Turnovers give Spartans edge over rival Indians

Jan 21, 2022

After edging out Dartmouth by one point the last time they faced off in December, the Bishop Stang girls basketball team wanted to make sure things weren’t as close with their crosstown rivals the next time they met.

And they did.

During their Jan. 21 matchup, the Spartans bested the rival Indians 45-28.

Spartans Head Coach Julie Letourneau noted that the key to this victory was containing the Indians’ 2-3 offense used in the last meeting.

“I knew they were probably going to come out with the 2-3,” she said. “I was prepared, but we just had to execute this.”

The Spartans took control early, starting the first quarter on an 8-0 run, ending the period 17-8. Stang continued their offensive edge over the Indians, taking the half 29-16 with scoring from many of the team’s junior players.

“That was our best half of basketball yet,” Letourneau  said. “They did a really good job communicating.”

Much of the offense was generated from Dartmouth turnovers, with senior Leah Katz getting around 20 rebounds from the Indians.

“She tends to be more shy on offense and tonight I saw that change a little bit,” Letourneau  noted.

The Spartans also generated their fair share of turnovers, but the Dartmouth offense could rarely take advantage of those opportunities.

“We struggled to make shots all night,” Dartmouth Head Coach Scott Richards said. “We got some open looks that didn’t go down and we struggled with our confidence after that. Once you start doubting yourself, it’s hard to make shots after that.”

While the score was not in Dartmouth’s favor, Richards said he was still proud of the effort his girls put in against their rivals.

“Some nights the shots go, others they don’t” he said. “We’ve got time to regroup, which we will.”

The Indians (7-3) will travel to Old Rochester on Jan. 27.

Bishop Stang (6-5) travels to Arlington Catholic High School on Saturday.