A run spanning the second and third quarters allowed the Patriots to go take a lead in the fourth and run the clock down by playing a four corners-style offense. While the game did not represent a dominant offensive performance for the Runnin’ Patriots, according to Coach John Peters, consistent defense allowed them to come out on top.
“The real difference in the game was the second quarter. We switched up our defense a little bit and gave them a different look. We used some full court press that created some steals which led to quick buckets,” said Peters. “In the third, they adjusted to the full court pressure so we went back to switching up defenses.”
By deciding to run the clock in the fourth quarter with a 41-35 lead, the Runnin’ Patriots forced the Trailblazers to abandon the zone defense they like to play and go to a man-to-man effort, which they were reluctant to do, according to Peters.
“Offensively it wasn’t our best game,” said Peters, noting that the teams have played three times with two of them being among the lowest scoring games of the season.
The Trailblazers’ offense created some trouble for the Runnin’ Patriots before they began switching up defensive schemes.
“They’re a good and really improving team. They’re probably going to finish second in the conference,” said Peters. “They’re very deliberate on offense. They were very patient. We played good defense, but they didn’t mind passing the ball around for one or two minutes.”
Molly Hamilton led the Runnin’ Patriots in scoring with 21 points, hitting 5-of-7 from 3-point range. Hannah Tompkins finished second with 17 points. The team shot 7-of-14 from 3-point range.
“Our offense is to aggressively attack the zone, but we’ve got some shooters that can hit from outside,” said Peters.
The Runnin’ Patriots will travel to Martinsville, Va., for their next game to face Carlisle on Feb. 11. Carlisle is the only team to beat the Runnin’ Patriots this season, who stand at 20-1 overall. The Patriots conclude the regular season on Feb. 12 with a trip to Raleigh to take on North Wake.
WC — 7 8 20 4 — 39
Surry — 4 19 18 7 — 48
Western Carolina: Wolfe 3, Kania 4, Gibson 7, Arnette 5, Stuckey 16, Siemans 4
Surry: H. Tompkins 17, Hamilton 21, Santucci 4, B. Tompkins 2, Peters 2, Phillips 2
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