Sports
Girls Basketball Starts Off Slow and Never Picks Up
Coach Ron Adkins said his players "just were not ready to play."
What the Taylor Truman Cougars lack in size, they more than make up for in heart and determination.
With only two players over 5 feet 8 inches tall, the girls basketball team was in a situation where it could dominate inside the paint. Instead, the Cougars used their fast play to defeat the Bears 61-51.
Wyandotte opened the scoring and was leading until Truman went on a run that saw their lead grow to four midway through the first quarter. At times, Truman was graceful with their passes, which led to more points. After one quarter, the Bears trailed 17-9.
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The second quarter saw a first for Wyandotte. Coach Ron Adkins switched his defense from a 1-3-1 zone defense to a 3-2 zone defense. This change gave the Bears some momentum, but the momentum was short-lived as an 8-0 run by the Cougars stretched the lead to 12 points.
“All the girls talked about was how it was going to be the first Tuesday home game of the year,” Adkins said. “Instead, we just were not ready to play.”
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Throughout the course of the first half, the Bears forced many turnovers that Truman was able to convert into points. The first half ended with the score 32-15. Sophomore forward Rachel Zimmers led the way for the Bears with five points.
The third quarter proved to be no different for the Bears, especially losing one of their own midway through. On a Truman fast break opportunity, senior guard Becca Carley attempted to draw an offensive foul. She got a foul, but a questionable call was made, and for a defensive foul. Carley was sent backward, immediately got off the floor and went straight to the trainers room. She never returned to the game.
Her absence provided a spark for the Bears, who trailed heading into the fourth quarter, 46-31. With four minutes left in the game, the Cougars were losing momentum, allowing the Bears to cut the lead to as little as seven.
The Cougars had been in the penalty since the third quarter. Wyandotte hurt its own chances by missing free throws down the stretch and Truman escaped with a 10-point victory. The Cougars went 16 for 21 from the free throw line while Wyandotte was 12 for 23.
Seniorg guard Maricella Ruiz and sophomore Amelia Czarnota led the Bears with 14 points each.
The Bears travel to Melvindale for their next game on Friday.
