Prep Girls Hoops 10 best: Fieldcrest vs. Dee-Mack
Dee-Mack had Fieldcrest buried in the first half but the Knights were resilient to make a game of it. In turn, the Chiefs showed their own resiliency to hold off the Knights and tie a school record in wins (18)…
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Continue ReadingDee-Mack had Fieldcrest buried in the first half but the Knights were resilient to make a game of it. In turn, the Chiefs showed their own resiliency to hold off the Knights and tie a school record in wins (18) with the 1991-92 team.
The Chiefs escaped with a 57-49 win over Heart of Illinois-rival Fieldcrest in the first of a girls/boys doubleheader.
It took the Knights 10 minutes to connect on their first field goal, which allowed Dee-Mack to gain a 28-6 advantage. But foul trouble on the Chiefs allowed Fieldcrest to get back in the game. It was 32-21 by halftime, then the lead was cut to 45-37 in the third quarter.
In front of a mostly packed gymnasium where late-arriving fans wouldn’t have known it was heading for a blowout early on, the Knights got the game within three points before the Chiefs pulled away.
Here are the 10 best things from that game.
1. MVP
Jess Carithers (Dee-Mack 2019, G, 5-foot-6) – 17 points (7-15/1-5/2-4); 6 steals, 4 assists, 2 rebounds
Carithers, a Culver-Stockton recruit, can fill it up offensively. She was the best player on the court and played like it. She has a good awareness of the defender on when to blow by them towards the baseline or to pull an open 3-pointer. She didn’t shoot from the perimeter as well as she has this season.
Most impressively, Carithers had great awareness at the top of a 2-3 zone to jump passing lanes and get out in transition. She’d lead the fastbreak and appropriately look for her teammates when she was taken away.
2. Play of the game
To end the third quarter, Dee-Mack had an inbounds play along its baseline. Audrey Thomann (2020) inbounded the ball to Carithers in the left corner while Hope McGinnis (2020) was open for a top-of-the-arc 3-pointer. Carithers opted for McGinnis over Thomann, who had great post position underneath the basket. McGinnis knocked down the 3-pointer to give the Chiefs an 8-point lead going into the final eight minutes.
3. Best offensive performance
Madi Hock (Fieldcrest 2019, G, 5-foot-4) – 13 points (3-8/2-5/5-7); 3 assists
Hock moved the ball well to shift the 2-3 zone and get her teammates open. She showed good range and the ability to drive and draw contact to get herself to the free-throw line. Hock sparked the offense, which ended up assisting on nine of 17 baskets.
4. Best defensive performance
Jess Carithers (Dee-Mack 2019) – 6 steals
Again, Carithers showed her high-IQ at the top of the 2-3 zone, getting into the passing lanes for easy run-outs in the first half.
5. Best girl off the bench
Hope McGinnis (Dee-Mack 2020, F, 5-7) – 6 points (2-2/2-2/0-0); 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal
McGinnis was very selective with shooting the basketball and it paid off. She passed up a couple of other open 3-point shots as her team did a good job of working the ball inside. Playing along the baseline wing in the zone, she took away the corner 3-pointer from Fieldcrest and did a good job of boxing out to secure rebounds. Her efficiency on both ends of the court was key, especially with her team battling foul trouble in the first half.
6. Best intangibles
Audrey Thomann (Dee-Mack 2020, F, 5-11) – 8 points (4-9/0-2/0-0); 5 rebounds, 1 assist
The eye test is important here because you can tell Thomann knows the game by her movement on the offensive end. She is solid at getting in good scoring position, be it backing down on the low block, working with the ball in her hands and showcasing skilled moves to get to the basket, or taking an open 3-pointer. It just didn’t result in made baskets, but her play in the second half was key in holding off Fieldcrest.
7. Best under-the-radar-performance
Addie Goodrich (Fieldcrest 2019, F, 5-8) – 16 points (6-13/3-9/1-2); 2 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 steals
Goodrich wasn’t comfortable offensively, being taken away inside and not getting her shot to fall outside. However, her third-quarter hot streak (3-for-4 from 3-point range) was enough to get Fieldcrest back in the game, when she scored 12 of her 16 points. She showcased her potential as a capable shooter and working the ball inside.
8. Best underclassman
Ella Goodrich (Fieldcrest 2022, G, 5-7) – 4 points (2-5/0-1/0-2); 1 assist, 1 rebounds, 1 steal
The younger Goodrich was really impressive with how well she moved on the court and her ability to battle for 50/50 balls. She brought great energy on the court and moved well offensively, showing a good understanding of how to operate against a zone. Her development is something worth watching as she could be the next good player out of Fieldcrest.
9. Best rebounder
Meredith Sidwell (Dee-Mack 2019, F, 5-10) – 10 rebounds (5 offensive)
Sidwell had a great performance on her senior night. She scored all 12 of her points on the first half, when she grabbed 4 first-quarter offensive rebounds for easy stickbacks. As good as she was crashing the glass offensively, she was equally good on the defensive end.
10. Best environment
This was the best regular season environment for a girls basketball game I’ve seen all season. Maybe the fact that it was two small schools that made this work, but the gym was full by halftime of the girls game and more people managed to fit in to see a good finish. The girls/boys doubleheader paid dividends as many people made comments to me about how great it is.
We’re all in the same boat as we’d like to see more doubleheaders around the state.
Lines of the night
Fieldcrest
Madi Hock – 13 points (3-8/2-5/5-7); 3 assists, 3 rebounds
Addie Goodrich – 16 points (6-13/3-9/1-2); 2 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 steals
Alyx Carls (2020, G, 5-foot-6) – 8 points (2-6/2-5/2-6); 4 rebounds, 2 assists
Dee-Mack
Jess Carithers – 17 points (7-15/1-5/2-4); 6 steals, 4 assists, 2 rebounds
Meredith Sidwell – 12 points (5-10/0-0/2-2); 10 rebounds
Hope McGinnis – 6 points (2-2/2-2/0-0); 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal