There’s always some tentative and error-prone play as teams begin a new season. With half of Battlefield’s roster comprised of freshmen, you might think the Bobcats would be especially likely to come out of the gate slow.
Monday night at Potomac Falls against an experienced Panthers team, the Bobcats freshmen were anything but tenative and error-prone. The freshmen accounted for 74% of Battlefield’s offensive output, as the Bobcats stormed to an early lead and held off their hosts, 50-48. A pair of clutch free throws from Battlefield senior Kayla Bigsby proved big as well.
Starting first-year guards Madison Huynh and Alessa Rodriguez did a lot of their damage in the first half, as Battlefield took a 29-17 lead at break. Huynh had 12 first half points, while Rodriguez added two three-pointers, also helping to keep potent Potomac Falls guard Brynn Hunter scoreless in the first half. The Battlefield pair was dominant.
“My mind was like…we’ve got to keep this pressure up and we can’t let them score,” said Rodriguez of her thoughts at halftime.
Potomac Falls came out with more aggressiveness in the second half, but Battlefield responded after the Panthers began the half with a 5-0 run. Rodriguez buried another three-pointer, as did fellow freshman Lauren Wolf. That helped to right the Battlefield ship, and after three quarters the Bobcats led, 45-32.
Then the Panthers really ratcheted up their defense, led by Hunter’s aggressive pressure. Potomac Falls got steal after steal, and the taller Panthers used their height to clean up misses on the offensive glass. Two finishes at the hoop by senior center Cecilia O’Grady concluded a 16-2 Potomac Falls run, and with just over a minute left the hosts had rallied to lead, 48-47.
Shortly thereafter Bigsby was fouled and stepped to the line for two free throws. The senior had had a nice game defensively up until that point, but had not scored. She calmly sank two free throws to give the Bobcats the lead back for good.
“She got up there, and nothing but net and I’m proud of her,” said Battlefield Coach Kelly Cordle of Bigsby.
Potomac Falls got to the line as well late, but could not convert. Rodriguez hit another free throw for Battlefield, which provided the final margin of victory.
“Down the stretch we couldn’t hit free throws and missed some easy shots,” said Potomac Falls Coach Lynn Ewald. “We talk about it all the time, free throws make the difference down the stretch, they go three for four and we…don’t.”
The imposing senior front line of O’Grady and Meagan Njamen led the way for Potomac Falls, each providing a double-double to pace the Panthers’ attack. Panthers sophomore guard Emily Powell gave her team with a spark with nine points as well. Potomac Falls (0-1) out-rebounded Battlefield by a more than two-to-one margin but missed a lot of close-range shots and waited too long to ratchet up the defensive intensity.
“We have to play at that level all the time for what we want to accomplish,” said Ewald of his team’s impressive fourth quarter effort. “We came out flat early.”
Battlefield freshman Madison Huynh had 12 first half points for the Bobcats.Rodriguez and Huynh led the way for the Bobcats (1-0) with 14 points apiece. Nine players scored for Cordle’s team, with Wolf adding five points and yet another freshman, Marissa Seaman, adding four.
In short, Cordle’s young team showed no fear, even when Potomac Falls stormed back to take the lead.
“When my team needs help, I want the ball in my hands,” said Rodriguez, demonstrating that point.
Even Cordle might have had more nerves than his impressive young team afterward.
“I’m going to have a heart attack,” he said of the exciting, close finish. “We learned a little bit tonight, learned to play with a lead against pressure. Games like this make our team grow, and all our five freshmen did a great job and contributed for us.”
–Chris Jollay
all stats are unofficial
| POTOMAC FALLS | FG | FT | TP | REB | AST | |
| POWELL | 4-13 | 0-0 | 9 | 4 | 0 | |
| O’MARA | 0-9 | 0-0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | |
| HUNTER | 2-17 | 0-6 | 4 | 9 | 4 | |
| NJAMEN | 5-9 | 1-3 | 11 | 11 | 1 | |
| C.O’GRADY | 5-12 | 2-2 | 12 | 16 | 0 | |
| Yashina | 2-5 | 0-0 | 4 | 3 | 0 | |
| Anderson | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | |
| Gobeille | 2-2 | 0-1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | |
| Morris | 1-6 | 0-0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | |
| Jannati | 1-3 | 0-0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | |
| TOTALS | 22-76 | 3-12 | 48 | 51 | 11 | |
| Threes: Powell 1-3, Hunter 0-1, Jannati 0-1, Morris 0-2, O’Mara 0-5 | ||||||
| BATTLEFIELD | FG | FT | TP | REB | AST | |
| BAIRD | 1-2 | 0-0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | |
| BIGSBY | 0-8 | 2-2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | |
| HUYNH | 6-11 | 1-3 | 14 | 3 | 3 | |
| RODRIGUEZ | 5-10 | 1-2 | 14 | 7 | 3 | |
| SCHIFFLIN | 1-3 | 2-2 | 4 | 5 | 0 | |
| Bauer | 1-2 | 0-0 | 3 | 3 | 1 | |
| Hampson | 1-2 | 0-0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | |
| Wolf | 2-4 | 0-0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | |
| Seaman | 2-2 | 0-0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | |
| Kelly | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| TOTALS | 19-44 | 6-9 | 50 | 25 | 10 | |
| Threes: Rodriguez 3-6, Bauer 1-1, Huynh 1-3, Wolf 1-3, Baird 0-1 | ||||||