Miramonte’s pressure defense too much for Middletown to handle in playoff opener
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MIDDLETOWN >> Miramonte’s unrelenting back-court pressure took its toll on a young Middletown High School girls basketball squad in the opening round of the North Coast Section Division 3 playoffs Tuesday night at the Tallman Gym.
Though the Matadors (15-13) suited up only seven players, they came at Middletown with everything they had on the defensive end, forcing numerous turnovers that led to easy baskets in a 61-41 win that sends them into the Division 3 quarterfinals Friday night.
Miramonte’s opportunistic offense took care of the rest, the Matadors generating enough of an inside game to compliment and outside game that featured six 3-pointers.
“They are a disciplined team, polished,” Middletown head coach Roxi Holt said. “They had only seven players, but they used them all. They run a good defense. We haven’t seen anything like that all season.”
Getting the ball across halfcourt proved to be a challenge for the Mustangs (18-8), the three-time defending North Central League I champions, but a squad that simply didn’t have the ballhandlers to solve the Matadors’ trap. Miramonte backed off slightly after piling up number team fouls in the first quarter – Middletown was in the bonus midway through the opening period – but it turned out to be only a short-time reprieve for the Mustangs.
“They were just a better team than us,” Holt said of a Middletown program clearly on the rise, one that secured another league title during a transition season, one in which the Mustangs were without their head coach in the opening weeks (maternity leave).
“I’m definitely happy with where our future is headed,” Holt said. “We’ll get rolling again in our summer program. The talent is there, we’re just not at the level yet,” Holt said with an eye toward Miramonte. “We tried, but it just wasn’t going to happen tonight.”
Ally Rogin, a 6-foot-1 sophomore center, led the Matadors with 18 points while sophomore guard Ava Noga finished with 17. Senior guard Maegen Eichenberger added 14 points.
Miramonte led 17-11 after one quarter, 31-24 at halftime and 48-32 through three quarters. Middletown never held the lead in the game, but the Mustangs were able to tie it at 20-all with five minutes left in the first half when the Matadors temporarily lifted their half-court pressure. Unfortunately, an 11-0 Matadors run followed.
“I was very happy with our first half of play,” Holt said.
Middletown sophomore Izzi Hoogendoorn capped her second varsity season with 11 points Jordyn Harbison and Autumn Clark added seven points apiece, and Harley Holley and Thaly Rodriguez had six each.
While the Mustangs lose Clark and Holley to graduation, they return the bulk of their squad while also inheriting a junior varsity team that went undefeated in league play, including several players who got their feet wet at the varsity level during the course of the season. One of those, Chloe Pulido, had four points on Tuesday night.
