Girls’ hoop team struggles on offense in loss to Mansfield

The Canton High School girls’ basketball team struggled to find its offense on the road Thursday night, losing 52-34 to a tough and physical Mansfield team.

The Bulldogs only scored one field goal in the first quarter and got off to a sluggish start. Mansfield’s defense pressured Canton’s leading scorer, Olivia Murphy, shutting down her offensive production and holding her to nine points and nine rebounds.

“We just couldn’t score anything… We just couldn’t get it in the hole,” said head coach Kaitlin Mills. “We couldn’t handle their team speed and they just collapsed on [Murphy]. They really forced her out of the key.”

Murphy was also in foul trouble throughout the game and accumulated two fouls early in the first quarter that sent her to the bench.

Mills believes the offensive struggles were expected after a week layoff from their last game, a 62-11 win over Innovation Academy. She also believes the scoring absence can be attributed to the young underclassmen who have yet to step up and make shots.

“We really need to pick it up and master our offense against the zone,” Mills said. “I think every team is going to collapse on Olivia, and I need the kids to play smart and use their heads.”

In the loss, senior captain Julianna Strahan was the Bulldogs’ leading scorer with 11 points and two assists, and junior point guard Alana Pitts-Anaya added seven points, four assists, and three steals. Sophomore forward Kristen Burns had another great defensive game. Senior captain Aoife Kennedy, who has missed some of the season after spending time in Ireland with family, provided a spark off the bench, playing solid defense and adding two points, three rebounds and a steal.

“She gave us a lot of energy off the bench and I was really proud of her,” Mills said. “She proved to me that she should be earning more playing time.”

The Bulldogs were scheduled to play next on Tuesday at home against North Attleboro and again on Friday at King Philip.

The team is now 4-2 this season.

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Posted by Tony Catinella on Jan 13 2011. Filed under High School, Sports. Both comments and pings are currently closed.