Poland’s relentless defense guides Bulldogs to 64-28 win over Girard
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GIRARD -- Regardless of where the Indians dribbled or passed the ball Thursday night, one or several Poland players were in their face -- trapping, reaching for the ball and obstructing their vision, as they applied relentless defensive pressure.
The Bulldogs' defense was in overdrive from the opening tip, never allowing Girard to find any kind of offensive momentum in a 64-28 drubbing to stay undefeated on the season.
"It's the backbone of what we do -- it's defense first," Poland head coach Nick Blanch said. "We try to mix it up as much as we possibly can to keep the offense on their toes and not sure what's coming next. They set the tone in the first quarter -- no matter who we rotated in, they were all playing hard and giving great effort."
With the size and athleticism Poland has, it's hard for Girard to replicate the Bulldogs' defense in practice. Couple that with the Indians missing three key players to injury -- Emily Drennen, Sieasia Triplett and Madison Logue -- and it didn't spell a recipe for success for Girard.
"We were a step late on passes, we were a step late on rebounds," said Girard head coach Andrew Saxon. "They're a well-rounded team. They have no superstars so they all play together and they play well. They get out and they get after it. We just got out-hustled and outplayed."
The Indians came in averaging 43.4 points per game, but the Bulldogs held them to 15 points below that mark. Sophomore Mia Malito and junior Abbie Rafferty each scored eight points to lead Girard, while junior Aly Wakefield had five.
With all the turnovers Poland's defense forced, it directly led to quick, easy buckets on the fast break. Plus, junior center Katie McDonald's size and ability to grab rebounds in the paint allowed her to throw outlet passes down the court to guards that leaked out down the floor.
Three players finished in double figures, while six different players all scored at least five points. Senior Morgan Kluchar led the Bulldogs with 13 points, and seniors Abby Farber and Connie Cougras each scored 10.
Poland's defensive performance would not have been possible without the prior energy and reps from its grueling practices, according to Blanch.
"Some (practice) days they don't like us very much and I understand that because we know what they're capable of," Blanch said. "We keep pushing them and we don't let up on them. When they have a performance like this, it clicks for them. We have high expectations for every practice because we want to be able to do these things when we play."
On the flip side, Saxon wants to see his squad embody the same mentality about practice that Poland has adopted.
"Practice has to be harder than the game," Saxon said. "You can win a lot of games just by your ability, but if you want to beat a good team, you have to practice hard. You can't just turn it on and off."