The Chagrin Falls Tigers got the opening tipoff against the West Geauga Wolverines Dec. 5 on their home court, went right to the basket, and Avery Russell put in her own miss on that first possession.
Game photos click here.
The Chagrin Falls Tigers got the opening tipoff against the West Geauga Wolverines Dec. 5 on their home court, went right to the basket, and Avery Russell put in her own miss on that first possession.
It was the start of a rude lesson for the Wolverines as they embark on a season without players named Hocevar or Ehrbar in the mix. By the time this neighborhood rivalry game was over, the Tigers had worked their way to a solid 75-41 win.
A new era has begun for West G Head Coach Brandon Stewart, and he knows it will take time for his young team to develop.
“This is a new time for our girls,” he said after a long chat in the locker room after the contest. “We still need to learn the game. There are times when we have four freshmen on the floor at the same time. We start three of them, along with a sophomore and a senior, Maggie Furst. The younger girls just don’t have the varsity game-time experience yet to be solid, but they all are working very hard to get better each day out.”
Furst has been a fixture for the Wolverines since her freshman season in the post. This team will need to keep working to get the ball to her more often.
After Russell put in her own miss for the quick lead, only a Mallory Lear layup separated her team from the first 14 points of the game. Falls jumped out early and often with a pressing full-court defense that kept the young Wolverines from doing much of anything.
Thirteen first-period turnovers tells the whole story, and while Furst eventually did make her presence known more often, her teammates could not give her enough support.
Furst finished with 19 points, 14 rebounds and five blocked shots, but the Tigers had balance that knew what it was doing.
In shooting nearly 43 percent from the floor in the game, a key element for Chagrin Falls Head Coach Brittany Laseak was having nine players record assists, something all coaches would love to see from their teams.
“You always need to play high-intensity defense against West Geauga,” she said after her team’s first win of the young season. “I am really pleased with our defensive efforts tonight, especially when it comes to slowing down Furst. She’s a terrific player in the post, and can hurt you in many ways. We want to play good defense all the time. At times, we can have five guards on the floor together, and that’s what it took tonight to keep Maggie from getting the ball where she likes it.”
Other than Furst, the Wolverines (1-3) only got consistent results from freshman guard Faelynn Beckrest, who handled the ball well while scoring 11 points.
The 13 first period turnovers, though, leading to a game-high of 31 miscues, kept the Wolverines from getting shots.
Meanwhile, Russell had a hot hand all night in scoring 26 points. She got help from Amelia Bencko, who tallied 18 markers, and Lilly Stukus, who added 15.
The key for Falls was having nine girls with recorded assists, meaning ball movement was outstanding. It led to open shots when needed. Norah Pope, Abby Kay, Russell, Bencko and Stukus all dished for three helps to teammates, which kept the active Wolverine defense from focusing on one player.
That was just the opposite situation for how Furst attracted defensive players. While the Tigers (1-3) had the edge, experience was a key factor, too.
In an attempt to build a new team concept with new players at the forefront, the Wolverines will host Orange this week. Orange will not present the same balance or challenge as Chagrin Falls did, so Coach Stewart’s lessons may well be put to good use.
“There’s a good chance we will be taking our lumps this season,” he said. “At the same time, there are some good skill sets here in place to get better. It’s tough replacing so many good players like we need to do, but it’s not impossible to do.”
