Head coach Chris Schofield and his Lady Bruin varsity girls basketball team were on the road Monday night for a preseason match-up against the Gold Beach Lady Panthers. With the regular season’s first league games looming early January, both teams have spent the last few weeks getting in game shape and putting together game plans hoping for a positive start to their 2021/2022 seasons.
Enjoying a home court advantage, the Lady Panthers jumped out early on Lady Bruins, pressing the Lady Bruin offense and capitalizing on loose balls and rebounds with Lady Panther senior guard Kailina Hamilton #10 helping Gold Beach to an early 2-6 lead midway through the first period. Hamilton, hit two 3 pointers and was perfect from the line scoring 10 of the Lady Panthers 11 points in the period, giving the Lady Panthers a 11-4 lead after the first period of play.
But coach Schofield made adjustments going into the second period of play, applying a soft press out of their standard 2-3 defense, frustrating the Lady Panthers, and turning the tables. The defense held the Lady Panthers Kailina Hamilton to just a free-throw in the period as senior Faith Burton #4 for the Lady Bruins hit two 3’s in the period for 6 points, as the Lady Bruins put 15 points up in the period to take a 15-19 lead into the locker room at the half-time break.
The 3rd period was spent at the free throw line for the Lady Bruins, who ran on the Lady Panthers in the period, getting to the line 12 times in the period, and hitting 7 of 12 from the line. Lady Panther senior guard Kailina Hamilton #10 led all Lady Panthers in the 3rd period hitting a basket and two free throws while combining with junior guard Gabby Ramos-Perez #5 who hit for 3 points from the outside for 7 of the Lady Panthers 9 points in the period, leaving the score 24-32 Lady Bruins after three periods of play.
Going into the 4th period with the Lady Bruins leading by 8, coach Schofield’s adjustment to shut down the outside shooting of the Lady Panthers guard play slowed the Gold Beach attack considerably, allowing only 5 points from Lady Panthers Ramos-Perez and Hamilton and only 9 points of offense in the period. The inside play of junior Marissa Scott #15 and junior Ashlyn Schofield #44 combined for 6 of the Lady Bruins 11 points in the 4th period, as the Lady Bruins went on to win the preseason match-up 33-43.
Talking with coach Schofield after the game he told the Compass “I was proud of the girls tonight. We’ve been really locked in defensively after adjusting to their unique guard play.” he said. “We gave up too many second chance points in the first quarter and too many points at the free throw line in the first half. Offensively, it took us a while to get going.”
The Lady Bruins will not see action again until Thursday, December 30th, when they host the Phoenix Lady Pirates in another preseason match-up.
