Archbishop Wood Bands Together to Blow Away the Competition
digitalsportsnews
| January 2, 2015
views (819)
The girls of Archbishop Wood’s Vikings won their bracket at the prestigious Nike Tournament of Champions in Phoenix on December 19
th through the 22
nd. Any doubts that they are rebuilding were quickly put to rest with a strong starting lineup of one senior and two juniors. “It’s the first time ever we went 3-0 out in Arizona,” Coach John Gallagher said. Stand-out’s Bailey Greenberg and Aubree Brown contribute to the team’s success, building the team offensively and defensively. The team’s growth in three weeks is underscored in the box scores. In Wood’s season-opening 59-56 loss to South Shore of New York, Greenberg had 27 points and Brown had 19. No other player had more than three. Claire Bassetti had four 3-pointers in Wood’s 62-24 win over California’s Marin Catholic in its tournament opener. “She’s really developed over the last several years and worked her way into a starting position,” Gallagher said. With 1:30 remaining in the third quarter of a game against California’s Vanden, the Vikings banded together in a 61-55 victory.
The team continued to blow away the competition in a win against Bishop Gorman, winners of four of the last six Nevada state titles. They took a 26-21 lead into half-time before cleaning up in the second half to win it 62-35. “I thought we played the best half of the year,” Gallagher said, “until the second half." Sophomore Karly Brown had eight points in the win over Bishop Gorman, and other young players also are stepping up. According to Gallagher, sophomore Lexi Edwards is contributing rebounds and solid defense. Freshmen Katie Connolly and Katie May both were in the starting lineup in Arizona, and both have made an immediate impact. “We’re still trying to mix and match pieces,” said Gallagher, who has had three different starting lineups in eight games.