Girls Basketball: Huskies Win Conference Matchup

Flint Hill cruised to a 55-32 victory over Stone Ridge on Thursday, improving their conference record to 7-3.

The Huskies entered the game expecting a strong offense from the Gators, so they knew they had to step up their defense.

The Huskies and Gators stayed close through most of the first period. After the Gators closed a three-point deficit to 9-8 with nine seconds left in the period, Alex Long tagged on a 3-pointer at the buzzer to put the Huskies up 12-8 at the end of the first.

The Huskies gained momentum in the second period, extending their lead to 15 points and holding the Gators to four points in the period. The second half followed a similar formula, with the Huskies shutting down the Gators offense from beginning to end.

"This is a really good offensive team, and we didn't allow any more than 10 points in any quarter," Coach Jody Patrick said. "The girls were really excited about that when the coaches brought it up."

Alex Long posted a game-high 20 points, with Alison Bragaw-Butler hitting the double-digits with 14.

Looking forward, Patrick wants her girls to continue their intense focus on defense.

"It's a long season, and February really tests teams," Patrick said. "Who is going to make the great plays? Who is going to step up? Who is going to find the grit inside them? I think in February you focus on defense because a lot of things come from that."

Patrick started the season with a seemingly depleted roster after graduating some heavy-lifters from last year's squad that reached the state finals. But with Long anchoring the team, the addition of newcomer Bragaw-Butler and a team filled with hard-workers, Patrick has been more than satisfied with their efforts.

"At this point, all the teams know each other, they know what to expect. Now everyone needs to have their bench ready," Patrick said. "Who has the bench to last through a long season? I think we can do it."

Flint Hill will host Madeira at 5:15 p.m. Saturday as part of the school's annual Winterfest.

Points: Alex Long (20), Alison Bragaw-Butler (14), Nicole Freeman (9), Katherine Doyle (6), Shea Patrick (6)