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Philipps uncovers her missing shot

Maddie Philipps was waiting for her shot and she found it Thursday in Craig High's 61-48 victory over Madison East in Big Eight Conference girls basketball.

Philipps sank four of her five three-point goals and scored 14 of her 17 points in the first half to jump-start Craig.

Craig is 7-5 overall and 5-4 in the Big Eight. East is 1-12 and 1-9.

"She got us going with four threes," Craig coach Kerry Storbakken said. "For Maddie, to be honest, she's been struggling a little bit, so it was nice to she her break out a little bit.

Tonight, she found that shot," Strobakken added. "The confidence, you could see it. It just grew."

Philipps, a 5-5 senior guard, said her concentration was in full gear.

"My head was really in the game," Philipps said. "Coming to the game, I was thinking, ‘I want to play; I want to go hard.'"

Philipps hit a pair of threes in the first quarter as Craig fought to a 10-10 tie. East's Caroline Birnhak hit a jumper at the buzzer to knot the game 10-10.

The Cougars made four of eight shots in the first quarter and nine of 23 for the half.

East's Alysha Justice, the Big Eight's second-leading scorer with a 17.5 average, scored just four points in the first half, but came alive to finish with a game-high 23 points.

"She got most of her points in the second half," Storbakken said. "Basically, she just took the game over, but we had enough weapons and spread the ball around a little bit."

Justice scored 11 points in the third quarter as the Purgolders cut Craig's lead to five several times, but could draw no closer. Craig close the third quarter with a 45-37 lead.

Alli Calkins scored eight of her 12 points in the third quarter and finished with a six-for-six effort from the foul line.

Villa finished with 13 points.

Craig plays seven of its last 10 games at home and Storbakken is counting on a good run.

"We just have to shoot a little better as a team on our home floor," Storbakken said.

CRAIG 61, EAST 48

East (48)—Morrison, 1-0-2; Robinson, 1-0-2; James, 2-1-3; Dornon, 1-2-4; Rice, 1-0-3; Justice, 9-5-23; Moseberry, 0-1-1; Birnhak, 5-0-10. Totals: 19-9-48.

Craig (61)—Philipps, 6-0-17; Cramer, 3-2-9; Crandall, 2-0-5; Hughes, 1-0-2; Hackett, 0-1-1; Slatter, 1-0-2; Calkins, 3-6-12; Villa, 5-3-13. Totals: 21-12-61

Madison East 10 11 16 11—48

Janesville Craig 10 18 17 16—61

Three-point goals—East 1 (Rice), Craig 7 (Philipps 5, Cramer, Crandall). Free throws missed—East 10, Craig 3. Total fouls—East 15, Craig 15.