​Lady Eagles Win Pleasant Hill Basketball Tournament

by John Unrein
​

     The Grain Valley Lady Eagles basketball team (7-3) wrapped up a busy week with a 63-43 win over the Grandview Bulldogs on January 15th. The Lady Eagles reeled off three straight wins during the 34th Annual Pleasant Hill Basketball Tournament, permitting them to hoist the first place plaque. The Grain Valley girls had previously been tournament champions in 2009, 2011, 2015, and 2016.
     The victory was impressive for Grain Valley in several facets. First, it took the Lady Eagles overtime last February to beat the Bulldogs, who are led by junior point guard Cierra Smith. Grain Valley struggled at home to contain Smith during that matchup as she racked up 41 points. Grain Valley Lady Eagles head basketball coach Randy Draper diligently prepared his team for the heavy pick and roll offense that Grandview likes to use with Smith.
     Draper’s squad consistently came under the screen set at the top of the key to stay centered in front of Smith. Hustle continued as the Lady Eagles denied the passing lanes to the wing once Smith moved past the pick. The strong containment effort by Grain Valley held Smith to 18 points in the contest.
     Next, was the determination displayed by Grain Valley from the opening tipoff. The Lady Eagles jumped out to an 11-0 lead by pushing the ball in transition, moving unselfishly without the basketball, securing rebound positioning through boxing out (leading to 34 total team rebounds), and avoiding turnovers. Those ingredients forced Grandview to burn an early timeout and regroup. It was a deficit that the Bulldogs could not overcome as the game unfolded.
     Finally, the Lady Eagles continue to mature against man and zone defenses when on offense under the direction of Draper. Grain Valley has become adept at running “overload” offensive sets that create mismatches against defenses. Furthermore, attacking zone defenses through centering a player at the elbow on the key has become a hallmark of Draper’s. Passing the basketball to that player settling in open space at the elbow collapses the zone before that player sends the basketball back out the wing or to a cutting scorer if no opportunity exists at the elbow.
     Freshman Emma Jane Ogle has displayed good decision making at the elbow against zone defenses for the Lady Eagles. Ogle’s 7 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal against Grandview speak strongly to her growth. The only thing as big as Ogle’s smile after the win was the purple welt on her leg.
     “Coach Draper pushes us to be aggressive and that keeps us from thinking too much. We are reminded by him that basketball is not Algebra,” Ogle said.
     “Tonight, was so much fun. This is a memory I will probably never forget. I am excited to keep going and see where this team ends up. The freshman on this team have been welcomed and it feels like a family environment.”
     Lady Eagles point guard Grace Slaughter led all scorers with 38 points in the contest. Slaughter continues to show a scoring pension as a triple threat through driving the lane, shooting accurately from behind the arc, and pulling up in the lane to drain a basket if given space.  The sophomore would also add 8 rebounds and 2 steals to her stat line in a stellar effort.
     “Our floor spacing against zone defenses continues to yield us points in the paint and on the wing. Our rebounding on defense and outlet passes definitely sparked our success in transition,” Slaughter said.
     “The IQ of the basketball team continues to grow. These freshmen have played basketball all their lives, just like me. Seeing them mature at the varsity level has been exciting. I am happy for our seniors to be tournament champions, especially against a talented team like Grandview.”
     Tenacity is required to secure defensive rebound positioning in the paint. To find the nearest opponent and pin your backside against them so that they cannot get to the basketball first takes as much determination as it does strength. Grain Valley senior forward Gabbi Keim continues to be a stalwart under the basket for her team. Keim would score 9 points and pull down 12 boards to go with her 2 assists in an effort just one point shy of a double-double. The senior would add 3 personal fouls for good measure in not allowing the opposition easy looks in the post.
     “I hear ‘block out’ during practice, I hear it during the game, we drill it to the point it is second nature to us during a game. It is definitely engrained in my brain,” Keim said.
     “I have not done this before (winning this tournament), being new to the team. To have this experience with this group of girls is awesome.”
     Draper admitted that he had a list of concerns prior to the matchup against Grandview. Rebounding and containing the scoring of Smith was among them. Draper was quick to share with his team that their reward for managing both would be their team being printed on the back of the program as tournament champions moving forward.
     “Our attention to detail tonight was so good. The gap from us not having a summer (due to the pandemic) to work as a team is closing right now. Playing was the only way to fine tune our lineups. Winning sticks with you,” Draper said.
     “Ogle’s athleticism, Slaughter’s scoring, and Keim’s rebounding were special. Ogle relaxed and let her talent take over tonight. Keim was a force in the paint as well.”
     

The Lady Eagles display their first place Pleasant Hill Tournament plaque.
​Photo credit: Valley News staff

Gabbi Keim maneuvers through the lane to score a basket.
​Photo credit: Valley News staff

Grace Slaughter sets up the Lady Eagles offense after passing mid-court.
​Photo credit: Valley News staff