Kenmore couldn’t keep up with Manchester’s run-and-gun offense, eventually running out of gas and falling to the home Panthers 64-40 Monday night.
Manchester pressured Kenmore early, never letting the Cardinals get into an offensive rhythm. Kenmore turned the ball over 19 times and became visibly upset and deflated late in the second quarter. By that time, it was already a 13-point Panther lead.
“We got after them, I think people were surprised we were pressing [on defense],” coach Tucker Pappas said. “We [wanted them] tired. I think they were dragging in the second quarter. That was a big swing and once we got that, it was over.”
Senior Angela Durgala led the way on both offense and defense with a team-high 14 points and seven steals.
Durgala used double-teams to swoop in behind Kenmore and knock the ball loose from behind.
“Tonight [Durgala’s] whole thing on defense was to come from the blind side and look for steals,” Pappas said. “I said, ‘Your girl isn’t gonna score, so look for steals.’ ”
Fellow senior Michelle Noble also applied pressure on the Cardinals’ offense with five steals of her own to go along with 13 points and five assists.
With Kenmore being a talented team preparing for the City Series Championship against Firestone on Thursday night, Pappas knew the atmosphere would be electric and wanted to take advantage from the very beginning.
“We wanted to come out [this fast],” he said. “We knew coming in it was gonna be a good game, high energy and a tournament-like atmosphere.”
Kenmore coach Yontami Jones isn’t worried about her team’s conditioning entering Thursday’s game.
“They did [get tired], and I’m shocked they did,” Jones said. “I guess we have some running to do ... but we have two days of practice so we’re gonna work it out.”
Jones entered the locker room with a frustrated, exhausted team, already down for the count against Manchester’s high-octane offense.
“My message [at halftime] was, ‘You’re better than this. You need to get out and play like you know how to play,’” Jones said.
Part of the problem was Manchester’s speed and ability to score from anywhere on the floor. Part of the problem may have also been the absence of senior guard Charnae Coleman, who missed the game due to a suspension and left Kenmore with a shorter bench.
“My girl [Coleman] makes a world of a difference,” Jones said. “She was being selfish and got in some trouble, so she’s suspended.”
Whether or not she’ll be available for Thursday night’s game against Firestone is still up in the air. Jones hopes to know more about her status today.
Senior Alexis Lee paced the Cardinals with a game-high 21 points. She also grabbed four rebounds. Senior Essence Bell added nine points and seven rebounds.
