CLUTCH ‘CATS: Plymouth tames Bulldogs in wild West showdown
Plymouth players celebrate after the final buzzer sounded Tuesday night. PHOTO: Vasilnek Images
Trailing Brighton 20-15 early in the third quarter Tuesday night in a critical KLAA West Division encounter, Plymouth’s girls basketball team chose a perfect time to put on an impromptu hoops clinic.
Fueled by textbook passes, Caitlin Clark-esque shooting, relentless rebounding and stifling defense, the Wildcats reeled off a 15-3 run before holding off a Bulldog-ish comeback effort down the stretch to secure a 43-38 victory.
The triumph was crucial for the host Wildcats, who stayed alive in the KLAA’s Wild Wild West Division, which, after Tuesday, featured five teams with two losses and one team (Brighton) with three.
Plymouth, picked to finish near the cellar of their division in the conference’s pre-season coaches poll, improved to 8-3 overall and 4-2 in the West. Howell tops the tightly-packed ledger with a 5-2 mark.
Super soph
The winners were led in the scoring column by sophomore Annie Flavin, who scored eight of her 12 points in the first quarter.
Flavin played part of her freshman season on the varsity, but has flourished as a starter in year two.
“I feel a lot more confident this season,” said Flavin, an All-State golfer for the Wildcats in the fall.
“I feel a lot more comfortable going into the games compared to last year. I know where everybody is and what’s expected of me.
“We’re playing really together. It’s a total team effort. We’ll never be successful relying on just one person.”
Plymouth Head Coach Ryan Ballard said Flavin’s improvement from freshman year to now has been game-changing.
‘Hungry, humble’
“It’s amazing watching her from freshman year to now,” Ballard said. “Her growth. She’s just a hungry kid. She’s hungry and humble. She wants to be great, wants to be coached. That’s the kind of player you want to be around.”
Plymouth was also powered by senior post player Elena DiMaria, who scored eight points, snatched eight rebounds and blocked three shots.
Despite being two of the taller players on the court, Flavin and DiMaria did a great job of distributing the ball — or driving to the rack — when they were positioned near the free-throw line.
“I prefer playing low because I like creating shots for myself and kicking it out to my teammates when the defense collapses on me,” Flavin said. “But I think I’m getting better playing the high post. I’m working on my (mid-range) shot and finding open teammates when they’re cutting.”
A+ grade for ‘Z’
Although she rarely shot (four points), senior Zaynab Saab arguably was Plymouth’s MVC — Most Valuable ‘Cat — Tuesday night. Along with grabbing a team-high nine rebounds (not bad for a sub-six-foot guard), she made momentum-swinging efforts on a number of occasions.
“‘Z’ is just a winning player — that’s the best way I can characterize her,” Ballard raved. “She does things that help teams win — rebound, run the floor, make open threes, hard takes to the rim. I love the way she plays; she’s so competitive. Her impact goes well beyond the scorebook.”
Sophomore point guard Mackenzie Dicken (seven points, three boards) ran the offense with precision. When the Wildcats accelerated the pace, she made efficient decisions of whether to attack the rim, pull up and set up a play or launch an open three.
Playmakers galore
Senior Olivia Maciag was also pivotal during the Wildcats’ third-quarter run, draining a triple and following her own shot with a rebound and net-finding put-back.
Brighton led 16-15 at the half before setting the tone early in the third quarter by scoring the first four points.
But that’s when the resurgent Wildcats turned on the after-burners — leading 39-28 at one point — and built a 34-28 advantage with eight minutes to play.
The Bulldogs never quit coming after the Wildcats, staying within two possession late; however, Ballard’s band of ballers proved to be too much.
“It’s always a tough game when you play Brighton; they have a great program and they never give up.
“We uncharacteristically missed some free throws down the stretch even though we had the right kids at the line.
“But we’ll learn from it, grow from it and come back tomorrow and shoot, shoot and shoot some more.”
Ed Wright can be reached at 734-664-4657 or edwright@socialhousenews.com.
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