Though it was only a scrimmage, the Paly varsity girls’ basketball team was soundly thumped Wednesday by the Pinewood Panthers, but plans to learn from the scrimmage to improve this year’s young team.
Through the first four quarters, Pinewood amassed a 58-28 lead over the Vikings, but because of the instructive spirit of the scrimmage, the teams also played two additional quarters, in which Paly was also outscored, 21-11 and 13-9.
Pinewood was able to build a lead over the Vikings with a quick downcourt passing game and taking advantage of several Paly turnovers, which have been consistent problems through the first month of Paly’s season.
But Paly head coach Scott Peters said the practice game was about more than just winning or losing for Vikings, who have a 2-5 record in preseason play.
The team has to “learn to play with each other,” Peters said, “[and] to get better on defense and communicate.”
Paly’s defense helped keep the game close through the first period, holding Pinewood to just nine points, but a 6-0 run helped Pinewood build a commanding 19-10 lead by halftime. In that span, the Panther steals foiled two consecutive Viking drives.
By the third quarter, Pinewood had begun shooting more aggressively, making several three-pointers and using Viking fouls to add more points on to scores in the paint. The Viking offense failed to turn most of its long drives into points and the deficit grew to 40-19.
“Defense is key because we’re a young team,” Peters said.
The Vikings did improve as the game progressed, with a steal by sophomore Lauren Mah, who left all Pinewood defenders behind as she drove down the court to put in a lay-up for the Vikings second score of the period. In the remaining time, Paly concentrated on getting the rebounds off of Pinewood’s missed shots and turning those into points, to make the scores closer in the overtime periods.
Pinewood coach Doc Scheppler also felt that the scrimmage was productive in more than just winning.
The object of the scrimmage was “to get our kids playing in a situation other than practice,” Scheppler said. “It’s the next step up from a practice to a game to just being able to play and play free, without stress.”
It will be difficult for the Vikings to match the efforts of last year’s squad, which finished in a first-place tie with Wilcox for the SCVAL Championship. The Vikings league schedule opens against Wilcox Jan. 5 and includes two games against Gunn, which has started the season 11-0.
The team has four upperclassmen returning to its varsity ranks in Taylor Lovely, Madison Hoffacker and Olivia Garcia, as well senior Nicole Behr. But Behr, who was on Scale’s all-league team last season, is out for the season with a torn ACL.
To fill the holes made by graduation and injuries, the Vikings have relied on junior Kristen Atkinson and seniors Liz Slater and Yoali Lamarque, who all came up from Junior Varsity this season and on new players in sophomore Lauren Mah and freshmen Katerina Peterson and Mariah Phillips. Lovely, Hoffacker, Slater, Garcia and Peterson are the Vikings current starting five.
The Vikings will next tip off against the Menlo School at 7:00p.m. on Dec. 27 in their first game of the Palo Alto Classic tournament.