Last night, we beat Central Noble 66-27.
I have been coaching high school basketball for nearly 25 years. In all that time, I have never had a team come out and dominate defensively the way we did last night. Maybe I should temper my enthusiasm a little bit, but it's hard after witnessing what I did last night. It was a total team effort and mostly in the half-court. It was against a team that came into the game with a 10-5 record and a reputation for being a disciplined, ball-control squad. There was no special emphasis on any single player. In fact, I let the girls sort out their matchups before the opening tip. Then, we just exploded on them.
By halftime, the score was 36-5 and our fans were grumbling about another boring game against another substandard opponent. What they don't understand is that they were watching a brilliant game against a very solid and competitive team. We just made it look bad, something that is actually a stated goal of ours. My dad's Columbia City teams play some great defense, so it was nice that he was on hand last night to give his seal of approval on our effort. I never believe that we have played our best game (yet), but I'm not sure how we might have improved on what we did last night defensively. We also were solid at the offensive end and in transition, but the swarming, trapping, harassing defense we played last night was clinic-grade. Replicating it will be tough, but once it happens, it should be much easier to reach that plateau again. I'd like to see it about 14 more times.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Lakewood Park and beyond
No problems Saturday night at our Hoopla! event here at Canterbury. We had a full house on hand to witness an 85-25 thumping of Lakewood Park. On its face, one might conclude that we were merciless. However, all 12 rostered players played at least nine minutes each and no one more than 17 minutes - just over half the game. 10 of our 12 scored and we had four in double figures. Thankfully, this is our last game against a 1A opponent until the tournament begins.
Central Noble comes to town tonight. They always seem to give us a tough time. Last year, they held a small lead at halftime, but we came out with some full-court pressure and blitzed them in the second half. They are having another good year, with 10 wins already and an overtime loss last week to Fremont, who went on to win the NECC Tournament. It will be a battle of styles; they like to keep the score in the 40s and we want to be in the 40s by halftime. We'll see who can exert their will on the other.
Unrelated, but the biggest game in the world will be played tonight. #1 Vincennes Rivet vs. #2 Barr-Reeve. Some have written that this game will be for the supremacy of Class 1A. I'm sure it will be an excellent game with ramifications for the tournament beginning next month. If we weren't playing tonight, I would be tempted to make the drive to see the amazing level of basketball on display tonight.
Instead, I'll be stuck here with my crummy team ;)
Central Noble comes to town tonight. They always seem to give us a tough time. Last year, they held a small lead at halftime, but we came out with some full-court pressure and blitzed them in the second half. They are having another good year, with 10 wins already and an overtime loss last week to Fremont, who went on to win the NECC Tournament. It will be a battle of styles; they like to keep the score in the 40s and we want to be in the 40s by halftime. We'll see who can exert their will on the other.
Unrelated, but the biggest game in the world will be played tonight. #1 Vincennes Rivet vs. #2 Barr-Reeve. Some have written that this game will be for the supremacy of Class 1A. I'm sure it will be an excellent game with ramifications for the tournament beginning next month. If we weren't playing tonight, I would be tempted to make the drive to see the amazing level of basketball on display tonight.
Instead, I'll be stuck here with my crummy team ;)
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
New Haven
We got just what we expected from New Haven last night. They are an experienced bunch and they came in with a 9-3 record. They play an unorthodox style that mixes aggressive attacks on the basket with in-your-face defense that's just physical enough to keep other teams off balance. We really had trouble finding our rhythm (again!) and while it seemed like we should be gradually easing away from them as the first half wore on, the exact opposite happened. We went into halftime behind 30-26 and wondering why we couldn't get anything going.
Despite the fresh start in the second half, we ended up falling further behind. We trailed by as many as nine points a couple different times in the third quarter and some visible frustration began to set in. Just that quickly, we went on a mini-run and had a chance to tie it up. New Haven scored a couple more times and it was back to six. Then we went on another little push and finally caught them. Once that happened, we exploded, rapidly moving our newfound lead into double digits. New Haven was physically spent and we had no trouble managing the lead from that point forward. The final score was 72-60. We scored 46 points in the second half alone, but gave up way too many in doing that.
I was pleased to win two of the three first games back from Christmas. Given the long layoff and the strength of our competition, that seemed like a fair goal. the only real disappointment came in the form of Concordia's win 59-53 over Elmhurst last night. I have trouble understanding why Elmhurst is so inconsistent, but they played awfully well against us! That loss still gnaws at the girls a little bit, but we gained some things from the experience and we'll use those lessons as we move forward through the season.
