Coming off their impressive victory over Cowan last week, the Eastbrook Panthers, and Head Coach Jeff Liddick, hoped the momentum from that win would carry over into another tough matchup against an always scrappy Southwood squad.
Safe to say — it did.
Behind another strong, all-around performance from every player who touched the hardwood, the Panthers earned their second straight victory in a 62-38 rout.
Despite necessary last minute changes to the starting lineup, it did not deter the Panthers. Gabby Scott, starting for Sehdah McKim, knocked down a three to start the game, and from that moment on, Eastbrook never trailed.
The first quarter was the most competitive. While the Panthers scored 20 points, the Knights took advantage of the lack of size in the post, collecting several offensive putback opportunities to make it a 20-14 Eastbrook lead at the break.
However, once usual starters McKim and Rachel Manning began to sub back into the contest, the Panthers assumed full control of the contest. Their shots continued to fall in the second quarter and the defense stiffened, as the Panthers outscored the Knights 14-9 to grab an 11-point advantage at halftime.
While Liddick was pleased with how they played in the first half, he and the Panthers’ coaching staff made adjustments, looking to limit Southwood’s second chance opportunities.
Eastbrook returned to the court with renewed focus and vigor, dominating the second half en route to a 24-point triumph.
“I just challenged the girls in the second half to do a little better job at the rim and do a better job of blocking out,” Liddick said. “We outscored them 28-15 in the second half and really limited their opportunities. At the same time, our shots…it [always] looked like somebody was trying to make the extra pass, giving up a good shot for a great shot.”
Despite Southwood pressing the entire contest, the Panthers remained calm under pressure, breaking the press often and scoring several easy baskets in the process to increase their advantage.
“They pressed us the whole game, and we knew they would,” Liddick said. “They run that diamond and one press, and we handled it extremely well. I think we only had one turnover against their press all night. We scored 16 points on just layups that [broke] their press. The girls did a great job of handling the pressure and getting [the ball] in the right spots.”
As a team, the Panthers shot 50 percent from the field. Freshman Sophia Morrison led the way with 17 points, while Johwen McKim finished with 13 points and three steals. Sehdah McKim collected 10 points and six rebounds, while freshman Olivia Howell added nine points, six rebounds, and six assists. Additionally, Lexi Binkerd scored seven points, while Scott finished with five.
With each passing contest, the Panthers are playing with more and more confidence, which has been a major factor in their recent success.
“Every one of these girls are accepting the roles that we set forth and what we expect of them, and they are gaining that confidence by accepting those roles,” Liddick said. “But at the same time, it’s making every other girl on the court more confident in each other’s roles.”
With a mini-winning streak in tow, Eastbrook will return to action for their CIC opener this coming Wednesday against Grant County rival Mississinewa.
“It’s our first conference game, and we want to get off to a good start in conference play,” Liddick said. “It’s a huge rivalry game. I don’t care what sport it is, if there is somebody wearing an Eastbrook T-shirt and the other person you’re playing is wearing a Mississinewa T-shirt, it’s going to be a battle. Every year, it’s a battle. We don’t expect anything different next week.
“We are going to have to give our best effort for four quarters in order to win it.”
