Big second quarter, overall defense lead Heritage to victory
LaKaila Trimble leaps to battle an opponent for possession of the ball. (Photo by Haven Rice) By Parker Costin, Correspondent The Heritage ...
LaKaila Trimble leaps to battle an opponent for possession of the ball. (Photo by Haven Rice)
By Parker Costin, Correspondent
The Heritage Patriots pulled off an impressive defensive victory over the Riverside Poly Bears, winning 63-38 on Thursday night. This win increased their record to an impressive 15-6 on the season.
The Patriots were down early in the first quarter, 18-12. Halfway through the second quarter, they went on an 8-point run to take a lead of 24-23. During that time, they had 6 points scored by junior LaKaila Trimble and 4 points by senior captain Sierra Maxwell.
Trimble also made 2 blocks during that run, adding to that key point in the quarter with an assist and 5 rebounds.
Head coach Deanna Meijer had a few words to say about that impressive run.
“I was upset about the first quarter for sure,” she said. “We had a slow start, but towards the end of the second quarter, I think, is when we started to pick it up and then came out at halftime strong.”
The impressive defense didn’t stop there for the Patriots. After halftime, they allowed only 8 points -- solely from free throws -- in the third quarter and 5 points in the fourth quarter for a total of 13 points allowed for the entirety of the second half. Meijer was extremely impressed with her team’s dominant defense.
“It should have been that way in the beginning, but I’m always confident about my team and their abilities and they work hard,” she said.
The Patriots had complete dominance on the boards, recording a total of 22 rebounds. That was a critical factor in getting second-chance baskets and leading to fast break points throughout the game. Those rebounds led to 6 fast break baskets for the Patriots, who were able to catch the Bears by surprise and capitalize on their quick offense.
The Heritage shooting was also impressive. The Patriots showed great teamwork and selflessness with the ball, putting up a total of 9 assists. The leader was Maxwell with 7. Maxwell was also the top scorer for the Patriots, putting up 16 points with a 67 percent shooting percentage on the night.
Maxwell started the game shooting 1 for 4 but was able to heat up once the team started having the momentum on their side. The 3-ball was also on the Patriots’ side as they sank 3 shots from behind the arc on 5 attempts, putting up an impressive 60 percent shot percentage from 3-point range.
The Patriots look to keep their hot momentum going when they take on the Wildcats from Paloma Valley on Tuesday night at home.
Sierra Maxwell sets up for a shot as Poly's Abby Folsom defends. (Photo by Haven Rice)
