Timber Creek 46, Shawnee 34

After the dizzying pace of Camden Catholic-Wilson, this defensive battle was actually something of a relief.

Shawnee looked up to the challenge early on, but the Renegades' offense just disappeared. Paart of it was TC's defense, which was good, and part of it was just that Shawnee could not make a shot. After speaking with Gina Santone at length the evening before, I was ready for the Renegades to panic, but they didn't, at least not until the fourth quareter. Mackenzie O'Brien was stymied by Lindsay Steele's D, and so she kept giving the ball up. Three or four times she made what should have been a beautiful assist, but ended up being nothing, a layup missed. O'Brien did start to launch them late int eh game with her team down 10, but who could blame her at that point. Not me, certainly.

I was impressed with Shawnee's freshman forward, Kira Maier. She was the force beind the Renegades' early lead, and she was one of the many responsible for hemming in Erin Floyd defensively. With time will come polish, but she has the aggression and the size to be a terrific player in the future.

Floyd was masterful, even as little more than a decoy. She played like a guard for much of the game, shooting from the outside, bringing the ball up the floor, making assists. She really let the game come to her, which is something many players of her caliber definitely struggle with. part of that ability has to be trust in her teammates, however, and they seemed to have earned that as time had gone on. Steele certainly earned it last night. She was an assassin, a calm note against a chaotic background. What I think I liked most, aside from her terrific positional D on O'Brien, was the way she found open spots on the floor. She didn't force anything, but a tough would open up in the Shawnee zone and she's just settle right in there and it would be like, "How did she det that open." Lindsay Steele may never be able to go five steps on a basketball court without somebody mentioning her older sister, but I made sure to leave that part out of the story for today's paper because she earned the stage by herself.

I have couple things to do in the next two hours,, but then I'll be off to Willingboro to see the Chieras play host to Spirit. The next day I'm probably going down to Mainland to see if Ocean City can close the deal in the CAL's American II division. Friday, I believe, is Cinnaminson v. Holy Cross to virtually decide the Burlco Patriot, and Saturday is Haddon Township at Sterling plus the excitement of the cutoff day. Should be fun.