ARNOLD – Kaitlyn Waller knows the territory.
The Jackson High senior has played in her share of important games, and with the sting of a narrow loss in last year’s state quarterfinal fresh in her mind, she has approached this postseason with a high level of preparation and confidence.
“I’ve been here before, I’ve done this before and I’m ready for these types of games,” Waller said.
Waller scored 15 of her 20 points in the second half, and the defense executed its gameplan to perfection as Jackson defeated Cor Jesu 42-33 to win the Class 6 District 1 championship game Tuesday at Fox High.
Jackson (21-7), which won its third consecutive district title, advanced to play Eureka in a Class 6 quarterfinal at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at Jefferson College in Hillsboro.
Before Waller and her teammates could get another shot at a state quarterfinal, they had to slow down Chargers’ freshman center Lauren Ortwerth, who was averaging 21 points per game during the district tournament.
“She is so good going baseline. If she catches it in the post and drop steps baseline it’s over,” Jackson coach Adam Stoneking said. “We really focused on staying underneath so she had to turn middle, and then we always helped.”
And the help came fast.
Led by lightning quick guards Holland Guillams, Maci Wendel and Camryn Alsdorf, the swarming of Ortwerth began while the entry pass was in flight, preventing her from making an attempt at a post move.
“They’re a very fundamentally sound team. They clogged it up for Ortwerth, and we did not hit shots from the outside until the very end of the game,” Cor Jesu coach Mary Kay Brandt said.
Cor Jesu went 0-for-6 from long range and scored only 10 points in the first half. Despite the shooting woes, the Chargers only trailed 18-10 due to excellent ball pressure on the perimeter spearheaded by Adie Luna and 10 first-half rebounds by Ortwerth.
The score could have been even closer if not for two mishaps at the end of both the first and second quarters.
While Cor Jesu tried to play for the final shot, Alsdorf snuck in and stole a pass. In the first quarter, she led Waller ahead for a breakaway layup at the buzzer. In the second quarter, she beat the clock herself.
“I knew a bounce pass to the top of the key was eventually coming, so I read it, got my hand on it and scored,” Alsdorf said.
Both plays served as deflating events for Cor Jesu before a break in action.
“Those kinds of plays can really change momentum,” Brandt said.
Cor Jesu junior Grace Bellistri banked in a 19-footer from the right wing to open the second half, but Waller ensured the momentum would remain with Jackson the rest of the way.
She drained a three, scored on a nifty, scoop shot in the lane, and completed a perfectly-executed give-and-go as part of her nine-point, third quarter that helped Jackson open a 29-17 lead.
“I got off to a slow start, and I knew very quickly that they were going to make it hard for me, but I took a step back, took a deep breath and realized that I’ve been in these games before,” Waller said. “Once I calmed myself down, the rest of the game just came to me naturally.”
The threes finally started to connect for Cor Jesu in the fourth quarter as Kenzie Van Bree, Paige Dolrenry and Grace Bellistri each connected from long range. The trio joined Ortwerth in leading the team with seven points apiece.
But after each made basket, Jackson calmly dissected the Chargers’ full court press and scored points on the other end.
“We slowed ourselves down by passing it back and forth, looking for passes along the sideline and making sure that they couldn’t speed us up,” said Alsdorf, who scored 14 points.
For Cor Jesu (20-9), which accrued a 9-17 overall record last season and had a midseason coaching change this year, the 20-win season was a testament to their resiliency.
“We were hit with a lot of adversity and we turned it around. I’m super-proud of them,” Brandt said.
And for Jackson, the adverse taste of a 41-37 loss to St. Joseph’s in last year’s Class 6 quarterfinal has the team hungry to capitalize on the opportunity in front of them, as they try to reach the final four for the first time since 2003.
“This is a big moment for us. We want to represent our school and represent Jackson,” Waller said. “This week of practice will be intense, and I know everyone will have their heads in the right spot so we can go into that game confident.”
