SG Basketball D2: We know what we can do

The week is so busy and so long, that once students make it to the weekend they’re excitable, a little hyper, manic even. The Dining Hall is always a little louder at supper, the smiles wider, the eyes brighter. Friday is finally here. The pressure is off, and we’ve got the whole weekend in front of us. Monday seems so far away.

 

You could see it in the warmup. The team was bursting with energy, ready to rock n roll, uber-focused. Like something special might just happen under the lights of Mackay on this November Friday night.

 

And special it was. After three weeks of hammering home the philosophy, rotations and objectives of our defensive system, it all clicked. For everyone, all at once. I wasn’t sure we were ever going to play defense as well as we just did; and if we did, I certainly didn’t think it would be so early in the season. It takes trust in the system AND trust in your teammates to play our unique brand of defense. And trust takes time.

 

But other than one 15-second sequence where we gave up 4 offensive rebounds, the girls played team defense about as well as it can be played. They worked SO HARD and did SO MANY THINGS RIGHT that I can’t help myself beaming with pride as I write this.

 

The guards up top were incredible, 2 Dobermans essentially covering 4 players, running themselves ragged, taking away the high post, closing out intelligently, moving their feet, challenging drives, deflecting passes, chasing down loose balls. Rosy Ladouceur took up space like she was 6 feet tall, Emily Willis was tough as nails, and Rosema Lefebvre had her best defensive game of the season.

 

The wing forwards put on a clinic; showing and recovering, forcing weak lob passes, constant communication, deflections, and if our opponents ever did get the ball inside, rejecting shots like it was a Block Party and everyone was invited. Lea-Rose Remillard had her usual strong defensive game, Alex Smith and Abby Murray had their best defensive efforts of the season, and Alyssa MacPherson had the best defensive game of her life.

 

Player Of The Game - Mackenzy St-Pierre did it all, recording double-digit rebounds AND double-digit blocked shots (with the home crowd going crazy with every highlight reel rejection), all while anchoring the defense AND bringing the ball up against pressure AND starting our fast break AND directing the offense AND leading the team in steals AND leading the team in assists AND never coming off the floor once. (Whaddaya mean you’re tired, Kenz?

 

As a team, it was the best rebounding of the year BY FAR, as your Spartans completely dominated the boards. The forwards were animals on the offensive glass, and defensively it was thing of beauty, with five crazed Spartans going all-out every time to get a piece, a tip, any part of that precious rebound. I’ve never seen us so hungry, so desperate for the ball. It was AMAZING.

 

All of these things, working together, for every minute of the game, proved too much for Les Harfangs (“well, that was no fun” their coach told me post-game). They scored 5 pts in the 1^st quarter, one (1!) pt in the 2^nd quarter, 6 in the 3^rd, and 8 in the 4^th. A grand total of 20 points allowed to one of the top teams in the RSEQ. Final score 31-20, and a huge upset win that will force the rest of the league sit up and take notice.

 

But forget the rest of the league. This performance served notice to OURSELVES just how good we can be when we all buy in, when we take PRIDE in our defense, when we all trust the system AND each other, and when we all work our tails off every second we’re on that floor.

 

The bar has been raised, ladies. We know what we can do.

 

Coaches Van Dyke & Wolfe