Northwest gets second shot at Marshall and opportunity to win I-8
By Mike Moore
Staff Writer
Jackson – There are coaches who may try to temper enthusiasm, maybe stress the need of not putting too much into any single game.
Ryan Carroll isn’t one of those coaches, at least not right now, at least not in regards to this game.
“We’re certainly excited about this opportunity. Not everybody this Friday night will be part of a game of this magnitude,” Carroll, the Northwest girls coach said of Friday night’s home tilt against Marshall. “We’re trying to embrace it and enjoy it as much as we can.”
Simply put, everything is on the line as the Mounties welcome in the Redhawks, namely a little revenge and a shot at the I-8 Conference title.
“That’s a very good team, and we know that,” Carroll said of Marshall. “They execute very well offensively, and they take such good care of the basketball. We’re a team that forces turnovers, and we didn’t do that in the first game.”
That first game he spoke of is the only blemish on Northwest’s otherwise perfect record.
The Mounties (16-1) fell to Marshall 53-52 on Jan. 15, though the score is slightly misleading considering Northwest hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer.
Still, Marshall (16-1) holds the upper hand in the I-8 with its 11-0 mark, one better than Northwest.
The game was back and forth all night, with Marshall leading 11-10 after the first quarter, but trailing 24-20 at halftime. The difference came in the third, though, as the Redhawks went on a 19-14 run in the frame, and then led 53-49 with less than a second remaining before Northwest hit the meaningless long ball.
Marshall’s balanced attack was key all night, as Jill Konkle scored 18 points, while Carlee Long scored 11, and Emily Delmotte finished with 10.
“We’re certainly going to try to pressure the ball more so than we did the first time,” Carroll said. “At the same time, we understand when you play a team like that, you have to get defensive stops. That’s been our focus since that game.”
The loss in January dropped the Mounties to 6-1 at the time.
They’ve been dominant since, going 10-0 with the closest game in that span an 18-point victory.
“We’re a very confident group,” Carroll added. “We’re trying to stay away from the peaks and valleys of the season. I think we’ve embraced the fact we’re a good basketball team. We have a lot of girls doing things better than we were at the time of that first game, and if you want to win big games, you have to be confident.”
Something will have to give in this one.
Northwest is averaging 59.5 points per game, while Marshall is giving up just 30.2.
The Mounties allow only 32.8 points per game, while Marshall is scoring 51.5.
If there is one advantage the Mounties can bank on, it’ll be home court.
The girls are 8-0 there, have Snowfest going on, and will likely have the support of a raucous crowd.
“We always play well at our gym,” Carroll said. “I think our crowd will play a factor. We haven’t had a lot of close games recently, so we’ll have the chance to really get after it.”
Mike Moore is a play-by-play commentator and Sports Writer for JTV Sports. You can reach him at mjm12@albion.edu. He’s also the author of ‘Love, Defined; A Dedication to the Love, Sacrifice, and Magic of Motherhood.’
Love, Defined is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Tate Publishing or by contacting Mike directly.