Liberty Bell defeated Manson 40-30 on Tuesday night. It was closer than the final score indicates.
Manson was down by 6 at halftime after having played a very flat and slow paced game the first 16 minutes. We seemed to walk through our offense with little sense of urgency. Fortunately, our defense held up well, only allowing 12 points in the half.
The 3rd quarter was our best quarter we have played all year. We were very active on defense which caused numerous turnovers and fast break opportunities. We moved the ball well and found the open man for some easy looks on offense. We totaled 19 points for the quarter and took a 2 point lead into the 4th.
Although we played hard the 4th quarter, the proverbial lid was placed over the basket again for us for much of the remainder of the game. We missed a handful of layins and only made 3 of 10 free throws in the last period. Liberty Bell made a couple of nice hoops and made 7 of 9 free throws to salt the game away.
Tonight was senior night and the last home game for all the seniors on the team. I would like to thank Sierra Miller, Thalia Lepley, Angelica Suarez, Cheyanne McFadden, Lorenza Lirosi, McKenzie Gallaher, Abby Bridgewater, and Megan Barnes for their contributions this year and for many, the past 4 years, to the basketball program at Manson. They will be missed in the years to come. I wish we could have had a more successful season in terms of wins to send them out on. It has been a pleasure to work with each of them. Individually, they are each a joy to be around and fun to talk to. I have no doubt they will be successful in any activity they participate in in the future.
Individually we had a couple of notable performances to highlight. Itzel Castro scored 16 points, all in the second half. She really carried the team for periods of time last night. Jaque Guillen came of the bench in the second half and really sparked the defense in the 3rd quarter. She contributed several steals, assists, and 4 points in the 3rd quarter.
Ultimately, the game was there for us to win. Our defense in particular was good enough to win. The same issues that have held us back the entire year were evident last night, that is, poor shooting and especially trouble at the free throw line. Hopefully over the off season the girls will concentrate on these deficiencies and that will go a long way in becoming a more successful team.
Our last game is Thursday at Brewster. We would like to thank all the support we have received this year. The band and cheerleaders have been outstanding. The fans were very loud and supportive last night. I would like to thank Fred Miller for keeping the score book this year. Our parental support has also been great and nothing but positive. Thanks to everyone.
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