Azalea Middle School girls basketball was home hosting Gold Beach, who made the trip south Wednesday to challenge the Azalea Bruin girls.
The Azalea girls wasted no time in the first quarter of play, immediately pressuring Gold Beach after controlling the tip and jumping out to an early lead, before extending their lead to 8-2 to close out the first period.
In the second period, the Azalea girls continued to slow the Gold Beach offense early in the second period, allowing only 7 Gold Beach points midway through the second period. But, the Azalea Bruin girls offense also began to struggle, adding only 7 points in the second period, allowing the determined Gold Beach girls to close the gap to just 2 points to end the first half of play.
Holding on to now a 2 point 15-13 lead to start the third period, the Gold Beach girls tried to pick up where they left off in the first half, however, the Azalea girls defensively shut down the Gold Beach offense, allowing only six points in the first half of the third period. Defensively, the Azalea girls pressured Myrtle Creek at mid court and ran on Gold Beach after every turnover and missed shot, putting another 14 points on the board to make the score 29-25 at the end of three.
The Gold Beach girls kept it close through the middle of the fourth period, but another 12 point period by the Azalea girls in the final period turning up the pressure in the final quarter, and ultimately an 11 point Gold Beach girls fourth period was not enough to keep the Azalea Bruin girls from taking the 41-36 win.
The Azalea girls will be on the road next Saturday, traveling to Coos Bay to participate in the Marshfield Tournament.