Despite the fresh start in the second half, we ended up falling further behind. We trailed by as many as nine points a couple different times in the third quarter and some visible frustration began to set in. Just that quickly, we went on a mini-run and had a chance to tie it up. New Haven scored a couple more times and it was back to six. Then we went on another little push and finally caught them. Once that happened, we exploded, rapidly moving our newfound lead into double digits. New Haven was physically spent and we had no trouble managing the lead from that point forward. The final score was 72-60. We scored 46 points in the second half alone, but gave up way too many in doing that.
I was pleased to win two of the three first games back from Christmas. Given the long layoff and the strength of our competition, that seemed like a fair goal. the only real disappointment came in the form of Concordia's win 59-53 over Elmhurst last night. I have trouble understanding why Elmhurst is so inconsistent, but they played awfully well against us! That loss still gnaws at the girls a little bit, but we gained some things from the experience and we'll use those lessons as we move forward through the season.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
A tale of two polls
The latest state rankings are out and they paint an unusual picture. The coaches' poll places us a step down this week at #3, behind Vincennes Rivet and Barr-Reeve. We started the season at #1, fell to #2 after losing to Mooresville (currently the 2nd-ranked team in all classes), then slipped again this week after losing at Elmhurst (the reigning 3A state champions).
Contrast that decline to our move upward to #30 in the entire state in the objective Sagarin computer rankings. That is our highest appearance ever in that particular ratings system. We are ranked above all schools in both 1A and 2A. We've played the strongest schedule of any 1A team and are 2-2 against teams ranked in the top 64. The two teams above us in the coaches poll haven't even played a team in the top 64, much less beaten two of them. So, we continue to trust our schedule and chuckle quietly about the relative lack of respect we receive from the 1A coaches on the weekly poll.
The past two years we were ranked #9 and #7 coming into the tournament and carried home that big hunk of trophy from the state championship game. That's our goal again and it doesn't really matter if we're even ranked at all. We'll let the others continue to pad their records by beating up on inferior competition while we try to identify and address our weaknesses as we go toe to toe with some of the really good teams in the state.
Contrast that decline to our move upward to #30 in the entire state in the objective Sagarin computer rankings. That is our highest appearance ever in that particular ratings system. We are ranked above all schools in both 1A and 2A. We've played the strongest schedule of any 1A team and are 2-2 against teams ranked in the top 64. The two teams above us in the coaches poll haven't even played a team in the top 64, much less beaten two of them. So, we continue to trust our schedule and chuckle quietly about the relative lack of respect we receive from the 1A coaches on the weekly poll.
The past two years we were ranked #9 and #7 coming into the tournament and carried home that big hunk of trophy from the state championship game. That's our goal again and it doesn't really matter if we're even ranked at all. We'll let the others continue to pad their records by beating up on inferior competition while we try to identify and address our weaknesses as we go toe to toe with some of the really good teams in the state.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Back on track
After a tough loss against a very good Elmhurst team, we wanted to get back to our winning ways. The problem was that our next opponent was Concordia. They were sitting at 10-2 for the season and ranked #22 in the Sagarin computer rankings. That's even above Elmhurst's #27 rank. We knew it would be a battle of styles; they are patient and fundamentally sound. They are very willing to win the low-scoring game. They play great team defense, maybe the best we'll see all year, and only yield 35 points a game.
On the other hand, we wanted to push the tempo and make them run with us for 32 minutes. Our calculus would be that by the fourth quarter, we would have sapped their energy and the pace of the game would favor our style. We were able to accomplish that goal and, in the end, it played out just as we had hoped. We stretched a four-point halftime lead to six at the end of the third. Forced to shoot the three-point shot against our zone, Concordia was unable to find the mark. Nor were they able to get back in transition as we heated up our running game. The final score was 58-44. Even though we weren't able to match our season offensive average, only one other team has scored more points against Concordia in a game this year.
Tabitha showed signs of finding her form, scoring 28 points to go with 12 rebounds. This performance was in spite of some suspect offensive foul calls, three in all, that were whistled against her. Bailey chipped in with nine, mostly from her favorite baseline shots. Becky found her range a bit offensively as well with 8. We limited IU-bound point guard Andrea Newbauer to 12 points, most of those hard-earned. It was a great team effort on the road against a very good team.
