Panther JV girls hoops are eying an unbeaten season.
In its first 12 games this year the team has run roughshod over its foes, posting final scores like 58-5, 42-9 and 55-10. With five games to play this regular season, head coach Bekah Brooks credited her players for a stellar campaign.
“Anybody can wish for being undefeated – it gives its goods and bads when you mention that word – but I did think with the girls we have that we would be very competitive,” said Brooks. “We’ve got quite a few weapons in both aspects of the game, offense and defense, so I always have high expectations and I would expect my team to be at the top.”
In Brooks’ 11 years at the helm, the team has grown accustomed to winning, having played in eight straight conference tournament finals and won four. Now closing in on their first unbeaten regular season in three years, Brooks said the team has won in a variety of different ways.
“I just think utilizing per game what needs to be used,” said Brooks of the key to the team’s success. “If we need to utilize the bigs, we’ve got to do everything in our power to get the bigs the ball. If the guards are shooting well and the bigs aren’t, or if they’re double or triple-teaming them, then we’ve got to look for the kickback and trust the guards to shoot.”
With a deep and talented roster across the floor, the Panthers’ versatility has been their calling card. But while they’ve scored at least 38 points in every game, Brooks said the team’s success has come from the other end of the floor.
“Ultimately, a lot of things come down to just being really good on defense,” she said. “You don’t have to score as many points if you don’t give up as many points, so just work on good defense, try to quit fouling so much and just stay in our realm of play. We have a deep bench that allows us if someone does get in foul trouble – or, we’ve had a few girls sick and stuff like that – to still look strong. Just total communication in that and what’s expected each game, what the game plan is and then executing the game plan.”
In winning all but one game this year by 15 points or more, the team has put Brooks’ game plans into action masterfully. With five regular-season games and the conference tourney still to play, the head coach said her team will need to keep playing their best.
“Especially going into the second time around, people know what you do,” said Brooks of their last four conference games, which include a rematch with second-place, 14-2 Pisgah. “Just being versatile, being able to jump from defense to defense, or when is the best time to full-court press, when is it not? Who at the time is scoring? You have to know that in a game and try to get them the ball. Right now in this season we’re not in the best shape because of all these days off and a crazy, wacky schedule, but we’ve got to be able to run up and down the floor – pushing the basketball on fast breaks, making good decisions there, and making teams pay for trying to take a play off.”
With multiple games and practices rescheduled this month due to weather, the team’s fitness will likely be a key variable down the stretch. In a trip to Pisgah after press time Jan. 28, Brooks says the team will need to execute their fundamentals.
“We did very well in that game besides our full-court press offense, and so for the next four or five days we’re going to work that, we’re going to work some man-to-man, and we’re going to work on pushing the basketball to take care of business on our next game,” said Brooks of Franklin’s 39-23 home win over the Black Bears Jan. 3. “When [Pisgah head coach Taylor Clark] threw in that press we handled it well in the first half. The second half we freaked out a little bit and turned the ball over three or four times. They got baskets off all of those, and it [might] have been worse, so we’ve just got to be able to calm down, take care of ourselves and the pressure and break the press five or six times, and she won’t go back to it.”
Having met Pisgah in the conference finals in each of the past three years, Franklin’s trip to Canton may well be another championship preview. No matter what happens however, Brooks said she’s proud of her team for their efforts.
“I do think that every girl cares about winning, and that they hate to lose. I think that they like to play together as a team,” said Brooks. “I do think that when they’re in practice they’re there to work hard. I wouldn’t say it’s perfect every day because they’re human beings, but 90% of the time they show up, they do exactly what’s asked of them, and two-fold when you get to the game. Right now in practice, you’ve got everything in and you’re going to the second time around. You’ve got to fine-tune and work as hard as you do in a game.”