Girls Basketball: A diamond is Clippers’ best friend
CLIPPERS 58, BEARS 24
So, it is true, a diamond is a girl’s best friend. In this case, a diamond press defense.
Southold/Greenport may not get many style points for its play on the basketball court, but the Clippers may have found a diamond in the rough, namely, their recently unveiled diamond press.
The Clippers had practiced the diamond press and dabbled with it briefly in a couple of games, but it wasn’t until Thursday that they used it extensively. Coach Howie Geismar had to like what he saw.
Apply defensive pressure, steal the ball and make a layup.
That was the pattern time and again as the Clippers used their diamond press to cut Stony Brook to shreds in a 58-24 dismantling at Southold High School.
The diamond press seems to suit the Clippers (4-5, 2-1 Suffolk County League VIII), who have defensive-minded, scrappy players such as Madison Tabor, a virtual steal machine, and Toni Esposito. They generated 26 steals (7 by Tabor) against Stony Brook (0-3, 0-3). The Bears turned the ball over 38 times and shot 25 percent (9 of 36) from the floor.
All those steals helped the Clippers give themselves layups and other high-percentage shots. They finished with a high shooting percentage, too, going 47.5 percent (28 of 59) on their field-goal attempts. The Clippers hardly shot from outside and did not even attempt a 3-pointer. They didn’t need to.
Tabor, a sophomore guard, scored the first 6 of her 18 points during a game-opening 14-0 burst.
Stony Brook didn’t get on the scoreboard until Samantha Petersen banked in a shot with 29 seconds left in the first quarter.
At times the game resembled a layup drill. Tabor, who had 14 points by halftime, ran off four straight baskets during a 14-0 run in the second quarter that made the score 30-4.
As if that wasn’t enough, the Clippers put in the first 16 points of the third quarter for a commanding 50-6 advantage. Stony Brook didn’t reach double figures until late in the third quarter.
Angelica Klavas, who Geismar called his most improved player, looked good. The sophomore forward scored 12 points.
Anne Skorobohaty hit five treys in the second half and scored 20 of Stony Brook’s 24 points.
