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Updated: Thursday, July 29, 2010 |
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The Yosemite Lady Badgers basketball team is once again in the thick of the Central Section playoffs.
Last night's semi-final round of the CIF Central Section Division II girls basketball playoffs between the Yosemite Lady Badgers and the No. 6 seed Redwood Rangers decided who would play at Selland Arena tomorrow night at 6 p.m. for the championship.
Game results were not available at press time, but are available online at www.sierrastar.com.
The two programs last faced each other in a 2009 opening round playoff game with Yosemite coming out on top, 63-39.
This season Redwood finished in a first-place tie in the South Sequoia League with a 9-1 record and Yosemite's 10-0 captured the North Sequoia League title.
While the No. 2 seeded Lady Badgers eased through their quarterfinal game with Sanger, winning 62-29 (see story below), the Rangers pulled of an upset, 67-57 victory over No. 3 seed, Clovis.
In that game, Redwood was able to break Clovis' fourth quarter, full court press and the Cougar guards could not break through the Redwood post.
Barring any major upsets, the Lady Badgers will meet Hanford tomorrow night at Selland Arena.
Outlook
Yosemite point guard Jenay Herring is averaging 14 points per game over the last eight games and an impressive 3.3 steals and 10 assists.
The Bullpups standout point guard Madison Parrish, is good for 12 points per game and 6.9 assists and 4.4 steals.
The success of Hanford in this matchup centers on one player.
Senior guard Taylor Spikes has owned the team's score sheet.
She is the key to the Bullpups' winning scoring 14.8 points per game with a career high school record of 51 points versus Mt. Whitney on Feb. 22, connecting on 16 of 39, 3-point shots.
Yosemite does not have the depth that Hanford has and there will be a mismatch any way you slice it.
But Yosemite's outside shooting, especially by junior Sydnee Fipps and senior Sienna Gonzales, who are averaging 4.9 and 3.2 treys a game respectively over the last eight games, could very well be the difference.
The Lady Badgers' constant pressure could bother Spikes, but the key for the Badger guards will be limiting their turnovers.
With the Bullpups outside shooting ability, the Badger ability to get out to cover the corners will be vital for Yosemite to upset the No. 1 seed in D-II.
Yosemite needs to break the Hanford press, this is the quickest team they have faced this season and by far the best 3-point shooting team.
Hanford will trap at every opportunity using the corner sideline as a sixth player.
Yosemite needs to stay out of the corners and drive the lanes utilizing Fipps and Herring's inside shooting.
Matchups on paper
On paper the two teams are nearly equal.
Hanford is currently the number one team in the nation, according to MaxPreps, in 3-point baskets made on the season (318) and its 10.9 3-point baskets per game is also tops in the country.
But the number two team in both categories is Yosemite.
With teams playing 25 games or more the Lady Badgers have (263) 3-point baskets on the season and average 9.1 treys a game.
Both teams have played 30 games and are 13-2 when playing at neutral sites.
Hanford leads the nation in scoring average (81.2) per game (25 games or more) Yosemite is ninth (67.2) in scoring average in the country.
The Lady Badgers have an edge in rebounds per game with 34.4 to Hanfords' 30.7; Hanford averages 20.5 steals a game and Yosemite 18.
If it comes down to free throws, the two teams are nearly even, Yosemite shoots 67% from the line as do the Bullpups.
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