The funny part of a full-court press, one of the deadliest tools in basketball if implemented well, is that a team cannot use it if it's not scoring.
That's what Dual County League leader Westford found out last night as it stared at a 12-point hole against second-place Newton South late in the second quarter. The Lions were scoring at will, but the Grey Ghosts couldn't unveil their best weapon until they found the basket.
But once Westford hit its first bucket after intermission, and reapplied its press, the Grey Ghosts were completely in control of the DCL girls basketball showdown, coasting to a 67-56 victory on South's turf.
With their press on almost the entire second half, Westford (16-2) outscored South (14-3), 34-18, after the break.
``We made the decision that once we got a couple buckets, we'd put the press on, because that's been our bread and butter,'' Westford coach Russ Coward said, adding that Westford had been wary of applying the press in dead-ball situations due to South's dismantling of that approach in the Lions' four-point loss at Westford earlier this season.
South coach Sam Doner said his team was prepared for Westford's approach, but that it lacked the mental stamina.
``I want teams to press us. We work on it every day,'' he said. ``(The South girls) felt the pressure, and it got the best of them. ... They were a little afraid for some reason.
``Our No. 1 concern is mental toughness.''
Doner said it was his quest for that elusive mental toughness that guided many of his in-game decisions, including first and third quarters when he benched several of his starters and tried different combinations on the court. Westford outscored South 15-14 in the first quarter and 16-5 in the third.
``I didn't do a good job motivating or with second-half adjustments,'' Doner said. ``I take the full blame. I was focused on the mental toughness, not the game.''
South had control of much of the first half, including most of the first quarter despite trailing by one. The Lions attacked early, racking up offensive rebounds, while several Westford players committed quick fouls.
Junior Chloe Rothman put South on the scoreboard early with a jumper in transition. Then, after the Grey Ghosts scored six straight points to go ahead 10-2, South found its game.
Junior Jocie Collins nailed a 3, then junior Sophie Bikofsky found the basket twice in a row for South, with her second score - a deep 3-point bomb in transition - pulling South within 11-10.
After closing out the first quarter at an even pace, with both sides contesting each pass in a tight defensive battle, South broke open the second quarter with a 10-0 run.
Senior Ally Leipzig, who was playing in her final regular-season home game for South on Senior Night, scraped up an offensive rebound and scored on a put-back, then junior Kendall Burton drilled a 3-pointer and scored on an old-fashioned three-point play on the next possession.
Freshman Kayla Burton sliced open Westford's press with a drive for another two points, and South led 24-15 just two-and-a-half minutes into the frame.
South extended its lead throughout the quarter, with Kendall Burton, Bikofsky and Rothman all hitting 3-pointers before Westford chipped back to 38-33 at the half.
But just as easily as the second quarter went for South, the Grey Ghosts owned the third. South wilted in the face of the Westford press, attempting poor passes, as Westford's inside game got on track.
Westford senior forward Asia Ewing, who had kept the Grey Ghosts in the game in the first half with 14 points on put-backs and foul shots, scored the final basket of a 12-0 run to put Westford up 45-38. The basket also marked Ewing's 1,000th career point.
After stopping the game to celebrate the accomplishment, the onslaught continued.
South got its first basket of the third quarter four minutes in and was able to play Westford even from there. But, despite the press break working in the fourth quarter, the Lions offense was plagued by turnovers, missed shots and a lack of rebounding.
The Lions pulled down only five defensive rebounds in the final two quarters. After scoring 14 points in the first half, Kendall Burton was held to just four after intermission. Rothman's five first-half assists compared to just one after the break.
South got within three points with 2:45 left, but Westford pounded the ball inside, and the 3-point shots that had put South ahead early only pushed the Lions further behind down the stretch as they clanked out.
``I think with our size down low,'' Coward said, ``we knew we'd be able to wear them down. ... I think I was panicked, but I don't think the girls were.''
Ewing had 18 points and 18 rebounds for Westford.
South saw its six-game winning streak, dating back to Jan. 15's 65-61 loss to Westford, snapped. The Lions visit Acton-Boxboro tomorrow for their final regular-season contest.
``I felt like we tried and worked really hard, but we just came up short,'' Leipzig said. ``We have a much bigger goal than just winning this game.''
