Head coach Kara Miller and her Bruin girls varsity basketball team earned their way into an opening round home game to start their state play-off season. Coming into Tuesday evenings match up with the #18 ranked Burns Lady Hilanders, the Bruin girls were not struggling to score points offensively while taking advantage of their pressure defense. However, the Bruin girls would have to manage their way through this game with out sophomore guard, #0, Amelia Bruce after suffering an arm injury during practice earlier in the week, and who had become a big part of the Bruin girls both offensively and defensively.
In the first period of play in Tuesday nights match up, both teams started rather conservatively, pushing into different aspects of each others defensive plan to find weaknesses and scoring opportunities. Both teams settled into their 2-3 defensive sets with the Bruin girls pressuring the Burns ball handler up the court, and both teams found scoring opportunities and a 5-4 Bruin girls lead after four minutes of play. The Lady Hilanders had all five of their starters on the board in the first period, with two of them hitting 3’s on their way to 12 points as a team in the quarter. The Bruin girls had senior center, Marissa Scott, #15, hit an inside jumper and senior Ashlyn Scofield, #44 hitting three mid range jumpers and a 3 pointer as the Bruin girls trailed 11-12 after the first period.
The second period was just what the Bruin girls needed defensively, shutting down the Lady Hilanders allowing only 5 Burns points in the period, from only one player. However, the Lady Hilanders were just as stubborn defensively, allowing only two Ashlyn Schofield 3 pointers and another Marissa Scott basket in the paint for a total of 8 Bruin girls points in the period, sending the two teams into the half time break with the Bruin girls leading 19-17.
As the third period unfolded, the defensive battle of the second period continued into the third as both teams trapped out of their zone, disrupting shooters who struggled from the perimeter. The Lady Hilanders managed only one basket in the third and two free throw for 4 points in the period. For the Bruin girls, Marissa Scott hit a basket and went 2 for 2 from the line and with Schofields lone basket, the Bruin girls 6 points in the period would keep them in the lead 25-21 going into the final period.
The final period opened up for the Lady Hilanders running off of Bruin girls missed shots and turn overs hitting four baskets from three different shooters. But the difference in the game would be perimeter shooting, and at the free throw line. Burns only allowed senior center, Marissa Scott, #15, and senior Ashlyn Scofield, #44, to score for the Bruin girls in the entire game, holding all other Bruin girls as well as starters Rockette Marrington, Jaiden Babb and Aleah Muro scoreless, for the entire game.
The Lady Hilanders drove relentlessly into the key to get to the foul line and slow the clock, and would take their first lead since the first period at the 5:41 mark of the fourth, getting to the foul line 11 times in the fourth period alone. Scofield and Scott would only see the foul line twice in the period as Scott and Schofield managed 10 points between the two of them. 9 of the 22 points put up by Burns in the fourth period came from the foul line as the Lady Hilanders took the 35-43 win and moved on to the next round of play, ending the Bruin girls season.
