Morgan Ruff wrestles with two Whitko players for a loose ball during Saturday’s game. (Photos by Nick Goralczyk)

SOUTH WHITLEY — The No. 6 ranked Whitko girls basketball team had a great opportunity as top-ranked Rochester rolled into town for a Three Rivers Conference showdown but the energy of the Wildcats never matched the height of the stakes for the game.

Rochester used several scoring runs to build a lead and eventually secure a 57-45 win.

“We spent five days doing game-specific material,” began Whitko head coach Brandon Bradley. “Everything we did in practice looked right. We came out here and allowed ourselves to get sped up mentally and we just didn’t play very well.”

Bradley’s team came out and grabbed the first basket of the game and found itself trailing just 5-4 with four minutes remaining in the opening quarter. It was then that the Zebras started to take control as they went on an 8-0 run, building momentum and confidence along the way. Whitko answered with an 8-2 run of its own to close out the quarter but the home team never looked fully in sync.

That lack of chemistry and communication hurt Whitko throughout the night and Rochester continued to build momentum. In the second quarter the Zebras made another big run, 11-1, fueled by Becky Malchow.

Malchow, a senior, scored 10 points in the second frame to help her team build a lead. She would finish her night as the game’s leading scoring with a career-high of 24 points. She was the spark the Zebras needed in a major conference tilt.

“We hold Brianna Cumberland and Aly Reiff to 16 combined points and Becky Malchow gets 24, that’s essentially the difference in the game right there,” remarked Rochester head coach Tony Stesiak.

Malchow was just a part of a fantastic team effort from Rochester. Alexa Holland, who hit a huge three before the half to put her team up 34-20 at the break, made herself a presence defensively and added 13 points to the team tally. Kennedy Musselman was the third and final Zebra in double digits as she recorded 10 points and also made her presence felt outside of what the stat book showed.

“We asked the girls if they were ready to knock down a shot if they (Whitko) didn’t guard them,” continued Stesiak,”Becky said yes, Mo (Morgan Ruff) said yes and Musselman was stronger than anything Whitko had inside.

“Out team was better, on through five, on the floor than their team. Reiff might be a really, really good player, but our team was better.”

The game seemed to be over in the third quarter. Rochester was in total control and much of Whitko’s roster appeared to be going through the motions. Trailing 48-34 to start the fourth was apparently the wake up call the Wildcats needed.

Whitko opened the final frame on a 7-0 run, closing the gap to 48-41. Careless turnovers from a Rochester team that started to hit cruise control certainly played a part, but either way Whitko was finally deciding to make a game of it.

With 3:45 remaining in the contest Whitko cut the Zebra lead to seven points, 52-45, but it was too little, too late for the upset-minded ‘Cats as they never were closer than that.

Whitko is a team still trying to figure out what it means to be a successful program and games like this are ones that are part of the growing pains.

Bradley knew his team disappointed on the court Saturday night. “Until we’re able to overcome adversity mentally and play at our speed, the way we want to play, and not let them dictate our mental approach, we’re not going to be a championship team on any level.”

The Wildcats were led offensively by Reiff’s 14 points. Jen Reiff and Hanna Yohe added 10 and eight points respectively.

Whitko (11-5, 2-2) will play at Norwell Thursday night.

Rochester (16-0, 5-0), which sits atop the 2A polls, will take the next week to prepare for class 3A No. 6 Tippecanoe Valley.

Whitko won the JV contest 68-13 behind 29 points from Ellie Snep.