Athletics
Spartans News

SG D3 Basketball: Gettin' Tough

By Erik Van Dyke
After our last game against Richmond, we asked, we begged, we PLEADED for the girls to be hungrier for the ball and quicker to the ball and tougher with the ball. Boy oh boy, did they ever respond.
 
This past Saturday’s 42-20 road win over Triolet was our most active, most on-our-toes, toughest and hungriest game of the year, because every single player took it upon herself to go get that ball. On defence we rebounded like a pack of hyperactive dogs, and on offence we corralled over 15(!) offensive rebounds, led by Player Of The GameTM Maddie Lippmann who had at least 5 on her own, leading to two put-backs and six free-throw attempts – that’s what offensive boards get you, free points AND foul trouble for the other team.
 
And rebounding wasn’t the only thing we did well, as the top of our zone played their best defensive game of the season. After they got used to the speed of Les Harfangs, Tere, Siena, Rosema and especially Gloria were at their most disruptive, challenging passes, deflecting balls and making life miserable for their opponents. Five points allowed per quarter? Yeah, we’ll take that!
 
But those aren’t the only things that put smiles on the coaches’ faces – how about:
  • Melissa hitting two post moves in a row to start the game;
  • Julia giving all she had to give on a bad ankle for as long as she could, and playing her best defence of the season while she was at it;
  • Hayley improving her shot-blocking technique as the game went on;
  • Rosema’s aggressiveness driving to the bucket, which led to 14(!) free throw attempts;
  • Melissa’s pinpoint passing, especially in transition, which led to easy finishes for her teammates;
  • the Highlight Of The NightTM, i.e. Gloria’s breathtaking coast to coast layup;
  • finishing the first half on a 9-0 run, capped off by Rosema coming off a perfect screen and nailing a demoralizing three-pointer, you could see Triolet’s shoulders slump after that one;
  • the 8-0 run in the fourth quarter that put the game away for good;
  • and, finally, the fact that we took 28(!) free throws, by far the most this season, which is what happens when you make aggressive, confident decisions on offence.
 All in all, it was a great way to finish off the first part of the season. (This was our last game before the Christmas break). It was a busy, tiring stretch, with eight games in only 17 days, and we’ve had to deal with some injuries, but I like where we are now. If we can keep improving – hey, we can even start focusing on offence! – I like our chances as we head into the meat of our season come January and February. I think our best games are ahead of us. And I can’t wait to get there.

- Coaches Van Dyke & Wolfe
 
The year so far….
 
Overall Record3 wins 5 losses      
RSEQ League Play:  2 wins  2 losses
Points for per game29.5     Points allowed per game28.8
 
 
 
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