Bruins capture Cardinal tournament title by beating Potomac
Advertisement
Text size: small | medium | large
By JUSTIN CREECH
For the News & Messenger
Published: February 23, 2008
Danni Jackson scored 25 points and Briana Scott added 10 as the Bruins withstood a slow start to defeat the Potomac Panthers 53-36.
“We lost last year and didn’t want to go through that again,” said Jackson. “Now we are [going] to regionals and we are going on at our best.”
First-year Forest Park coach Rebecca Tillett, who replaced former coach Chrissy Kelly, said having Kelly in the stands was an added bonus.
“Chrissy and I still talk regularly,” said Tillett. “I told the girls before the game that this win is for all Bruins, past, present and future.”
Although pleased with the win, Tillett said this game meant more then just another banner on the gym wall.
“We talked about the importance of setting a tone for the rest of the post season,” said Tillett.
Jackson got the Bruins (20-4) going after a sluggish first quarter. After draining a jumper in the lane, Jack-son finished a layup after Shayla Drakeford stole Quiana Kizer’s inbounds pass to give Forest Park a 20-9 lead. Jackson then stood near midcourt with 30 seconds remaining in the half dribbling the ball as the clock wound down. She stepped left, ran right and passed off to Deidre Richardson, who hit a three from the top of the key to give the Bruins a 29-11-halftime lead.
Forest Park’s defense played a near flawless first half as they held the Panthers to just one total field goal, eight for the entire game. The Panthers did make 9 of 12 free throws with seven coming from forward Lynetta Kizer. Kizer’s layup with 2:59 left in the second quarter saved the Panthers from finishing the half in single digits. Kizer finished with a game-high 27 points.
“Our girls went into panic mode,” said Potomac Coach Mike Wilson. “They never relaxed and didn’t do the things we talked about to take care of the basketball.”
Potomac (14-9) did make things interesting in the third quarter. Led by Kizer’s 11 third quarter points, the Panthers managed to cut their deficit to 33-24 with 2:35 left in the quarter. But, the Bruins would answer as Scott and Richardson scored on consecutive possessions to push the Forest Park lead back to 12 by the end of the quarter.
The Bruins kept that momentum going into the fourth quarter. After consecutive defensive stops, Jackson hit a three and then assisted on Amber Epps’ fast break layup to give Forest Park a commanding 45-26 lead.
“I’ve been doing it since I was a freshman,” said Jackson of her early fourth quarter play. “You just let the game come to you.”
After the game Jackson talked about playing under the expectations that Forest Park has set, and how much it meant to have her former coach in the stands.
“It’s not just the team’s expectations. We also have to live up to our individual expectations,” said Jackson. “Having coach Kelly in the stands definitely got us excited. It was an opportunity to show her that what she taught us we haven’t forgotten.”
Can't find what you're looking for? Try our quick search:
