At this point of the basketball season, you can expect the unexpected.
Calvary Day head girls’ basketball coach Daniel Jackson had that thought it mind when his squad hosted Long County last night.
Employing and utilizing their usual pressure, Jackson and his squad tried a different approach. And it worked to near perfection.
The Lady Cavaliers went to a modified zone defense and cruised to a 44-28 victory, the final outcome of which wasn’t that close. Calvary Day won its eighth straight and raised their record to 17-4 overall. The Lady Cavaliers also gained some elbow room over Savannah Country Day in the AAA Region 3 standings, upping their mark to 13-1 and moving two games ahead of the Hornets (11-1).
Jackson was pleased with the anticipated showdown. Calvary Day downed Long County 56-38 on Jan. 5.
“I always expected a tight game with Long County,” stressed Jackson. “They play so hard, and they have good guard play. We switched up a couple of things that we did differently defensively the first time we played them. They are used to us pressuring them.
“It changed their pace offensively. We looked to slow them down early, which we did, and stretch the game. We wanted to control the game.”
Calvary wasted little time in executing their game plan as jumped out to an 8-0 lead due to their defense and held a commanding 14-2 advantage after one quarter. The Lady Cavs extended the margin to 25-9 on Bre Jones’s layup with 1:35 remaining before the half.
An 11-4 spurt at the start of the third quarter ballooned their lead to 38-13 on Destini Gooddine’s with 2:40 left in the third quarter.
Gooddine, who averages 18.1 points per game, led the Lady Cavs with 17 points. She sees her team jelling at the right time with the postseason around the corner.
“I think we’re having a pretty good season,” said the junior. “We are winning games and building chemistry. I think we are starting to peak, and we’re working together. Everything has been clicking for me, and I feel more comfortable with my defensive play, especially shifting my feet and moving around more.
Jackson also expects his team to reach another level.
“We’re a group that is used to winning, and that can be tough at times,” stated Jackson. As we prepare for the region playoffs, we know there are teams that battle us tight, with Long Country being one. We just have to stay the course and avoid injuries.
“This is a fighting team now. I am starting to trust them a little bit more because they are getting to know what it takes to win games.”
The Lady Cavs host Savannah Country Day Tuesday night, and they foresee an epic battle ahead. However, Jackson knows his team must take care of business first at St. Vincent’s on Saturday afternoon.
Country Day edged Calvary, 46-44, Jan. 12.
“It’s a big one for us, and it has been that way for years,” emphasized Jackson about his team’s meeting with Country Day. “They are always well coached and fight hard every night. We can be a roller coaster team and show up without enough energy and effort.
“But I have no doubt that we will show up. And we’re not looking past St. Vincent.”
Gooddine and her teammates are anxious for the rematch. Last night, Hilton Head Christian routed Country Day 55-39.
“We’re not looking ahead, and we have to take care of St. Vincent,” said Gooddine. “As far as Country Day, we owe them one.”
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final | |
| Long Co. | 2 | 7 | 8 | 11 | 28 |
| Calvary | 14 | 13 | 13 | 4 | 44 |
Scoring: Calvary - Calvary - Destini Gooddine 17, Smith 5, Owens 2, Geiger 5, B. Jones 8, Shields 3, A.Jones 2, Allen 2
Records: Calvary 16-4/12-1; Long Co 9-11/7-5
PHOTO Credit: Prep Sports Report
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