Game of the week 1/8/24-1/12/24

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For the second straight week, I found myself watching an outstanding game at Briar Woods. Briar Woods beat Stone Bridge 54-46 in a competitive game that showcased two of the better public schools in NOVA. Here is how the game went down and which players impressed me the most.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>First Quarter<br></strong>The first quarter was pretty low scoring as I think both teams were settling into the game. Stone Bridge got a couple of easy layups early and took a slight lead into the second quarter. [player_tooltip player_id='864029' first='Giuliana' last='Bohmer'] knocked down a three early for Briar Woods and had an excellent start to the game. Giuliana is a great spot-up shooter and a very smart player. She knocked down two threes and finished with 8 points.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Second Quarter<br></strong>The second quarter is when things started to pick up. Briar Woods's offense started to get going, and much of that had to do with the passing of [player_tooltip player_id='238886' first='Hope' last='Drake']. Briar kept running a play where G/F Sienna Casillas would set a screen on the defender guarding [player_tooltip player_id='238886' first='Hope' last='Drake']; then she would roll to the rim where Hope would find her. Sienna got a couple of easy finishes because of this and got to the line a few times as well. This game really showed the versatility Hope has. You saw her get points with her back to the basket, and she also did work on the offensive glass, where she could get second-chance points. She also stepped out and showed her elite shooting ability. Hope finished with 18 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals. Briar took a 4-point lead to the break after a great second quarter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Third Quarter<br></strong>The third quarter was exciting, with some great shot-making from both teams. Briar dominated the glass again this quarter, but the productivity of Stone Bridge's offense kept them neck and neck. Stone Bridge star [player_tooltip player_id='468759' first='Sravya' last='Janapati'] finally got on the board in the middle of the 3rd with a mid-range jumper. Stone Bridge Junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='882589' first='Reagan' last='Skorupski'] had an excellent third quarter that helped Stone Bridge gain momentum towards the end of the quarter. She had a tough and 1 and knocked down a couple of big shots this quarter. Reagan can shoot the ball and is a skilled ball handler and driver. She is an active defender and an overall skilled player. Outside of a few questionable turnovers, Reagan was excellent in this game, especially in this third quarter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Fourth quarter<br></strong>Early in the 4th, [player_tooltip player_id='468759' first='Sravya' last='Janapati'] knocked down her first three of the night with a sweet stepback that tied the game. Stone Bridge had the momentum at this point, but it stopped there. From then on, Briar's dominance on the glass and their defense started taking over this game late. A Sienna Casillas and 1 started a 7-0 run, and Briar took control of this game. Sienna's defense was terrific all game, and as I mentioned earlier, her playing off of [player_tooltip player_id='238886' first='Hope' last='Drake'] was big all game. She finished with 11 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists. Some Clutch FTs From [player_tooltip player_id='864029' first='Giuliana' last='Bohmer'] and [player_tooltip player_id='238886' first='Hope' last='Drake'] sealed the 8-point win for Briar Woods.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This was a fun game between two great teams, and it was my favorite game I got to watch this week.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->