4A GIRLS SE SUB-REGIONAL: St. James goes 'prevent' in win over Straughn

Action from St. James’ win over Straughn in the Class 4A Southeast Sub-regional game on Monday. (Graham Dunn)

By GRAHAM DUNN

The term “prevent defense” is usually reserved for football.

On Monday, the St. James Lady Trojans  provided the basketball equivalent in a  48-17 win over Straughn in the Class 4A Southeast Sub-regional at the St. James gym.

Despite the win, head coach Katie Barton wasn’t exactly ecstatic about her team’s performance, even if it meant a spot in the regional semis later this week.

“I knew what we ran defensively would give them some fits,” Barton said, “but my concern was what we looked like offensively, how flat we were. That was not a good representation of how we play.”

Chances are there is no record in the AHSAA annals that shows a team with just one field goal attempt in a quarter or a total of eight shots (unofficially) in a half. Yet, Straughn did not take a shot until the final second of the first period, a made 3-pointer from Abbi Hataway. The Tigers’ second made field goal came on the next attempt to start the second quarter.

They would not make another shot the rest of the half, going 0-for-6.

“Honestly we thought we would see them in a man-to-man but they came out in that 1-3-1 (defense) and stayed in it,” Straughn coach Bradley Stephens said. “We couldn’t get off a shot because we couldn’t take care of the ball and you give them the credit for that.”

The shooting touch for the Trojans wasn’t much better early but they did manage to take a 7-3 after a quarter and extended it to 18-5 after the break, mostly on the work Ava Card, who was the only player in double figures for the night, finishing with 26 points.

“My point guard (KK Hall) normally hits five 3 pointers a game, averages 13 (points per game) and she didn’t have a field goal,” Barton said. “ Another starter averages 10 points. We had one outside shot made tonight (Maddox Trumbly).  That’s not us.

“I know in the playoffs its ‘win and move on’ but we can’t play like that and expect to win. Next time, the other team will score more than (five) points in a half and we can’t just show up like we did tonight.”

 The Trojans forced a total of 32 turnovers in the game, including 17 in the second half. For the game Straughn shot 23 percent  on 7-of-30 shooting.

Trumbly had a total of five points for St. James with four other players recording a field goal.

Hataway had nine points to lead Straughn, which finished 13-18 on the season.

St. James (22-6) moves into the regional semifinals on Saturday and will face Bibb County, a winner over Alabama Christian on Monday. The Trojans returns to Garrett Coliseum after losing in the regional final to Geneva last year.

Barton believes the loss will provide experience that should benefit her team.

“I feel pretty good going back to Garrett because we have played there,” she said. “All of the starters but one have been in that environment. I feel more confident about that than last year. The longer court might benefit us a little bit.”