Bench bonanza boosts Center Point-Urbana

CENTER POINT — With a team as deep as this, Allie Wooldridge doesn't have to carry the load all the time.

Tuesday night, one quarter was plenty.

Wooldridge had a hand in all 20 of Center Point-Urbana's points in the third period, and the Class 3A fifth-ranked Stormin' Pointers went on to defeat 4A No. 9 Western Dubuque, 64-52, in a Wamac Conference cross-divisional girls' basketball game at Center Point-Urbana High School.

'In our one loss (against Marion just before the holiday break), we didn't come out strong in the third quarter,' Wooldridge said. 'We weren't going to have that kind of slow start again.'

Knotted at 25-25 at halftime, CPU (8-1) outscored the Bobcats, 20-10, in the pivotal period, and ended Western Dubuque's 50-game regular-season winning streak.

A junior and a Wisconsin-Green Bay commit, Wooldridge was quiet in the first half with just two points. But she erupted for 11 in the third quarter, and her four assists accounted for the other nine.

'She's OK with not scoring a lot of points, but when she's called upon, she can,' CPU Coach Philip Klett said.

Wooldridge's third-quarter spree was part of the story. The performance of the Stormin' Pointers' bench was another. Karly Millikin, Adrianna Katcher, Madie Willson and Raegan Dufoe combined for 30 points on 12-of-17 shooting from the field. That's a big, big bench bonus.

'We have a lot of kids that can start for a lot of teams. They could start for us,' Klett said. 'They're a big part of our team.'

Western Dubuque (7-1) led by as many as eight points in the first half before a late rush by CPU forged a halftime deadlock.

'I think Morgan (Pitz) matches up pretty well defensively on Wooldridge, and did a pretty nice job limiting her touches,' Bobcats Coach Amy Ostwinkle said. 'But you have to give up something, and their other girls stepped up.'

Wooldridge finished with 13 points to lead CPU. LaMia Sisk added 12.

Pitz paced Western Dubuque with 20 points, and freshman guard Lindsey Eimers added 13; they combined for 19 of 24 free throws. But the Bobcats were hampered by 24 turnovers.

CENTER POINT-URBANA 64, WESTERN DUBUQUE 52

At Center Point

WESTERN DUBUQUE (52): Lindsey Eimers 2-4 9-10 13, Blair Burds 0-3 0-0 0, Morgan Pitz 5-12 10-14 20, Karlie Fagan 4-7 3-5 11, McKenzie Maahs 2-2 2-2 6, Payton Koerperich 0-8 0-0 0, Chloe Baumgartner 1-2 0-2 2. Totals 14-38 24-34 52.

CENTER POINT-URBANA (64): LaMia Sisk 3-6 5-6 12, Olivia Brecht 1-1 2-3 4, Sydney Boevers 0-1 0-0 0, Allie Wooldridge 5-12 2-7 13, Callyn Fox 2-9 0-0 5, Madie Willson 3-5 0-0 6, Raegan Dufoe 3-4 0-0 6, Adrianna Katcher 4-5 0-2 8, Karly Millikin 2-3 6-6 10, Rylee Clark 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 23-46 15-24 64.

Halftime: Western Dubuque 25, CPU 25. 3-point goals: Western Dubuque 0-9 (Burds 0-2, Pitz 0-2, Fagan 0-1, Koerperich 0-4), CPU 3-9 (Sisk 1-2, Boevers 0-1, Wooldridge 1-4, Fox 1-1, Willson 0-1). Team fouls: Western Dubuque 17, CPU 26. Fouled out: Eimers, Wooldridge. Rebounds: Western Dubuque 32 (Pitz, Fagan 7), CPU 22 (Wooldridge 5). Assists: Western Dubuque 5 (Pitz, Fagan 2), CPU 8 (Wooldridge 4). Steals: Western Dubuque 9 (Burds, Pitz 2), CPU 14 (Brecht 5). Turnovers: Western Dubuque 24, CPU 14.

l Comments: (319) 368-8857; jeff.linder@thegazette.com