On course for tourney title
Brooke Field passes the ball over a guard during the first half of the win against Rocksprings Thursday.
JOHNSON CITY — The Faith Academy girls basketball team won its opening game of the Johnson City Tournament Thursday to move to the championship side of the bracket.
In the process the Lady Flames have won four in a row thanks to a 42-24 victory against Rocksprings.
Though the Lady Flames achieved victory, head coach Jerry English said his squad did not display their normal energy.
He remains puzzled.
“If I knew that, I’d understand girls basketball,” he said with a smile. “But we were making a few more baskets than they were. We didn’t have many redeeming features today.”
The Lady Flames took a 12-4 lead in the first period. Kendra Field started the scoring on a steal and layup. She was fouled on a putback and made a free throw.
She also received a pass and penetrated to the basket from the top of the key. Laura Lykken added a free throw. Field and Shiloh Reaves ended the scoring.
The two teams exchanged baskets to begin the second period. Field hit a three-pointer, while younger sister Brooke Field connected on a 10-footer.
Reaves added two free throws for a 21-8 lead.
Rocksprings added a three-pointer, prompting English to call for time with 1:24 remaining in the half.
Brooke Field scored from the low block to end the scoring, giving Faith a 23-11 half-time lead.
Faith outscored Rocksprings, 10-6, in the third period thanks to two three-pointers and a long jumper by Kendra Field and a putback for a 33-17 lead heading into the final eight minutes.
Lykken scored on a putback. Brooke Field added a shot from the lane.
After a bucket and timeout by Rocksprings, Deanna Hoover scored. Taylor Castleberry finished the scoring for Faith with a three-pointer.
Kendra Field led all scorers with 18 points followed by Brooke Field and Reaves with eight each. Castleberry scored three, while Hoover finished with two.
The Lady Flames had several offensive rebounds they had trouble converting.
“I feel like we got the shots we wanted,” English said. “We missed many of them, but we got what we wanted.”
Defensive rebounding, however, was a challenge as Rocksprings also had several putbacks on misses.
The coach said Rocksprings slowed the pace, which made it difficult for his team. At times, Faith had to play defense for 40 seconds to 1:10.
“It’s always hard for a team that plays more uptempo to a play a team that’s going to slow it down on every possession,” English said. “Good teams play at their tempo, not yours.”
A switch to a basic zone instead of the customary man-to-man defense conserved energy for the Lady Flames, but it also made them look a half-step slower than Rocksprings.
“That’s the one thing I hate about the zone,” the coach said. “If you don’t have energy, you don’t put pressure on the basketball.”
Faith will play Canyon Lake, a school new to the varsity level, at 6 p.m. today. Canyon Lake is a member of District 8-3A and shares it with Burnet and Llano high schools.
English was glad the Lady Flames still had a chance at the tournament championship.
“We’re still in it,” he said. “We still have a chance, but there’s not too many good things out of that (win against Rocksprings).”
jfierro@thepicayune.com
Photo by Jennifer Fierro