Bulldogs bite girls' basketball

JAN 7, NELSON H. KOBREN MEMORIAL GYMNASIUM-

The Blazers fell to 3-6 for the season, as they were defeated 61-51 tonight by Churchill High School, the defending Maryland 4A champions. Blair played very well, considering that Churchill is currently ranked eleventh by The Washington Post, has an 8-2 record and crushed the Blazers 62-39 late last year.

The Blazers have been streaky all season, with moments of both excellence and embarrassment--tonight was no exception. Blair slowly fell behind 24-16, after which a quick 14-0 Bulldog run put the game out of reach. The Blazers were outscored 15-4 starting late in the third quarter adding insult to injury, putting them down 56-30 early in the fourth period. However, the Blazers then got in the zone, outscoring Churchill 21-4 in a run where Blair almost couldn't miss.

Coach William Lindsay was pleased with the Blazers' late effort, but wishes that they had played well for the entire game. "[The fourth quarter dominance] could have happened all along. There was no secret," he said." If we [had a] secret, we'd have used it all game. The talent is there and it comes in different combinations."

Blair played a small lineup for much of the game because the team had trouble beating Churchill's full-court press. In fact, the Bulldogs scored the first six points of the second half without the Blazers crossing half-court once. The undersized squad was thus thoroughly out-rebounded, and the Bulldogs often had two, three, or even four looks at the basket.

Blair, however, did shoot well at the line, as they made 12 of 16 free-throws, while Churchill could only muster six of 16 attempts. Sophomore guard Brittany Higgins made six of her eight free throws and scored ten points, all in the second half.

Higgins believes that the team turned it up a notch at the end of the game, but the effort was not enough. "We did pretty well towards the end. It started out a little slow at the beginning. We had intensity but we needed a tad bit more," she said.

Junior center Emily Ramsay led the team with 12 points, seven rebounds and three steals; she has consistently been one of Blair's leaders. Senior center Allyson Swailes also played well, adding ten points and six boards. Junior guard McKenzie Robinson led the team with four assists, but was held scoreless.

The Blazers hope to get back to .500 as they go on a "road trip" to face Gaithersburg on Jan 10, Kennedy on Jan 13 and B-CC on Jan 15. All three opponents currently have a losing record.