Five Takeaways: No. 5 Campbell vs. No. 8 Woodstock
It’s not often that the first round of the state playoffs affords you a Top 10 matchup, but in Class 7A, R2 #2 No. 5 Campbell (21-7) hosted R4 #3 No. 8 Woodstock (23-5) in a fast pace game that…
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Continue ReadingIt’s not often that the first round of the state playoffs affords you a Top 10 matchup, but in Class 7A, R2 #2 No. 5 Campbell (21-7) hosted R4 #3 No. 8 Woodstock (23-5) in a fast pace game that was competitive till the final buzzer. The Spartans surged ahead in the fourth quarter and were able to make just enough free throws (8-18) to hold off the Wolverines 48-42, protecting home court and advancing to the Sweet 16.
Speed Kills
Known for their full court pressure, without secondary ball handler and third-leading scorer Karson Martin available, Campbell smelled blood in the water and quickly controlled the tempo of the game with their relentless press. As a team, Campbell collected 23 steals compared to Woodstock’s 4. Quick hands and quick feet, the Spartans were first to every 50/50 ball and forced Woodstock into sloppy turnovers. Seniors Jameah and Jaleah Alston flew around the court and tormented the Wolverines. Jameah finished with 11 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist and 7 steals while Jaleah had 2 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 8 steals. Even though Campbell out-athleted the Wolverines, Woodstock still had plenty of opportunities to win. Late rebounding on free throws hurt the Wolverines as Campbell earned too many second chances in the fourth quarter to overcome.
Super Sophomore
A bevy of talented sophomores took the floor but the best of the bunch was Woodstock’s Bridget Utberg. She had to shoulder the bulk of the ball handling duties and was able to break Campbell’s press by herself on most occasions. She was aggressive getting to the basket, seeking contact and getting to the line as she went 8-9. Utberg created opportunities for her teammates as well and found three-point specialist Carly Henderson locked and loaded in the corner as the senior knocked down four threes in her final game for 12 points. Utberg is a smooth operator with the ball and a trustworthy playmaker. Woodstock struggled mightily when the ball wasn’t in her hands. Too many times down the stretch the Wolverines were inbounding to the wrong personnel against the Campbell press and it led to turnovers. In crunch time the ball needed to be in Utberg’s hands every possession but Campbell did a good enough job of making sure that didn’t happen. She still managed to finish with a game-high 20 points and 5 assists.
Region 2 > Region 4
Region 2 went 3-1 against Region 4 as No. 1 Westlake clobbered Etowah (73-31) and No. 9 Pebblebrook dispatched of Roswell (60-44). No. 3 Cherokee picked up Region 4’s only win in dominating fashion, 71-35 over Newnan. Region 2 has been the strongest region in the state along with Region 3, which also went 3-1. With Pebblebrook and Campbell seeing Westlake multiple times throughout the season, they’ve seen the absolute best the state has to offer and should not be intimidated by anyone they see in the postseason.
2022 Campbell Guards
Sarah Taub, Nia Bozeman and Laila Battle all contributed. Taub led the Spartans in scoring with 15 points, 5 rebounds and 5 steals. She’s a solid shooting guard that can put the ball on the floor but also is a respectable three-point shooter, hitting two on the night. Bozeman at 5-foot-4 is a compact point guard with good body control. She had 8 points and 2 steals. She does a good job of staying in front of ball handlers and turning them on the press. Battle came in off the bench to contribute 5 points. She’s the Spartans second-best three-point shooter on the season.
Campbell’s Ceiling?
Campbell can really overwhelm teams with their constant pressure and their quickness. It will take a team with strong guard play that values the ball to be able to beat the Spartans. But even with 23 steals, Campbell did only beat a less than 100 percent Woodstock team by six points. The Spartans are small inside and can be hurt by mobile posts that not only can score, but can also get up and down the floor and defend on the perimeter. The Spartans get a bulk of their points in transition off turnovers. Campbell isn’t a great three-point shooting team which could hurt them eventually, especially if they have to work a lot in the half court. As a team, they have hit just 85-376 for 23 percent. Sarah Taub is their top shooter but she’s hit just 28-122 at the same 23 percent clip. Defense will definitely carry Campbell and defenses don’t usually slump. If they do find themselves down in a game, their aggressive style should give them plenty of chances to comeback. A Final Four run isn’t out of the realm of possibility.