The Lady Bruins, coming off a big win Tuesday night against the Douglas Lady Trojans showed up in Sutherlin to take on the Lady Bulldogs in name only. At no point in the contest did the Lady Bruins look like the same team we watched Tuesday.
The #2 ranked Sutherlin Lady Bulldogs decided that they were not going to allow a dangerous Lady Bruin team to get any momentum. The Lady Bulldogs were solid in the paint as their center Amy Dickover #22 denied anything inside. This forced the Lady Bruins to the outside where the Lady Bulldogs were just as relentless. The Lady Bruins managed only 4 points in the first period, not getting on the scoreboard until only seconds left in the first period.
The second period was much of the same as the Lady Bulldog gameplan was clearly to deny inside shots and force the Lady Bruins to the outside. But the Lady Bulldogs challenged everything, every pass, every loose ball and every rebound. Again the Lady Bruins could only manage 5 points in the period with a 3 pointer from Sierra Fitzhugh, and a basket from Lexi Schofield.
Trailing the Lady Bulldogs 13-28 at the halftime break, Coach Schofield brought his lady Bruins back to floor believing they could turn the corner, drop a couple outside shots to open up the lane. But the Lady Bruins could not get their outside shooting game going, and the Lady Bulldogs doubled down in the paint. Sidney Alexander and Lexi Schofield both had baskets in the third but the Lady Bulldogs outscored the Lady Bruins again, taking a 13-34 lead into the final quarter.
An incredibly resilient Lady Bruin team continued to drive inside in an attempt to get to the foul line, but incredibly, the Lady Bruins did not get to the freethrow line until Lady Bruin forward Lexi Schofield got to the line ONCE in the final minutes of the fourth period. Sutherlin’s center, Amy Dickover #22 got to the line 13 times herself, getting 8 of her 20 points at the line alone.
(all photos courtesy Becky Miller)
A frustrated coach Schofield told the Wild Coast Compass that
“the slow start really hurt us. They are real good defensively and kept us from ever getting into any sort of rhythm offensively. We
missed a couple of open looks early on and never really recovered. Our effort was good, but our execution was not. Their center was big inside and kept us from having any success in the paint on offense.”
The Lady Bruins will be traveling to Medford to take on the Lady Crusaders of St. Mary’s at 7:00pm.
