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DUBLIN – The Lady Cougar basketball team moved one step closer to defending their home court advantage at the “Cougar Clash” tournament on Tuesday. The team played tough through three quarters, but broke away from Graham in the fourth, picking up their third straight win, 55-44, and advancing to the championship game.
“I told the girls going into the game that they were a pretty skilled team, they were athletic, and they were an experienced team, but there is one thing they can’t match and that is intensity,” said Cougars coach Jason Grubb. “I know that if we played with intensity, we were going to be ok. That is what got us through. We decided we were going to step up and press, and step up and play good ball and defense. We hustled the ball down the court when we had opportunities to and things started to fall into place for us.”
Pulaski didn’t get off to such a hot start and only scored three points in the opening quarter. Graham kept up the offensive intensity, as Mariah Lampert scored six points in the quarter. The G-Men led 13-3 after one quarter.
It looked as if the second quarter would follow suit, as Graham maintained their ten point lead early on. However, the Cougars would close the quarter strong. Kasey Holcomb would score a lay up and three-pointer on back-to-back possessions, while Hannah Chaffin added a lay up and Daisy Ball scored twice. That enabled the Cougars to cut the deficit to just 25-21 at halftime.
The Cougars and G-Men battled early on in the third quarter with the lead being traded five teams. Pulaski would have the final say though. Daisy Ball hit two free throws to give Pulaski a 31-30 lead and followed that up with a lay up off a Cougar steal. Graham would score one more time before the end of the quarter, but the Cougars still held a slim 33-32 lead at the end of the third.
What was anticipated to be a battle between the two schools in the fourth quarter turned out to be a Pulaski offensive attack. The Cougars set the tone by scoring the quarters first 13 points, as Shaniqua Banks, Raiven Patterson, Daisy Ball, Maddy Chitwood, and Brittany Lawson all scored.
That early run at the top of the quarter proved to be the difference in the game. Pulaski would maintain that lead and make some key free throws down the stretch and take the win, advancing to tomorrow’s championship game in the process.
Two Cougars continued their outstanding tournament play. Daisy Ball finished with 16 rebounds, six rebounds (four offensive), and four blocks. Kasey Holcomb added 12 points and four rebounds.
The Cougars will now play Fairfax for the “Cougar Clash” crown. The Rebels would trail William Fleming by two points after the first quarter, but used a strong, all-around consistent effort to defeat the Colonels.
Fairfax is familiar with the Cougars. Just a few weeks ago, Pulaski traveled to Fairfax to play in a tournament they hosted. The two teams did not play one another, but the Rebels got a look at the Cougars in action against both Oakton and Washington & Lee.
“Pulaski is a very game team,” Konde said. “They went on a nice roll at the end of the season last year. I actually coached under Jason. I kind of know his style and I know he is a good motivator. He can push his girls and make them work out there. We played them in fall league last year and it was a one point game. It is always a dog fight. He has some really talented kids. I know he is going to throw the ‘kitchen sink’ at us and we are going to try and do the same to him. It is all in great fun and great competition though.”
The game will also mark friends becoming foes.Grubb has a strong relationship with Rebels coach Marcus Konde. When Grubb was a middle school and high school coach in Fairfax County, Konde served under him and worked with the freshman squads.
“We’ve been coaching against each other and still talk offenses and defenses,” Grubb said. “Last year, we went to Myrtle Beach for Nike Coaches Clinic together. A couple of years ago, we went to Las Vegas for a coaching clinic together. We just talk basketball and enjoy picking each others brain. He is doing a really good job with his team. They are tough. I think it is going to be one of our toughest tests of the season going against them.”
Pulaski will also play against a future Division 1 prospect in Lauren Burford. She is committed to play women’s basketball for Villanova University in the fall. Grubb has seen Burford first hand and already has a game plan in mind against her skill set.
“I’ve had an opportunity to see her play summer league and fall league and in the regular season,” Grubb said. “I know a lot about her. Just because you know a lot about Lauren doesn’t mean you are going to slow her down. She is quite the player with a lot of weapons. She is such a smart player. I think we want to make her do a lot for the team. We want to make her be a key defender, a key ball handler, a key decision maker, and a key hustler on the court. If we can get her doing all of those things 100%, it is going to make her less effective on the offensive end.”
The Cougar JV also picked up a win on Tuesday in their game against Patrick Henry. Pulaski would take control in the first half and only allowed three points of Patriot offense. They took a 23-3 halftime lead.
Patrick Henry would stay with the Cougars (6-2) early in the second half and they surpassed their point total from the first half in the first three minutes of the third quarter. The Cougar lead would remain 20 after three quarters, 31-11.
It would be a much different story in the third quarter, as the Cougars shut out the Patriot offense. Pulaski would score 17 points in the fourth and win their second game in two days and their sixth on the season, 48-11. The team will play again tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. against Graham.
In the consolation bracket of the “Cougar Clash”, it was Patrick Henry defeating Pathway Christian, 74-23, and Herndon knocking off Tallwood, 61-44. Patrick Henry and Herndon will meet in the consolation bracket final tomorrow at 4 p.m.
Also playing tomorrow will be Graham and William Fleming in the third place game at 5:45 p.m. and Pathway Christian and Tallwood playing at 2:15 p.m. Following the conclusion of the tournament tomorrow, the “Cougar Clash” Most Valuable Player will be announced, along with the first and second tournament teams.
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