Christophel leads No. 3 Titans’ charge

Senior center scores 21 points to lead Taylor past M-G.

CONVERSE — A year ago, the one thing most people felt the Taylor girls basketball team lacked was a true inside game.

Brianne Christophel is doing her best to show that’s not the case as the No. 3-ranked Lady Titans start off the tournament trail.

For the second straight game, the senior center set a career high in scoring as she led Taylor to Tuesday’s 59-31 victory over Madison-Grant in the nightcap of the IHSAA Class 2A Oak Hill Sectional.

Christophel scored 21 points on 9-of-12 shooting from the field as Taylor earned a berth in Friday’s opening semifinal game with Eastbrook, which defeated Eastern in the sectional opener.

“I think a lot of people are realizing I can score here in the last two games,” she said. “It’s not just me though; it’s my teammates finding me and getting me the ball.

“All of us are working together really well right now.”

Her coach echoed her thoughts.

“Brianne had another good night and so did Jamie Dunlap. Brittni Oliver and Morgan [McWhorter] are handling the ball well and getting it where it needs to go,” coach Dennis Bentzler said. “Jackie Lasley got her shooting untracked.

“Plus, Danae Beavers had one of her better games. Courtney Dunlap came in with some great minutes and so did Brianne Weeks.”

Christophel got the Titans going, scoring the first four points of the game and scoring 10 of the team’s 26 in the first 16 minutes by hitting 4-of-7 shots and making a pair of free throws.

In the second half, she got better, going 5-for-5 and missing just one free throw.

“Brianne is in a zone right now,” Bentzler said.

The Argylls never had much of a chance, committing 14 turnovers in the first quarter alone. Nine of their first 12 possessions ended with a turnover, many steals by the Titans with their trapping defense.

“Everything they did, we worked on in practice. It’s just a different atmosphere when you stop on the court,” Madison-Grant coach Mark Zeigler said. “I thought we were a little tight, but we never loosened up. I think that come against playing Taylor. The girls knew what we were up against.

“Taylor is very quick. It lives by pressing you, pushing the ball and using its speed.”

Things improved for M-G in the second quarter as Cady Riggs scored eight points to keep the Argylls within striking distance, 26-12, at halftime. Christophel, however, scored seven more points and Lasley added four as Taylor went to the final period up 43-23.

“We talked a bit about being more focused on offense during halftime. The kids did a great job of passing the ball [in the second half],” Bentzler said.

With Christophel scoring nearly at will inside, McWhorter, the Titans’ leading scorer, just made sure she got the ball. McWhorter, who has more than 900 career points, had just two, but she dished out seven assists and had four steals.

“We’ve talked about how [1,000] is a goal of Mo’s, but she is unbelievably smart,” Bentzler said. “She understands how to play the game. She knows what needs to be done for us to win the game and does it. Sometimes that means scoring. Other times, it means getting six or seven assists like tonight. She and Brittni are playing very well together.”

The Argylls finished with 40 turnovers against just 13 for Taylor. Riggs led her team with 12 points and 12 rebounds while Tiffany Colburn, M-G’s lone senior, had nine points and nine boards.