Lady Rams Basketball Digs Out Of Deficits

January 29, 2010 by Greg Lederer

The Cheshire High School girls’ basketball team has been hampered by slow starts. Cheshire was held scoreless during the first quarter of losses at Career (63-21; Jan. 15) and Hamden (52-45; Jan. 20), creating deep deficits from which to dig out.
“It’s really frustrating when your shots aren’t hitting. The more they score, the harder it gets,” explained guard Kelly Riddle, a senior captain with Lauren Hague and Kristen Samuelson. “It’s a mental thing. We have to come into each game more focused.”
There were similar thoughts when the Rams entered halftime trailing 17-11 to host Amity on Jan. 22. However, after the break, Cheshire found a renewed focus. The Rams scored the first seven points of the second half and used a pair of three-pointers to help break free for a 39-29 victory, snapping a two-game slide. Balance was key with Riddle, junior Julia Strobel, and freshman Lauren Como contributing nine points each in the Housatonic Divisional rivalry.
“It feels good to get into the swing of things,” said Hague. “One of our goals is to win or tie for the Housy (title).”
“I think (Cheshire Head Coach Sarah) Mik got us motivated in the locker room,” added Como, who scored all of her career-high total during the second half.
Cheshire’s bench sparked the comeback. Junior guard Danielle Desmarais was inserted at the start of the third quarter, netting a three-pointer and finding Strobel for a lay-up. Como sank a pair of free throws and added a short jumper, while Strobel hit a bank shot to tie the score at 22-22. Desmarais substituted for sophomore center Lauren DeBisschop, who recorded a personal-best six blocks in the first half.
“I wanted to pound them inside early and then reward Danielle for her hard work in practice,” explained Mik.
With momentum up for grabs, Cheshire seized control from long range. Hague (seven points) netted a three-pointer to break the 22-22 tie in the final minute of the third quarter. Another three-point shot from Como sparked a 10-0 surge to a 35-24 lead. Hague stepped outside for a long jumper that forced Amity to call a timeout. Strobel made a free throw and supplied another inside basket, as Cheshire out-scored the Spartans 14-5 during the fourth quarter.
“I’ve been having issues with my threes. I was glad to make that one,” reflected Hague.
Foul shooting showcased a stark contrast between halves. Cheshire attempted just two free throws in the first 16 minutes, but finished up sinking 11 of 16 shots. Riddle and Como each made all four attempts.
“She (Mik) kept telling us to keep driving to the middle because it was open. We kept doing it,” Como said.
Como has steadily seen more varsity time with the absence of Samuelson, who suffered a stress fracture. Mik says that Samuelson will return Tuesday.
“I know Kristen added a lot of heart to the team and still does from the bench. I feel everyone has to step up without her,” said Como, who was exposed to varsity soccer last fall. “It’s been a lot of fun.”
“She doesn’t play like a freshman. Lauren doesn’t shy away from contact,” explained Mik.
Cheshire and Amity both sought a spark during the first quarter that closed with a 5-5 tie. Riddle assisted on the opening basket from DeBisschop and netted a three-pointer for a 5-3 lead. In a defensive battle, Amity surged ahead with a couple transition baskets. Cheshire committed eight fouls to Amity’s one in the first half and, thus, the Spartans earned 11 free throw attempts. However, they made just nine of 19 foul shots overall.
“I felt we needed to be more aggressive,” Mik said. “You can’t let a team hang around at the (foul) line.”
Mik appreciated her team’s effort two days earlier in Hamden. Cheshire fell behind 16-0 at the end of the first quarter, but out-scored them 16-9 to close the gap before halftime. Riddle (career-high 17 points) made four three-pointers, the last of which pulled the Rams within 32-29. Hamden sank six straight free throws over the final two minutes of the third quarter, opening up their lead again.
“It was a different team for the last three quarters,” added Mik. “We can’t let teams get ahead like that.”
Most recently, on Jan. 26, Cheshire (3-10 record) lost 54-46 to visiting Sheehan. DeBisschop tied her career-high with 14 points, hauling down 11 rebounds (personal-best). Sophomore point guard Maria Blois (11 points) and Strobel (nine points) added depth.
Cheshire hosts Housatonic rival, Lyman Hall, tonight, at 7 p.m. The Trojans defeated Cheshire, 48-40, on Jan. 8.