Rachel Cooke may just be a sophomore, but coming off the bench Thursday night, the Western forward exploded for 18 points. And none of those buckets likely made her defensive-minded coach Kris Wright happiest as a play that doesn’t show up in the scorebook. During an offensive run by the Warriors in the first half, Cooke took a charge in the lane to help keep that spurt going as Western romped to a 68-30 victory over Chancellor in the Western Tip-off tournament.
“I think a lot of confidence came from my teammates, they helped me out and got me going,” Cooke said. “I remember (Western junior) Emily Marbury drawing a charge last year and she kind of inspired me.”
Cooke’s performance may have come as a surprise to most, but Wright was clearly unfazed.
“She’s extremely effective,” Wright said. “The JV team won the JV championship game against Monticello and Rachel was huge in that game. The question is always will it translate when you come up a level.”
Apparently it translated well. In addition to the 18 points, Cooke had three rebounds and a block.
Cooke’s scoring, including a late-game 3-pointer, led the way for the Warriors, but it was a balanced effort from the Western offense that got the job done. Everyone on the Western offense scored at least two points. Bridget Shaffrey, who appears to have taken a leap forward, finished with a second-straight double double, pouring in 12 points and hauling down 15 rebounds.
“She’s so physically strong, she’s tall and she’s really aggressive on the glass,” Wright said. “She was all over the glass tonight.”
Sydney Fewell had 10 points and four assists while fellow backcourt mate Emily Marbury had a balanced stat line with four points, six rebounds on the defensive end and six assists. Throw in Mady Baker’s eight points and Alora Henry’s six and it’s exactly the kind of spread out strength Western needs on the offensive end.
The victory sets up a clash with the two-time defending VISAA Division 3 Miller squad, who edged out R.E. Lee in the opening game of the Tip-Off tournament.
