Maize girls’ defense matures in win over Carroll (+video)

The goal of Maize girls coach Jerrod Handy’s practices heading into Friday’s game against Bishop Carroll was to snuff out the tendency to play what he termed third-grade defense.

“I thought we had a couple players that were just chasing the ball like a third-grade team,” Handy said. “That was kind of my term, just to make a point.”

Consider the point understood.

Maize held Carroll to 18.2-percent shooting and won 49-34 at Koch Arena in the City League vs. AV-CTL basketball series.

“They’re playing extremely hard throughout the game. Just sometimes we don’t play very smart,” Handy said. “… The reason we’re in close games is because we are playing so hard. If we play hard and we play smart, we’re going to be really good.”

Maize (6-2) lost to Salina Central (8-1) on Tuesday and at Derby (8-0). And in those losses, too often Maize allowed opposing players to score on open shots because of defensive breakdowns.

The emphasis against Carroll was to return to the defensive basics. But what does that mean?

“Honestly, it means staying in front of your man,” said Maize senior HaLee Roland, who scored 10 points.

Teammate Taylor Holmes added: “Getting in front, stay on helpside, deny. Quick hands, long hands. Getting lots of steals and blocks.”

Maize held Carroll without a third-quarter basket. Carroll’s Brynn Maul scored with 7:02 remaining, snapping a scoring drought of 13:47.

“Frustrating is coming off a game like Heights,” said Carroll coach Taylor Dugan, whose team beat Heights on Tuesday. “Playing really well, playing with confidence and coming into this game and thinking we’re going to piggyback off that confidence.

“We went out and, in my opinion, we lacked some of that confidence going up for shots. Missing I don’t know how many layups.”

Carroll scored the game’s first points on a jumper by Maul 20 seconds in, and over the next five minutes the Carroll gave up eight unanswered points while missing its five shots.

“We got the shots. They got the shots,” Dugan said. “It wasn’t a lack of opportunities tonight.”

Abby Sauber, who had 11 points, was the only Carroll player in double figures.

Maize made 9 of 18 first-half shots.

Holmes scored a game-high 17 points. Teammate Brecken Roe had nine rebounds and two blocked shots.

Maize also took advantage of Carroll’s 28 fouls, making 20 of 30 free throws. Holmes made 7 of 10 free throws in the second half.

“This is the best free-throw shooting game that we’ve had,” Handy said. “We have been in 40 percent (free-throw shooting) before where it’s so frustrating — you do a great job on defense, you get a shot and then you miss the free throw.”

This story was originally published January 15, 2016 at 10:09 PM with the headline "Maize girls’ defense matures in win over Carroll (+video)."