Pam pack routed by Beddingfield
Published 11:45 pm Friday, January 17, 2014
Fresh off of final exam week, the Pam Pack came out underprepared and suffered a taxing 65-19 defeat to Beddingfield.
“It didn’t help that we weren’t on a normal practice schedule this week,” said Head Coach Allison Jones. “We just weren’t prepared to play. We weren’t prepared physically, we weren’t prepared mentally and we’re a team that has to work and get better every day.”
Washington simply could not keep up with the speedy guard play of Alexis Toney, who finished with eight points. Toney’s high-energy offense picked apart the Pam Pack backcourt and allowed for easy penetration down low.
Bruins’ center Jazmine Harris overpowered Shona Midgette in the paint. Harris collected the majority of the offensive and defensive rebounds for her team, resulting in crucial second chance opportunities.
The Bruins forced turnover after turnover and played tight defense for all 32 minutes. The Pam Pack were held to just nine points in the first half, shooting well below 20 percent.
“Beddingfield played strong defense, we just weren’t able to get any good looks,” said Jones. “Every shot was contested. They’re a strong team.”
The comfortable halftime lead for Beddingfield would only expand. The Bruins opened up the flood gates by scoring the first seven points of the second half.
With two minutes left in the third quarter, Jones through up the white flag and pulled her starters. The reserves, led by Kiara Smith’s 11 points, kept it respectable and put some point on the board, but Beddingfield continued to contest every shot.
The body language of the Pam Pack quieted the David W. Smith Gymnasium, as fans were tentative to look at the scoreboard.
“I think it’s a reminder that unless we come to work and prepare, no game is going to be easy,” said Jones. “We just need to get back in the gym and get back to the basics and go from there. I expect my team to respond from tonight’s loss.”
The Pam Pack, who are now 2-1 in conference play, will try to rejuvenate their offense when they host undefeated Riverside on Wednesday, this time without the pressure of final exams.
“Studying for exams is the most important thing, that’s a priority for us,” said Jones. “I’m proud of the girls in that respect, but we just weren’t prepared to play tonight.”