vs. Spring Westfield

The JV Spartans hit the road for a Tuesday game at the Spring Westfield Mustangs. The game was back and forth with good defense and a lot of trips to the free throw line. Zoe Thompson made her trips pay off early, dropping four free throws in the first half along with a layup. Claire Kadane got two free throws of her own. The first half scoring was rounded out with Anniyah Cunningham scoring 4 points and Brooke Sponsel adding a bucket. The Spartans found themselves down at half 14-17.

Stratford used the third quarter to right the ship and retake the lead. Stella Weiss got things heated up, hitting three shots and a free throw for the quarter. Zoe put in a free throw and a basket. Abigail Williams got a two-pointer to go as well. Spartans led 26-21 after three.

The team was able to close things out in the fourth with a lot of free throws. How about 9 made for the quarter?! Stella led the way going four for four from the line and another basket. Aniyah hit three free throws. Allie Moss put in a free throw and followed her own miss for a basket. Zoe stayed hot hitting two buckets and a free throw as well. It was a well-fought game and a Spartan victory with the final score 44-38.

vs. Waller

Friday night the Spartans welcomed the Waller Bulldogs. To say they were a rowdy group of visitors would be an understatement. The Dogs came in ready to play with a ton of energy. Unfortunately for Waller, the Spartans weren’t scared by all the bark as they were the ones who had the bite.

Stratford set the tone early with lock-down defense. Clarie Kadane, Allie Moss, and Aniyah Cunningham made life miserable for the Waller guards. If they were lucky enough to get the ball inside, Stella Weiss and Brooke Sponsel had the post covered as well. Waller had some size and speed, but it wasn’t enough to stop the Spartans. The girls moved the ball well and ran set plays that got them good looks. Claire came out firing, knocking down three shots. Stella worked down low for a score and made a nice jumper as well. Brooke took a pass in the high post and made a good move to get one down. Reese Opperman came in, and her hard work paid off with a basket as well. At the end of one, Stratford was up 14-3.

The Spartans continued to play great defense. Aniyah was a one-woman wrecking ball, as I am sure Waller felt like there were always three of her on the court. She had multiple steals and added a free throw. Brooke got a nice pass underneath from Aniyah and paid it off with a nice lay-in. Stella added a bucket, and Claire’s shot stayed hot and got 4 more points as well. The girls moved the ball well as Allie added a couple of assists for the quarter. At the end of the half, Stratford was up 23-7.

In the second half, the Spartans used the third quarter to close things up. The defense stayed stingy as Madison Williams and Elyse Johnson came in and took their turns aggravating Bulldog players. Elyse also got a basket to go in the fourth. Claire added two more jumpers and two free throws for a game-high 16 points. Brooke got a nice assist from Reese to get two more points underneath. Aniyah added a nice three-pointer and another lay-up to close out her excellent effort. The girls eased up a bit in the fourth, throwing the Dogs a bone for a few points. It was a nice win for the JV Spartans, 38-22.