JUDA - Juda girls basketball coach Curt Brown is well aware that teams must be ready to face a suffocating press when going up against Potosi.
Potosi did just that to run away and knock off the Panthers 54-31 in a non-conference game Friday night. It wasn't just the Chieftains' press that caught Brown's attention and led to a 33-point deficit in the second half.
"Their press was obviously a factor," Brown said. "I was more impressed with their halfcourt defense. Their halfcourt defense, with their athleticism and length, was good."
Potosi (3-0) bottled up the Panthers from the start, going on a 13-1 first quarter run sparked by the press.
Juda (2-2) went through about a seven-minute scoring drought in the first quarter without a basket and an eight-minute drought in the second half. Juda junior Tabatha Davis hit a shot at 1:21 in the first quarter to snap the cold spell. Even with the offensive struggles, the Chieftains' physical defense gave the Panthers a lot of chances to score from the foul line. The Panthers made just five field goals in the game, but they shot 19 of 38 from the free throw line.
"If we would have made any of the eight free throws we missed in the first quarter, maybe we would have been in the game," Brown said. "All the ones we missed in the first quarter we would like to have back."
Juda senior Jessica Rackow, who battled foul trouble in the first half, scored all of her team-high 10 points in the second half.
"By spreading the floor a little bit, we were able to get her (Rackow) some looks," Brown said. "For us it was about spacing. We wanted to see if she could create."
Davis scored eight points, and sophomore Molly Marass added six points. Potosi was led by Abby Ames who scored a game-high 19 points.
Rackow hit a driving bank shot with 7:35 to go in the fourth quarter to snap a cold spell for the team. Juda senior Brittany Moe also drilled a 3-pointer. The Panthers shot just 3-for-18 (16.6 percent) in the second half.
The Panthers switched to a 2-3 zone in the second half and were able to force 13 turnovers.
"They were just beating our man," Brown said of the Panthers' defensive scheme. "That (2-3 zone) was our next option. I thought they would shoot us out of it. I thought defensively that was better. They worked it inside well."
Potosi did just that to run away and knock off the Panthers 54-31 in a non-conference game Friday night. It wasn't just the Chieftains' press that caught Brown's attention and led to a 33-point deficit in the second half.
"Their press was obviously a factor," Brown said. "I was more impressed with their halfcourt defense. Their halfcourt defense, with their athleticism and length, was good."
Potosi (3-0) bottled up the Panthers from the start, going on a 13-1 first quarter run sparked by the press.
Juda (2-2) went through about a seven-minute scoring drought in the first quarter without a basket and an eight-minute drought in the second half. Juda junior Tabatha Davis hit a shot at 1:21 in the first quarter to snap the cold spell. Even with the offensive struggles, the Chieftains' physical defense gave the Panthers a lot of chances to score from the foul line. The Panthers made just five field goals in the game, but they shot 19 of 38 from the free throw line.
"If we would have made any of the eight free throws we missed in the first quarter, maybe we would have been in the game," Brown said. "All the ones we missed in the first quarter we would like to have back."
Juda senior Jessica Rackow, who battled foul trouble in the first half, scored all of her team-high 10 points in the second half.
"By spreading the floor a little bit, we were able to get her (Rackow) some looks," Brown said. "For us it was about spacing. We wanted to see if she could create."
Davis scored eight points, and sophomore Molly Marass added six points. Potosi was led by Abby Ames who scored a game-high 19 points.
Rackow hit a driving bank shot with 7:35 to go in the fourth quarter to snap a cold spell for the team. Juda senior Brittany Moe also drilled a 3-pointer. The Panthers shot just 3-for-18 (16.6 percent) in the second half.
The Panthers switched to a 2-3 zone in the second half and were able to force 13 turnovers.
"They were just beating our man," Brown said of the Panthers' defensive scheme. "That (2-3 zone) was our next option. I thought they would shoot us out of it. I thought defensively that was better. They worked it inside well."
