JAO 2009

Okay, I can see traffic on the website has dropped significantly over the past few weeks due to the webmaster not doing much to the site on a regular basis.  My bad, but I did have issues with the site and continue to have some problems and of course the team has been off for the holidays.

Well, due to my cold, I am home now in bed and have nothing better to do than surf the net and yes, update the site.  I'm sure you all have been eagerly awaiting the next blog update so here it is... yeah right..

1st game of JAO 2009 was against the FOR Titans.  A team that is at the top of it's game and the top of the league.  They took the just concluded SBY season.  A tough team with arguably (well, really can't argue) the best player in the division-Dani.  She's pretty darn good..  But they do have good pieces around her with a solid inside game and good shooters on the perimeter.  The game went according to script, the Titans kept a comfortable lead throughout most of the game and even built a 13 or 14 point lead late in the 2nd half.  The Tigers started to press and sliced the lead quickly, getting steals and hitting some threes.  The press actually rattled the Titans as they started to throw up quick shots which led to Tiger baskets.  The huge lead was cut to 2 with the Tigers having the last shot to tie/win but the Titans held on for a slim 2 point victory in a high scoring affair 38 - 36.  Good effort in the 2nd half and with the 5 minutes of "hell" dished out.  Too bad it wasn't 8 minutes of hell and who knows.. :)

The 2nd game was against our good friends, FOR Sol.  Remarkably, the past 5 games or so have been decided by 3 points or less with both teams getting their shares of win.  Vegas was nice..  We all know the Sol is tough defensively and have just enough offense to be dangerous.  But this game, the Tigers were tough defensively, led by Tiffany, who was torturing the Sol PG's and creating havoc, steals, and resulting layups.  This seem to have taken a lot of the energy from the usually high octane Sol defense.  The Tigers slowly built a comfortable lead by half and maintaned it and actually increased the lead in the 2nd half.  The Sol was off in their offense but a lot of that was due to the Tigers, dare I say, defense.  Shots were contested, not too many 2nd chances for the Sol = Tigers comfortable win.  I always said if the Tigers played some consistent, tough, aggressive defense, they can be a team nobody wants to play.  Tigers can score, but labeled "soft" by some coaches I know, if they can play aggressive/physical defense every week like last week, they will be just fine.  Hopefully a defensive, vocal leader emerges, I think the team fed off Tiffany and Shelby's defense played and it trickled down.  Great game by Tiffany, Shelby, Emi, really the whole team as the girls easily cruised past the Sol, 34 - 17.  Hmm., with Kris being teammates again with some of the Sol girls, she had the bragging rights at the night practice. :)

Next up, stopping the Breeze.