GIRLS’ BASKETBALL SPORT SHORTS, 2011-12–
Latest girls’ basketball shorts will be at the top of the section. Scroll down to check out past results. Scrimmages do not count toward win/loss record. Visit the Sports Section for girls’ basketball features.) For a simple overview of scores and upcoming games, check the Winter sport box scores, 2011-12 for dates, opponents and times for all Eagle sports.

Be sure to visit the 2011-12 girls’ basketball schedule, home page, or check out Maxpreps.com.The Eagles are currently 3-12 overall and 0-3 in the West Sequoia League as of Jan. 31. The Eagles will next play at the Riverdale High School, Feb. 3 at 6 p.m.

GIRLS’ BASKETBALL, 2011-12

EAGLES DEFEATED BY THE PANTHERS–Jan. 31
The Eagles played against the Parlier Panthers for their third league game of the season, Jan. 31. The Panthers controlled the game by executing their plays in a 49-31 victory over the Eagles.

The Eagles were determined for a win as they fell down to Fowler Red Cats, Jan. 27. The game started out rough from the tip off as the Panthers? well planned plays confused the Eagles? defense. This left the Panthers? post players wide open, giving them opportunities to make effortless shots from the block.

Due to the Panthers? strong defense, it was tough for the Eagles? to make shots. Despite difficulties, senior captains Brandi Thompson and Nicole Hensley cruised through their defense and made lay ups in the first half.

During half time, Eagle head coach Santino Reynolds pointed out that the post players were left without a guard in transition. He advised the team to utilize the post players by passing the ball when they were left unprotected. By doing so, sophomore Hannah was able to receive a pass from a wing player several times and scored 2 points in the third quarter.

In the last quarter, Eagle turnovers gave the Panthers chances to crash to the board. Parlier defeated FC by 18 points, 49-31.

FC was led by Thompson, who had 18 points and 11 rebounds.

Sophomore post Sarah Lim, who had 3 rebounds and 1 assist, says that she appreciates FC staff and her teammates for pushing her forward.

?I liked how our coaches were cheering for me the whole the game,? Lim said. ?It was a sign to try even harder and be more aggressive. I also liked how our team communicated so I knew when to help out and flash on offense.?

Eagle assistant coach Jim White says that he is fond of the senior captains for displaying admirable leadership in the game. He is also proud of sophomore post Hannah Avila for containing positive attitude on and off of the court.

?Our team gave good effort tonight,? White said. ?We are seeing improvement from the under class ladies. They are asking good questions and working hard to learn the game. Brandi and Nicole as always played their hearts out. Also, Hannah continues to impress me with her work ethic and great attitude.?

According to freshman guard Hollie Tucker, who had 5 rebounds, limiting turnovers and grabbing rebounds can affect the game greatly.

?Last game, we struggled with boxing out and rebounding,? Tucker said. ?But tonight, we had so many turnovers and it hurt us a lot. So if we limit turnovers and keep rebounding, we will win the next game. We had 32 turnovers today so we should try to keep it under 20.?

Coach Reynolds commends sophomore wing Rayna Endicott for grabbing rebounds for the team and staying physical.

?We did a better job rebounding and playing harder in general,? Reynolds said. ?We came out flat and picked up our aggressiveness as the game went on. Rayna had a great game. She did a great job rebounding and staying strong with the ball. It was nice to see that improvement.?

According to Eagle assistant coach Josh Gilio, it is important for the young Eagles to be independent rather than relying on the senior captains.

?It seems like younger players rely on Brandi and Nicole very often,? Gilio said. ?The only way to fix that is to continue working with them and remind them to stay confident on the court.?

Gilio says that in order to prepare for their next opponent, it will be necessary for the Eagles to stay strong on defense. They also need to be prepared for aggressive man to man defense.

?Riverdale is a team that loves to pound the ball inside,? Gilio said. ?Last game they killed us in the paint. To prepare for them this time, we have to be able to defend the paint and take away their post game. If we do that, we should have a very good chance to win.?

The Eagles will next travel to the Riverdale Cowgirls on Feb. 3 at 6 p.m.