Defensive effort has given way to lengthy win streak for Columbia Central girls hoops
By Mike Moore
Staff Writer
Brooklyn – After a 1-2 start to the season, there was reason for concern.
This was supposed to be a strong year, and even though the roster contained just eight names, this was supposed to be a winning team.
And then, something happened.
Or, something clicked.
However you want to describe it, the results since for the Columbia Central girls basketball team speak for themselves.
Three games in, a 1-2 record.
Since then, well, 7-0.
“A lot of little different things happened. It’s not like one thing that we did or didn’t do,” coach David McDevitt said. “I mean, we had five girls return, but three new girls who were young and new to the team. We knew it was going to take some time to gel and learn how hard we had to compete.”
But asked to think if there was one game or one event that kind of sparked the current seven-game win streak, McDevitt looked back at a the fifth game of the season, a 55-22 victory that pushed the Golden Eagles to 3-2 at the time.
They haven’t looked back since.
“In all my years of coaching, it was probably one of our best games ever from the defensive point of view,” McDevitt boasted. By the way, he’s in his 19th season with the team. “I think that’s when it clicked, when we saw how good we could be defensively. After that night, it’s like the light bulb went on.”
McDevitt added that there really isn’t a certain scheme or anything that his girls are doing.
“We played six game with seven players,” he said with a laugh. “We just played man-to-man defense, but were able to take teams out of what they were able to do. We’ve pulled off some good wins against some very good teams.”
Since giving up 22 points to Onsted, Columbia allowed 31, 46, 37, 32 and just 27 Tuesday night in a victory against Hillsdale.
The Golden Eagles go into tomorrow night’s game at Onsetd with an 8-2 overall record and 7-0 mark in the Lenawee County standings, good for first place by a over Blissfield (5-1) and Ida (6-2).
In conference play so far, Columbia is giving up just 29.8 points per game.
“It just felt like every possession in that Onsted game, we were in position, we communicated and we didn’t give up anything easy at all,” McDevitt added. “There was just something that felt different about that game that was unlike any I’ve ever had before. I think there was a light bulb that clicked. This is what we can do. This is what we can hang our hat on.”
The offense hasn’t been to bad, either.
The team is averaging almost 50 points per game this year, led by Chelsea Palmer’s 15.2 points per game.
Palmer has had a double-double in six of the past seven games, averaging 17 points and 12 rebounds over that time.
“But there is somebody different almost every night who steps up,” McDevitt said. “We’re kind of polishing things on how to get better as we go along.”
There’s still plenty to do, though, and McDevitt and his girls understand that.
The seven-game streak hasn’t created much of a lead at all in conference play, and that’s something the team wants all to itself after sharing the title a year ago with Blissfield.
There’s also a district drought out there the team wants to end.
Columbia hasn’t seen the regional round since 1993, but if the team can find themselves playing there this year, well, that 1-2 start will be a memory long ago forgotten.
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.