Carrollton vs Gillespie: 5 Key Takeaways

Carrollton traveled to Gillespie for the opening game for both teams. As can be expected in the first game of the season there were periods of sloppy play. Both teams came out early trying to feel comfortable and get into the flow of the season. After 8 minutes it was tied 9-9. Gillespie was able to use their pressure defense to pull ahead and keep that lead for most of the next two periods. Carrollton never went away and entered the 4th quarter trailing 30-26. Libby Mueth went on a personal 5-0 to start the 4th for Carrollton and pulled her team ahead 31-30. The game went back and forth through the rest of the 4th quarter. Ultimately in the last 90 seconds Gillespie got a couple of key baskets by Makenzie Mix and made enough free throws to pull out a 43-38 victory. <ol> <li>Carrollton came into the season with the task of replacing Hannah Krumweide. Hannah has been the primary ball handler and the leading scorer for the past 4 years. The task of replacing her is going to be split between two players. <strong>Libby Mueth</strong> led the team in scoring with 16 and looks like she will be that person most nights. She has a nice mid range jump shot and does a very good job of being shifty off the dribble. Libby used a variety of Euro step moves and step through moves to get up runners from 5-8 feet. She has a scorers mentality and that is needed this year. <strong>Kennedy Ruyle</strong> was the primary ball handler against Gillespie's press. She did a good job of maintaining her composure against the pressure and limited her turnovers. Kennedy also chipped in 10 points, mostly in the lane.</li> <li>Gillespie has had one go to scorer that they could really count on in crucial times in years past. Last year it seemed there was not one person Coach Gray could look to when a basket was needed or a play needed to be created. Last night 2021 point guard <strong>Shelby Taylor </strong>showed that she might be that player. Shelby handles the ball very well and uses that skill to create penetration into the lane. Once she is there the crafty left hander is able to find ways to score. She was also very active on the offensive boards and even used her strength to post the smaller guards from Carrollton up in the lane. Time will tell, but Taylor looked ready to be the main cog in the Lady Miner offense.</li> <li>Coach Gray did a good job of using his depth and length to his advantage by playing an uptempo game that he seems to prefer with this group. <strong>Makenzie Mix, Keaton Link and Sydney Bires </strong>provide him the length to contest passes and shots on the baseline. The guards, Taylor, <strong>Grace Bertolino and Emily Schmidt </strong>do a very good job of pressuring the ball. The Lady Miners used a variety of full court presses and were aggressive in trapping in the half court. Ultimately that pressure and speeding of Carrollton's players is what won the game for Gillespie.</li> <li><strong>Ava Uhles </strong>is 6'0 2021 post player for Carrollton. Ava has been a starter all 3 years for Coach Hartwick. For the Lady Hawks to reach their potential she will have to be able to score consistently. Ava is strong and has the ability to shoot 3-pointers too. She really struggled to find her range on her shots in this game including a tough night from the free throw line.There was a bright spot in 6'1 2022 <strong>Graci Helbrecht</strong>. Graci also struggled to finish but used her length to grab offensive rebounds and create additional chances for her team.</li> <li>As with many teams shooting will be important to both of these teams. If you cannot finish layups created from your hard work on defense it is deflating. If you run your offense to perfection and create an open 10-15 foot shot but miss it consistently it is hard to win. In addition both teams worked extremely hard on the offensive boards only to miss the easy put backs. It is clearly only the first game of the year but both teams will need to clean this up if they expect to have a strong season. Both teams want to have strong regular seasons and will need to improve shooting to do so.</li> </ol> It is always fun to get the season going and for Gillespie it is great to start with a win. Both teams have small college level players on their squad. College coaches looking for a sleeper should keep an eye on Taylor, Link and Mueth for sure. Uhles and Bires both have strong builds to go with height that can translate to college level ball. I look forward to seeing them again later in the season to see how they have progressed.