CHERRY HILLS VILLAGE — Most basketball coaches emphasize the importance of offensive runs. But not Holy Family coach Ron Rossi.
“If we play good defense, then good things happen on offense,” said Rossi, whose strategy played out in Saturday’s Metropolitan League victory over St. Mary’s Academy 50-30.
The defending 3A girls state champion Tigers used suffocating pressure to put the Wildcats away early.
“We play hard and fast, and we just kind of fly around the ball a lot,” said Rossi, whose Tigers improved to 12-1 overall, 6-1 in the Metro.
The Wildcats (10-4, 5-3) managed only four field goals through the first three quarters. The fact that three of those baskets came from beyond the arc only further illustrated the Tigers’ ability to trap and cut off passing lanes.
“They’re really good, there’s no doubt about it,” St. Mary’s Academy coach Phil Gentry said. “They have a lot of speed and a lot of depth.”
With the Tigers holding a 12-7 lead, Rossi put pressure on his team. Holy Family responded by forcing four consecutive turnovers and scoring seven points in 50 seconds.
“You can’t let them have those runs,” said Gentry, whose team was led by six points each from Brandi Dotson and Torrey Smith.
Holy Family’s second-quarter press pushed the lead to double digits and St. Mary’s out of the game.
“We just kind of got a spurt,” said Tiger sophomore point guard Taylor Helbig, who sat out the Machebuef game with two broken toes.
Helbig (10 points) was one of three Tigers to score in double figures — Alex Wilson (12) and Sarah Talamantes (11) — and helped lead the full-court press.
“(The win) says that we really work as a team,” Helbig said. “With our defense it showed that we can do it.”
Holy Family 12 15 11 12 — 50
St. Mary’s Academy 7 5 4 14 — 30
Holy Family — Helbig 4 2-4 10, Wilson 5 2-2 12, Talamantes 4 2-2 11, Gills 2 2-5 6, Lancaster 1 1-2 3, Williamson 1 0-0 2, Giltner 0 0-0 0, Coogan 0 1-2 1, Jones 0 2-2 2, Gutierrez 0 0-1 0, Sprenger 1 0-0 3. Totals 18 12-20 50.
St. Mary’s Academy — Timlin 0 4-6 4, Flynn 0 1-2 1, Carr 1 0-0 3, Parker 0 0-0 0, Diffendaffer 0 3-4 3, Dotson 1 4-8 6, Harvey 1 2-2 5, Smith 2 0-0 6, Ryan 0 0-0 0, Miller 1 0-0 2. Totals 6 14-22 30.
3-pt. goals — Talamantes, Springer; Smith 2, Harvey, Carr. Fouled out — None. Technicals — None.
