TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Wesley Chapel Now Back At Full Strength

ADVERTISEMENT

By LEE DIEKEMPER Tribune correspondent

The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 12, 2009

WESLEY CHAPEL - Postseason basketball often brings intrigue, if not surprises. Wesley Chapel girls basketball coach Karim Nohra hopes there is little intrigue and few, if any, surprises.

The biggest element of intrigue for the Wildcats has passed. Post player Janelle Mills had missed most of the season with a broken left wrist. Nohra was hoping she would return in time for district play, and she did.

She passed her first two tests with flying colors.

"She was doing good the first two games she played," Nohra said. "She scored 31 points and had double digits in rebounds. She's 100 percent."

Sometimes a player losing playing time late in the season might be a benefit because the injured player gets a break from the grind. Nohra wasn't about to go there, but he did note that there were some benefits to Mills being sidelined.

"There's no direct benefit in losing one of your key players," Nohra said. "If there was a benefit, it's that the team learned to play without her, which we would have had to learn how to do next year anyway.

"The team learned to be independent without her, which is a good thing."

One of the good things Nohra spoke of is that some role players learned they can contribute in other ways.

Hannah Noble is one example. Normally a talented passer and ball-handler, Noble was nudged by Nohra to score more and she did, gaining confidence as a result.

Houston Shantel was another such player.

"She came out of her shell and exploded onto the scene," Nohra said.

"Noble was a pure dribbler and passer and not looking to score," Nohra said. "With Mills out, I told her, 'You have to score.' So it opened her up too."

FOULS PILE UP: One of the surprises in the first week of the postseason was how Mitchell pushed district foe St. Petersburg to the edge on Friday. St. Petersburg, the No. 1 seed, was facing fourth-seeded Mitchell.

After a fast start by the Mustangs, they stood toe-to-toe with the Green Devils before St. Petersburg finally outlasted Mitchell in overtime, 57-51.

Fouls doomed the Mustangs, who were down to their third-string post player against a dominant St. Petersburg frontcourt.

"I couldn't be more proud," Mitchell coach Jake Tavo said.

TONIGHT'S GAMES

ARMWOOD AT WESLEY CHAPEL

WHAT: Class 5A-Region 2

WHEN/WHERE: Tonight, 7 p.m.; Wesley Chapel, 30651 Wells Road

ADMISSION: $6

OUTLOOK: Wesley Chapel was good when Janelle Mills went down with an injury in December and missed much of the season. Now the Wildcats might be better. Wesley Chapel coach Karim Nohra noted that in Mills' absence, role players learned to excel with different responsibilities. With Mills back, that has made the Wildcats a more well-rounded team, with more weapons for opponents to worry about.

LAND O' LAKES AT TAMPA BAY TECH

WHAT: Class 5A-Region 2

WHEN/WHERE: Tonight, 7 p.m.; Tampa Bay Tech, 6410 Orient Road

ADMISSION: $6

OUTLOOK: Gators coach Laurie Pacholke all season long shrugged her shoulders when the subject of her team's record came up. Instead, she would talk about how well the team needs to play as the season ended, not the record. The Gators have won four of their last six games, with two of the wins by 30-point margins. For Land O' Lakes to succeed, they will have to rely on defense. If the Gators hold opponents to 40 points or fewer, it's a good bet they win.

WIREGRASS AT ORLANDO BISHOP MOORE

WHAT: Class 4A-Region 2

WHEN/WHERE: Tonight, 7 p.m.; Bishop Moore, 3901 Edgewater Dr., Orlando

ADMISSION: $6

OUTLOOK: The Bulls will have a tough task. Already facing the defending Class 4A state champs in Orlando Bishop Moore, Wiregrass Ranch will be short-handed. Regan Knapik is playing "at half-speed," said Bulls coach Greg Finkel and Julie Gould will miss the game due to receiving a double-technical in the district title game. "We're ready, but we'll see what we can do," Finkel said. "We can play with them."

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT