Girls Basketball Playoff Preview

Ok, about 24 hours away from the beginning of the girls basketball playoffs. As we mentioned before, all 4 teams made it to the post-season, a first for St. Mary's - at least to my knowledge - and for sure in the modern day era of St. Mary's Athletics.

Let's look at the keys to victory for each team.

4th Grade (Previous Game vs SVDP: Won 4-0)
The game cannot be a shootout
The 4th graders are not built to score point for point with other teams. The game needs to remain in single digits or in the low teens. If the other team gets into the 15-20 point range, it will be tough for the girls to keep up.

Be mentally there

For young girls, this could be tough. Even though they beat SVDP the last time they played, it was only a 4-0 game. They cannot count on shutting them out once again and will need to score more points.

Own the paint

One huge key will be Sofia, who gets off a tons of shots from inside the paint. If she can hit even half her shots, the 4th grade most likely wins this game. 

6th Grade (Vs Star of the Sea: Split season series)

Bigs need to play big

Lily and Becky need to capitalize on their chances by the basket. They haven't been consistent this year and will need to in the playoff game.

No lobs and catch the ball

This team loves to lob their passes and other players can't catch the ball. Both of these elements need to be better.

Don't get over-confident

The girls won big their first time against this team but lost without Kaela playing. They need to play to their full potential and can't automatically give themselves a victory just cause Kaela is in the lineup.

7th Grade (Previous Game vs OLV: Lost by 2 in OT)

No jitters

The 7th grade when confident, can beat anybody in their division. They've played big games before so there is no reason to be nervous.

Create Turnovers

Their defense will create more offense. They will need steals to trigger the fast break. 

No Droughts

The girls press if they go through stretches where they don't score. When this happens, they get tight and are more prone to turn the ball over. So they'll need to make sure they limit their spells when nothing goes in the basket. Even hitting a free throw will be better than coming away with nothing for several minutes.

8th Grade (Previous Game vs St. Philip's: Won 29-10)

Show up to practice

Sadly, the girls have had only a handful of team practices. They need to all show up on Friday to practice.

Jump

This is a big team. If they actually jump on their shots, rebounds and defense, it will create havoc for the other team. But a lot of them are still glued to the ground.

Which Cynthia shows up?

Cynthia has played strong down the stretch and will need to continue that trend. She played a little timid to start the year, but has surged as of late. We hope that continues.

PLAYOFF SCHEDULE

Friday, May 10

7th grade vs OLV, 6 p.m. @ Mission Dolores

Saturday, May 11
4th grade vs SVDP, 3 p.m. @ Salesian

Saturday, May 11
6th grade vs Star of the Sea, 2 p.m. @ St. Emydius

Saturday, May 11
8th grade vs St. Philip, 11:30 a.m. @ St. Thomas More

See you all at the games!