We have now avenged three of our four losses from last year (South Side, Wawasee, Concordia), and we didn't play the fourth team (Carmel) this season. The kids are beginning to really pull it together and our teaching is being done at a higher level - we still discuss Xs and Os, but we're also focusing on reading the game, evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of opponents, and individual skill work that fits into the larger team concept. We've only played half of our regular season games now - I am very excited about the growth that is still possible in the second half of the season!
On the other hand, we wanted to push the tempo and make them run with us for 32 minutes. Our calculus would be that by the fourth quarter, we would have sapped their energy and the pace of the game would favor our style. We were able to accomplish that goal and, in the end, it played out just as we had hoped. We stretched a four-point halftime lead to six at the end of the third. Forced to shoot the three-point shot against our zone, Concordia was unable to find the mark. Nor were they able to get back in transition as we heated up our running game. The final score was 58-44. Even though we weren't able to match our season offensive average, only one other team has scored more points against Concordia in a game this year.
Tabitha showed signs of finding her form, scoring 28 points to go with 12 rebounds. This performance was in spite of some suspect offensive foul calls, three in all, that were whistled against her. Bailey chipped in with nine, mostly from her favorite baseline shots. Becky found her range a bit offensively as well with 8. We limited IU-bound point guard Andrea Newbauer to 12 points, most of those hard-earned. It was a great team effort on the road against a very good team.
We have now avenged three of our four losses from last year (South Side, Wawasee, Concordia), and we didn't play the fourth team (Carmel) this season. The kids are beginning to really pull it together and our teaching is being done at a higher level - we still discuss Xs and Os, but we're also focusing on reading the game, evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of opponents, and individual skill work that fits into the larger team concept. We've only played half of our regular season games now - I am very excited about the growth that is still possible in the second half of the season!
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Elmhurst 68 Canterbury 56
We just couldn't get it done tonight at Elmhurst. They shot it very well in the first half, despite a pretty decent defensive effort. We made them work hard each possession, but too often they got the shot they wanted from the shooter they wanted. We ran the floor well in transition, but didn't have a lot to show for it as we trailed 39-29 at half.
We came out in the second half intent on playing the same style, but with better results. Instead, we suffered through a painfully bad shooting quarter and the game really got away from us. Warriors to the end though, the kids battled back in the fourth quarter, cutting the lead to nine, but were never able to get any closer.
Aside from the nice stretch of play in the fourth quarter, we were out of sync for much of the night and weren't able to find a good rhythm. There were lots of good things to consider though. I thought we attacked the basket very well most of the night. We outrebounded them 37-29. We shot more free throws 23-13. We were fairly effective against their full-court pressure.
I also know that we will not see another team like Elmhurst the rest of the year. With a lightning-quick point guard who has verbally committed to Wisconsin and a 6'2" post who is headed to Purdue, they beat us with sheer star power. I know we have some solid teams ahead on the schedule, but I can't see anyone playing us tougher than Elmhurst did tonight.
We will get back on the horse and start getting ready for Concordia Saturday afternoon. Their style will be quite different from Elmhurst, but they also have a D1 point guard, Andrea Newbauer, who is headed to Indiana. They guard you like crazy and we'll be hard-pressed to score the way we like to score. Hopefully, we can get back on the winning track and start setting our sights on the rest of the teams on our schedule.
We came out in the second half intent on playing the same style, but with better results. Instead, we suffered through a painfully bad shooting quarter and the game really got away from us. Warriors to the end though, the kids battled back in the fourth quarter, cutting the lead to nine, but were never able to get any closer.
Aside from the nice stretch of play in the fourth quarter, we were out of sync for much of the night and weren't able to find a good rhythm. There were lots of good things to consider though. I thought we attacked the basket very well most of the night. We outrebounded them 37-29. We shot more free throws 23-13. We were fairly effective against their full-court pressure.
I also know that we will not see another team like Elmhurst the rest of the year. With a lightning-quick point guard who has verbally committed to Wisconsin and a 6'2" post who is headed to Purdue, they beat us with sheer star power. I know we have some solid teams ahead on the schedule, but I can't see anyone playing us tougher than Elmhurst did tonight.
We will get back on the horse and start getting ready for Concordia Saturday afternoon. Their style will be quite different from Elmhurst, but they also have a D1 point guard, Andrea Newbauer, who is headed to Indiana. They guard you like crazy and we'll be hard-pressed to score the way we like to score. Hopefully, we can get back on the winning track and start setting our sights on the rest of the teams on our schedule.
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