GIRLS BASKETBALL West Branch gets past Salem again

The Warriors won, 57-52, for their fifth straight win over the Quakers.
By ERIC HAMILTON
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
BELOIT -- When it comes to playing Salem, the West Branch High girls basketball team always seems to find a way to win.
Saturday night, the Warriors broke open a close game by outscoring the visiting Quakers 22-9 in the third quarter and held on for a 57-52 victory.
During the decisive third stanza, West Branch connected on nine-of-11 field goals en route to a 14-1 run that put Salem on its heels.
It was that spurt that gave the Warriors a 13-point lead with 3:29 left in the quarter and was enough to secure the victory.
"That run was obviously the key for us tonight," said West Branch coach Chuck Campbell, whose squad has beaten Salem five straight times. "We wanted to dictate the tempo in the third quarter and we were able to get in the flow with some easy baskets."
"Ashley [Armstrong] was able to drive to the basket and give some good feeds, which helped us getting going," Campbell said.
Good combination
The inside-outside combination of Armstrong and Victoria Arndt was too much for the Quakers to handle in the second half. The duo combined for 18 second-half points and led the Warriors on the night with 14 and 15, respectively.
"Armstrong just took over in the third," Salem coach Steve Stewart said. "We had no answer for her. I was proud of how our kids clawed their way back in the fourth quarter, but the hole was too deep to come all the way back from."
After West Branch's third-quarter run gave it a 45-32 lead after three quarters, Salem came on strong with some aggressive defense.
The Quakers, led by Katherine McGarry, outscored the Warriors 20-12 in the final quarter to close the gap.
West Branch led by as many as 14 points, before Salem cut the deficit to eight with 3:13 left in the contest.
A steal by Sarah Hamilton and a basket by McGarry trimmed the Warriors' advantage to 52-44. That completed a 5-0 run by the Quakers.
Used foul shooting
West Branch used some key free throws down the stretch to keep Salem at bay and start the season with a win. "This is a great, friendly rivalry," Campbell said. "There is some solid talent on both these teams. We have been very fortunate to come out on top the last few times we've played. This was a quality win for us."
With Arndt (15 points) and Armstrong (14) leading the way offensively for West Branch, Stacy Braden contributed 10 points and Evelyn Woods added a strong effort with eight points and a team-high seven rebounds.
Salem was led by McGarry with 17 points and Lauren Teal with 12 points and three boards.