vs. Cy Creek

In the week before winter break, on Tuesday, the Spartans traveled to Cy Creek and seized the early momentum. Sophomore point guard Rachel Ashby found Senior guard JaKyla Cheeves with the lob inside to start the action. A Cheeves drive down the right baseline saw her find Sophomore forward Kendall Davis in the middle of the paint, and with Davis's bank shot it was 6-1. The Cougars rallied and when Cheeves scored on a drive going from right to left across the lane to nail the scoop shot, the score was 8-7, Spartans. Cheeves then juked a defender in the paint for the lay-up off the assist from Ashby with 2:30 remaining in the first quarter. For the next 150 seconds the Spartans missed shots and turned the ball over. The quarter ended with Cheeves's missed free throw somehow wedged between the rim and the basket. An improbable result. And an apt illustration of those 150 seconds. The Spartans were down 11-17 to end the quarter.

The second quarter was a Tale of Two Cities as the Spartans played some really good defense. Senior post Maggie Parker blocked a shot under the basket. Cheeves took a charge. But the offense continued to misfire. When Cheeves finally scored for the Spartans on a drive in which she split the defenders, the score was 13-25. Cheeves scored again off the assist from Parker. And Cheeves hit Junior forward Kendall Zoboroski for a three, and the half ended at 18-32.

In the third quarter, Zoboroski continued with the scoring on a fast break assist from Ashby. Parker lobbed to Davis on the right block for a score to make it 22-36. The Cougars' size inside began to dominate. The Spartans have many attributes, but team size is not one of them. When Parker scored off the offensive rebound, the score was 25-45. Davis battled on both ends all night and scored on a drive and shoot along the right baseline. A Parker three off the assist from Cheeves closed it out for the Spartans as they fell 30-55. Cheeves and Davis each scored 10 points. Davis had a double-double with 11 rebounds. Parker had five points and 13 rebounds!

vs. Northbrook

On the Friday night before winter break at Stratford, Northbrook won the tip. And they scored first. The plaudits end there, although they deserve credit for fighting despite playing severely undermanned. Cheeves got the Spartans on the board initially with a pass across the lane to Davis for a basket. Cheeves followed that with a three-pointer from the left side off the assist from Ashby. Northbrook struggled offensively to get the ball into scoring position in part because Ashby has hands like a boxer. She would sweet-science the opposition with three quick strikes, only to the ball instead of the head, before they could react. Davis got a steal and the assist by finding Zoboroski streaking from the left side to make the score 8-4. Davis scored off the assist from Cheeves. Davis again grabbed the offensive rebound, passed to Cheeves, who gave it right back to Davis and it was 12-6. Ashby got another steal and lobbed into Davis for the basket. Zoboroski stole the ball and fed Ashby who got the assist to Parker at 16-6. Ashby smelled blood in the water and kept the Northbrook offense staggering with a steal, and Davis scored off a miss, making it 18-6.

Head Coach Alexis Green went to the second team in the second quarter and after a slow start, they turned up the volume. Senior defensive specialist Lilah Epps blew up the stat sheet with three quick steals. The first resulted in an assist to Sophomore guard Aria Taylor on a fast break lay-up. Epps took it all the way herself on the next steal and score. And then she found Junior guard Ryen Greenwood darting to the left side of the basket for a bucket. Junior center Evyn Stallwitz found Epps on the left baseline and with Epps's score the half ended 30-12.

Ashby came out on fire in the third quarter. In short order, she found Zoboroski for a basket, sparked by a Davis steal. She got the assist to Cheeves after Davis kept the drive alive with an offensive rebound. Ashby scored on a drive to the basket. Later she fed Cheeves, who hit Zoboroski for a score, and it was 38-12. The second team came back in and Sophomore guard Ella O'Connor found Epps with a nifty bounce pass for a basket. Sophomore forward Bella Perroni scored off the dribble, drive, jump shot and it was 46-18 to end the quarter.

The shark circled the waters one last time to start the fourth quarter with Ashby getting the steal and assist to Cheeves. From there, she found Davis on an amazing bounce pass into the paint and Davis's score made it 51-18. Greenwood had a steal and assist to Taylor, and finally Epps snared an offensive rebound and found Junior guard Emma Adisa for the bucket, and the final was 57-24. Davis led with 12 points and seven rebounds. Cheeves scored 10. Taylor had eight.

vs. Cy Lakes

It may have been Beauty that killed the Beast, but it was turnovers that killed the Spartans on Friday, December 30th at Cy Lakes. Stratford came out strong behind Davis, who kicked off the scoring with a drive down the lane for two. She followed with a spin move and score that made it 5-4, Cy Lakes. When Davis scored again off the assist from Cheeves, Stratford was down 12-7, and the quarter ended 16-7 with the Spartans struggling to protect the ball and get rebounds. Davis scored four more points, including from underneath off a smartly lobbed pass from Ashby, and the score was 20-11. Ashby looked to make it a game after she knocked in two three's, including one from deep on the left wing and the half ended at 24-17.

