5 Takeaways: Zionsville vs Westfield
Sectional action opened up Tuesday night and I came out to see a matchup between two up and coming young teams. Both teams came out of the gate rolling as they exchanged shots from beyond the arch and had several…
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Continue ReadingSectional action opened up Tuesday night and I came out to see a matchup between two up and coming young teams. Both teams came out of the gate rolling as they exchanged shots from beyond the arch and had several nice plays from their interior players. Westfield led 14-10 after the first quarter. The second quarter was the same story as both sides continued to battle it out neck and neck. Westfield took a 27-25 lead into the half led by Alyssa Crockett with 9 points and Ava Henson with 8 points. Laila Hull led Zionsville with 10 points at half.
Westfield took advantage of some bad offensive execution from Zionsville early in the second half and took a 41-33 lead into the fourth. Zionsville got within 43-37 with 3:40 to play in the game and Westfield continued to answer every Zionsville bucket with one of their own. Alyssa Crockett, Olivia Robey, and Ava Henson were excellent for Westfield down the stretch. Westfield made their free throws in the final minute to close the game out with a 54-44 win.
Westfield Has Elite Potential
Throughout the game I saw a ton of flashes from several different players. Sophomore point guard Olivia Robey was outstanding defensivly finishing the game with with 5 steals and she distributed well on offense dishing out 5 assists. Sophomore guard Alyssa Crockett dominated offensively putting up 19 points. Several other players like junior Jessica Castor and Chesney Tebbe made big contributions defensively and played well within their roles.
Laila Hull Is Not an Ordinary Freshman
Hull was a force for Zionsville finishing with 18 points and 10 rebounds. She hit two threes in the first half and finished the half out with 10 points to take Zionsville into the break only down 27-25.Despite Zionsville’s struggles as a team offensively Hull played well without the ball as she used her post presence to attract defenders and find open teammates. Hull was big down the stretch for Zionsville as they got within six points with just over a minute left. Hull finished the game with 18 points and 10 rebounds.
Zionsville will be a force for seasons to come
It is easy to see how much potential this young Zionsville squad has. Freshman forward Laila Hall who led the team in scoring in her first high school postseason game is only going to improve and her potential is endless. Players like sophomore wing Mya Childress, junior Katey Richason, and sophomore Gabby Gay were all able to give a big contributions for Zionsville to keep them in the game. Zionsville’s young squad has the potential to once again be contenders in the coming years.
Westfield’s Offensive Execution Was Excellent
Westfield came out and ran their offense to perfection early and continued to do it throughout the game. They executed several excellent set plays that helped them keep their distance from Zionsville in the first half. Westfield did a great job of looking into the bigs and kicking it out to open shooters. Zionsville’s defense struggled to cover Westfield’s quick movement. If Westfield can play like this Friday they have will give the twenty one win Fishers team a fight.
Defense Was the Story of This One
Both teams played well defensively early forcing the other to turn the ball over several times. Westfield began to use full court pressure midway through the first quarter and it forced several Zionsville turnovers. Both teams were able to contend closely through the second half but Zionsville’s problems handling the ball ended up costing them big time. Westfield took advantage of the 17 Zionsville turnovers converting several of them into points.