By Nolan Epstein/For OzarksSportsZone.com
A magnificent defensive effort by West Plains (13-7 overall) equated to a rousing 52-17 victory over host Glendale (5-15) overall on Monday as the Lady Zizzers yielded their fewest points of the 2016-17 season.
Seventeen is the fewest amount of points West Plains has surrendered since allowing just nine to Mark Twain Conference member Chadwick in late November of 2015.
PHOTOS: West Plains vs. Glendale
Exactly 14 months later, head coach Scott Womack’s team once again made a statement – forcing nearly 30 turnovers and making the Lady Falcons work strenuously for a rare quality shot.
“Their defense really dictated what we were able to do offensively,” Glendale coach Renee Temple said of West Plains following the loss. “They’re quick, they’re aggressive and they’re very physical. That kind of altered what we would like to do.”
Perhaps the most impressive part of the display in Springfield was the Lady Zizzers’ ability to hold a young Glendale squad to a grand total of four points in the second half despite the Lady Falcons starting a trio of players standing at 6-feet tall.
“We felt like tonight, we needed to get after [Glendale] and press, and then make sure we were rebounding,” said Womack. “We knew that they were tall and we’re not very big, so we knew we had to limit their second-chance opportunities. I thought we did a good job with that.”
Monday night’s contest served as an appropriate microcosm of what Glendale has been plagued with this season. Although they generally carry a size advantage into many of their games, the Lady Falcons, who start a sophomore and a pair of freshmen, have yet to turn their height into a truly imposing factor for opponents.
“We knew coming in that we were going to be young and it was going to be a growing year for us,” Temple said. “Starting two freshmen does play a role in that, but we know that they can do it. We just felt like, tonight, we weren’t able to get the ball in the half-court set as much and utilize our height.”
West Plains’ offensive charge was led by senior Elle Williams and junior Kendra Davidson. Williams, who reached the 1,000-point plateau for her career in a win over Nixa on Saturday, tallied a game-high 17 points while Davidson followed with 13 points of her own.
Senior standout Payton Richards didn’t exactly light up the scoreboard like much of the Lady Zizzer faithful have grown accustomed to seeing, but she still managed to collect 11 points and effectively work the ball to her teammates.
“Payton [Richards] is capable of scoring big in a game or she’s capable of just distributing the ball and getting it to people that are open,” added Womack. “We need that balanced scoring.”
Both teams are back in action on Thursday as West Plains travels to Rolla, while Glendale hits the road to Camdenton.
West Plains 52, Glendale 17
West Plains – 20 11 17 4 – 52
Glendale – 9 4 2 2 – 17
West Plains – Elle Williams 17, Kendra Davidson 13, Payton Richards 11, Hailey Meeks 6, Morgan Mahan 4, Kasey Bonham 1
Glendale – Hannah Pinkston 4, Gabby Mathews 3, Grace Mathews 3, Kaitlyn Baird 3, Abbey Hirsch 2, Katie Williams 2
