The rough start to the 2009-2010 basketball season for the Winder-Barrow High School Lady Bulldoggs could almost be expected.
WBHS was competing without its coach as Brenda Hill missed some time because of surgery. The Lady Bulldoggs began the season 1-5, however, even then the coach did not panic.
Once Hill returned and began helping the team iron out the wrinkles, things began to click. The result has been a three-game winning streak, the latest being a 50-30 victory against Heritage Dec. 15. That win followed victories against Southwest Atlanta Christian and Monroe Area.
“We are doing well right now,” Hill said. “We have been able to get some team chemistry. I have been doing a much better job of keeping players fresh and getting everyone playing time. If you are going to be successful, you have to be able to play several people. The kids are excited right now. Things are coming together. We are ending this part of the season on a good note.”
WBHS did not play Friday although Hill said she wished her team could have been on the court. The team will return to action Monday in the Broookwood High School Deep South Tournament with the first game against Peachtree Ridge at 2 p.m. Games are also set for Tuesday and Wednesday.
“Anytime a team has a chance in what they are used to it will throw them off,” Hill said if her early season abscence. “It’s the same way with adults. The kids have responded well in coming back like they have.”
The Lady Bulldogg coach said her team lost a few games where it had the lead.
“We talked about controlling the game,” Hill said. “They have worked on what I’ve preached to them. We are doing some things now that we weren’t doing early in the season.”
One important thing the team has learned, the coach said, is patience.
“We are getting a better selection on offense,” Hill said. “We are getting the basketball to the right person at the right time. They have really grown in that area. I’m not the one out there playing. I am seeing a new sense of confidence. They know what I expect from them.”
Overall, the whole team has matured, the coach said.
“The most important thing is team basketball,” Hill said. “Kids often get caught up in whose doing all the scoring. However, it’s the things which don’t get in the paper which help you win. It’s the rebounds, the defense and the little things like boxing out and making the proper pass.”
Several players have stepped up their game in recent outings including Lauren Hamel, Mimi Hill and Brittney Witt. What Coach Hill likes, however, is how the entire team is contributing in one aspect or another.
