WP Kicks Off Season With Home Victory

WAITSBURG - The WP Lady Cardinals began the 2011-12 season with a 53-39 victory over the Pilot Rock Rockets on Tuesday night.

The Rockets were first to score, but the Cardinals' Krystal Harris was on fire, hitting her first of five threepointers to put the Cards up, 10-8.

The Rockets answered with their own three-pointer, a free throw from a Kristin Potter foul, and a bucket from outside, to take a 15-13 lead after the first quarter.

Harris nailed two free throws to tie the game at the beginning of the second quarter and followed that up with her second three-pointer to take the lead, 18-15, with 6:48 left in the half.

The Rockets then turned the ball over with a traveling call, but the Cardinals gave it away with one of their 43 turnovers of the night.

Have no fear, Ronnie Hulce swiped the ball back and fed it to Hailey Goenen at the top of the key. Goenen hit nothing but net as she added three points to the board and the Cardinals extended their lead to 21-15 with 5:39 left in the half.

A field goal and a free throw from Dionna Baker, combined with another Harris three pointer, and two free throws from Hulce gave the Cards a 29-18 halftime lead.

Harris wasted no time getting down to business as she nailed her fourth three pointer 54 seconds into the second half.

The next 3 minutes were scoreless as Kayla Huxoll's quick-footed defense kept the Rockets on their toes. Potter's field goal and free throw increased the Cardinals' lead, 35-25, and WP took a time out with 3:13 left in the third.

Potter kept the streak going as she drove the base line and dumped it off to Hulce who put it in for two. Harris followed with another threepointer with 24.5 seconds left in the third.

Baker used her size down low and showed the Rockets who's boss as she pumped one off the backboard to end the third quarter with a 42-27 Cardinal lead.

The Rockets opened the fourth quarter with a threepointer of their own, but Baker answered with a bucket for the Cards.

Baker then stole the inbounds pass and outlet it to Hulce for a fast break lay-up giving the Cardinals a 46-30 lead.

Hulce then stole the ball from underneath a Rocket rebound and put it back up for two points. The next 3 minutes were scoreless until Baker found Hulce wide open on a fast break with 52 seconds left in the game.

The Rockets were unable to make a basket on their last possession and Harris ended the night with her final threepointer with 7.3 seconds left in the game.

"I wasn't even going to shot any threes tonight," said Harris. "I hadn't been making any in practice, but once I started throwing them up they just started falling."

Harris was lead scorer with 19 points going five for seven on the three-point line. Hulce was hot on her heels with 13 points, 13 rebounds, five steals and two blocked shots.

Baker racked up 11 points, nine rebounds, three steals and two blocked shots. Overall as a team, the Cardinals still have bugs to work out as they only shot 36 percent from the field and racked up a total of 46 turnovers.

"No one likes to see that many turnovers," said Cardinal head coach Jerry Baker. "I think it was a little bit of nerves combined with the girls trying to force things."

The Cardinals next matchup is Friday, Dec. 9 in North Powder at 5 p.m.