NORTH ROBINSON — Colonel Crawford has hung its hat on defense all season, and, as a result, the Lady Eagles are off to an 8-0 start.
Crawford limited Carey to just six of 36 shooting from the floor and never allowed more than seven points in any period in a 32-16 win at Mac Morrison Gymnasium.
With the win, the Lady Eagles are 5-0 in the Northern 10 Athletic Conference to go with their 8-0 overall record. The Blue Devils dropped to 5-4 overall, 2-2 in the N10.
A team that simply doesn’t score as well as a few N10 teams, the Lady Eagles have to get it done on the defensive side.
“That’s a credit to our kids; just knowing the game plan and coming out and executing it,” Colonel Crawford coach Zac Bauer said. “Against a quality opponent. And a physical opponent. We made plays when we needed to.”
Carey has been a patient offense all season. In fact, the Blue Devils are known for their ability to take the air out of the basketball and possess it for 30 to 45 seconds on almost every possession.
But Bauer said that his defense has to be able to defend patient teams, as well as teams that like to push the basketball down the court.
“You have to worry about every team in this league,” Bauer said. “When they play to their strengths it’s a difficult matchup. That’s basketball. You have to know what teams are going to do to make themselves successful, and the chess match of the game is to find ways to exploit those strengths or play to your own.
“Credit to them for being a patient, fundamental team, executing really well, and we knew that we would be able to guard for three, four or five passes,” Bauer added.
This was the second time that the Lady Eagles have permitted just 16 points in a game. Crawford bested New London, 27-16, on Nov. 29, just days before beating Plymouth, 53-18, on Nov. 26.
“We worked on preaching in practice it’s not your initial help-side or our on the ball defense, but it’s the secondaries,” Bauer said. “Knowing we had girls moving, helping. When you have quality guards like Carey does, you not only have to be good on the ball, but good one, two or three passes away. I was happy for our kids to go and do that.”
Carey led early in the game on baskets from Trinity Rinehart and Riley Yost, but the Lady Eagles got a three from Saylor Holt and a huge three from Carley Zender with one second left to take a 12-7 lead after one.
That’s when the CC defense took control. Carey got a three from Emily Brodman but that was all the points the Devils could muster. Crawford held a 21-10 lead at the break.
Only one basket was scored in the third period as the Lady Eagles held a 24-12 lead after three periods.
Mira Holt added a three in the fourth frame, but Carey scored just four points in the final eight minutes.
Crawford did a much better job of taking care of the basketball. The Lady Eagles finished with just nine turnovers, which did not permit the Blue Devils to get out in transition.
“That’s the development of our team; we’re a little more poised with the ball in our hands,” Bauer said. “It’s stuff that we work on hard in practice. But that’s leadership from Gabby (Roston), Lexi (Dure), seeing Mira Holt on the ball, just putting us in things that are taken care of that I don’t have to worry about.”
Box score
Carey 7 3 2 4 — 16
Colonel Crawford 12 9 3 8 — 32
Carey (5-4, 2-2 N10): Shots 6-38; 3-pt. shots 1 (Emily Brodman); Free throws 3-7; Rebounds 26; Turnovers 9. Scoring: Bella Phoenix 1 1 3, Riley Yost 2 0 4, Emily Brodman 2 0 5, Trinity Reinhart 1 2 4.
Colonel Crawford (8-0, 5-0 N10): Shots 13-36; 3-pt. shots 3 (Saylor Holt, Mira Holt, Carley Zender); Free throws 5-7; Rebounds 25; Turnovers 9. Scoring: Saylor Holt 2 0 5, Gabby Roston 2 2 6, Emmi Powers 1 0 2, Mira Holt 3 0 7, Robin Ehmann 2 1 5, Lexi Dure 1 2 4, Carley Zender 1 0 3.
JV: Carey 44-35 (2OT).