Hampshire makes it a perfect 10 at Harlem tourney
MACHESNEY PARK - Hampshire girls basketball coach Sue Elllett compares coaching her team to a trip through the drive-through lane at the local bank.
"It's kind of like when I go to get money at the bank and they ask me how I want it," Ellett says. "I just say hey, I can spend it any way you give it to me."
Ellett's Whip-Purs shared the wealth again Wednesday night, using balanced scoring and stifling defense to knock off the host school 59-25 in the first round of the 32nd Annual Harlem Christmas Classic.
The win gives the Whips a perfect 10-0 start to a season they have high expectations to finish in the 22-25 win range, at least.
"It's exciting," Ellett said. "I don't come into games with this team saying that if we don't do something we're going to struggle. We wait to see what (the opponent) is doing. I feel like a computer programmer. I just click it and it works."
As it did Wednesday. Harlem (3-8) came out in a zone defense and within seconds, Ellett inserted junior sharpshooter Jessie Van Dorin into the game. Van Dorin, who finished with four 3-pointers for 12 points, hit a 3 to start the scoring and added another less than a minute later as the Whips rolled out to a 14-0 lead and never looked back.
"The nice part is that when Kelsey Anderson comes out of the game she doesn't pout," said Ellett of putting Van Dorin into the game so quickly. "She might be a little disappointed when she sees a zone but she comes over here and sits down and cheers on Jess shooting the 3s."
Hampshire led 20-7 after one quarter and its leading scorer, senior Chrissy Heine, had just 2 points, those coming with 45 seconds left in the period.
"It's nice that everybody can score," said Heine, who finished with 12 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 5 steals and a block. "We don't have to rely on just one or two players."
Cassie Dumoulin led Hampshire Wednesday with 15 points, 3 assists and 3 steals and Alex Dumoulin added 12 points, 6 rebounds and 3 steals. The Whips' defense created 24 turnovers, 18 of them coming off steals.
"In games like this we want to work on the little things so they have a huge impact," Heine said. "We're coming along really well."
The Whips led 34-10 at halftime and 45-15 by the end of the third quarter, which allowed Ellett to play her 8-girl rotation freely.
"These kid are very unselfish and they seem to know more and more where each other are," Ellett said. "These kids are all about scoring points for Hampshire, and they don't care who scores them as long as we win."
Ellett agrees, though, that it's time for her team to face a challenge. Thus far, the Whips have beaten their opponents by an average of 27 points per game. Hampshire plays Rockford East today and Winnebago Friday before the final round Saturday, in which the Whips could see undefeated Rockford Lutheran for the championship.
"Yes, it would be nice to get tested," Ellett said. "We expect that Saturday."