Xavier Prep
basketball coach Jennifer Gillom had to switch strategy after the Gators
trailed Chandler High on Tuesday night (Jan. 15).
The deficit
was only four points, so it wasn’t insurmountable. But Gillom didn’t want the
Wolves to increase their lead.
The
full-court pressure that Xavier has used to control many of its opponents
wasn’t working all that well against Chandler, which features guards that have
quickness and good passing skills.
Gillom
switched the Gators’ defense to a zone, which they have used intermittently
along the way.
Xavier held
Chandler to just four points in the third quarter and only seven in the fourth
and went on to secure a 48-38 victory in a 6A Conference Premier Region game at
Chandler’s House of Payne.
Xavier is
18-3 overall, 2-1 in region, while Chandler is 11-9 and 1-2.
“I thought
our defense turned things around, as well as our willingness to crash the boards,’’
Gillom said. “Getting those rebounds will help get you extra possessions, and
we did that. It was a good group effort.’’
Xavier’s
second-half defense was successful against Chandler 6-foot-4 junior Maya Peat.
She finished the game with 10 points, but only three in the second half.
And on the
glass, senior Paris Rasheed-Moore increased her productivity. She had 13
rebounds for the Gators.
“That helped
us tremendously,’’ Gillom said.
Xavier had
four 3-point baskets, two each from senior Addie Putnam and sophomore Mackenzie
Coder. Gillom said Coder’s 3s, one in each half, came at key points and allowed
the team to stay close and later to maintain its lead.
Putnam led
the Gators with 17 points and senior point guard Leilani McIntosh added 12.
Xavier will return
to Chandler on Friday night (Jan. 18) for a game at Hamilton. The Huskies were
the Arizona Interscholastic Association’s No. 1 power-points team as of
Wednesday morning (Jan. 16).
They have a
home game against No. 2 Gilbert Perry on Thursday night (Jan. 17) before
hosting Xavier, which is No. 3. Xavier’s region loss was to Perry.
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