Head coach Kara Morris and her 8-1 varsity Bruins girls basketball team looked to close out the regular season with a win as they hosted the 4-5 North Valley Lady Knights Tuesday evening.
After suffering their only regular season loss last Friday, Coach Morris sent a determined Bruin girls team to the floor to challenge a team with nothing to lose, looking to play the ‘spoiler’.
The Bruin girls immediately came out running, scoring off the opening tip and then settled into a high energy press on the Lady Knights inbound play to slow North Valley early. But the Lady Knights worked their way through the pressure, staying with the Bruin girls who led 9-6 midway through the first, before ending the first with a 14-12 lead.
In the second, both teams traded baskets as the score remained close at 22-19 midway through the second period. The Lady Knights rallied for 10 points in the period only to allow the Bruin girls to put up 14 points of their own to take a 28-22 lead into the half-time break.
The Lady Knights continued to stay close, keeping the Bruin girls lead to just points to a 7 point 36-29 lead early in the third. But that is where the Bruin girls would take control with a 14 point third period to take a 42-31 lead into the final period.
The Bruin girls would not look back, following their 14 point third period, with a 13 point fourth period as their suffocating defense held North Valley just 10 points in the period as the Bruin girls cruised to the 55-41 win to end the regular season 9-1, and sole possession of the 3A-7 Southern Oregon Conference league championship.
Talking with head coach Kara Morris after the game, she told the Compass “We started the season with a lot of new faces playing heavy varsity minutes, and because of that, we had some growing pains as we developed our role and chemistry. Moving into the playoffs” coach Morris continued, “we are excited to keep that same selfless mentality. We know we are at our best when we involve everyone and lean into each other’s strengths.”
