(November 28, 2014) – EDON: It wasn’t size that got the better of the Bombers on Friday.
Edon came into their home match-up with the Lady Aces of Hicksville quite undersized. Yet, through their strong defensive play, Hicksville struggled to score from the post. Most of the Aces points in the paint came off of the dribble drive, a method that relies on speed and catching defenders off balance, rather than size.
Compensating for their lack of height still left them just short of victory, however. A tight contest throughout, four quarters wasn’t enough to decide the winner. Tied at 44 points apiece, the two units continued their epic battle in overtime. The Lady Aces managed to score three more points than the hometown Bombers in the extra period, and Edon was met with a tough defeat to open their season, 50-53.
The nucleus of the Lady Bombers squad, a trio of experienced veteran players, kept Edon in this game. Seniors Alex Kiess and Kaitlin Chrisman, joined by junior Kaitlyn Sonneberger, made up 42 of the Bombers’ 50 points. In particular, Kiess and Chrisman seemed to respond every time it looked as though the girls from Hicksville were going to blow the game open. They both found ways to get open, Chrisman with her movement without the ball, and Kiess deceiving defenders with the ball in her hands. Then they knocked down jump shots.
By the end of the night, Kiess had 16 points, 4 steals, 3 assists, 3 blocks, and 3 rebounds. With 14 points, 8 rebounds, 4 steals, and 3 assists, Chrisman was a bit more enthusiastic when it came to going up and getting the ball. For Sonneberger, things were a little less balanced, with a stat line looking more like a post player’s. She had 12 points, 7 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 1 assist, though she also only had 2 turnovers.
And turnovers were an issue for the Bombers. They committed 21 as a team. Chrisman made 7 errors, while Kiess had 5. Sophomore Hannah Kaylor made 6 turnovers herself, countering the 6 points, 7 rebounds, and 1 blocked shot. It’s difficult to win when a team can’t hold on to the ball.
Free throw shooting was also a problem for Edon. The home team took 20 attempts from the line, but was able to make just 11 of them. That’s only 55% from the charity stripe. Not only that, but Sonneberger was responsible for 16 of those free throws, leaving the rest of the team with just 4 attempts in the entire game. And all 4 of those were taken by Kiess.
With so many turnovers, and so little production from the free throw line, it’s more than a bit surprising that Edon stayed in this game. Shooting a respectable 32.7% from the floor, including 30% from the three-point line certainly helped. Yet it’s the 29 total rebounds that stick out on the stat sheet. For a team with just a single girl standing at 5’9”, going against a team with at least four girls taller than that, grabbing so many boards was an impressive display of will and determination. That sheer effort, combined with timely runs fueled by their three core players to counter Hicksville’s own scoring bunches, is what kept Edon competitive and allowed them to force overtime.
Going forward, Edon really needs to find consistent play from someone outside of Kiess, Chrisman, and Sonneberger. Hannah Kaylor would be a prime candidate, being that girl who is 5’9” tall. The 5’6” Sonneberger has taken a majority of the low post duties for the Bombers, and while she may excel in that area, Kaylor taking some of that burden off of her would allow both players to thrive.
On paper, Edon really had no business being in this game. Hicksville was bigger, stronger, and balanced out its offensive efforts among their players with more efficiency. That didn’t stop the Lady Bombers from nearly winning, though.
There’s a lot that needs to be cleaned up and figured out, but the Edon girls have a chance to be really good as the season progresses.
They just need to continue to stand tall.
