St. Paul’’s Logan Robinson and Regis’s Kirsten Koehnke battle for the ball as Regis defeats St. Paul 40-29 in a Tri-River Conference game on Friday, Jan. 15, 2016, in St. Paul.
Regis’s Camille Dickey (No. 3) and Emma VanVeen guard St Paul’s Elizabeth Brentano as the Rams defeat St. Paul 40-29 in a Tri-River Conference game on Friday, Jan. 15, 2016, in St. Paul.
ST. PAUL – When a basketball team can play good enough defense to can hold an opponent to one point in a quarter, you’re going to win a lot of games.
Regis High School’s girls basketball team built a 10-1 lead against St. Paul after one quarter Friday and didn’t allow the Buckaroos a field goal for the first 12 minutes on its way to a 40-29 win in a Tri-River Conference game.
“I just thought we had a lot of energy from the start,” first-year Regis coach Stuart Alley said. “We came out, we were focused, locked in, and we made a couple shots. That helps drive your energy on defense.
“We just were working really hard, and the intensity was there. It helped that they missed a few shots, but it was a great start.”
The kind of defense Regis is playing is reminiscent of its defense from when it won five consecutive state championships from 2010-14.
The Rams are playing smart defense and are outworking their opponents.
“I think that defense is definitely a team sport, and when you have 11 girls getting ready to work every single practice to get better then you improve,” said senior Emma VanVeen, who scored 12 points.
A Regis team that came into the game No. 7 in the OSAA’s power rankings improves to 13-2 and 3-1 in the tough Tri-River, while dropping St. Paul to 10-5 and 3-2 in the Tri-River.
Regis lost a heartbreaking conference game a week ago to last year’s state champion Western Mennonite and plays top-ranked Kennedy in another conference game Tuesday.
When you play in the Tri-River, there are no easy games.
“I think every single game we grow as a team and each game we try to take what different things that we can learn and work on them in practice the next week to improve on, and we’re just ready for the next game,” said Regis senior wing Abigail Frith, who scored eight points.
A Regis team that was outsized limited the touches of the ball of St. Paul senior post Emma Coleman and limited her to eight points in the game.
St. Paul’s Griselda Vargas-Ayala and the Buckaross fall to St. Paul in a Tri-River Conference game on Friday, Jan. 15, 2016, in St. Paul.
The Rams did it with a tough man-to-man defense that kept the St. Paul posts out of the equation most of the game.
“You could see how bad they wanted it, but the first quarter we just couldn’t throw it in the ocean,” St. Paul coach Dave Matlock said. “I give them a lot of credit. Their defense is really phenomenal. They’re a very good defensive team.
“They took Emma out of the equation early. She didn’t get as many looks tonight, and she still had eight, but not what she’s been having, and Cassidy (Merten) kind of struggled a little bit tonight. We still need to get her back on the offensive side.”
After the big first-quarter lead, the most St. Paul was able to cut into Regis’ lead was to seven points at 34-27 on a baseline drive by McGwire Smith with 5:03 left.
But Regis went on a 6-0 run – including four points by Camille Dickey – and led 40-27.
“I think their defensive intensity is they’re motivated,” Alley said. “They drive themselves. It’s a great group of girls, and every day in practice they come ready to work hard. Tradition is part of it, but they just have that built into them, and we encourage it all along.”
bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com, (503) 399-6701 or Twitter.com/bpoehler
Regis 40, St. Paul 29
Regis: Emma VanVeen 12, Frith 8, Dickey 6, Chamberland 5, Rickman 4, Koehnke 3, Moll 2. Totals 13 5-10 40.
St. Paul: Emma Coleman 8, Stone 7, Vargas-Ayala 4, Brentano 3, Coleman 3, Robinson 2, Smith 2, Merten. Totals 12 5-14 29.
|
REG |
10 |
10 |
10 |
10 |
— 40 |
|
SP |
1 |
10 |
10 |
8 |
— 29 |
3-point goals: Regis 3 (Frith, Chamberland, Koehnke); St. Paul 0.
NOMINATIONS NEEDED
Do you know someone who should be nominated for the Statesman Journal’s fan voting awards to be announced during the Mid-Valley Sports Awards?
Courage Award: Recognize an athlete who exhibited leadership during difficult or sensitive times.
Heart and Desire Award: Nominees for this award are the ones who show up and give maximum effort and support the team, even if they are sitting on the sidelines.
Comeback Player Award: Honors an athlete who returned to competition from an injury or other situation that forced him or her to miss significant playing time.
Fan Experience Award: Recognizes the area’s most outstanding school sports environment, shining a spotlight on the bands, cheerleaders, dance squads and fans.
Let us know at MidValleySportsAwards.com. You can also buy tickets to the first Mid-Valley Sports Awards show on June 7 at the Salem Convention Center.