Defense lifts Engineers to 2nd straight region title

Poly forces 26 turnovers, chasing first state crown

Poly won its second straight region title on Saturday. The credit for this one, without question, goes to the defense.

The Engineers smothered visiting Chopticon in several ways. They helped cause 26 turnovers as No. 5 Poly held the Braves without a basket for more than two quarters and rolled to a 59-34 victory in the Class 3A South region championship.

Poly (22-4) advanced to the state semifinal, where it takes on Aberdeen. The Eagles topped Towson, 42-31, in the Class 3A North title game, and they will play Poly Thursday at 7 p.m. at Towson University’s SECU Arena.

The Engineers won their seventh region crown in the past eight years. Overall, this is the ninth time Poly has made the final four, but the Engineers haven’t raised a banner yet. They’re hoping this is the year.

“I want a ring,” said Brashae Rice, who finished with a team-high 14 points.

Poly coach Kendall Peace-Able said that is the sentiment on her team. The Engineers cut down the net at one end of the gym but it was done quietly and without much fanfare. They were already thinking about Aberdeen and what comes next.

“We’ve got to get back to work on Monday,” Peace-Able said. “This job isn’t finished.”

They certainly turned in a good job on Saturday against a physical Braves team that made life tough at times. Chopticon (18-7) took a 9-6 lead in the first four minutes before Peace-Able shook things up a bit.

She then stepped up the pressure and tempo. Poly started using different types of fullcourt pressure and traps and doubleteams to try and throw the Braves out of their rhythm.

Guard Ciara Thomas (14 points) was the main weapon on offense for Chopticon, and after she drilled a 3 that gave the Braves that 9-6 lead, her team made only two baskets until midway through the fourth quarter. Poly went on a 51-8 run.

“We just wanted to clog up the court a little bit,” Peace-Able said. “We wanted to make them make decisions.”

Many of them were not good ones as the Engineers used that pressure and those double-teams to record steal after steal.

The Braves went from the middle of the second quarter until the middle of the fourth without a bucket.

But the Engineers like to play well on defense and seemed to feed off the good plays they kept making on that end of the court.

“The defense really gives us energy,” said Poly’s Janya Lilly, who added 12 points. “Once we start getting stops, the energy goes up and stays up.”

Poly got plenty of contribution on offense as nine players scored. Gianni Jones came off the bench and was a force inside with rebounds and defense, something that helped the Engineers early.

Poly certainly made a believer out of Chopticon and coach Joe Cook, who also said the Engineers’ defense made the difference.

“They’re so quick and long arms,” he said. “We couldn’t beat the press…and they surely took advantage of it. That’s just a good team.” C- Mann 2, C. Thomas 14, White 5, Burch 5, Wolfe 4, S. Thomas 4. Totals: 13 4-19 34.

P- Wilson 9, Gross 2, Ferguson 4, Lilly 12, Rice 14, Fullwood 2, Robinson 8, Townes 6, Jones 2. Totals: 20 16-22 59. Half: P, 30-14.