Archers’ second-half surge eliminates ’Jacks
EAST PEORIA, Ill. – Chesapeake College compiled 50 victories over the last two women's basketball seasons, including a pair of state and region championships and a seventh-place national finish. Unfortunately for the Skipjacks, they were unable to add to that win total in this year's NJCAA Division II national tournament.
St. Louis Community College (20-10) put together a 16-2 run to start the second half, putting the Archers ahead to stay on the way to a 77-67 win over Chesapeake in Wednesday's first consolation-round contest. Kalah Martin and Lauren Maclin, who combined for 45 points, each had six in the Archers' 16-2 surge as St. Louis established a double-digit lead at 49-39.
"That really set us back," acknowledged Chesapeake head coach Damon Nichols, who said he recognized coming into the contest that Martin (game-high 26 points) and Maclin could be a handful. "I knew those two kids were going to attack. We needed to try to stop them and we didn't do that. We let Martin do whatever she wanted to do."
Nichols also said his team's 25 turnovers were too many against a defense like the Archers.
"We just didn't protect the ball. We had too many unforced turnovers, especially against a team that wasn't pressing us," said Nichols, whose squad was also hurt by 35 percent shooting from the field.
For all that, Chesapeake still seemingly had all the momentum after reeling off the final 12 points of the first half to take a 37-33 halftime lead. Instead, the Skipjacks (22-3) played sluggishly coming out of the break for the second straight game. Sixth-seeded Highland Community College had overcome a 32-31 halftime deficit a day earlier to beat the Skipjacks, 69-56, and send them to the consolation bracket.
"A game is going to be full of runs," observed Nichols. "It's going to be who gets that last run that wins."
The Archers expanded their lead to 59-45 with an 8-2 run in which four different players scored, but Chesapeake made things a little interesting with a 13-2 tear. Denver Clyde started the run with consecutive layups and ended it with a transition hoop that pulled the Skipjacks within 61-58.
St. Louis responded with a 10-2 scoring streak, the first five points by Chanel Gwynn-Williams to rebuild the lead to 71-60. Chesapeake made one last push, pulling within 72-66 when Katara Pressley turned an Archer turnover against the Skipjacks' press into a basket with 2:29 remaining. That, however, was Chesapeake's final basket of the game as St. Louis avenged last year's consolation-round loss to Chesapeake.
The Skipjacks had no answer for either Martin or Maclin (19 points), who consistently worked their way inside for high-percentage shots. They made a combined 15-of-26 field-goal attempts and 14-of-19 from the foul line as the Archers outscored Chesapeake from the line, 22-13.
Chanese Washington added 17 points and Gwynn-Williams scored nine for the Archers.
Dejhonae Cannady led Chesapeake with 18 points while Clyde (eight rebounds) added 14 and Najah Chambers scored 11. Rose Smith had nine points and Sydney Small contributed eight. Brittany Taylor (five points) had a game-high 10 assists.
St. Louis started fast, blowing out to 6-0 and 11-6 leads before Small twice brought the Skipjacks even on 3-pointers. Chesapeake created two more ties, the second on a Clyde layup off a weak-side rebound that made it 19-19, but the Archers used a 14-6 run to take their biggest lead at 33-25.
Martin sparked that St. Louis surge with nine points, starting the run with a 3-pointer and ending it with consecutive layups as the Archers threatened to pull away. That, however, was when the Skipjacks responded with their best run of the game, the 12-0 streak that gave Chesapeake a 37-33 halftime edge.
The Skipjacks put together their 12-0 run by dominating the offensive boards and getting out in transition. Chesapeake scored three baskets off weak-side offensive rebounds, two by Clyde and one by Smith, while Small and Cannady turned transition opportunities into layups. Chesapeake took its first lead of the game with 71 seconds left in the half on a Taylor 3-pointer, 35-33, and Smith's rebound hoop capped the first-half scoring.
Unfortunately for the Skipjacks, the momentum built at the end of the first half was nowhere to be found at the start of the second. Nichols, however, said the program has still accomplished much over the last two years.
"I'm pleased," said Nichols. "To get here twice in two years, and put Chesapeake College on the map, is a good thing. Our goal is to get here next year and get over that hump in the first game."