By RICHIE HALL
LAPEL – The first basketball game of the season can often be the hardest game.
This is especially true if there are young players on the team. The good news for Westfield is that its young players are up to the challenge, and so are the returning players.
The Shamrocks opened their season on the road at Lapel on Tuesday. After a jittery first half, Westfield got it together in the second half and cruised to a 51-35 victory. It’s the second year in a row that the ‘Rocks have started the year with a win over the Bulldogs.
Westfield coach Ginny Smith said that Lapel was doing the little things in the first half, and her team was not. But after a “nice heart-to-heart” talk during halftime, the Shamrocks came out and took control.
“We didn’t understand that shots weren’t falling,” said Smith. “We need to try to get some easy buckets just to get our offense going. We just kept on doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result. But I do think that we finally figured out that we could get some easy buckets if we could just penetrate, kick, get out in transition and get some easy buckets. That way things would start falling for us. We got some offense from our defense and that got us going.”
The Bulldogs held the lead for most of the first half, including a 9-5 advantage after the first quarter. Westfield moved ahead briefly in the second period, 15-14, after junior Ava Henson converted a three-point play. Lapel went on a 7-0 run immediately afterwards to take a 21-15 lead; that would turn out to be its largest lead of the game.
Junior Ashtin DeCraene hit a 3-pointer to pull the Shamrocks within 21-18, and that was the halftime score. DeCraene’s triple turned out to be the beginning of a 13-0 run for the ‘Rocks.
Zoe Pentecost opened the second half with a layin, then Henson pushed Westfield ahead with her own basket. Henson followed that up with a pair of free throws. Freshman Alyssa Crockett – she was one of the starters – drained a 3, then Henson added another foul shot, putting Westfield up 28-21.
From there, the Shamrocks slowly extended their lead. Senior Jade Shipley hit a third-quarter 3-pointer, and a Jordan Hillis free throw finished the period’s scoring, putting Westfield up 46-36. The Shamrocks’ defense also ramped up in that quarter, disrupting the Bulldogs’ offense. Westfield had two instances where pressure on a Lapel inbound resulted in a turnover.
“When we started picking up full-court, it created some situations for Lapel that put us in a better situation in terms of scoring,” said Smith. “If we don’t take that stance, we probably don’t jump on them and get a lead at all. So I think it was a good move. The kids played hard. They were able to finish around the rim.”
Crockett added four more points in the fourth quarter. She also helped with an easy basket, deflecting and stealing an inbounds pass, then giving it to Henson for the score. Henson led the Westfield scoring with 14 points.
“Ava is an amazing young lady,” said Smith. “She has an incredible work ethic. She will do some great things for us this season. She’s finishing well around the rim. She’s starting to make free throws. She defends quite well. All in all, I am super excited to see what this junior season brings for her.”
Crockett finished the game with 13 points and nine rebounds, coming very close to a double-double in her first high school game. Smith spoke about the pressure that a freshman can feel when thrust into the varsity spotlight. But she noted that Crockett has “a great head on her shoulders.”
“Today was very difficult and I don’t know if people really understand what it’s like to be a 14- or a 15-year-old and to feel that kind of pressure,” said Smith. “We just try to talk her through it. We let her know that she’s going to make mistakes. We let her know that she’s going to struggle some. And we let her know that she’s going to be okay.”
Westfield outrebounded Lapel 40-21. After Crockett’s nine boards, Henson pulled six, while DeCraene and Pentecost both had five. Regan Dimond had two blocked shots.
The Shamrocks will play their home opener on Saturday, hosting Pendleton Heights.
Westfield’s Ava Henson scored 14 points for the Shamrocks in their season-opening game at Lapel on Wednesday. Westfield won 51-35. (Richie Hall)
Freshman Alyssa Crockett scored 13 points and pulled nine rebounds.