As preseason high school sports move into their winter sports programs, Kara Miller and her Bruin girls basketball team continue to develop their 2022/23 campaign, putting gameplans and skillsets to the test before regular season play begins after the holidays.
The Bruin girls came out in what initially appeared to be their standard 2-3 defense, but added pressure to the North Bend ball handlers as they advanced the ball. slowing the Lady Bulldogs attack and allowing their interior defense to get position deep in the key. The Bruin girl defense disrupted the Lady Bulldogs offense early on but could not capitalize on North Bend mistakes to establish a lead with both teams tied with 9 points midway through the first.
But the Lady Bulldogs consistently worked the ball into the paint, looking for the Bruin girls to overplay and commit fouls, getting North Bend to the foul line 8 times, accounting for 5 of their 19 points in the quarter. Trailing North Bend by 8 points with less than a minute in the first quarter, the Bruin girls, led by senior Zoe Carlson, #11, rallied late to the close the gap to 18-19 going into the second period of play.
The second quarter became a defensive battle as both teams looked to run, but could not get the ball in the basket and the Bruin girls defense tightened in the paint as North Bend looked to put the Bruin girls interior defense in foul trouble early. But the Bruin girls stuck to their gameplan and worked their way through the difficult scoring spell by turning up their defense and holding the Lady Bulldogs to just 6 points in the period. But offensively for the Bruin girls, the struggle continued, scoring only 3 points themselves in the period, sending teams to the locker room at the half with the Lacy Bulldogs leading 21-25.
In the third, the Bruin girls back court drove into the paint looking for seniors Marissa Scott and Ashlyn Schofield to establish scoring in the key, but the penetration from the guards resulted in scoring opportunities for Zoe Carlson who hit two 3 pointers and a basket to lead Bruin girls scoring with 8 points in the third as the Bruin girls outscored North Bend, 12-10 in the third to trail 33-35 going into the final period of play.
As the final period unfolded, the Bruin girls took control of the game with pressure defense that allowed only one North Bend basket and two freethrows in the period, while senior point guard Rockette Marrington, #12, led the way for the Bruin girls scoring 4 points in the period. Sophomore Amelia Bruce, #0, hit a 3 pointer as the Bruins had four girls in the scoring column in the final period, to outlast the Lady Bulldogs 44-39.
The Bruin girls won’t see action again until after Christmas, attending the Salem Academy Tournament before regular season play begins Wednesday, January 4th.
