Frosh Power Tam Girls to NCS Hoops Win

In its North Coast Section (NCS) first round playoff battle with , the girls basketball team knew the Cougars’ full-court press was coming – they’d worked on combating it all week.

The trapping press flummoxed them early, but the fresh legs of a trio of frosh helped Tam power past the weary legs of the undermanned Cougars on the way to a 57-53 win at home. The Hawks head to a second round game at second-seeded Campolindo High (21-5) Friday night at 7 p.m.

“We didn’t want to just break the press, we wanted to attack it,” Tam coach Mike Evans said. “And to be honest, that’s why you saw more of our freshman on the court, because they play with no fear. They don’t know that they’re supposed to be afraid.”

One of those freshmen waited for the season's biggest stage to have her breakout performance. Forward Amanda Barriscale had 19 points and 11 rebounds, dominating the paint during a stretch that saw the Hawks battle back from a 19-9 deficit in the second quarter to a commanding 46-31 lead early in the fourth.

“We’ve been waiting for a game like this out of her,” Evans said, noting Albany keyed its defense on stopping star juniors Hallie Brauner and Jenna May. “She doesn’t know what she can do. She’s beginning to understand that she can out-jump a lot of people, she’s strong and she’s got a lot of talent.”

Evans also hailed the play of freshman Elizabeth Archer and Olivia Heitz, who scored six and two points, respectively, and played key roles in breaking the press. Archer fed Barriscale several times for layups, while Heitz made a nifty dish to Archer near the end of the first half on the midst of Tam’s 14-1 run to take a 22—20 lead at halftime.

“The key was breaking their pressure,” Evans said. “Albany shot the ball well.”

That they did. Although Tam enjoyed a 46-31 lead early in the fourth quarter, Albany kept it from getting out of hand on some nice buckets from sophomore Whitney Tamaki and junior Alice Timken. With Tam up 55-42 with under two minutes to play, Tamaki showed she had satellite range, hitting a pair of jumpers from way beyond the three-point line. Tamaki, who finished with 18 points, then a third jumper from behind the arc to cut the lead to 55-51 and send a nervous chill throughout the Tam gym.

“She’s a deadly shooter,” Albany coach Ray Newsome said. “She grew up tonight and had her best game so far. And they weren’t luck – that’s her range.

But time was not on the Cougars’ side, as May hit a pair of late free throws to seal the win. May finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds.

Despite surging to an early lead and giving the Hawks a late scare, Albany faced an uphill battle. The Cougars were without center Deanna Calhoun, a nationally ranked hoops star who is heading to the University of Southern California next season. Calhoun sprained her right knee in December and hasn’t played since, while injuries also sidelined starting point guard Jenny Li. The Cougars’ best shooter, senior Jo Smith, is in the midst of a family vacation to Europe.

"We just didn’t have enough bodies to keep the press fresh," Newsome said. "We started getting tired and we couldn’t work it the way we wanted to."

Evans said his squad doesn’t fear mighty Campolindo, which defeated the Hawks 63-41 in a preseason contest in early December.

“They’re a tough team,” Evans said. “But were in that game in the first half, and if we can stay in this game coming into the fourth quarter and withstand some of their runs, we’ll be in good shape. The pressure will be on them if it’s close late.”