Week #17 - MS Basketball and V Track and Field Badgers Bring Their Best on the Road!

Zoey was phenomenal today, taking the ball to the basket with confidence, and drawing fouls in the process. Our leading scorer for the second straight game, Zoey earned three separate trips to the foul line today, converting nearly 70% of her free throws.  Despite pressure from the opponent, Zoe continued to attack offensively, providing an outlet for the guards. She worked closely with Hattie on the right side, passing back and forth, and her aggressive play helped to get Tandem into the bonus. 

 

Down 4 at the half, Tandem's press really got going in the third. Cypress got a beautiful steal, and set up Zoey for a key basket. Moments later, Sam set up Raquel for an open jumper, and she confidently used the backboard as she let it fly! With her feet set, Raquel cut the lead to three, and Tandem was on the move. The Badgers were fighting for every rebound - Alex, Cora and Zuri boxed out their opponents to claim position!

 

The Badger guards played with a lot of foul trouble this afternoon. Both Sam and Hadley had three at half time. Hadley picked up her fourth early in the third quarter and had to wait to return to the game. Both players had to be smart in the final period to stay on the court - and they were! Sam's defense has never been better. She had SEVEN BLOCKS, shutting down CCS's outside shooters. Hadley forced a number of turnovers, trapping with Raquel in the corners, and pressuring CCS into throwing the ball away. Offensively, Sam got loose for a lay up, and Zoey got into the paint for a key basket late. The Badgers scored 17 points total, more than doubling our total from last week. We were in the game for all 24 minutes, played with incredible motor and heart, and continue to improve. You really can't ask for more than that. Second half of the season - we will be a problem for our competition.

 

Three cheers for Zuri! She went to the pregame huddle representing Tandem as a captain, and she played like a captain for every moment of the game. Zuri scored four points, had sixteen rebounds and three assists. She was constantly fighting for a rebound - often on the floor - giving her absolute all. Zuri - I am so proud of you!

 

The girls return to action on Monday against CDS at Tandem at 5:15!

 

With six seconds remaining in the half, Trenton brought the ball up the court. He was closely guarded, so he faked to the left, shook his defender, and came back to the right. As he approached half court, the clock was ticking down to two seconds, so Trenton got his feet under him and let it fly. The shot was contested, but I knew: "he's going to make it, too," I reassured the parents nearby, and indeed he did. His half court heave as time expired felt effortless, and it tied the game at 20 at halftime.

 

Only eight seconds into the second half, Trenton sized up his defender. CCS took a step back - and that was a big mistake. Trenton drilled another three - giving Tandem a three point edge. Then, only ten seconds later on the next possession, Trenton knocked in ANOTHER three, putting the Badgers ahead by 6. Assisted by Will and Odin, he scored five triples on the night, 24 points overall, and all five came either in the second half or the aforementioned buzzer beater. The energy on the sideline was awesome, Hatcher and his teammates giving high fives down the stretch.

 

Offensively, Trenton was not alone. It must have been tough to account for Eli, who had a beautiful pass fake, set his feet at the elbow, and knocked in a jumper. Or to shutdown Jayceon, who calmly called for five out and took the ball to the goal. He finished with 16, all of them in the paint, and most of his points off of beautiful head fakes. Defensively, Jayceon was a menace in the middle - blocking and deflecting shots, rebounding the ball, and creating an enormous amount of pressure for the opposition.

 

The Badgers increased their lead to 6 at the end of the third quarter. Fletcher was a presence in the post. Aven, Gabriel and Ryan worked hard to defend the perimeter. Landon had a block - and Bo took the opposing guard into the corner - and kept him there.  

 

In the final stanza, Tandem scored 13 points. Kai got rolling, handling the ball with patience. He would drive, pull up, allow the defender to fly by him, and then knock down a beautiful jumper. His game is smooth - under control - taking whatever he is given. Isaiah was awesome on defense, deflecting passes and snagging rebounds away from much larger opponents. His presence was huge in the fourth quarter.  

 

Tandem dominated the second half, winning 44-33! Congratulations to our Badgers, led by a trio of guards, who are nearly impossible to defend. The team returns to action Monday vs CDS at 4:15.

 

Earning all state honors in Cross Country, Lucy was determined to "train through" and keep improving throughout the winter. Under the guidance of Coaches Casey and Ned, Lucy has continued to impress, and was well prepared for our first Indoor Track and Field meet of the season today. Like all of her teammates, this was Lucy's debut on a 200 meter indoor track. The mile is eight laps instead of four like on an outdoor track, and it's also hot and stuffy inside! Lucy's debut was worth the wait - she ran with the lead pack throughout the race and finished 4th out of 22 runners in a time of 6:11! Brendan ran 5:26 a season ago on an outdoor track, and he set a new mile PR today in a time of 5:25 - 6th overall! Zeke and Alexander each made their indoor 1600 debuts as well, each nearly matching their outdoor PR's in times of 6:04 and 6:05 respectively!

 

Like a rocket off the blocks, Nari led the way for our sprinters, flying through the line in a 55 meter time of 7.33!  In the 300 meters, Hattie (58.53), Peter (45.62) and Nico (53.06) both showed off their speed on an indoor track for the first time! Nico (1:39) and Hattie (1:53) also challenged themselves by running the 500 meters, a tricky two and a half lap race indoors, and acquitted themselves rather well!

 

Over in the throwing circle, Tyler showed off his muscles, putting the shot nearly thirty feet! His toss of 28'8" is an indoor PR!

 

Rounding out the day, our distance crew delivered again! Lucy earned points for Tandem in both of her events - 3:45 in the 1000 meters, while Brendan (3:14) and Peter (3:25) also earned PR's!

 

Not a single one of these athletes had run on an indoor track before today. What an exceptional start to our indoor season. Make no mistake, these Badgers are training outdoors, in the cold, and they are setting themselves up for success throughout the season! The team returns to action on January 23rd at Woodberry for their last regular season meet of the season!

 

What a day for TFS Athletics!