For the vast majority of coach Jody Patrick’s 16-year tenure at Flint Hill, the Huskies have played in their league’s upper division against some of the stiffest competition the ISL has to offer. But her team was in the lower division last year, only earning its way back to AA by winning that league’s regular season crown.
While the upper division is exactly where she wants her team to be, the Huskies’ room for error is not what it was last year. An off-shooting night can result in disaster against the impressive talent of ISL AA, and that’s what happened to Flint Hill as it hosted Holy Child Thursday night. While Patrick’s team did a lot of things well and worked hard the entire game, Flint Hill simply could not convert enough from the field (14 of 53) or the free throw line (14 of 27), falling to the Tigers 61-43.
Even if the Huskies (1-2, 7-6) had shot better, it would have been difficult to upend Holy Child (3-0, 10-1), which won the Bulldog Bash a couple weeks ago with victories over Northern Virginia public schools West Springfield, Madison and Lake Braddock. Flint Hill emphasized limiting Holy Child’s impressive shooter Marley Burgess’ chances on offense coming into the game. Burgess only managed six points on two three-pointers, but other Tigers stepped up. With the Huskies’ defense extended, guard Tori Yantsos (16 points) and low-post threat Jada Dapaa (15 points) were able to get to the rim repeatedly.
“[Senior forward] Tori Herman did a great job on Burgess, but they’re a great team,” Patrick said. “They have others that can hurt you.”
Flint Hill only trailed by four early in the second quarter after sophomore Whitney Wiley made a beautiful pass to a cutting Cami Lamont for a lay-up, but that’s when Yantsos and Dapaa led a scoring blitz for the visitors. The athletic Tigers would rebound and run and power their way to the hoop, converting down low while the Huskies could not. Holy Child finished the quarter on an 18-7 run and led 31-16 at the half.
It’s not like Flint Hill was taking it easy before halftime, but Patrick’s team upped the intensity and played better in the second half. Sophomore center Madison Jordan started to crash the boards harder and got most of her team-high 11 rebounds in the second half. She also made Dapaa work much harder to get her production. The Huskies were able to force more turnovers and get out in transition some and the baskets started to come a little easier. And they won the rebounding battle, which is one of Patrick’s biggest concerns about her team.
But despite the Huskies’ intensity and better play, they still managed to only play Holy Child almost even in the second half. If the Huskies are to be a factor in ISL AA, they simply have to convert better at the rim and play a good game for its entirety–not just for a couple quarters.
“Our offensive rebounding was good, but we didn’t finish with our second chances tonight–they did,” Patrick said. “I’m disappointed about our foul shooting the last two games, and we’ve been very good from the line. We’re getting there, but we’re just not finishing. We get in the paint, and to the foul line, and at this level you’ve got to finish. And if you don’t you’re not going to get another chance.”
Wiley led the Huskies on the night with 14 points, four rebounds and four assists. Jordan ended up with a double-double, adding ten points to her strong work on the boards. Claire Miller (10 points, 10 rebounds) also had a double-double off the bench. Considering those three are all sophomores, and there’s six total on the roster, it definitely seems like Flint Hill will continue to improve. The work ethic seems to be there, certainly, and Patrick is understandably proud of her team.
“They work hard, don’t they?” a smiling Patrick said. “We’re going to make teams match-up with us and we’re going to keep improving. The baskets will come if we keep practicing hard, we’ve just got to take care of defensive rebounding and play better defense. To give up 61 points is a lot for us.”
–Chris Jollay
box score is unofficial
| FLINT HILL | FG | FT | TP | RB | AST | |
| REILLY | 0-5 | 1-3 | 1 | 5 | 0 | |
| LAMONT | 1-3 | 0-0 | 2 | 5 | 1 | |
| HERMAN | 1-10 | 2-4 | 5 | 4 | 0 | |
| JORDAN | 4-9 | 2-3 | 10 | 11 | 0 | |
| WILEY | 4-13 | 6-8 | 14 | 4 | 4 | |
| Miller | 4-12 | 2-7 | 10 | 10 | 0 | |
| Boyce | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Demba | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Rice | 0-0 | 1-2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| TOTALS | 14-53 | 14-27 | 43 | 41 | 5 | |
| Three Pointers: Herman 1-4, Reilly 0-2, Miller 0-2, Wiley 0-1 | ||||||
| HOLY CHILD | FG | FT | TP | RB | AST | |
| YANTSOS | 6-14 | 4-5 | 16 | 2 | 2 | |
| GRIBBLE | 1-2 | 0-0 | 2 | 7 | 1 | |
| WELBON | 1-9 | 3-4 | 5 | 7 | 3 | |
| DAPAA | 7-16 | 1-3 | 15 | 15 | 3 | |
| BURGESS | 2-6 | 0-0 | 6 | 2 | 1 | |
| Wood | 3-7 | 3-4 | 9 | 3 | 0 | |
| Kernan | 4-6 | 0-0 | 8 | 2 | 2 | |
| McGuinness | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Hannan | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| O’Donnell | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| TOTALS | 24-61 | 11-16 | 61 | 39 | 13 | |
| Three Pointers: Burgess 2-5, Yantsos 0-2, O’Donnell 0-1 | ||||||