Stifling Second Half Defense Propels Woodruff to Second Round
By: Garrett Mitchell, Staff Writer
garrett@thewoodrufftimes.com
Defense Leads the Way in Playoff Victory
Defense never sleeps.
The Woodruff girls’ basketball team embodied that sentiment as they used relentless pressure to overcome a sluggish shooting night to oust Powdersville from the 3A play-offs in a first-round tilt on Tuesday night, 36-25.
It was also a measure of vindication after the Lady Patriots had eliminated Woodruff (13-10) from last year’s postseason.
Slow Start and Halftime Challenge
This season’s match-up, though, was sloppy from the start. The Lady Wolverines led just 6-4 after one quarter, then saw Powdersville’s Caroline Sweet ignite the Lady Patriots in the second period to give the visitors a 16-15 halftime lead.
According to Woodruff senior point guard Jensyn Turner, an intense halftime talk helped ignite the spark she and her teammates needed.
“We had some tough love (at halftime),” said Turner.“We had to tighten up.We feed off each other and keep each other positive.”
Third Quarter Surge Changes the Game
The Lady Wolverines came out firing in the third period, with Turner and Jaylen Means each knocking down three pointers, with Turner also dishing out assists on baskets from Jasmine McKnight and Ella Flack.Woodruff outscored Powdersville 17-8 in the quarter to take a 32-24 lead into the final stanza and would not be threatened again.
Defensive Dominance Seals the Win
Keeping with the theme, the Lady Wolverines completely stymied the Lady Patriots and held Powdersville (6-18) to just a single point in the final period.
Knowing that it was win or go home, Means said the team refocused at halftime and came out ready to play on both ends of the court in the second half.
“We told each other, it’s do or die right now,” Means explained.“We had a great third quarter and used our defense to take over.”
Turner and McKnight Lead with Double-Doubles
Turner and McKnight each recorded double-doubles for Woodruff.Turner clocked 11 points, 10 steals, seven rebounds, and six assists while McKnight added 10 points and 13 rebounds.Means chipped in with seven points.
Woodruff head coach Jon Jansen was proud of how his team responded from a less than ideal first half.
“I felt the defense was good the entire game,” he said.“We just missed shots in the first half.But the defense turned it up another level in the third quarter.I’m proud of how we responded.”
Lady Wolverines Advance to Face West Oak
The Lady Wolverines’ victory sets up a second-round date with talented West Oak on Saturday.It will be the first meeting between the Lady Wolverines and Lady Warriors since the 2005 play-offs.