The momentum failed to carry over to the second half. Cheeves scored off an offensive rebound, and then a string of turnovers ensued. When Perroni hit Epps for a basket on the left block, the score was 38-21. Greenwood nailed a three, and Ashby found Parker for a long three to make it 47-29. Greenwood brought some aggressive spark and turned that into a steal and fast break lay-up. Parker scored off a beautiful offensive rebound and put-back on the run. Greenwood nailed a trey off the assist from Ashby. Cheeves scored off a drive. Davis did the same. An O'Connor jump shot made the final 58-40. Davis finished with 12 points, Greenwood scored eight, and Parker had five points and eight rebounds.

vs. Spring Woods

It was a Happy New Year last Wednesday as the Spartans started 2023 with a win vs. Spring Woods. The Kendall & Kendall Show started early with Zoboroski finding Parker in the left corner for a three to start the scoring. Zoboroski put in an offensive rebound for two. Ashby found Davis in the paint for two, and the score was 7-2. Davis converted three of four free throws on back-to-back series. Ashby decided to jump in on the fun and scored off the aggressive drive to the bucket. She then hit Parker in the right corner for a trey, and the quarter ended 16-8. Ashby's next trick was to block a three-point attempt while on defense, then hustle down the court to find Davis for the score. Parker scored after driving from the right elbow, getting fouled, and completing the three-point play at the line. O'Connor scored off the assist from Adisa and it was 25-10. Cheeves and Perroni both scored, but the Spartans allowed the Tigers to make a run to close the half at 29-21.

Davis had a monster of a game, taking over the third quarter with eight points. Ashby and Cheeves both knocked down threes, and the Spartans took control 44-32 by the end of the third quarter. It was fellow super-soph Ashby's turn in the fourth quarter, and the maestro created scoring opportunities galore! She found Zoboroski in the right corner for a three, Davis in the paint for a basket and free throw, Zoboroski again for two, Parker for a three, and Davis again as she darted down the baseline and it was 57-39. Taylor got an assist feeding Parker for a lay-up. Ashby schooled her opponent on a clear-out and spin move for two. Adisa hit a driving Junior guard Julie Lee for a basket, and the final was 67-43. Davis's father looks like he's received an IRS audit every time a free throw is missed. After Davis knocked down 7 of 8 free throws and scored 23 total points plus 10 rebounds, he looked like he'd just received an unexpected refund. Parker had 16 points, and Ashby finished with eight points and eight rebounds.

vs. Cypress Ridge

The Spartans returned to the court on Saturday, January 7, at home vs. Cypress Ridge. Zoboroski once again came out hot, receiving an out-of-bounds pass from Ashby and draining a three to start the game. She then followed with a dribble drive and pull up for two. Ashby found Greenwood for a three, and Parker also wandered into three-point land to knot it at 11-11. Davis passed to Ashby for ANOTHER trey. Ashby hit a driving Parker who scored on a lay-up and it was 16-16. The thing is, the Rams kept making three pointers too. Zoboroski started the second quarter with another dribble, drive, score off the assist from Ashby. An ensuing fast break saw Greenwood barely open, and Ashby quarterbacked halfcourt into Greenwood's hands for the score and it was 20-22, Rams.

And then came the scoring drought that extended into the second half. The Rams suffered no such indignity. The Spartans once again played some really good defense. Parker imposed her will with a blocked shot. Ashby did the same. But the Rams just didn't miss much. The law of averages never caught up with them. The first half ended with Stratford down 20-25.

Davis made a heads-up assist to Ashby for three-pointer early in the third, and it was 23-25. The drought continued while the Rams converted four three-pointers. Suddenly it was 23-37. The Spartans came storming back. Reeves got out of double team by splitting the defenders and scored on a layup. Greenwood brought her much-needed aggressiveness, stealing the ball and driving the length of the court, converting both free throws after the foul. Parker drove and scored. Taylor entered the game and scored plus the foul-shot to end the third quarter down 32-39. When this team loses to teams that aren't significantly better, it has been because of turnovers, mental miscues, and a lack of rebounding. The Rams blocked out like they learned from Hakeem Olajuwon. The Spartans could not corral offensive rebounds. Nevertheless they kept competing and when Cheeves scored off the fast break it was 36-42. Ashby hit a three with time ticking away and it was 39-42. Cheeves forced a turnover and scored, and it was 41-42 with 41 seconds remaining. The Spartans had to foul to stop the clock and the Rams kept making free throws. Where was the law of averages? Parker made two free throws to make it 43-45 with 11 seconds on the clock. The Spartans forced a steal and took a timeout. The play called for Ashby to get the shot. All game the Rams threw two defenders at her, knowing she can be lethal. The Spartans took the ball out near halfcourt on the offensive side of the court, Ashby shook free near the basket, caught the ball on the right wing with a defender draped all over her and dribbled away from the basket to create space, juked her opponent and got the open look. She let fly with a rainbow and it nearly went in. Except it didn't. Final was 43-46. Ashby and Parker each had nine points. Zoroboski had seven points and eight rebounds.

The Spartans are 8-11 overall, 2-3 in district.