Defensive adjustments were the key to Bulloch Academy’s 44-35 victory over Crisp Academy on the second day of the seventh annual Lady Gator Classic basketball tournament Wednesday.
Sophomore Ashley Burke netted 23 points, including five-of-six free throws late in the fourth quarter, to lead Bulloch in the rough-and-tumble contest.
“It was a big win,” said BA head coach Paul Webb. “I thought our girls adjusted to their aggressive play and fought back well.”
In other action, Brentwood School from Sandersville overpowered Robert Toombs Christian 41-21.
In the opener, Lady Wildcat junior Madi Mitchell wore out the net and her opposition in the first eight minutes, scoring 13 points as the visitors from Cordele took a 17-5 lead with 1:44 remaining. BA forwards Anna Newton, Chelsea Oglesby, Pate Lomax and Mary Kate Thomas slowed the Crisp big girl down at times but Bulloch seemingly had no answer for her as dominated on both ends of the court.
But the Lady Gator guards, namely Lauren Dennard, Mary Margaret Reeves and Marianna Peebles, figured out the best way to shadow her and took turns keeping a hand in front of her.
“We were in a zone the entire night,” said Webb. “but we just made some adjustments in the way we played. I think the thing I was most proud of was how smart we played. Our guards located Mitchell and stayed on her where ever she went.”
The combination of the tough inside defense of Newton, Oglesby, Lomax and Thomas and the worrisome pressure of the guards kept Mitchell off the scoreboard for the majority of the game. She was held scoreless in the second and third quarters and added just seven in the final period.
Offensively, Burke led the charge for BA. She had a three-point play late in the first quarter to help revive the Lady Gators and cut the CA lead to 19-11 at the buzzer.
Dennard buzzed Mitchell in the second quarter as tight defense was the name of the game. The air was full of the sound of blocked shots on both ends of the court. The Lady Gators managed to outscore Crisp 10-3 to trail 22-21 at the half.
In the third quarter, Reeves ran with Mitchell. The BA zone did its job but so did the ferocious Lady Wildcat man. The teams totaled just 11 points as the lead changed hands several times. But it was a three-point shot by Dennard at the 1:09 mark which put BA up 28-26 and gave the Lady Gators some added momentum.
Peebles drew the Mitchell assignment in the fourth. Bulloch slowly crept to a seven-point lead, 34-27, midway through the final period. Crisp battled back, cutting the score to 34-33 on a Mitchell three-point play at the 3:01 mark. Burke retaliated when she canned a driving jumper to put BA up 36-33.
Bulloch went on a 10-2 run in the final minutes. Newton, who scored 10 points on the night, knocked down a pair of free throws with 58.4 seconds left. Burke hit five-of-six shots from the charity stripe to ice the contest.
Today’s lineup sees Pinewood Christian battling Tattnall Square at 5:30 p.m., David Emanuel taking on Hilton Head Christian at 7 p.m. and Bulloch squaring off against Trinity Christian School of Dublin.
Bulloch takes down Crisp Academy