​A Thousand Reasons To Smile In Clash Between Lady Eagles and Lady Bears

​by John Unrein

     It only took Grain Valley sophomore Grace Slaughter 41 games to get to 1,000 points in her young varsity career. Slaughter drove the lane at the 3:16 mark of the second quarter prior to finishing with a layup under the basket and timeout called by Lady Eagles head basketball coach Randy Draper. Slaughter’s teammates rushed the court to adorn her with high fives and hugs.
     Fans in the stands were holding up a plethora of congratulatory signs for Slaughter as Grain Valley activities director Brandon Hart capped the moment with the announcement of her achievement. Slaughter paused during the celebration to acknowledge her parents and family in the stands. The milestone is significant as Slaughter has averaged approximately 24.4 points per game during the first 41 outings of her varsity basketball career.
     “I tried not to think about it (the milestone) tonight and wanted to focus on us winning the game. I try to be a team player and was so happy for Finley (LaForge) with the threes she hit early on. I thought for sure that would open things up for us,” Slaughter said.
     “We were able to stay with them (William Chrisman) and it was a close game until the second half. We recognized the box and one defense they were playing and wanted to get the ball back out behind the arc to make some three pointers.”
     Slaughter concluded, “We need to be fired up coming out at the start of the 3rd quarter moving forward. We were only down two points at halftime. Rebounding, fast breaks, and good shooting will pump us up to the zone where we deliver as a team. The rest of our schedule this season is not easy.”
      Slaughter would finish the contest with 15 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal on February 1st as the Lady Eagles lost to William Chrisman by a score of 51-37. Grain Valley guard Finley LaForge opened the game on fire from deep, sinking a trio of three pointers during the first half in route to her stat line of 11 total points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists. LaForge was pleased with her effort and thankful to Slaughter for the attention she drew that opened up outside looks for the rest of the team.
     “Grace draws a lot of attention, including being double teamed at times. That opens up my shot a lot and gives me time to look at the basket. Grace sees everything and she hit me perfectly with the assist she got on the pass for my layup,” LaForge said.
     “I was making quite a few shots during pregame warmups. I took the openings that presented themselves tonight.”
     William Chrisman Lady Bears head basketball coach Scott Schaefer deployed the box and one defense that at times smothered Slaughter. Senior forward Jolee Spinks had the arduous task of following Grain Valley’s leading scorer all over the floor in a man assignment. The rest of the Lady Bears played zone around the blocks and the top of the key.
     Equally as impressive for the Lady Bears was the scoring effort of senior Jacqueline David. The 5’ 4” senior forward used positioning and muscle in the paint to put up 20 points in her team’s winning effort.
     Draper and his staff adjusted in the second half to the defensive pressure by applying screens to free up Slaughter. The result paid dividends during the 4th quarter for the Lady Eagles with William Chrisman having to close out on Slaughter as she drove the lane. Having answers for successful defenses that teams deploy is paramount in February basketball as teams acquire more film to study of their upcoming opponents.
     “Shooting happens in rhythm. Movement of the basketball hurts the defense, and it helps the shooter. So, you probably ought to move the ball. Finley (LaForge) gave us another scoring option tonight. I told Finley after the game that this doesn’t need to be a special game for her, but who she is,” Draper said.
     “I was happy with what we did during the first half. We ran the floor better tonight then we did against Barstow. They (William Chrisman) are a really good basketball team. I am glad we got to play them.”
     Draper continued, “There is no such thing as a trip (possession) that doesn’t matter. A basketball game is just a series of one trip possessions. When you are done with a possession, is that what your team would vote on to win a game. It continues to be a part of our maturation process. Our first half was pretty good tonight, but there are some things we have to learn from this game.”
     “Grace (Slaughter) accumulating a thousand points this early in her career is ridiculous. I told the team afterwards, I could’ve been left in the gym alone and not got to a thousand points,” Draper said with a chuckle.
     Grain Valley moves to a record of 9-5 with road games ahead against St. Joseph Benton and Truman.

Grace Slaughter holds a sign celebrating her 1,000 point score.
​Photo credit: Valley News staff

Sophomore forward Ella Clyman attempts a shot from the wing. 
Photo credit: Valley News staff

Freshman guard Finley LaForge looks for an opening in the Chrisman defense.
Photo credit: Valley News staff