Stratford 22 vs. Memorial 23

The rivalry game between the Spartans and the Mustangs proved to be a great matchup. Both teams play a similar style of basketball, and this was apparent from the start.

Both teams played solid defense, and the speed of the game was apparent as the skill levels of both teams were on display.

Things got going in the post again, being where the Spartans had their advantage. Sophia Prejean and Shelby Thibodeaux did a good job of rebounding, and Shelby managed to get a basket early. Sophia also added a couple of blocks to establish control of the paint. Brooke Sponsel also got a basket of her own later in the first quarter. Abigail Williams grabbed a couple boards. The Mustang guards were both quick and aggressive, and Allie Moss, Claire Kadane, Stella Wiess, and Aniyah Cunnigham did a good job of slowing them down and matching their play. They were held to a long three and one put-back basket. Stella drove for a bucket, and Allie was able to get to the line on a drive and get one free throw to finish out the scoring. The Spartans led 7-5 after one.

The second was more of the same. Points were hard to come by for everyone. Sophia blocked a couple of shots, and Shelby pulled down some nice rebounds. The rest was a lot of steals and tie-ups that kept the scoring to a minimum. Sophia did score on a beautiful post move. Allie again got to the line to add a free throw. Half time was tied at ten.

The third quarter is where Stratford created a little space as the entire team defense locked down the Mustangs. Claire got on the board with a jumper, and Sophia continued to work hard in the paint to get another put-back as well. Stella went to work in the lane and got a bucket and free throw. Memorial could only manage a long three, and after three it was a Spartan lead, 17-13.

In the fourth quarter, the Spartans got a hard-working bucket from Shelby in the paint. The Mustangs were able to get a few loose-ball put-backs, and their fast point guard was to finally able to get to the bucket and foul line. Memorial got in the bonus early as well and they were able to get up on the Spartans by three late in the game. Coach Dixon called a time out and set a play that the girls ran to perfection. The result was Stella in the corner, and she drained a clutch three to tie it up. On the next possession, the Mustangs drove the lane and got the call they needed to send them to the line. They got one of two to take a one-point lead. On the final possession, Stratford was able to get the ball to half court before being fouled. This set up the final throw-in with seconds left. Unfortunately, the ball was knocked away and Stratford fell by one point. The Spartans left it all on the court and everyone could leave the court with their heads held high. Final Stratford 22, Memorial 23.

Stratford 33 vs. Cy Ridge 30

The Lady Spartans would be tested coming off their break against the Cy Ridge Rams on the Rams’ home court. A game that proved to be more evenly matched, as Cy Ridge had some guards that played aggressive defense and could really shoot from distance.

The first quarter was a back-and-forth affair with both teams able to find some scoring room. Stella Weiss led the way for the Spartans by working from the guard position and driving into the lane to register two baskets. Madeline John broke free for a nice short-range jumper to keep things going. Aniyah Cunningham also got on the board as the girls moved the ball around and worked to get open shots. Ginger Koss did a good job of being active and grabbing rebounds and going for quick put-backs. Her work paid off as she was able to get to the line for a free throw. The post area was as usual controlled by Shelby Thibodeaux and Sophia Prejean. They did a nice job of rebounding, and both scored once as well. Sophia added a couple of blocks for the quarter that ended a close one, 13-12 Spartans.

The second quarter proved to be almost an exact replay of the first. The biggest change came in that the referees made it very clear they planned to call every foul they saw on Stratford and even a lot of fouls that no one saw. That said, a few of the girls got into early foul trouble, and Coach Dixon did a good job of moving girls in and out of the game. Brooke Sponsel took her turn working the post and got on the board with a bucket and some rebounds. Sophia and Shelby continued to work to keep the Rams away from easy shots as well. Phoebe Heidel, Abigail Williams, and Aniyah continued to pester the Rams on the perimeter. The Rams got into the bonus early and spent a lot of time on the line. They were able to get five points from the charity stripe to go with one other basket for the quarter. This kept the game close. Stella came through clutch as she worked all over the place to knock down two baskets and two free throws to tally 6 for the quarter. Half would see the Spartan lead 20-19.

The second half started much the same as the first ended. The Spartans were trying to play aggressively, but the refs weren’t letting anything go. The Shelby and Sophia duo took things into their own hands and combined to take care of all the scoring for the quarter. The post was our best option, and the girls worked hard to get the ball inside. Allie Moss took over at guard and was smothered by the Rams' guards but was able to get the ball to the post a few times. There were no easy shots, but Shelby managed to score four, and Sophia got a basket as well. The game was really becoming a bit frustrating for the girls as it felt like almost every play was a whistle against the green and white. All the Spartans handled it well and continued to play hard. Going into the last quarter, Stratford led 26-24.

The fourth was a replay of the second. The Spartans were able to get a bit of a lead late in the game, thanks to some good ball movement and put-backs that finally broke through. Madeline got a basket and then the paint became where things would happen. Shelby was fouled and hit a free throw. Brooke also got a hard-earned basket. Sophia, who played the entire game and was able to stay out of foul trouble, took over with two huge blocks and a basket of her own. Cy Ridge was again in the bonus, so the girls really needed to try and keep them off the line to close things out. The Rams did get to the line plenty, but this time weren’t able to connect on the free throws. With about two minutes, left Coach Dixon called time out and made it clear the girls were not to foul. This allowed the Rams to get a few late semi-contested buckets. With about a minute left, Allie did a nice job of chewing up some clock, and the game ended in a three-point win for the Spartans, 33-30.

Stratford 38 vs. Jersey Village 6

It didn’t take long for the girls to get back to their winning ways as they made a visit to the Jersey Village Falcons on Friday afternoon. They moved the ball the best they have all season, and the defense was there as usual.

The opening frame was going to be the story of the game. The Spartans moved the ball and got good looks in the post for clean open shots. All the Spartans contributed with good passing and assists. Sophia Prejean led the way with four buckets and added a three-pointer as well. Sophia finished with 11 for the quarter and a  game-high of 17. Claire Kadane also got going with 4 points on fast breaks, and Brooke Sponsel added a basket. The defense was solid as usual, led on the perimeter by Aniyah Cunningham and Allie Moss, who both tallied multiple steals. Stella Weiss helped in the paint, grabbing multiple rebounds, and helping keep the Falcons at bay. The first quarter ended at 17-2.

The second was more of the same. Madeline John, Ginger Koss, and Phoebe Heidel took their turns shutting down Jersey Village. Claire stayed hot, hitting a three, and Sophia added another bucket in the paint. Stella went to work in the lane and was able to get to the line to add a couple free throws. It was a runaway at half,  24-4 Spartans.

The third and fourth quarters were closing time for Stratford as they only allowed two more points for the entire game. Stella scored six more points, and Allie chipped in a basket as well. Sophia got two more scores to add to her total. Phoebe got in on the act with a coast-to-coast bucket to close things out for the game. The entire Spartan team played great and got things back on track as they get ready to start the second trip through District. Spartans 38 - Falcons 6