O’Fallon vs Triad: 5 Key Takeaways
O’Fallon broke open a game that was tight early to win 56-32. The Lady Panthers have been prone to some slow starts this year and this game was no different. With multiple turnovers early they only led 10-7 after one…
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Continue ReadingO’Fallon broke open a game that was tight early to win 56-32. The Lady Panthers have been prone to some slow starts this year and this game was no different. With multiple turnovers early they only led 10-7 after one quarter. But, over the full 32 minutes talent did win out and O’Fallon pulled away for the victory.
When you watch O’Fallon play you can’t help but ask yourself, is there a better post tandem in Southern Illinois? Amelia Bell and Tyana Lovelace are 2021 players that do a great job working off each other in the half court. Bell has worked hard to improve her skills on the perimeter, which creates a nice high-low game. She is long and moves well so she is quick on cuts and dives from the high post. Tyana is very strong and tough to stop in the low post or short corner. Once she gets the ball in deep she is scoring or going to the foul line most of the time. Possibly the best part of watching these two is seeing them run the floor. At times it seems as if there is a race to see who can get there first and get the layup. In this game both converted off fast breaks by beating everyone else down the floor. Coaches love having a “speed post”, Coach Knolhoff has two.
Although it is clear that Triad does not have the talent level to win 20 games right now, they compete on the defensive end and stay in games. Can they keep this up? Junior Sydney Hartoin and sophomores Alyssa Powell and Reagan Chigas did a good job in their zone of causing deflections. In most games their matchup zone has caused teams problems in the half court. Juniors Ella Manso and Anja Mills do a good job competing on the inside and trying to control the boards. Defense has been the calling card so far for the Lady Knights and it should continue to be the emphasis.
One of the biggest questions to answer for O’Fallon as they try to round into playoff form will be, who can they count on for outside shooting? Aubrey Mister and Kendall Schieppe seem to be the most likely candidates. Aubrey has struggled so far from behind the arc, although she hit one in this game, but she has shown the skill in the past. Kendall has averaged over 1 per game and hit 4 in their only loss to Whitfield. The strength of the team lies in the post and point guard Kayla Gordon who excels in getting into the lane. Freshman guard Shannon Dowell has hit 5 shots from behind the arc but the best part of her game is slashing too. These girls all have talent, they just have to start hitting the shots to free up more space for the inside game.
Triad needs to score more to compliment the defense that is being played. The question at hand is who can do that scoring? There was some success in turning the defense into offense. Sydney Hartoin was able to turn steals into layups in this game. But, that was not often enough to keep them in the game. Avery Bohnenstiehl is the second leading scorer at 6 points per game. She did not play in this game which certainly hurt. The Lady Knights run some good sets and do a good job of back cutting to get some easy lay ups. Right now they count on Alyssa Powell to create and hit open shots in the post and mid range. She is also good on the offensive boards finding second chances. Anja Mills has a nice shot from behind the 3-point line, it is just a matter of getting her some space to get those opportunities.
The last key takeaway is very simple, how good is Kayla Gordon? I have been amazed by her since the first time I saw her. Most teams know what she wants to do but cannot stop it. That makes you special in my book. Some players catch a team off guard because they don’t know about them. That is not the case here. She is just that good at beating you off the dribble and finishing with your big in her face. Now, I am can’t tell you nobody has ever stopped her, but I can tell you she won’t back down and she will keep coming at you. If Kayla develops a consistent 3-point shot then she has an even brighter future ahead of her.
I enjoyed seeing the system and culture that Coach Arbuthnot is putting together at Triad. The wins will come, I am sure of it. Coach Knothoff has a great group at O’Fallon and they have a long way to go to be playing their best basketball. When they get there, they can beat good teams and go far.