GIRLS GAME OF THE WEEK: Lady Leopards overwhelm LH, 73-32
Roberto M. Esquivel
Belle Vernon’s Kelsey Green (5) drives past Laurel Highlands’ Ayanna Harris during the Christmas Clash tournament at Laurel Highlands High School last year.
Belle Vernon's Vienna Bertram (15) looks to get the ball past Laurel Highlands defender Megan McDonald (24) during Thursday afternoon's Christmas Clash tournament at Laurel Highlands High School.
Roberto M. Esquivel|Herald-Standard
Laurel Highlands’ Megan McDonald (24) has her eye on the basket as she is defended by Belle Vernon’s Ashley Russell (24) during Thursday afternoon’s Christmas Clash tournament at Laurel Highlands High School.
Belle Vernon's Madelyn Miller (50) goes up for two against Laurel Highlands during Thursday afternoon's Christmas Clash tournament at Laurel Highlands High School.
Belle Vernon's Rylie Campbell (23) goes up for two against Laurel Highlands during Thursday afternoon's Christmas Clash tournament at Laurel Highlands High School.
Laurel Highlands' Taylor Smith (1) dribbles past Belle Vernon's Taylor Kovatch (3) during Thursday afternoon's Christmas Clash tournament at Laurel Highlands High School.
The Belle Vernon girls’ basketball team combined to hit 10 3-pointers and used its pressure defense to force turnovers en route to a 73-32 rout of the host team at the Laurel Highlands Christmas Clash in the Herald-Standard Girls Game of the Week.
The Lady Leopards (6-2) scored in double digits in all four quarters and had 11 players reach the score sheet in the non-section triumph.
Keira Boff, Kelsey Green and Ashley Russell shared high-scoring honors for Belle Vernon with 13 points apiece, while Taylor Kovatch added 11.
“All five girls are in sync for us defensively,” Belle Vernon coach Lisa Fairman said. “We like to put pressure on teams and force them into some bad decisions. We may not have the height, but we have a lot of speed. We try to utilize that quickness on the floor in our press.”
Megan McDonald scored 10 points for the Fillies (0-8), while Kylie Miller chipped in with nine for the young Laurel Highlands squad.
“We’ve been making the same mistakes the whole season,” LH coach Kenny Riddell said. “We are young and I hate to use that as an excuse. We just turn the ball over way too many times and we have way too many breakdowns on defense. We have a great group of girls, and we are going to continue to work. We have to be patient with this group and hope that someone can step up.”
Leading 10-5 in the middle of the first quarter, the Lady Leopards ended the opening eight minutes with a 9-2 spree that gave them a 19-7 lead.
Belle Vernon scored 10 of the first 12 points of the second stanza, but Laurel Highlands countered that spree with an 8-3 run to bring the deficit to 32-17.
With three minutes left before halftime, the Lady Leopards stretched their lead with a 12-5 spurt that gave them a 44-19 lead at intermission. Boff and Green hit 3-pointers in the run and they combined for 17 points in the quarter.
“On offense, ball movement is so key for us,” Fairman said. “We are looking to either move the ball around the perimeter or penetrate a gap. We have a lot of girls that are good passers and are unselfish.”
”We can’t just bang inside, so we have to get threes to go in for us. I think when we get hot from beyond the arc that stretches a defense and opens up some things for us on the inside.”
The squads traded baskets to start the third quarter, but the visitors ended the frame with a 7-2 run that gave them a commanding 61-28 edge heading into the fourth.
With both teams going to their benches in the final eight minutes, Belle Vernon carried the play in the period with a 12-4 scoring advantage.
“We always try to attack on offense and take what the defense is giving us,” Fairman said. “We have to run our plays and create scoring opportunities. I think playing defense and rebounding will be important for us the rest of the season. We have to be consistent in those two areas.”
Belle Vernon will head back to LH today to play Slippery Rock at 2:30 p.m. while the Fillies are idle until a match-up at crosstown rival Uniontown on Monday.
“We were inconsistent today,” Riddell said. “The girls are capable and they work extremely hard, but we just have too many mental breakdowns. We need to take care of the basketball. It’s frustrating when we get some defensive stops, but then we can’t capitalize on it. We are getting better and we really want to get one in the win column.”