By TYLER HENRY
Little Apple Post contributor
After starting their seasons on different notes, the Rock Creek and Wabaunsee girls’ basketball teams will meet in St. George tonight, each looking to close out the December portion of their season strong.
For the Lady Mustangs (4-0) it’s been smooth sailing so far as the #7 team in Class 4A looks to remain undefeated, while the Lady Chargers (1-2) have an opportunity to bounce an area foe and return to .500.
Rock Creek’s success has come on both ends of the floor so far, and their defensive flexibility has given them an edge, helping them hold all four of their opponents to under 35 points.
“Our two greatest strengths right now are our ability to effectively run three different types of defenses and our willingness to attack on the offensive end,” Lady Mustang head coach Adam Plummer said.
On the Wabaunsee side of the matchup, the Lady Chargers are still sorting out their identity early in the year, but have shown flashes of promise even amidst some serious early-season adversity.
“The best thing I’ve seen from this team is our depth and ability to sub at multiple positions,” Lady Charger head coach Trevor Keller said. “This group is very coachable and I am excited to see where we are at in March, but we still need more consistency from day to day and possession to possession.”
Much like Wabaunsee, Rock Creek has been finding their footing as well, frustrating opponents with stifling defense as the team finds itself on the other end of the floor.
“Our kids are growing in confidence and we’re getting closer to finding our identity for this group but that's a continuous work in progress until your season is completed,” Plummer said.
For Wabaunsee to march into town and steal a win from a ranked opponent, the Lady Chargers will need to force Rock Creek to go off-script while dealing with a fundamentally sound Lady Mustang squad.
“They have multiple players who can score and they do a good job of sharing the ball,” Keller said. “Defensively they’re active on and off the ball which leads to a lot of deflections and steals. We have to take care of the ball and make shots to limit their transition scoring opportunities. Defensively we have to guard without fouling, contest shots, and rebound.”
On the flip side, to remain undefeated and to continue climbing the 4A ladder, Rock Creek will need to stay sharp mentally against an opponent they’ve given a lot of respect to in the build-up to this game.
“Wabaunsee is scrappy and plays a variety of defenses to disrupt offensive continuity,” Plummer said. “We have to be the better team on things like loose balls, rebounds, and charges and recognize what defense they are in to properly attack. This is the most important game we’ve played this year and we need to mentally and physically prepare like we are playing for a championship.”
Tip-off between the Lady Mustangs and Chargers is set for 6 pm with the boy’s game to follow at 7:30.
For continuing coverage of both programs all season long, stay tuned to the Little Apple Post, and follow us on Twitter @spostsports.