High school basketball playoffs,
Lady Hawks drub Crandall, 69-31, to book place in regional quarters
LONGVIEW, Texas— Pleasant Grove made the Lady Pirates seasick.
The Lady Hawks (28-3) put the press on and crushed Crandall, 69-31, in a Class 4A area varsity girls playoff basketball game at Spring Hill High School’s Panther Gym on Friday.
“The press was very effective,” Pleasant Grove head coach Marsha Cowling said. “It caused Crandall to turn the ball over. They almost responded as if they hadn’t see a press all year. We had to keep the ball out of their best players’ hands. I felt like we had to pressure them to keep them from getting the ball to their best athletes.
“I was so proud of our first half; it was amazing, smooth, and everything just clicked. They came out on a mission, and it was fun to watch.”
The Hawks forced 24 Pirate turnovers and only turned the ball over eight times.
Pleasant Grove will take either Bullard or Brownsboro in the Class 4A regional quarterfinals next week.
Shanequa Henry poured in a game-high 17 points for the Hawks, and teammate Keshawn Davis added 12.
Pleasant Grove played all reserves later in the fourth quarter, and outscored the Pirates 22-10.
Sophomore Abbie Flournoy paced the Hawks in the fourth with eight points—two shots from downtown and a 6-foot jump shot.
The third quarter was played on even terms with the Hawks slightly outscoring the Pirates, 11-10. Despite the close quarter, Crandall would not be able to overcome Pleasant Grove’s 26-point lead.
Henry led the Hawks in the third with seven points, including a basket from 3-point land.
Pleasant Grove shot 45 percent from the field on 26-of-58 shooting, while Crandall was 10 of 30 for a field goal percent of 33.
Pleasant Grove took a 25-point lead into the locker room. The Hawks full-court press threw Crandall off its offensive rhythm and caused many turnovers.
Henry played the court like a field general for Pleasant Grove. Henry drove and made many precise passes to teammates who swished in buckets from close range.
Asia Lloyd followed a Henry 3-point with her own, and Alex Norton caught a quick pass from Henry and made a layup as time expired in the first quarter. The Hawks took a 13-point lead.
Pleasant Grove’s press flustered the Pirates as the Hawks held them to just 11 first half points. Crandall attempted few shots from the paint.
Davis paced PG with 10 points in the first half— almost as many points as the Pirates’ team total.
Maiya Ware paced the Hawks in rebounds with 12. Pleasant Grove outrebounded the Pirates, 35-23.