Tiger Cubs utilize blazing third quarter to trample Clovers

Saturday, December 8, 2012
Greencastle senior Rayleigh Amis (23) finds room amid a crowd in the paint to score a layup for the Tiger Cubs. (Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN)

Greencastle has a young girls' basketball team, but the prideful bunch doesn't quit. After a loss to Danville on Tuesday, the team trailed Cloverdale 19-12 at halftime on Friday.

The Tiger Cubs came back from the break on a torrid pace, led by the defense and pressure of senior Rayleigh Amis and junior Alex Basile, channeling the run into a 39-32 win.

The pair combined for four steals in the period.

"Our defense is really what changed it for us," GHS coach Bradley Key said. "I thought Rayleigh Amis and Alex Basile were really the game changers. Those are the two captains and I told them, once they picked up their intensity, I really felt like everyone else followed along.

"That's what captains do, but we've got to have that for four quarter."

The two teams could not seem to find any offense in the early goings, at combining for a one-of-13 stretch early in the first period.

Amis, a team captain, took control of the offense for Greencastle, using her five-foot-eleven frame to work the ball in the paint.

Cloverdale senior Bristy Skiles carried the early load for her team.

"We're really a different team when she's able to hit a couple shots," Cloverdale coach Matthew Langdon said. "She's done a good job the past couple weeks of trying to change her game a little bit. Just not a spot-up shooter. She's able to go off the dribble to create some space."

Skiles had five of the team's eight first-quarter points, and added another three in the second quarter.

Greencastle shot just 21 percent in the first half (five-for-24).

"Towards the end of the second quarter we started playing better," Key said. "I just told them (at halftime) that, 'you know what you need to do to win.' That's it."

Whatever he said, or didn't say, seemed to work.

The Tiger Cubs emerged from the locker room with nearly five minutes left in the intermission, two minutes earlier than normal.

They then went on a 26-to-five run to open the second half.

Cloverdale opened the third quarter with starting guard Amillia Nally on the bench. Nally had picked up three fouls in the first half and, with a thin bench, Langdon inserted sophomore Bailee Stevens into the lineup.

"Bailee gives us really good minutes, but there are times when she needs a break," Langdon said. "We thought, if Mel (Amillia Nally) picked up that fourth foul early, there was no way that Bailee could play 10 straight minutes until we could put Mel back in."

Langdon said he second-guessed his own decision after Greencastle went on its run.

"That was a decision that you go back and think about, 'should I have done it differently,'" he said. "

Without another point guard to turn to, the Clovers couldn't regain their composure and stop the bleeding until it was too late.

Cloverdale finished the game on an eight-one run, but with the clock ticking down, Langdon elected not to extend the game by fouling.

In a laissez-faire game called by the officials, the Clovers had only picked up four in the half.

"Cloverdale: give them credit. They've gotten significantly better during the last two or three years," Key said. "They've won four games and they're going to win quite a few more."

Langdon said his team will bounce back.

"Against a good team like that, sometimes we struggle offensively," Langdon said. "Every possession we had to have good defense. There were just a couple let downs and, when they made a run, we just got a little rattled and got a little too quick."

Greencastle plays at Rockville on Thursday at 7:30 p.m.

Cloverdale returns to action Friday when they host Monrovia at 6 p.m.



At Greencastle
Cloverdale -- 8 11 5 8 -- 32
Greencastle -- 9 3 18 9 -- 39

Individual scoring
Cloverdale: Skiles 3-10, 0-0, 8; Clark 4-6, 0-0, 8; Gruener 3-8, 0-0, 6; Shrum 1-1, 2-4, 4; Nally 1-6, 3; Stevens 1-7, 1-1, 3; Walters 0-0, 0-0, 0.
Greencastle: Amis 5-9, 0-0, 10; Lenihan 4-9, 0-0, 8; Taylor 2-6, 2-3, 6; Earl 2-12, 0-2, 6; Stoltey 2-4, 0-0, 4; Covert 1-2, 1-2, 3; Basile 1-8, 0-0, 2; Smiley 0-0, 0-0, 0; Trout 0-0, 0-0, 0.

Rebounds (offensive)
C: 33 (9)
G: 30 (11)

Turnovers
C: 19
G: 10

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