Lady Elite 1’s Come up Short against Detroit Blackhawks
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TORONTO,ON–When the PHASE 1 Toronto Lady Elite 1’s step on the basketball court, determination, dedication and the desire to win are all prevalent.
Facing off against opponents in the WBCL (Women Blue Chip Basketball League), the Lady Elite 1’s have already faced teams like Flint Lady Monarchs and the Cleveland Crush and are working hard to make a name for themselves and their country.
On June 4, 2011, the ladies took their talents to Ryerson University and played the Detroit Black Hawks. They started the game off quiet offensively, with 17 points in the first quarter. Guard, Amanda Davidson, and center, Laila Bellony both stood out in the first half. Davidson, a graduate from Alcon State University, was impressive. With her hustle style of play, and vocal personality, she proved to be one of the teams leaders and offensive attributes. Even with her small frame, Amanda was in the paint grabbing rebounds like a post player. She showed her versatility with a three pointer in the second half. Laila Bellony also played a solid game. Her size gave her the ability to grab rebounds from opponents easily and finish baskets. Despite their hard work, the girls were down a significant amount by the end of the first half.
During the second half, the mood of the game had changed, and the Lady Elite 1’s were out to redeem themselves. They stepped up their defense with lock down one on one play, double teams and constant steals. The ladies had also gotten very vocal on the court and were guiding each other, which made their game execution seem flawless. By the end of the third quarter, the Toronto Lady Elites had narrowed the score down 58-46 with the Black Hawks still in the lead. Their superb play in the second half was motivated by a powerful half time speech from head coach, Wayne Dawkins.
“Its as if I showed them that mirror, you’re not competing. Your just sort of playing, and I gave them some very specific examples of what that looked like. Not closing out with high hands, not boxing out, not faking and passing. We weren’t doing the little things that you would do if your trying to compete.”
The team definitely took these words into consideration for the duration of the game, and played to the best of their ability.
Both Tashauna Higgins and Ashley Stephen, showed they were offensive and defensive bonuses to the team. Ashley defended her opponent so well, that every time she went in for the steal, she got it, ultimately leading to many fast break points for the team. Showing her desire for the team to win, Stephen dove to the basket every chance she got for rebounds and executed the teams defense well. Higgins played a great, aggressive game. Her ability to strip opponents of the ball and finish at the basketball helped give her team an advantage. She was willing to drive to the basket each and every time, regardless of the size of her opponents waiting for her in the paint. This all payed off, as she went to the line often and was the leading scorer with 12 points.
Although the team played a hard fought match, they lost to the Detroit Black Hawks 74-63. They will face the Cleveland Crush on June 11 at 8:00 pm at Seneca College.
The Lady Elite 1’s have only been practicing and playing together for a short while but they mesh together extremely well. With more practice and hard work, the ladies will be well on their way to being one of the best teams in the WBCL.
