Panthers scorch No. 2 Patriots with fierce defense

By: Weldon Bradshaw | Richmond Times-Dispatch
Published: February 04, 2012

They emerged from their locker room at the end of intermission loose, beaming from ear to ear, bantering among themselves, and ready to rock.

Why wouldn't they?

The Hermitage Panthers led Patrick Henry by 12 at the half Friday night, virtually all they'd touched had turned to gold, and, best yet, they perceived themselves as a second-half team.

"The pressure was off," said Hermitage guard Kenya Wilkerson. "The home crowd fueled us. The juices were definitely flowing."

And they flowed with little letup for two more quarters.

The Panthers played the second half with the same verve and passion they displayed in the first, fended off a fourth-quarter rally by the previously unbeaten Patriots, and claimed a convincing 64-46 victory over their Colonial District rivals in the Bruce Bowen Gymnasium.

"We impressed on them the need to pick up the tempo, play our game, and control the momentum," said Hermitage coach Allyn Hawks.

"The girls bought into that. After the first three or four possessions, they realized, hey, this is really working."

Relying on dizzying speed and quickness, the Panthers, No. 10 in the Times-Dispatch Top 10, used an unforgiving 1-2-1-1 zone press and forced 27 turnovers — 10 in the first quarter and seven in the final five minutes to defuse the visitors' comeback.

"We knew if we pressed, they wouldn't be able to handle the ball as well," said Maya Walton, a 5-4 senior guard who scored 14 of her 24 points in the first eight minutes.

"We're trying to get a good trap. If a steal comes first or they make a bad pass … either way, we get the ball back."

The No. 2 Patriots, ranked seventh in Group AAA by The Associated Press, battled back in the second period, cut their deficit to 44-38 after three, and closed to 44-41 when Summer Price hit a layup off a baseline drive at 5:54 of the fourth.

"We just had a little letdown," Wilkerson said. "It was defense, mostly, not knowing who you had. Maybe we got a little bit tired."

The Panthers then ratcheted up their defensive intensity and renewed their commitment.

They would not be denied.

Two minutes and four transition buckets later, they led 52-43.

Then, in a stretch of 21 seconds, Wilkerson banked in a layup off a steal, drew a foul, and converted the free throw, scored again from the paint off another pilfered possession, then hit two free throws following yet another PH turnover.

The Panthers led 57-43. The Patriots never threatened again.

"The energy was really high," Walton said. "We ran on adrenaline. We really pepped each other up tonight."

PATRICK HENRY (18-1, 13-1 Colonial) — T. Pinder 2, Price 15, Anderson 11, J. Pinder 3, Lee 15, Smith 0, Coles 0, Winston 0. Totals 16 13-18 46.

HERMITAGE (16-4, 12-2) — Brown 17, Walton 24, Kinney 6, Cain 0, Wilkerson 13, Quarles 0, Thompson 4. Totals 24 13-19 64.