Active hands, quick feet, late rush allow CPU to get past Tipton, 56-38

CENTER POINT — It’s a mystery that Philip Klett enjoys.

“I like it a lot,” he said of Center Point-Urbana’s whose-night-is-it-going-to-be offensive tendency. “Everybody contributes in different ways.”

Cue the saxophonist from Men At Work.

Who can it be now ...

On this night: Addy Tupa, that’s who.

Tupa scored 19 points (more than triple her season average of 5.9), and CPU forced Tipton into 30 turnovers in a 56-38 Class 3A regional-semifinal girls’ basketball victory Wednesday night at Center Point-Urbana High School.

“Whatever way we can win, we’ll take it,” Tupa said. “We’ve always been defense-oriented. We don’t know if we’re going to make a lot of shots, but we know our defense is always going to be there.”

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Leading by just two points with five-plus minutes remaining, CPU (15-8) closed with a 19-3 rush.

The reward is a regional-final date with No. 2 Dubuque Wahlert (7 p.m., Saturday, at Wahlert), a 54-41 winner Wednesday over Monticello.

Bank on this ... the Stormin’ Pointers will take active feet and quick hands with them on the road.

Question is, who will ignite the offense? CPU does not have a player that averages in double figures.

Mya Hillers is the closest at 9.0 points per game. She was scoreless until late, but awoke when necessary and scored seven points in the Stormin’ Pointers’ ultimate getaway.

“Every night it’s going to be somebody different,” Tupa said.

Despite all of those turnovers, Tipton (16-7) was right in it at 37-35 when Jordyn Schmidt converted a three-point play with 5:25 to go.

“(CPU’s) physicality, it’s just something that we don’t see,” Tigers Coach Matt Bolger said. “They keep coming at you in waves. It’s a rude awakening.”

Because of the discrepancy in turnovers (30 for Tipton, 12 for CPU), the Tigers took just 26 shots from the floor, compared to 52 for the Stormin’ Pointers.

CPU led the whole way, and appeared headed toward a rout when it was 20-7 midway through the second quarter. But the Tigers were within 21-17 at halftime, and were directly in CPU’s rearview mirror as crunch-time approached.

Tupa was the lone CPU player to reach double-figures, but seven of her teammates joined her in the scoring column. Grace Estling added nine points, Hillers and Adelyn Stien seven each.

Avery Sweeney scored just three, but contributed six rebounds and five assists. Tupa grabbed four of CPU’s 15 steals.

Schmidt paced Tipton with 12 points and eight rebounds. Ella Hein added 11 points.

The Tigers started four sophomores and a junior.

Center Point-Urbana 56, Tipton 38

Class 3A Regional Semifinal, at Center Point

TIPTON (38): Ella Hein 4-7 0-0 11, Averie Bolger 2-3 1-1 6, Paityn Daedlow 3-5 0-0 8, Zoe Holstein 0-2 1-2 1, Jordyn Schmidt 5-6 2-6 12, Storm Snyder 0-2 0-0 0, Anniese Beeler-Allen 0-1 0-0 0, Tatum Nebergall 0-0 0-0 0, Kenley Fitch 0-0 0-0 0, Braxlyn Ehlers 0-0 0-0 0, Paige Thomas 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 14-26 4-9 38.

CENTER POINT-URBANA (56): Deni Katcher 2-5 0-0 6, Avery Sweeney 0-4 3-4 3, Adelyn Stien 3-9 1-2 7, Addy Tupa 6-10 4-5 19, Mya Hillers 3-7 1-2 7, Addilyn Wade 0-0 0-0 0, Grace Estling 3-7 1-2 9, Maya Burkhart 1-6 0-0 3, Josie Klett 1-3 0-0 2, Emily Bowe 0-1 0-0 0, Sydney McCormick 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 19-52 10-15 56.

Tipton 4 13 9 12 — 38

Center Point-Urbana 9 12 13 22 — 56

3-point goals: Tipton 6-11 (Hein 3-5, Bolger 1-2, Daedlow 2-3, Holstein 0-1), CPU 8-26 (Katcher 2-5, Sweeney 0-3, Tupa 3-6, Hillers 0-1, Estling 2-5, Burkhart 1-6). Team fouls: Tipton 14, CPU 16. Fouled out: none. Technical: Tipton bench (administrative). Rebounds: Tipton 23 (Schmidt 8), CPU 25 (Sweeney 6). Assists: Tipton 9 (Bolger 4), CPU 12 (Sweeney 5). Steals: Tipton 4 (Hein 3), CPU 15 (Tupa 4). Turnovers: Tipton 30, CPU 12.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com