DCVI junior girls win three straight games as playoffs approach

Morgan Reid takes the ball to the basket during one of the St. Marys DCVI Junior Girls Basketball team’s two games on Oct. 20. Reid led the team in points against Central Huron with 13, before scoring seven against St. Annes and nine against Listowel on Oct. 22.

By Spencer Seymour

The St. Marys DCVI Junior Girls Basketball team won three games in a row with the playoffs right around the corner, and in doing so, secured third place in the Huron-Perth standings.

DCVI’s first of two games on Oct. 20 was against Central Huron, with an impressive offensive display leading the junior girls to a 31-10 victory. Morgan Reid led the Salukis with 13 points, while Lily Hollestelle-Black put up six and Chloe Phillips chipped in four.

Coach Tim O’Connor praised the team’s performance in the offensive zone.

“I’m pretty happy with the attack we had offensively,” O’Connor told the Independent. “We want them to attack the ball. We have good shooters. They’re a young team, but as they get more confident, they’re looking for their shots. The only way you become shooters is by shooting and getting the confidence to try to attack the basket and try to take those shots.”

Fellow coach Jack Taylor added his thoughts on the team’s hunger to generate more offence.

“I’m starting to notice them look at the net and building that confidence in wanting to score and attack the basket,” Taylor said. “At the start of the season, they were catching the ball and looking to pass immediately. Now, we’re seeing them looking for their chance to shoot and drive to the hole, which is awesome to see that progression.”

Later that same day, the Salukis played St. Annes in a gritty game highlighted by strong St. Marys defence. The Salukis held St. Annes to four points or under in three out of the four quarters. The game finished 32-16 for DCVI, with the top scorers of the game for St. Marys being Hollestelle-Black with nine, Reid at seven and Phillips, Raegan Stacey and Addy Jones with four each.

O’Connor praised the Salukis’ defensive effort for being key to the win.

“Defensively, we were very solid. Our defence tends to keep us in the game until eventually, we manage to hit a few shots, and I think this was one of those games. As kids are learning, they need the ball in their hands, and if we miss a lot of shots sometimes, that’s okay because I’m happy they are taking those shots, and over the course of the day and the season as a whole, the misses get better and their shooting decision making gets better.”

Taylor was also happy with the team’s defensive showing, noting if the team can get better at limiting secondary opportunities, it will enhance their already strong work on the defensive side of the ball.

“I’m really happy with how the defence is looking. I think we want to see the girls stopping second-chance opportunities a little bit more. I think that’s where a lot of the points we allow come from. If we can eliminate some of those offensive rebounds, we will do really well because our on-ball defence is phenomenal.”

Arguably, their most important game of the season came on Oct. 22 when the Salukis faced Listowel in a pivotal contest that decided who would finish third place in their conference.

St. Marys found themselves trailing by three late in the game, and after calling a timeout, Stacey came up with a clutch shot to tie the game and send it into overtime.

“I wasn’t sure if we were going to get it tied up,” O’Connor said. “We had a timeout and called a play, but it didn’t develop, and Listowel surrounded one of our girls, who then dribbled into some traffic. Luckily, she was able to kick it out, and they started to swing the ball around until it got to Raegan (Stacey), and she isn’t the biggest three-point shooter, but she hit the beauty of a shot. It was a great moment for her and for our whole team.”

In overtime, despite squandering a three-point lead, the Salukis fought back and squeaked out a narrow, one-point victory over Listowel, winning 33-32 to clinch third in the standings.

Hollestelle-Black and Reid led the team once again, each scoring nine points, while Phillips posted eight and Melody Weber recorded four.

Once again, O’Connor cited the team’s defence as a big factor in the win.

“Listowel frustrated our offence, but I think the answer for us getting through that was our defence. Defence gets you through those challenges. Our wheelhouse is winning games, scoring somewhere in the 30-point range and we will have success in the playoffs if we can keep the total scoring down. We can score a little bit off of turnovers and frustrate the other team, but our defence is what keeps us in games.

“Our defence keeps us in the game even when our shots aren’t falling on the offence. We will have more success in the playoffs if we can keep the total scoring down. Good defence is always around for us, we are able to score off turnovers and fast breaks, and maybe frustrate the other team.”

The Salukis played their first playoff game Oct. 29 after the Independent’s press time. Going into the post-season, O’Connor said he was optimistic about their upcoming playoff chances.

“It’s a very competitive league this year. I honestly think any one of six or seven teams could take it, so I think the playoffs are going to be a lot of fun. We’ve been in a lot of tight, low-scoring games. We’ve won a few and we’ve lost a few, but those experiences can help you in the tight moments. If we are able to put together a few wins, we won’t be blowing anybody out. We’ll need a little poise, patience and the belief that we can fight through it.

“This group has been a lot of fun to work with,” O’Connor continued. “They battle and they work hard. They’re a great group of kids. They’ve given us the best they can give this season. We want to win it all. We think we have a chance, and even if we don’t win, we know we tried our best and battled to the end.”