By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — One of the greatest reasons our culture so enthusiastically promotes young people’s participation in high school athletics are the “life lessons” learned along the way. Learning to adapt to a new set of circumstances could well explain the Watauga’s 74-55 women’s basketball win over Northern Guilford on March 4, in Lentz Eggers Gym.
Country music icon Dolly Parton is credited with saying, “We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails.” Watauga found the “wind” blowing in the wrong direction in the first quarter, falling behind 16-8 at one point, but some key adjustments allowed the Pioneers to claw back and take a 32-25 lead at intermission. It was an advantage they steadily built on in the second half.
In Watauga’s earlier meeting with Northern Guilford on Dec. 21, in Greensboro, Pioneer head coach Bill Torgerson recalled that the Nighthawks’ point guard Leena McField got into early foul trouble and senior shooting guard Cara Trippett sprained an ankle early and hardly played. Both were healthy and available for the rematch with state playoffs implications.
Add an officiating crew that allowed a much more physical game than Watauga was used to seeing, and you had a perplexing set of new circumstances — with a lot on the line if the Pioneers were to advance.
Two of the visiting Nighthawks key offensive threats opened “hot” in the first quarter, McField and senior shooting guard Malena DeLisa each netting a pair of 3-pointers. Meanwhile, the Pioneers were mostly missing from long range and senior point guard Kate Sears stubbornly forced down-the-lane and baseline drives against stiff, physical defensive efforts by Northern Guilford defenders — and they most often resulted in shots gone awry and turnovers.
But throughout her playing career, Sears has become a master in making adjustments. As soon as she started opting for short jumpers, the lanes opened up for her drives. She even found the bottom of the net from long range a couple of times in the second half, en route to earning game-high honors with 32 points.
Sears’ success was contagious. Fellow senior guard Julie Matheson also finished in double figures for Watauga, with 18 points, and sophomore Blair Haines added eight more.
The Nighthawks also finished with two players in double figures: McField recorded a team-high 23 points and Trippett added 16.
With the win, No. 3-seeded Watauga (22-5 overall, 10-1 in Northwestern Conference) advances to the Elite 8 in the NCHSAA 4A Women’s Basketball Championship tournament. They will play at No. 2 Lake Norman on Friday, March 7. According to the NCHSAA 4A brackets, tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.
SCORING SUMMARY
- WAT – Kate Sears (32 points)
- NG – Leena McField (23)
- WAT – Julie Matheson (18)
- NG – Cara Trippett (16)
- WAT – Blair Haines (8)
- NG – Malena DeLisa (8)
- WAT – Kaitlyn Darner (6)
- WAT – Shelby Thompson (5)
- WAT – Izzy Torgerson (3)
- WAT – Chloe Wilson (2)
- NG – Olivia Bayer (2)
- NG – Kayla Graham (2)
- NG – Sarah Moore (2)
- NG – Malaysia Smith (2)
