Improved second half lifts Stratford Eaglettes to first region title in three seasons

At halftime, it was easy to figure out what it would take to win.

It would be whoever cracked 30% shooting, most likely — but guessing whether it would be Stratford or Piedmont was much tougher.

They were both cold.

Stratford warmed up first, making four of its first five shots in the third quarter to get in front for good before extending the lead in the fourth to beat Piedmont 67-55 Friday night for the GIAA District 6-4A/3A girls championship at FPD.

Both teams will head to the GIAA state playoffs as high seeds. The GIAA splits up 3A into two divisions for the postseason. Piedmont will be a favorite in 3A and Stratford in 4A.

The Cougars, though, will need a sharper shooting night, which often follows struggles like the one they had Friday.

“That’s our game,” Piedmont head coach Michael Wilson said. “We average about 36 threes a game. We struggle shooting here, for some reason.

“It is what it is. We didn’t shoot well tonight. We knew we were at a disadvantage on the inside, so we’ve got to make our shots or we get behind the eight-ball.”

Most of Stratford’s second half was pretty much what head coach Ed Smith likes to see. And he was grateful to see the Cougars, who are a fast-paced long-distance shooting team.

“They constantly pressure you with that,” he said. “It’s unbelievable. They’re relentless. Nonstop hold your breath.”

The game went as expected early, though neither team was on target at all. Stratford (22-2) went 7 for 27 and Piedmont 7 for 29 from the floor in the first half. The Eaglettes went nine straight possessions with nothing, and the Cougars (23-5) countered with one good trip among nine at the same time.

Piedmont took a 24-23 lead at halftime, with scoring ace Marissa Holder — who is nearing 3,000 career points — off to a 5 for 15 start from the floor.

“The last couple years, we’re playing in a lot of big games,” Wilson said. “We just go in at halftime, take a breath, regroup. Shooters shoot. That’s our saying.”

Smith wanted to see more patience.

“At times in the first half, even though we hit a shot or two, we were settling for the three,” he said. “We’re tired. That pace, just what they do gets you worn out.”

Soon enough, he did.

“We talked about coming inside, they had no answer for the inside game,” Smith said. “That was the plan, get the ball in.”

Stratford made four of its first five shots in the third quarter en route to a 31-29 lead. Piedmont stayed close, thanks to three threes from Sarah Ellen Stroud and Kylee Keck, the last one pulling the Cougars within 43-39, which was the score to begin the fourth quarter.

It was a 46-45 game after a Keck shot from beyond the arc at the 6:13 mark, but the Eaglettes embarked on a 10-2 run — including hitting five straight free throws — for a 56-47 lead with 4:06 left.

Stratford’s efficiency eliminated Piedmont’s comeback chances. The Eaglettes scored on 13 of 16 possessions in the fourth quarter, to seven of 19 for the Cougars.

“We don’t play a lot of zone,” Smith said. “But we feel like we find (shooters) better, we move them all over the place. We were able to tilt toward the shooters.”

Holder struggled from the floor, tossing up several air balls and side-of-the-rim misses.

“Marissa battles,” Wilson said. “She plays good defense, and when she’s got to battle, sometimes that affects your shot.”

But that rarely stops her, nor co-markswomen Kylie Keck and Sarah Ellen Stroud, from shooting.

Holder entered the game with 2,864 career points in five years, 715 this year. She led Piedmont with 22, while Keck added 18 and Stroud 13.

Guard Da’Laila Lowe was money all night long on both ends, finishing with a game-high 24 points, boosted by a sizzling 13-of-14 night at the free-throw line.

“She’s about a 90% shooter (at the line),” Smith said. “This was nothing new. Every time she went to the line, you felt pretty good about it.”

Post player Kaliya Walker added 23 (7 of 9 at the line), and Camiyah Hudson 11.

Now the Eaglettes can worry about facing teams unlike Piedmont. Smith and assistant coach Kurt Greene thought about that before the game.

“I said, in all our years, I don’t believe I’ve ever had three kids that you have to constantly know where they are,” Greene said. “At that depth. Holder puts a lot of pressure on you insofar as you want to help on her, but you know when you do what’s going to happen.

“I was proud of the way we were able to come in and execute that (zone) and get to their shooters, especially in the fourth quarter.”