Who brought the ‘juice?’ On this night, it was Vinton-Shellsburg

MARION — Throughout the holiday break, the Vinton-Shellsburg Vikettes competed individually.

At stake, daily, was something called the Juice Award, represented by a bottle of Gatorade.

“I’ve got to give credit to my wife for that one,” Vikettes Coach Rich Haisman said. “Whoever brought the most juice, was the best teammate, really got after it ... that was going to be our winner of the day.”

Collectively, the Vikettes supplied the most “juice” in Friday’s Wamac Conference cross-divisional girls’ basketball game at Marion High School, and were justly rewarded.

Class 3A 10th-ranked Vinton-Shellsburg collected 16 steals, outrebounded 4A No. 14 Marion by 14-4 fourth-quarter margin and, overall, was the quicker team to the ball in a 54-45 triumph.

“We really picked up the intensity over break. We wanted to become a more scrappy team,” senior Alyssa Griffith said.

The Vikettes (6-4) raced to a 15-2 lead out of the gate, and were able to hold off every surge than Marion (5-5) could muster.

Marion cut a 15-point third-quarter deficit to 46-42 with 2:15 to go, but the visitors hit 8 of 12 free throws from that point forward.

Vinton-Shellsburg finished 17 of 23 from the line; Marion was 2 for 2.

Griffith registered 16 points and nine rebounds for the Vikettes — “I’m trying to get better at finishing through contact,” she said — and Abby Davis added 13 points, draining three 3-pointers.

Brylee Bruce didn’t have a field goal and scored a modest five points, but recorded 10 rebounds, four assists and five steals.

That’s bringing the juice.

“She could win that award every day,” Haisman said. “She’s an absolute warrior.”

Marion’s Ella Bockenstedt had a fine line of stats herself: 13 points, seven rebounds, four assists and seven steals.

Jenna Heinricy posted a 10-point, 10-rebound double-double.

After Vinton-Shellsburg opened with that 15-2 blitz, Marion answered to get within 20-15 midway through the second quarter. But the Vikettes surged again for a 29-17 halftime advantage.

Vinton-Shellsburg 54, Marion 45

At Marion

VINTON-SHELLSBURG (54): Abby Davis 4-13 2-2 13, Ashlie Meyer 2-6 2-2 6, Sophia Kreutner 2-9 1-2 7, Alyssa Griffith 7-16 2-6 16, Brylee Bruce 0-3 5-6 5, Julia Johnson 0-4 5-5 5, Kalinda Burke 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 16-53 17-23 54.

MARION (45): Natalie McAllister 0-1 0-0 0, Regan Rice 1-8 0-0 3, Ella Bockenstedt 6-16 0-0 13, Mila Van Weelden 2-9 0-0 6, Madeline Pavelka 4-8 2-2 10, Jenna Heinricy 5-7 0-0 10, Grace Stephenson 1-4 0-0 3, Mallory Heinricy 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 19-53 2-2 45.

Vinton-Shellsburg 17 12 11 14 — 54

Marion 8 9 13 15 — 45

3-point goals: Vinton-Shellsburg 5-16 (Davis 3-6, Meyer 0-1, Kreutner 2-5, Johnson 0-4), Marion 5-18 (Rice 1-5, Bockenstedt 1-6, Van Weelden 2-3, Pavelka 0-1, Stephenson 1-3). Team fouls: Vinton-Shellsburg 7, Marion 18. Fouled out: none. Rebounds: Vinton-Shellsburg 37 (Bruce 10), Marion 35 (J. Heinricy 10). Assists: Vinton-Shellsburg 12 (Bruce 4), Marion 11 (Bockenstedt 4). Steals: Vinton-Shellsburg 16 (Bruce 5), Marion 12 (Bockenstedt 7). Turnovers: Vinton-Shellsburg 15, Marion 22.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com