vs. Cy Falls

Tuesday, January 28th the Spartan Girls Varsity Basketball Team traveled to Cy Falls, who was undefeated in District play. The two teams previously met on the first Saturday in January. The Spartans played well, but shot the ball less than optimally. Senior point guard Rachel Ashby, senior guard Layla Lloyd, senior forward Kendall Davis, and sophomore guards Riley O'Connor and Tess Stephenson started the game and promptly fell behind 0-7 in the face of a withering press. The Spartans got on the board when Lloyd lobbed inside to Stephenson for a layup. The Spartans began to handle the pressure. O'Connor made with a heady pass to Davis for a bucket. On the next series, Davis snared an offensive rebound, was fouled on her shot, converted both free throws, and made it 6-7. The Eagles surged by using their bigger bodies to attack inside. Super-subs entered the game, and senior guard Aria Taylor executed a drive-and-dish to Lloyd to make it 8-12. Lloyd to sophomore forward Sophia Prejean to Ashby behind the arc was good for three! Ashby dribbled into the paint and hit freshman guard Ava Gibson on the outside for a trey from the right wing. Next, Ashby delivered a dime to Prejean for yet another three from the top of the key, and the quarter ended with the Spartans down 17-18. It was a scintillating start!

Prejean rebounded her own shot, put it back in, and the Spartans took the lead, 20-18. The pace was torrid, even if the scoring abated. Davis received a bounce pass from Stephenson underneath, put the opponent on her hip, and scored. It became like a prize fight. Both teams delivered big blows but failed to land decisive knockouts, or in this case tremendously exciting plays but few baskets. The half ended at 24-24.

The Spartans came out roaring in the third quarter. O'Connor gathered the ball on the left wing and drove down low to the right, scoring with a semi-hook shot. On defense, Davis grabbed a rebound, and on the other end, set a pick that freed Stephenson for a score. Ashby started a fast-break and tossed a long pass to Davis, who scored with the defense in her face to make it 30-24. O'Connor spied Stephenson on an out-of-bounds play in the left corner for a three. Ashby was smothered when she had the ball and yet she was unflappable, driving on a rugged defender for a layup with her left hand. Stephenson magically appeared in the middle of the paint, and Ashby delivered a dart for another bucket. Stephenson was hot and ended the quarter with a three, courtesy of an O'Connor assist. It was 41-29, Spartans.

The talented Eagles made a run to get within four points. Ashby tossed the ball to Stephenson for a huge triple. Cy Falls responded with their lone three of the game. Ashby drove hard again, was fouled on the shot, and made both free throws. The Eagles went back to what worked in the first quarter, aggressively driving into the paint and daring the Spartans to stop them. Prejean, Davis, Stephenson, and Lloyd played hard underneath and grabbed rebounds to stop second-chance plays. The Spartans had a flurry of turnovers, and it was 46-40. Lloyd made a sweet reverse layup off a half-court out-of-bounds play, assist to Stephenson. With 1:35 remaining, it was 48-45. The play was intense and hard fouls were delivered. No team could score. With 16 second remaining, O'Connor was fouled in the backcourt. With the bonus, she walked to the other end at the charity stripe and nonchalantly dropped in both free throws. The Spartans beat the first-place team in District, 50-45, delivering their best game of the season.

The Spartans probably needed to shoot at least 40% from the field to win. They shot 41%. They hit six of 11 behind the arc, 71% from the free-throw line, and out-rebounded the Eagles 33-23. All were crucial metrics. Stephenson led with 16 points behind three-of-four shooting from three-point land. She also had seven defensive rebounds. Ashby had eight points, six assists, and five steals. Davis had eight points and nine rebounds. O'Connor had five points, five rebounds, and numerous bruises. Lloyd had five points. Prejean had five rebounds.

vs. Cy Ridge

Friday, January 31st was Senior Night. This class of athletes is as good as any that have come through Stratford's doors. Ashby, Davis, Lloyd, Taylor, and senior guard Meghan Hallmark took the floor first. Cy Ridge looked determined to undermine the seniors' special night. Stratford came out employing the press. Ashby scored on a layup after taking the ball from the Rams. Lloyd followed with a steal, grabbed her own miss, and put the ball in the basket. Davis snagged an offensive rebound of her own and scored to make it 6-4, Spartans. Gibson entered the game and ended a wild back-and-forth of attacks and loose balls by securing the ball, charging the basket, and dropping in a six-footer. The Rams played excellently in the first quarter. They somehow held on to the ball while Ashby had them seemingly ready to turn it over numerous times. The Spartans passed on some open shots, and the Rams led by one at the buzzer.

Gibson was pressured and split the defenders for a layup. O'Connor was treated like a tackling dummy by the Rams in the first 10 minutes, being sent hard to the floor three times with little reward in return. Taylor snagged an offensive rebound, dribbled out, then reversed course down the baseline for a five-foot jumper. Ashby found Lloyd on the right block for a bucket and the Spartans led, 16-11. O'Connor disrupted a two-on-one fast break by the Rams, and Lloyd rewarded the effort with another score after securing the offensive rebound. Stephenson took over the end of the half with a three from the right wing, assist to Ashby, a steal that resulted in Stephenson at the free throw line knocking down both shots and a nine-foot jumper after Prejean tipped a missed shot. It was 26-17 at the half.

Stephenson stayed hot, swishing in a three with the assist from Ashby. The point guard fed Stephenson again for a 10-foot jumper. Stephenson had a steal and a layup. Davis stole the ball, outlet to Ashby, who delivered a downcourt pass to Taylor in the right corner for a trey. Davis grabbed a trio of defensive rebounds to keep the Rams from second-chance points. Ashby to Taylor to Stephenson for another three made it 41-26 at the start of the final quarter.

Stephenson executed her final three, courtesy of Ashby. Starting the fast-break, Stephenson sailed a long pass to Taylor, who smartly delivered to Gibson for a layup. Taylor dropped in a triple, assist to Ashby. Senior forward Bella Perroni made herself known in the fourth quarter, dominating the glass and leading charges down the court. Hallmark and senior Katherine Cronin played keep-away from the Rams, harkening back to the two of them dominating together since freshman year. Senior forwards Gretchen Loveless and Emerson Berg made the Rams work for any remaining scores. This amazing group of women completed their final game on Stratford's home court, winning 51-32.

Stephenson finished with 22 points, going 8/15 from the field and 4/7 from three-point land. Taylor had 10 points. Ashby had eight steals and eight assists. Lloyd had six points and four offensive rebounds. Gibson had six points. Davis had seven rebounds.

The Spartans are 19-9, 11-2, and in second place in District. They are 17-2 in the last 19 games and face Memorial in their last regular-season game on Tuesday at 5:45 pm at Don Coleman Coliseum.