroz had 12 points. Sophomore Jane Armington provided five points off the bench, followed by junior Sophie Goodwin with four points.

Wills reached 1,500 career points by game’s end, but Kenzie Garner stole the spotlight with 12 points in the first half and 15 more in the second.

The Blackhawks are currently ranked below No. 11 Eastern Hancock in the latest ICGSA 2A Poll and six teams with two or more losses overall, but coach Bradshaw doesn’t put much stock in seeing her program remain under the radar.

“We don’t mind it at all. If we come out and do our job every day, then we’re happy with that,” Bradshaw said. “We know who we are and what we do, so those outside voices, they’re nice when they’re praising you, but we try not to take it personally when it’s not in our favor.”

Instead, the Blackhawks just keep winning with six more regular-season games left, including two more home contests beginning with 3A Speedway on Thursday.

“It’s been super fun, but it doesn’t come without its stress. For the girls and for us, it’s just about having them as prepared as they can be. It’s really exciting,” Bradshaw said.