Girls Sectional Championship Preview

Baylen Hite, Sports Writer

Who? Carroll Chargers (17-6) (5-4) SAC vs. Northrop Bruins (19-3) (7-2) SAC

When? Saturday February 3 at 7:30 p.m. EST -TV: SummitCitySports.com

Where? Carroll Fieldhouse

This is the matchup that many anticipated when the pairings for the sectional were released. The Chargers and the Bruins met once in the regular season. The Bruins won that match up back on November 17th 68-58. The Bruins and the Chargers are very similar teams. Both have multiple girls that can make plays and be the leading scorer any night. This game should be a great rematch, except this time a sectional title is on the line.

Three Keys to the Game

Battle for the Paint- Alicia Tiney-Williams is the Bruins center and has been excellent when on the court.  The issue for her though is staying on the court. Williams has an aggressive playing style down low and when the whistles are at a minimum its very effective. On the opposite side of that when the whistles are tight she has found herself in foul trouble late into games. If the Chargers want to exploit that drive into the paint early and try to draw some quick early fouls.

FT Shooting- The last time these two teams met it was a battle at the free throw line. The Chargers shot 82 percent (19-23) and this could be the deciding factor late in the game. For the Bruins they shot 62% (13-21) if the Chargers are struggling defensively, playing physical and taking a foul might not be a bad idea.

Win the Turnover Battle- Last time the Chargers were able to force 18 turnovers and only turned it over 10 times themselves. For this to effect the outcome of the game they must win the turnover battle again. Forcing the Bruins to play from down early will well keep them from getting comfortable. Force the turnovers early instead of spaced throughout the game.

 

Final Prediction: 65-61 Carroll