At this current moment, I am sitting inside of Xenia High School’s
(XHS) Blue Pit Gymnasium. Out of any basketball game which I will have the
pleasure of covering (during The 2015-2016 Season); this is the place that I
have been most eagerly anticipating being in. This place (The Blue Pit) is
home! In 1995, I graduated from XHS. As a student, I spent a countless amount
of time in the halls of XHS. Also, I spent a countless amount of time in the
gymnasium too. Being a Sports Journalist provides me the opportunity to return
“HOME.” Tonight (Friday, November 20, 2015) is the beginning of a brand-new
era. The
Kyle Gray Era starts tonight. Gray is the new Head Coach of the XHS
Lady Buccaneers’ Basketball Team. If his name sounds familiar, that is not
unusual. If you know anything about XHS and XHS’s Girls’ Basketball Program,
you should know exactly who Gray is. First and foremost, he is a part of XHS’s Mathematics
Department. Also, he is a former Lady Buccaneers’ Head Basketball Coach. As of
this current season (2015-2016), Gray has officially reclaimed his throne.
After the embarrassing tenure of XHS’s last Girls’ Head Basketball Coach,
seeing a new Head Coach is a breath of fresh air. Make no mistakes about it.
Gray is the perfect person for the job. He is a true-life “Xenia High School Man.” He
knows what being a Buccaneer is all about. Most importantly, Gray possesses the
voice and basketball knowledge which will be used to improve XHS’s Girls’
Basketball Program. Just remember the following. Improvement takes time.
Positivity does not always take place overnight. Therefore, all of the Lady
Buccaneers’ supporters should remain patient.
Shawnee
High School (SHS) won the game’s tip-off. At 7:54, the Lady Braves make a
2-Point Basket. Thirteen seconds later (7:41), Xenia ties the game up (2-2). From 7:28 to 4:25, SHS committed 2-Turnovers.
XHS turned the ball over once. Scoring was fairly close. The Lady Braves
outscored the Lady Buccaneers 7-6. For the Lady Braves, Alisa Williams scored
5-Points. Cora Stevens scored the Lady Buccaneers’ 6-Points. SHS led XHS 9-8.
From 4:15 to 3:52, turnovers became a problem again. XHS had 2-Turnovers. SHS
had 1-Turnover. After the turnovers ended, SHS went on a 6-2 Scoring Run.
During the run, the Lady Braves’ Danyah Barnes scored 4-Points. Once again,
Stevens scored all of the Lady Buccaneers’ points.
Sandwiched
in-between 2-Turnovers (by XHS), SHS had 1-Turnover. From 1:13 to 1:04, each
team scored 2-Points. With 1:02 remaining in the 1st Quarter, a
Timeout was called. Each team has a Turnover Problem; Foul Problem; Passing
Problem; and Ball Handling Problem. Otherwise, this is a good game. At the 29.7
mark, the Lady Braves turned the ball over. At the end of the 1st
Quarter, SHS possessed a 5-Point Lead (17-12). As the 2nd Quarter got underway,
the Lady Buccaneers had possession of the ball. Stevens soon found herself at
the Free Throw Line (7:29). However, she was unable to successfully convert a
shot. Stevens made up for her mistake. At 7:07, she made a 2-Point Basket.
After a Lady Buccaneers’ turnover, the Lady Braves’ Alyssa Garberich picked up
2-Points. After SHS turned the ball over, XHS’s Ella Welsh made 1-Foul Shot
(6:12). Before a Timeout (4:48), each team turned the ball over once. Each team
scored 2-Points too. SHS led XHS 21-17.
Shortly
after the Timeout (4:29), XHS’s Lizzie Abbott made a 2-Point Basket. Then,
Garberich made 1-Foul Shot. From 4:02 to 3:03, each team committed 1-Traveling
Violation. Williams made a 2-Point Basket. With 2:48 remaining before Halftime,
play was stopped. Stevens was lying on the court. She was injured. With some
assistance, she was able to walk off of the court. As far as whether or not
Stevens returns, no official word has been given. During the final 2:35, SHS
outscored XHS 3-0. At the end of the First Half, SHS led XHS 27-19. Ball
Handling; Footwork; and Fouls all continued to plague both teams. Those aspects
led to multiple turnovers (for both teams). The Lady Buccaneers’ Cora Stevens
was injured. She had to leave the game. XHS was dealt a “HUGE BLOW.” Thus far,
Stevens has been the Lady Buccaneers’ best player.
Stevens
has almost been unstoppable. She is a fighter. All during her time (in this
game), she has fought for her positioning. On defense, Stevens has constantly fought
for the ball. On some occasions, that included going to the ground. As the 3rd
Quarter got underway, something caught my attention. Cora Stevens is back in
the game. For XHS, that is great news! SHS started with possession of the ball.
From 7:54 to 6:26, the game became “Turnover City.” Each team committed
2-Turnovers. The 3rd Quarter’s first points came at 5:38. XHS’s Jada
Wallace made a 2-Point Basket. Nine seconds later (5:29), SHS scored. Garberich
made 1-Free Throw Attempt. After the Lady Buccaneers kept passing the ball
around, Welsh nailed a 3-Point Basket (4:45).
The
turnover soon reared its ugly face again. From 4:26 to 2:09, each team committed
3-Turnovers. During that period, scoring was low. In fact, only 1-Field Goal
was made. At 2:58, XHS’s Charlie Stone made a 2-Point Basket. With 1:34
remaining in the 3rd Quarter, a Timeout was called. SHS’s lead stood
at 2-Points (28-26). Turnovers and Missed Foul Shots have become major problems
(for both teams). Ten seconds after the Timeout (1:24), the Lady Buccaneers
turned the ball over. Then, the Lady Braves committed an Offensive Foul (51.5
Seconds). During the final 19.4 Seconds, two things happened. First, Stone made
1-Foul Shot. Then, SHS’s Desinique Parks hit a 3-Point Basket. At the end of
the 3rd Quarter, the Lady Braves led by 4-Points (31-27). At the
beginning of the 4th Quarter, XHS had possession of the ball.
Unfortunately, the Lady Buccaneers were unable to score.
From
6:47 to 4:48, XHS committed 3-Turnovers. SHS committed 1-Turnover. During this
period, the Lady Braves outscored the Lady Buccaneers 5-1. Before a Timeout
(2:45), SHS outscored XHS 6-4. Williams scored 4-Points. Wallace scored the
Lady Buccaneers’ 4-Points. At the 2:36 mark, Welsh found herself at the Free
Throw Line. To her dismay, she was unable to make any Foul Shots. Four seconds
after the Lady Buccaneers turned the ball over, Garberich made a 2-Point Basket
(2:26). After XHS turned the ball over again (1:58), Garberich found herself at
the Free Throw Line. After Garberich made 1-Foul Shot, SHS led XHS 45-32. With
54.6 Seconds remaining in the game, one of XHS’s players was going to the
basket. This particular player put up a shot. However, SHS’s Defense blocked
that attempt. That Block causes the Lady Buccaneers to turn the ball over. The Lady Braves were unable to score. In fact,
they turned the ball over (35.8 Seconds). With 19.5 Seconds remaining in the
game, the final points were scored. The Lady Buccaneers’ Ahzjai Files made a
2-Point Basket. By the Final Score of 45-34, SHS defeated XHS.
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