Defense leads the way in Eagles’ dominant victory over Hickory Grove
BY ROBERT IRBY Special to the Independent Tribune
Dec 12, 2020 Updated Dec 12, 2020
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BY ROBERT IRBY Special to the Independent Tribune
CHARLOTTE – It was a great night for the Concord Academy girls basketball team, as the Eagles cruised to a 67-27 victory on the road against Hickory Grove Christian School.
The Eagles got off to a fast start, opening the game on a 19-0 run. From there, they never looked back.
When asked how his team was able to open such a big lead to start the game, Eagles coach Bill Middlebrooks had a quick answer: defense.
“We always make sure these girls play good defense, and it turns into offense for us,” Middlebrooks said. “It starts in practice. We practice hard, those girls are in shape. They run a lot, and we get up and down the court. Defense was definitely the key to getting us started.”
The Eagles began the game running a full-court press, a move that enabled them to squeeze the Lions into turnovers, opening the door for numerous transition opportunities that often ended in points.
“(Transition offense) is something we work on every day,” Middlebrooks stated. “Before practice, after practice, what we’re working on is our transition offense. We take pride in that.”
According to Middlebrooks, his team was able to convert on those opportunities because of its smart passing.
Senior forward Raegan Dickens, who tied for the team lead in scoring with 16 points, shared the same sentiment.
“We practice all the time on getting our plays right, and once our plays are right, we can really pass the ball around and get assists,” Dickens said. “That’s pretty much what we try to do.”
The Eagles’ efficient passing created opportunities for shooters to get open looks. Perhaps the shooter who benefitted the most was senior guard Jael Hall, who also racked up 16 points.
No matter what the Lions tried, whether it was bigger lineups, smaller lineups, zone or man defense, they simply could not overcome the early deficit. Another key factor in that result was the Eagles’ defense against Lions star center Sydney Wray.
Wray is known for being a dominating presence inside, and though she led the Lions in scoring Friday night, accounting for 12 of their 27 points, her opportunities were few and far between.
When Wray was able to get into the paint, she showed her interior prowess. However, the Eagles were focused on limiting her ability to get those looks.
“(Wray) is a tough player, so it is hard to get in front of her,” Middlebrooks said. “Our idea at halftime was to front her at all times. It worked some of the time, but once they caught on to that, they made good adjustments. (Lions coach) Lauren White is a good coach. She made some good adjustments. But (Wray) is a tough player, and she is hard to stop.”
In order to execute this defensive strategy, Middlebrooks turned to sophomore forward Zoey Ward.
“(Ward) is quick enough and strong enough to play in the post against players as strong as (Wray), or we can put her on a guard,” Middlebrooks said. “We made sure Zoey matched up with her because she is one of our stronger girls as well.”
Ward believes she was up to the challenge of guarding the Lions’ top offensive threat.
“(Wray and I) are about the same size, so she can’t body me like she bodies everyone else,” said the 6-foot Ward.
Ward had her own strong performance on the other side of the ball as well, posting 11 points.
The Eagles also received a strong performance from senior guard Kaylan Daniels, who finished with 10 points.
Middlebrooks’ squad doesn’t play its next game until Dec., when it competes in the Comenius Tournament in Fort Mill, South Carolina.
BY ROBERT IRBY Special to the Independent Tribune
Dec 12, 2020 Updated Dec 12, 2020
Top of Form
Bottom of Form
BY ROBERT IRBY Special to the Independent Tribune
CHARLOTTE – It was a great night for the Concord Academy girls basketball team, as the Eagles cruised to a 67-27 victory on the road against Hickory Grove Christian School.
The Eagles got off to a fast start, opening the game on a 19-0 run. From there, they never looked back.
When asked how his team was able to open such a big lead to start the game, Eagles coach Bill Middlebrooks had a quick answer: defense.
“We always make sure these girls play good defense, and it turns into offense for us,” Middlebrooks said. “It starts in practice. We practice hard, those girls are in shape. They run a lot, and we get up and down the court. Defense was definitely the key to getting us started.”
The Eagles began the game running a full-court press, a move that enabled them to squeeze the Lions into turnovers, opening the door for numerous transition opportunities that often ended in points.
“(Transition offense) is something we work on every day,” Middlebrooks stated. “Before practice, after practice, what we’re working on is our transition offense. We take pride in that.”
According to Middlebrooks, his team was able to convert on those opportunities because of its smart passing.
Senior forward Raegan Dickens, who tied for the team lead in scoring with 16 points, shared the same sentiment.
“We practice all the time on getting our plays right, and once our plays are right, we can really pass the ball around and get assists,” Dickens said. “That’s pretty much what we try to do.”
The Eagles’ efficient passing created opportunities for shooters to get open looks. Perhaps the shooter who benefitted the most was senior guard Jael Hall, who also racked up 16 points.
No matter what the Lions tried, whether it was bigger lineups, smaller lineups, zone or man defense, they simply could not overcome the early deficit. Another key factor in that result was the Eagles’ defense against Lions star center Sydney Wray.
Wray is known for being a dominating presence inside, and though she led the Lions in scoring Friday night, accounting for 12 of their 27 points, her opportunities were few and far between.
When Wray was able to get into the paint, she showed her interior prowess. However, the Eagles were focused on limiting her ability to get those looks.
“(Wray) is a tough player, so it is hard to get in front of her,” Middlebrooks said. “Our idea at halftime was to front her at all times. It worked some of the time, but once they caught on to that, they made good adjustments. (Lions coach) Lauren White is a good coach. She made some good adjustments. But (Wray) is a tough player, and she is hard to stop.”
In order to execute this defensive strategy, Middlebrooks turned to sophomore forward Zoey Ward.
“(Ward) is quick enough and strong enough to play in the post against players as strong as (Wray), or we can put her on a guard,” Middlebrooks said. “We made sure Zoey matched up with her because she is one of our stronger girls as well.”
Ward believes she was up to the challenge of guarding the Lions’ top offensive threat.
“(Wray and I) are about the same size, so she can’t body me like she bodies everyone else,” said the 6-foot Ward.
Ward had her own strong performance on the other side of the ball as well, posting 11 points.
The Eagles also received a strong performance from senior guard Kaylan Daniels, who finished with 10 points.
Middlebrooks’ squad doesn’t play its next game until Dec., when it competes in the Comenius Tournament in Fort Mill, South Carolina.
