Blazers hang on to beat Rockets

NELSON H. KOBREN GYMNASIUM, Feb. 4-

The girls' varsity basketball team (8-9) held strong against the Richard Montgomery Rockets (8-6) on Wednesday night. Holding the lead throughout most of the game and playing with aggression and determination, the Lady Blazers edged past the Rockets, 48-45.

Facing an aggressive opponent, the Lady Blazers managed to keep the Rockets at a distance, relying on clutch shots from inside the paint to widen the gap. Utilizing a proven press, the Blazers were able to prevent the Rockets from getting good looks at the basket. "We've improved our full court defense," head coach Erin Conley said. "It was a good win."

Senior Ashley Arnold and junior Inkera Patterson carried the team through an exciting first half. The Lady Blazers struck first with an easy lay-up from Arnold. At the end of the first quarter, with the team trailing 9-11, Arnold squeezed in a lay-up at the buzzer to even the score. The Blazers came back stronger in the second quarter as steals and blocks by freshmen Johanna Lopez and Chanel Aldridge expanded the Blazer lead. Blair cemented their 27-22 halftime lead with a buzzer-beater from Aldridge. "People stepped up today. We really stayed in the game," Aldridge said.

The second half ran slower for the Lady Blazers as the team got trapped by the Rockets' heavily physical plays. Freshman Gabby Smith and sophomore Janet Henkai proved to be team powerhouses as they drove down the court and broke Richard Montgomery's trap defense, raising the Blazer lead by six during the third quarter.
The final six minutes turned out to be the most action packed of the game as the Rockets evened the score at 37. As the Lady Blazers looked to edge past the aggressive Rockets, Aldridge sunk three field goals, bringing her point total to 12 for the night. With 25 seconds left in the game, Patterson and freshman Myla Sapp sank a free throw each, sealing the Blazer victory at 48-45. "We didn't crack under pressure," Patterson said.

The team, although glad about the win, is focusing on what they can improve on in order to be a playoff contender. Conley lists boxing out, lay ups and jumping cutters as some of the things the team will look to improve throughout the remainder of the season. "We still have improvements to make," she said.

The Lady Blazers' next home game is on Feb. 13 against Quince Orchard at 7:00 p.m.