Late stops preserve Lady Panther win

Posted 1/14/21

“That was all heart,” stated Alba-Golden Lady Panther head coach Dale Clement. “Those last two defensive stands, I am so proud of them, it was all heart.”

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Late stops preserve Lady Panther win

Posted

“That was all heart,” stated Alba-Golden Lady Panther head coach Dale Clement. “Those last two defensive stands, I am so proud of them, it was all heart.” 

The Lady Panthers defended two inbound plays under the Como-Pickton basket, contesting three shots in the last 15 seconds of play. They secured two rebounds and the win on the road, 31-28.

It was the opening district game for both teams, and they played with an unfailing determination. The two teams challenged each other at every step throughout the whole 32 minutes. 

There were a lot of similarities between the sides. Each played tough, hustling zone defense, although their defensive alignments differed slightly. Each team had two playmakers: guards Cacie Lennon and Bella Crawford for the Lady Panthers and Lexi Busby and Addi Monk for Como-Pickton.

Interestingly, the Alba-Golden guards were likely the shortest players on the court last Tuesday, while the playmakers for the Lady Eagles were among the tallest.

The key difference between the two sides was the excellent zone press run by the Lady Panthers. Time and again, when stymied on the offensive end, the ability to generate points off the zone press kept Alba-Golden in the game. 

It was not a great shooting night for either team. Shots were tough to come by and were seldom, if ever, uncontested. 

The Lady Panthers were almost shut out in the first quarter. Their first points came on a Hannah Wright free throw with 1:59 left in the quarter. A steal and score by Lennon and a Crawford score from a Lennon assist pulled the Lady Panthers to within two points, 7-5, at the quarter break.

There was some danger in the opening minutes that Como-Pickton was going to run away with the game. They had all the momentum. It was pure hustle which kept Alba-Golden in the game. In consecutive sequences, Hannah Wright blocked two shots, and Kalli Wright hustled back to slap away a pass on a Como-Pickton fast break.  

The Lady Eagles opened a 5-point lead late in the half, but a 3-pointer by Crawford kept Alba-Golden close. Great defense by Autumn Whitten in the second quarter was noteworthy. 

Whitten made a huge impact in the third quarter by hitting two 3-pointers. Her second score tied the game as the third quarter expired.

Down by four points with 1:30 to play, the Lady Panthers were hanging by a thread. Hannah Wright made a strong move to the lane for a score, and Whitten hit another 3-pointer to give Alba-Golden the lead, 29-28, with one minute to play.

With the ball in the offensive zone and 35 seconds remaining, the Lady Panthers attacked. Two missed shots and a scramble for the ball gave the Lady Eagles a break opportunity. Their outlet pass went astray and resulted in a turnover. 

Alba-Golden turned the ball over on the inbound and were forced to make the two great defensive stands which preserved the win.

It was a tumultuous moment of victory. Crawford was tackled on a break as time expired. She sank two free throws to conclude the scoring.    

Basketball fans should circle Friday, Jan. 22 on the calendar. It is the evening of the rematch between these two groups of competitors. It should be another good one.