Tigers show heart in NSI win
Published Sunday, November 30, 2008
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Stumble It!FAIRBANKS — The No. 10 Holy Family women’s basketball team that most people expected to see arrived two days late at the Mt. McKinley Bank North Star Invitational.
Coming off two close losses, the Tigers dominated Hawaii Pacific on Saturday afternoon in a 68-50 victory over the Sea Warriors at the Patty Center.
“To lose the way we lost last night,” Holy Family coach Mike McLaughlin said of the Tigers’ one-point loss to the Alaska Nanooks Friday, “and to bounce back less than 24 hours later, it showed a lot of heart.”
Holy Family guard Lauren Peters led all scorers with 14 points, and the Tigers had three other players in double digits — center Christine McCollum (13), forward Catherine Carr (11) and forward Lindsey Tennett (11 and a game-high nine rebounds).
The game was even less contested than the 18-point difference implies. The Tigers never trailed and went into halftime ahead 47-21.
Holy Family then went into cruise control, at one point going scoreless for 8 minutes, 10 seconds.
“I think they played their best game of the tournament tonight, unfortunately against us,” Hawaii Pacific coach Jeff Harada said.
The Tigers hit long-range shots early and caused Hawaii Pacific to stray from its zone defense, which worked well Friday afternoon against UC San Diego.
Making matters worse for the Sea Warriors, their leading scorer of the tournament, Paris Gravely, picked up two fouls in the first five minutes.
“People who I thought should have stepped up just weren’t there,” Harada said.
Angela Spence had a team-high 11 points, and Gravely added 10.
Holy Family had 19 turnovers, many of which came after the game was out of the Sea Warriors’ range.
“That’s an area that were learning,” McLaughlin said. “We have a freshman point guard (Peters) that’s learning how to play as we go, and we’re struggling a little bit at times in that area.
“I think this team will be a different team in about three or four weeks.”
McCollum had a solid showing after being limited by the Nanooks defense Friday.
“She’s the ultimate competitor” McLaughlin said. “She’s always in the right spot.”
Hawaii Pacific went winless in the tournament and heads back to Honolulu 1-4 overall. Holy Family went 1-2 in the North Star Invitational and is 4-3 on the season.
Contact staff writer Joshua Armstrong at 459-7583.
Community Discussion
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The Tigers showed heart? Ridiculous! HPU wasn't competition for anyone in the tourney, thus leaving 0-3! They start 3 freshmen, I think, so for the Tigers coach to say that his team showed heart and bounced back wasn't a fair assessment of the game! They dominated HPU, start to finish! Any of the area girls high school teams would have given HPU a pretty good run!
Interesting comment "allen"...and there is some credence to it.
But to say "ANY of these area girls high school teams would have given HPU a good run," is way off into left field.
You may not think much of HPU, but that #32 (who made the All-Tournament Team) would have 40-50 points against any of this local high school talent.
My colleague "Sptsgirl11" agreed!
Not knocking anyone here, but watching high school basketball (boys and girls) locally over the past few years has been a painful undertaking. I'm not alone in that assessment either.
Had a chance to watch those scrappy HPU guards "hounding" ballhandlers during the tournament.
I could see them licking their chops at the sight of our local high school talent struggling to bring the ball up the court against them.
Steals and layups at the other end of the court would come at a premium.
Maybe some of those Anchorage teams would give HPU a pretty good run, but not here.
When our local teams (boys and girls) can go down to Anchorage/Mat-Su and handle THOSE teams first, then I MAY agree that they could have a CHANCE at COMPETING WITH a college team.
That said....there's an AAU girls team here locally....the Grizzlies.
A bunch of up and coming 7th and 8th graders that impress me a great deal.
Keenan Hollister is their coach, and I watched them regularly beat up on high school girls during Fall League play.
Nothing spectacular, just basic basketball, pick and roll, back door cuts, etc....the girls could dribble using BOTH hands....shoot using the strong and "off" hands....they communicate....AND...no attitudes.
Imagine that.
Thanks OldSkool.... Thanks!
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