Now cycling through the county a second time to close out the regular season, everyone is eager for another crack at Manchester Valley girls basketball and its relentless press defense.
After seeing it once and failing to conquer it, coach Heather DeWees and her Mavericks have become the primary target for teams looking for payback. The problem is, seeing it once doesn’t mean its secrets are revealed.
After Francis Scott Key failed to adjust, it was Winters Mill’s turn Friday night. The Falcons landed the first punch, but the Mavericks responded and returned to form with a dominant second half, remaining unbeaten in county play with a 43-29 win.
“The energy was up on and off the court,” Brynn Bauer said after finishing with a game-high 16 points. “That positive energy definitely transfers to the game for us.”
Winters Mill gave Manchester Valley its toughest test through the first half of county play, when the Mavericks escaped with a two-point win nearly a month ago. Entering the rematch, the Falcons looked to give Manchester Valley a taste of its own medicine.
Using Hannah Neske and Riley Hollinger, Winters Mill blitzed the Mavericks on the perimeter while Cielo Balsamo fought down low, forcing errant passes and turnovers as both teams struggled to find rhythm. The Falcons led by one after the first quarter and appeared ready to shake up the county standings.
DeWees urged her team to settle down, confident it was only a matter of time before the offense found its footing. With three guards sharing ball-handling and scoring duties, Bauer took control and set the tone.
“When you have so many guards, they’re ready to run and start the fast break,” DeWees said. “Sometimes we just have to settle down, run the offense and execute.”
Coming out of halftime, the shots began to fall. Bauer knocked down two 3-pointers to spark a 10-0 run that the Falcons couldn’t recover from.
“Brynn draws a lot of attention, which opens things up for others who can put the ball in the basket,” DeWees said. “But what I really appreciate is that she’s not afraid to be aggressive and use all the tools in her toolbox.”
With the lead intact, DeWees dipped into her defensive bag of tricks, throwing multiple looks at a Falcons offense that grew stagnant down the stretch. Whether it was man-to-man defense designed to limit Neske’s scoring chances, or a zone that helped secure the boards, the Mavericks overwhelmed the pesky Falcons.
Manchester Valley cruised to its fifth straight win, with everyone DeWees turned to off the bench providing valuable minutes.
“I was very impressed with our communication and intensity on defense,” DeWees said. “We run 13 deep.”
As the Mavericks put the finishing touches on the victory, DeWees unleashed her signature press one final time. Taylor Fique recorded multiple steals to cap a smothering second-half defensive performance, sending a clear message to the rest of the county: Regardless of the adjustments teams think they have, Manchester Valley will stay true to itself.
“We’re going to press, and we’re going to play multiple defenses,” DeWees said. “We’re going to hold points down and then score more than the other team.”
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