Notes From St. Andrew's vs Marianapolis

The matchup between St. Andrew's and Marianapolis yesterday was intriguing. Marianapolis came out swinging to begin the game and they extended the lead to about 20 points all the way into the second quarter. St. Andew's made a couple runs, but they were really close going into the 4th. After a few momentum swinging plays, some valuable outside shooting and transition points, the lead was ultimately cut down to just 2 points. The Golden Knights had enough though. They rallied after letting the lead slip and never lost steam again. The play from their versatile group ended up being overwhelming as time dwindled down. Marianapolis won the game 58-49.   Use code MBG30 for 30% off your first purchase of any subscription.      Baileigh was fantastic yesterday. She showed great effort on pick & roll coverage plus she remained tightly attached to ballhandlers as she made it difficult for them to score. The footspeed and ability to keep players centered was cutting off their advantages. Offensively, she was dynanmic. Kimball's change of direction dribbles created a ton of space and gave her ideal angles to carve out opportunities. She was able to get deep into the paint for her floaters, attacked closeouts with aggression as well plus confidently display her deep range. It was Kimball's effectiveness from around the rim that proved to be too much though. She finished nicely on either side of the basket despite also running into heavy contact. The defense overall just had a tough time containing her.   Into the 4th quarter, the team needed some offense and Baileigh came in clutch. She led to several important baskets as time was winding down. Kimball's capacity to put points on board after capitalizing on the defense's mistakes was a major influence in getting this win. She was determined to close out the game and those plays down the stretch were deflating for St. Andrew's. Kimball was such a pleasure to watch.     [player_tooltip player_id='924532' first='Sophia' last='Webb'] (2027) | 5'11 Forward |   Webb was difficult to keep off the offensive glass with a few of her points coming from direct putbacks after securing the board. She was also able to push transition and put pressure on St. Andrew's to get back. Not only that, but Sophia hit a couple 3-pointers from her sweet spots on the wing that were nothing but net. It was Sophia's presence late in the game that really brought a spark to the team. Throughout the game she remained a vital component to getting the win by providing solid defense and making key shots.     [player_tooltip player_id='975729' first='Aaralyn' last='Scott'] (2028) | 5'6 PG |   Aaralyn made it a point to call for high screens to allow the action to develop which made defenders fully commit to an option. Early on Scott analyzed quickly and made good reads in a pinch. She found teammates behind the defense after rotations happened, plus she drew contact to get to the line. As the game went on, she made more of a concentrated effort to be more of a scoring threat. She was able to create a few nice balanced attacks getting all the way to the rim with the defense draped all over her.     [player_tooltip player_id='1091231' first='Sidney' last='Anderson'] (2027) | 6'0 Forward |   Sidney was able to start the break on her own after rebounds and even showed she would pull up if nobody picked her up in transition. She was catching blocks in the paint as well as getting her hand on one from the perimeter too. In the second half she started off early scoring a basket after keeping the possession alive following a miss. Anderson later came through at critical points of the game with more made baskets that separated the lead even further. Anderson was a real factor in this game.     [player_tooltip player_id='967969' first='Ryanne' last='Sheehan'] (2027) | 5'7 PG |   A bit of a slow start in this game for the shot-making guard. Ryanne was able to hit a step-back before the end of the half to reduce the lead to 11. To begin the second half, she knocked down back-to-back 3s that gave the team so much life. Sheehan's baskets helped put the team in an ideal position to get the comeback victory, but it was her other characteristics that stood out in this game. She was encouraging teammates defensively to be aggressive, provided solid help on the rotations and was consistently hustling late in the game to keep her team in the mix. There was also positive communication to make sure teammates were all on the same page with their coverages too. Sheehan was essential in keeping her squad in the fight.     [player_tooltip player_id='971341' first='Grace' last='Solari'] (2027) | 5'7 Guard |   Grace was very helpful getting her team back rolling after St. Andrews made a run. Her deep 3-pointer set the tone again and was staggering for the opponents. She later on killed the momentum again for St. Andrew's with a highlight turnaround floater over the top of the defense to bring the lead back to double-digits.     [player_tooltip player_id='968012' first='Maeve' last='Early'] (2027) | 5'10 Wing |   Maeve didn't come out the gates hot, but stayed the course throughout the game. When some players aren't hitting their early shots, it sometimes means they'll be rushed, tense or in some cases, even despondent. However, that's not the case with Early. She kept on being aggressive and her steadfast approach led to rewarding outcomes. It was some vital playmaking from her later in the game that became indispensable.   Maeve decided to play a bit more physical in the second half, getting to rebounds in the paints and also making the defense commit on drives so she could find teammates. Her pass to find Anderson on the baseline put St. Andrew's back on the ropes with 1:50 left to play. Early's activity was very much needed to get the win.     [player_tooltip player_id='422354' first='Alexis' last='Gasparini'] (2026) | 6'3 PF/C |   Gasparini is one of SA's lone bigs and she carried a bunch of responsibility as their anchor. Alexis provided a reliable defensive presence. She stepped up to challenge many shots as well as securing some much-needed rebounds. What stood out about the blocks was how she remained vertically tall with her hands straight up. Her defense downlow was valuable.     [player_tooltip player_id='968009' first='Zoe' last='Knight'] (2027) | 6'0 Wing |   Zoe used a couple screen rejections to get herself some space and get downhill to the lane. She also knocked down shots smoothly with defenders in the vicinity. With the team's offense fluctuating, it was clear she was going to have to be the one to assert herself. Zoe provided the most advantages and each made basket gained serious traction, especially to close the 3rd period. Defensively she brought the intensity through the whole game. She blocked a few shots in transition and stepped over flawlessly from the help-side. Altogether, Knight was one of the team's driving forces.     [player_tooltip player_id='1261577' first='Jaela' last='Hanley'] (2027) | Wing |   Hanley came into the game and made a quick impact hitting a 3 in stride. She looked very confident as the ball swung her way. Later on in the game, she pulled up behind the arch before the defense was set up and hit another to extend the lead to 15 points. A few plays later Kimball finds her on the right wing as the defense collapses for one more 3-pointer. Hanley also provided a sense of physicality on the defensive end. Jaela contested shots all over and was hustling to the loose balls. Hanley played a great supportive role.

The matchup between St. Andrew's and Marianapolis yesterday was intriguing. Marianapolis came out swinging to begin the game and they extended the lead to about 20 points all the way into the second quarter. St. Andew's made a couple runs, but they were really close going into the 4th. After a few momentum swinging plays, some valuable outside shooting and transition points, the lead was ultimately cut down to just 2 points. The Golden Knights had enough though. They rallied after letting the lead slip and never lost steam again. The play from their versatile group ended up being overwhelming as time dwindled down. Marianapolis won the game 58-49.