Big quarter lifts Green Devils
By Kristi Nixon
OSAGE — A defensive effort in the third quarter proved to be the difference for the Osage girls basketball team in a 55-25 victory over North Butler on Tuesday, Dec. 12.
The Green Devils outscored the visiting Bearcats 22-1 to turn a close 21-15 halftime lead into an insurmountable 43-16 score entering the fouth quarter.
“That was a good third quarter,” Osage coach Chad Erickson said. “Our defense hasn’t been very good, and tonight was better. We took a step forward offensively and defensively tonight, so just have to keep getting better as our goal.”
During that span, Jacey Johnston scored 13 of her game-high 20 points against the Bearcats as they committed 12 turnovers and missed all three shots they attempted.
North Butler is playing with a couple of athletes from Rockford, which suspended its season before it started, allowing any who still wanted to play to compete with the school of their choosing. One was starter Hannah Hillman, who managed just two points on 1-of-3 shooting from the field.
Erickson, when asked if that affected the visitor’s chemistry, didn’t truly buy into that.
“I don’t know, maybe,” he said. “They play hard, they always play hard. So it’s just that I think we played better tonight, which made it a little tougher on them.”
The full story and more photos will be found in the Dec. 20 print and e-editions of the Enterprise Journal.
