Willow 56 - Liberty 62 (FINAL)

[ChaoticFanatic]

2:30 left in 2Q

Jones going to the bench with 4 fouls for Willow.

No idea why she was on the floor in the first half with 3 fouls. Best player on the team going to be playing with 4 fouls the whole second half.

 

[ChaoticFanatic]

34-33 Liberty at half

 

[ChaoticFanatic]

Jones sits the entire 3Q for Willow.

42-42 at the end of 3Q

 

[TadQueasy]

Spent day at the Grove Tournament. My thoughts on the day.

1. Girls basketball as a whole is pretty down in this area.

2. Houston maybe one of the worst teams I have seen in a while.

3. Does the Van Buren coach ever shut up?

4. Licking is not the usual Licking teams of the recent past. 1 really good player and a good coach.

5. Willow and Liberty was the best game of the day. In regard to Willows best player being on the floor with 3 fouls. Personally I would have sat her. But it is probably the same reason why judd was on the floor for West plains a couple years ago in the Fair Grove Tournament with 3 fouls and also picked up her 4th. Sometimes coaches gamble to trust their best player to keep the game from changing in the wrong direction. I was again impressed with Willow and how they played and if we are going to criticize the coach for keeping her on the floor with 3 fouls then we have to give him some credit for keeping the game close in the 2nd half without her on the floor for the entire 3rd quarter. IMO the biggest coaching mystery of the game is why Liberty did not press Willow when she was off the floor? That was not very smart.

6. Norwood looked really good. Mtn Grove not so much. I understand they were missing their best player. But they still looked really bad. Definitely not the 2 seed in the tournament

7. Alton and Hartville both have a post player that can give teams a lot of trouble.

8. I would say this tournament is wide open. I could see any of the top teams getting to the championship and winning it. I would guess the championship is Licking vs. Norwood based off today. But that is purely a guess. It could just as easily be Liberty vs. Alton

 

[ChaoticFanatic]

Tad, I feel that willows girls are a lot better than even some from Willow are giving them credit for. I still have them pegged for possibly finishing as high as 3rd in the SCA with probably the youngest roster overall.

I wasn’t actually at the game today. Went to Willows Blue & Gold game and then had family Christmas duties to attend to.

I’ll be at blue and gold Willow vs Crane tomorrow and should be at Willow girls as well depending on when their game time is.

I believe both boys and girls will be contenders for the SCA title next year and will both probably be the teams to beat the year after.

I think they could both contend this year, but it’s hard to tell at this point.

Can’t help but wonder if the outcome would have been different today if Jones would have been able to play the 3Q especially after coming back from a 10-1 deficit to start the game.

And you’re not the first person I’ve heard these last few days complaining about how loud and obnoxious Van Burens coach is. 🤣🤣🤣

 

[TadQueasy]

Yeah I forgot Wilow got down big to start and fought back. Definitely a team to keep an eye on.

The Van Buren coach is amazing. I thought the lady the last couple years from Houston was the worst I have seen/heard. But this VB coach can give her a run for her money.

 

[mgpantherman]

She is also the softball coach and she just as loud on the diamond as in the gym but at least softball is outside

 

[Razzy417]

I'm nit picking here but the situation with Judd in the Fair Grove tournament was different as they gave a foul to her that should have gone to someone else and no one noticed or checked on it and then she picked up another, so she had 4 fouls in the first half and not 3. Wommack would have surely taken her out if he knew she had 3 fouls in the first half

 

[Ftballfan16]

Tad, I feel that willows girls are a lot better than even some from Willow are giving them credit for. I still have them pegged for possibly finishing as high as 3rd in the SCA with probably the youngest roster overall.

I wasn’t actually at the game today. Went to Willows Blue & Gold game and then had family Christmas duties to attend to.

I’ll be at blue and gold Willow vs Crane tomorrow and should be at Willow girls as well depending on when their game time is.

I believe both boys and girls will be contenders for the SCA title next year and will both probably be the teams to beat the year after.

I think they could both contend this year, but it’s hard to tell at this point.

Can’t help but wonder if the outcome would have been different today if Jones would have been able to play the 3Q especially after coming back from a 10-1 deficit to start the game.

And you’re not the first person I’ve heard these last few days complaining about how loud and obnoxious Van Burens coach is. 🤣🤣🤣

If they are any good at all they should finish 2nd. I would say Thayer is probably the team to beat. Liberty and MG are average at best. Am I missing someone? Just 8 teams in the SCA right?

 

[ChaoticFanatic]

If they are any good at all they should finish 2nd. I would say Thayer is probably the team to beat. Liberty and MG are average at best. Am I missing someone? Just 8 teams in the SCA right?

Mtn Grove has been missing one of their top players throughout the whole tournament.

I’ll be interested to see how Willow does against Liberty in conference play after losing to them by 6 with their best player only on the floor for 6 min of the second half.