Girls Basketball: Howard Lions Trample Long Reach Lightning

The Howard Lions improved to 5-2 on Wednesday night against the Long Reach Lighting. They did so in convincing fashion.  The Lions played with offensive maturity and defensive fervor from the tip-off to the final whistle.  

Coached by Scott Robinson, the Lions took the lead early in the first quarter and never looked back. By the end of the 3rd quarter, the Lions were able to give their starters some well deserved rest. The final score of the game was 51-27.  

"The first half was the best we played all year," commented coach Robinson.  

The Lions did all the things that great teams do: they dominated the glass, made defensive stops, and pushed the ball efficiently. "We played with a lot of intensity, handled the ball really well, and defensively we really got after it," added Robinson.

The Lions have depth at the guard position with great talent. They rotated guards to create turnovers in the Lightning backcourt. They played full court man defense to slow down Imani Sanders, one of the county's best point guards.

The most impressive part of the Lions' full complement of guards is their maturity. Robinson's wings often passed up open shots in favor of creating easier scoring opportunities.  

"We want to get the shots we want, not necessarily the shots the defense gives us." Coach Robinson explained, "Sometimes it can be a wide open 25- footer, but we might want to get a layup."

Robinson's team consistently made the extra pass to create easy scoring opportunities for their twin towers, Alauna Jackson and Caitlin Ciniero. Coach Robinson lauded Jackson's play, "Alauna can be a force, she is a great athlete with tremendous potential."

The Howard Lions are not only talented but they also have a coach that knows how to win.

In the 2008-2009 season, Coach Robinson lead the Mt. Hebron girls team to a 28-0 season and a class 2A state championship. He is back this year with the Howard Lions. Every coach aspires for greatness and this year is no different.  

As a team, the Lions are beginning to click. After two losses early in the season, they have bounced back, winning five straight games.

However, coach admits with a chuckle that the Lions have a "long way to go."
The Lions have finished the first month of conference play and will have a few out of conference games next week to make some adjustments to keep improving their game.

Due to injuries and family reasons, the Long Reach Lightning only dressed 8 players. They dropped to 2-4 in the conference.

Although the Lightning went down early, they received an inspiring performance from freshman point guard Imani Sanders. Sanders displayed great court leadership against a tough full court man defense that placed one defender on her wherever she was on the court.  

Sanders was in the game for the full 32 minutes and never committed a 10 second violation.  The freshman point guard showed poise and although she was limited displayed a skill set that will certainly open eyes going forward.

After the game Coach Robinson gave his respect to the opposing freshman: "She's going to be a dynamite player."

Immani's game was not the only bright spot of the evening.  Junior forward Alexis Briscoe also showed poise throughout the evening. Both players directed traffic and never gave up once the game was out of reach.

After winter break, Sanders and Briscoe will lead Long Reach against the undefeated Glenelg Gladiators on January 5.

Long Reach Scoring:
Immani Sanders 17, Alexis Briscoe 6

Howard Scoring:
Alauna Jackson 9,  Brittany Butler 8, Caitlin Ciniero 8, April Kuhn 7,  Corinne Grob 6