Defense continues to be the main ingredient when the purple and white cook up wins.
San Marcos (7-2) concluded the Champions Classic going 3-2 after winning each of its last three games by double digits. The team outscored opponents 60-26 in third quarters on Friday and Saturday and four out of five of the hosts’ opponents were held under 50 points over the weekend, including a 61-49 win over South San Antonio (7-4) in the lone game on Saturday.
“I liked our defense (Saturday). I thought we were active and kept the pressure on,” head coach Veronda Kendall said. “My concern was our offensive execution and that’s an area where we have to get better. We can’t have empty possessions. We can’t go down and turn it over. We have to be efficient offensively and that’s an area of concern for me right now.”
The visitors’ point of attack came from beyond the arc until the Lady Rattlers used their 1-3-1 half-court trap, which forced three consecutive turnovers to start the second quarter., South San Antonio hung around even after sloppy play, tying the game up at 24-24. Senior forward Grace Latham grabbed her own rebound, went back up strong for an and-one that shattered the tie at 26-24 with two minutes left in the half.
Following the intermission, San Marcos looked to junior forward Faith Phillips to carry the scoring load until the offense opened up for the rest of her teammates.
Phillips yelled “slip, slip, slip” as junior point guard Kayla Presley assisted the forward diving to the basket. Phillips was fouled hard but converted the layup and free throw, extending the lead to 13 just before halftime.
“I think not playing as much on Thursday, I got to watch the game more and really pay attention to where the spaces were opening,” said Phillips. “ And Grace did really well on Thursday, so watching what she did and just kind of taking my own spin on to that and I think that really helped.”
In the midst of a 20-9 third quarter, the junior continued to leave her mark on the game. An overhead rip through gave her an advantage, forcing the help side defense to slide over, but Phillips already got the bucket to go.
The hosts’ defense shifted to a full-court press speeding up the game and the Bobcats’ guards struggled to find an answer, resulting in the Lady Rattlers increasing their win streak to three and claimed the Champions Classic consolation prize.
“The main thing is Coach Kendall helping us out with how many fouls we have and what we need to run to execute in the second half,” sophomore guard Adelia Pierson said. “She points out the flaws and that helps us out a lot.”
Phillips excelled all weekend. She scored double-figures in every game including a season-high 18 points over South San Antonio in the win.
“(Phillips) is a solid player, a hard-working player and a team player. I mean, she is the anchor,” Kendall said. “She gets on the boards on both ends of the floor. She just brings an edge to the team that you have to have.”
Presley scored 16 points and was named to the Champions Classic All-Tournament team, along with senior forward Miranda Lamb.
The Lady Rattlers will face off with Killeen Shoemaker (3-5) on the road Tuesday at 12:30 p.m. With the holiday coming up, it's imperative the team stays ready to play and Kendall knows what it’ll take to be successful on the road over the next few weeks.
“Mental preparation,” Kendall said. “Our girls are going to have to get mentally prepared. They’re gonna have to do things with the holiday break to make sure that they’re taking care of themselves.”
