BY TIM GAYLE
SPECIAL TO THE ELMORE/AUTAUGA NEWS
Top Photo: EK Smith drives past Avery Rogers
Prattville Christian took another step toward hosting the 3A Area 6 tournament in three weeks, turning back Trinity 61-40 on Tuesday at Captain Jack Court.
PCA (25-0) improved to 4-0 in area play, while Trinity (18-4) dropped to 2-2 in area play. Three of the Wildcats’ four losses have been to the Panthers.
On the other hand, PCA’s closest thing to a loss came last week at home when the Panthers pulled out a narrow three-point win over Trinity, setting the stage for what was expected to be another hard-fought battle in the Trinity gym.
Instead, PCA held the Wildcats to three field goals in the second and third quarters while raining down 3 pointers to all but settle the area race.
“When they came to us (last week), that was the first time we had played them with (forward) Mya (Moskowitz) playing and she hurt us a little bit,” PCA coach Jason Roberson said. “We had to make some adjustments. She’s a big piece of the puzzle for them and does some nice things for them, so we were just trying to limit some of the things we gave up.
“You’ve got four girls who have scored 25 points or more in a game this year so you can only take away so much, then you cross your fingers and say, ‘we’re going to give up something.’ Here’s a decent shot by them, sometimes it goes in, sometimes it doesn’t.”
They didn’t, at least on Tuesday. Emma Kate Smith and Maddie Smith both scored 14 points, but Mary Alice Sasser had just five points and Moskowitz had three as the Panthers seemed to have a hand in every shooter’s face.
“They (Emma Kate and Maddie Smith) have to be aggressive for us,” said Trinity coach Blake Smith. “Then, there are times when you allow the double-teams to come and you throw it to the open players and you hope those open players make plays.”
Both teams clogged the paint, but PCA’s perimeter shooters were able to stretch the Trinity defense as Avery Rogers made four 3 pointers, Ally Blankinchip made three and Ella Jane Connell and Sarah Williams each made two.
“They left different people open tonight,” Smith said. “We got a lot more easier shots under the basket up there (last week) because of what they were doing. I would assume they made a conscious effort not to let us get those.
“And in our scrambling tonight, we lost sight of the 3-point shooters. You’re going to concentrate on the post players, you have to. But it’s not just ‘shut down the post players.’ The guards can shoot.”
Connell had 14 points, seven rebounds and five assists, while Rogers added 12 points, five rebounds and four assists. And when the perimeter players missed, the forwards were still effective on the boards, with CoCo Thomas scoring 11 points and grabbing nine rebounds and Hannah Jones scoring nine points and grabbing 12 rebounds.
PCA plays host to Catholic on Friday, while Trinity travels to Montgomery Academy. PCA and Trinity won’t meet again until a possible matchup in the area tournament the second week of February and possibly in the Southeast Regional at Garrett Coliseum the following week.
“That’s a good, good team,” Smith said. “They’re going to help us become the best version of ourself this year. Now, will that version be enough? I don’t know. We’d like to think that it can be.”
