Girls basketball: Barons control the boards

By BOB PUTNAM, Times Staff Writer
Published January 5, 2008

LARGO - It was easy to overlook amid all the 3-point attempts. After all, long-range shots are more eye-catching than a proper box out.

Boca Ciega's marksmanship was off against St. Petersburg Catholic. But it was the Pirates' inability to retrieve those missed heaves that proved to be their downfall.

The Barons' brute strength underneath the basket paid dividends in a 60-53 victory in the semifinals of the Indian Rocks Christian Holiday tournament.

"I think the biggest key was we didn't give Boca Ciega a lot of second-chance opportunities," SPC coach Nick Vandewalle said.

The rebounding columns in the box score were worth a second look. The Barons (16-1) grabbed 26 defensive rebounds, nearly the same amount the Pirates (16-2) had on both ends of the court.

SPC's Sasha Chaplin was a disruptive force inside, leading her team with 28 points and 17 rebounds.

"We stressed that we had to get rebounds," Chaplin said. "That was big not only for myself, but for the entire team."

The Barons capitalized on Boca Ciega's errant shots to build a 42-28 lead after three quarters.

After that, the Pirates applied pressure to mount a furious comeback.

Boca Ciega went on a 14-3 run to cut the deficit to 45-42. But the Pirates would not get any closer.

Tamara Taylor led Boca Ciega with 28 points, including eight 3-pointers.

"We're going to shoot a lot every game," Pirates coach Will White said. "We just have to do better at getting offensive rebounds.

"Overall, I'm happy with the effort to rally like that. But the first showed we can't just show up and play."

SPC will play Ridgewood in the final tonight at 7. The Rams advanced by beating the host Golden Eagles 48-28 in the other semifinal.

Bob Putnam can be reached at putnam@sptimes.com or (727) 445-4169.

[Last modified January 5, 2008, 00:07:27]