The Lady Cougars went into Saint Mary’s gym feeling confident that they could show the Panthers who owns the BSAL. But as the size of the Saint Mary’s basketball team — point guard, 5-foot-7-inches; two forwards, 6-foot and 6-foot-1-inches, respectively; and center, 6-foot-3-inches — echoed throughout the gym, hope faded from the Cougar fans.
Although the fans seemed devastated, the team was not fazed. With consistent rebounding and exciting shooting from senior Talei Tagivakatini, the Lady Cougars began an 11-0 run, making the Saint Mary’s Panthers look like the Saint Mary’s Fairies.
However, the Panthers began a 12-0 run of their own and came back to take the lead 12-11. The score flip-flopped several times until Saint Mary’s finally took the lead and didn’t look back.
The spirit of the Lady Cougars seemed to fade as they watched the lead slip from their hands. The tough press defense that the Panthers brought was too much as they held the Lady Cougars to single-digit scoring in the second, third and fourth quarters. As the waning seconds on the clock slowly dispersed to zero, the only lights illuminating the scoreboard showed the final score, Panthers 50, Lady Cougars 30.
This has been one of the only dim spots in the Albany High Girls Basketball teams still-shining season. They are only five games into the league season and have already played some of the better teams in the league. The potential of this team is great as they bring an aggressive defense and talented offense.
Although they lack in overall size, they still have talent. They currently have two players, Junior Deanna Calhoun and Senior Tamaya Newsome, averaging double digits in points. They also have a 40% field goal percentage, 9.8 steals per game and 28.4 rebounds per game as a team. This is right behind league leading Saint Mary’s who averages 52.8 points, 8.1 steals and 30.1 rebounds per game.
Their record doesn’t show it, 13-6, 4-3, but this team could still be a dark horse to go deep into the NCS playoffs and face the oversized Saint Mary’s again, this time with the 50-30 scarring still in their minds.
What a fantastic story!
I remember about 3 years ago when the Lady Cougars would return from a game against the Panthers with scratches, bruises and pinch marks from what the Panther players had been taught to do from their coaches. I’m wondering if that’s still the case. Curiously, a member of that 2008 team from SM, who now plays for SM College got called for a technical against Cal in a game at Haas yesterday.