Box Score SALEM, W. Va. (Feb. 19, 2018) – Strategically, an opponent who takes the high ground has the advantage. In basketball, one of the most prized areas of real estate is at the elbows with a tall enough player to see over the top of the defense.
On senior night, the Salem University Tigers women's basketball team ceded that ground for most of the night, losing to the Alderson Broaddus University Battlers 92-58.
Broaddus University forward Myriam Garcia exploited this area all night, scoring 24 points on a staggering 12-for-14 shooting with five rebounds and two blocks.
The Battlers funneled much of their offense through the 6-foot-2 frontcourt player, puncturing the defense with passes to the elbows, moving the ball from one side to another, then finding Garcia again for a silky-smooth short jumper.
Keishla Gilmore led Salem with 28 points on 12-for-24 shooting while pulling down seven rebounds and four assists and
Aaliyah Dotson had 10 points on 4-for-7 shooting with five rebounds and two blocks as the only two Tigers in double figures scoring.
Salem started strong, getting out to an early 10-4 lead. But Alderson Broaddus sent wave after wave against the Tigers, substituting entirely new five-woman lineups every few minutes while running a full-court press after every made basket and dead ball.
Playing shorter stints, the Battlers were able to play at full tilt the entirety of the game. And while Salem's ball handlers had little trouble breaking the initial pressure, the value of this tactic wasn't in the turnovers created, but the energy it forced the Tigers to expend.
As a result, perhaps, the off-ball movement that began picking up in the Tigers' offense over the previous few games slowed to a near halt. Spread pick and rolls and dribble handoffs were less effective against a set defense and few cuts and almost no venturing into the middle of the floor without the ball.
Teams can create openings with shooting or movement. Salem's spread pick-and-roll faltered along with its outside shooting, hitting just 4-for-30 from the 3-point line (13.3 percent). When the ball moved, it rarely did so in a way that punctured the defense, relying almost exclusively on off-the-dribble shot creation.
Salem assisted on just 10 of its 25 made field goal versus 15 turnovers. By contrast, Alderson Broaddus assists on 22 field goals to 17 turnovers and had nine steals.
With the loss, the Tigers drop to 7-18 on the season, including 5-10 at home. Salem will close out its season on the road against Bluefield State College on Feb. 24 at 2 p.m.
