ELMIRA – The Creswell girls basketball team downed the Elmira Falcons 41-33 on the road on Friday, highlighting a competitive midseason comeback with an eight-game winning streak and a 4-0 start to Mountain Valley Conference play.
This revival aligned with head coach Tyler Hollingsworth’s goals for the Bulldogs. He hoped to build on the Bulldogs’ early season game against Sutherlin and grow the team’s confidence. Now they have jumped in the Class 3A standings from No. 22 to No. 14 and the results speak for themselves.
“We were trying to figure out what playing hard really was,” Hollingsworth said about the rocky early season start. He said that he praised the team for focusing on the little things, stressing the score would take care of itself. “Then they started to realize that was what I cared about more, and if they did more of that, they’d have more opportunities to win games. Also, confidence became a factor, and then the buy-in became even better,” he said.
The game didn’t come without challenges, though. The Bulldogs faced initial challenges, feeling “flat” and “soft,“ particularly on defense in the first half. However, a halftime talk and strategic adjustments led to a turnaround, resulting in a 10-point lead in the second half.
“I told them, ‘We are used to playing fast,’” Hollingsworth said. “‘But they’re not, and they will hit a wall – hopefully at some point in that second half – and then that will help separate.’ I think it did. We got a lead, and our pressure affected them in the end, and it’s because we are used to playing 93 to the four for 32 minutes. Not everybody is, and so we try to make the game fast to our benefit. And the defense eventually locked in.”
Elliette Kinney was the top scorer and rebounder against the Falcons. She had 14 points and 9 rebounds. Following was Kylie Leonard with 11 points and Raelee Green recorded 6 points. Despite foul trouble with key players, Hollingsworth stressed the need to learn from mistakes and execute well.
“Mila (Nguyen) unfortunately just got into foul trouble today,” Hollingsworth said. “There was also some miscommunication defensively. But she can get into foul trouble because she’s a force on the floor. She shoots the ball very well; she can penetrate. She’s one of the best drivers for us. But we also play aggressively. So sometimes we do get in foul trouble. You just gotta learn what’s a good foul and a bad foul.”
Hollingsworth praised the team for its efforts. He noted the ability to fill in for each other when players got subbed out due to foul trouble. This highlighted his deep roster.
“We’re very fortunate. We have three or four people on any given night who can get us some buckets,” Hollingsworth said. “Tonight, Kylie stepped up big and she did some big plays for us. Elliette did some things for us. For our passing game, Mila has been carrying us. When Mila would come out, Raelee (Green) stepped up, came in, and was able to run some action for us and get us some buckets.”
The challenge isn’t over for the Bulldogs. They faced their biggest test of the season on Tuesday: the Pleasant Hill Billies. The Billies tied with the Bulldogs with a 4-0 league start and will be a demanding foe. The game was played after The Chronicle’s deadline.
In the preseason, the Bulldogs lost to the Billies 45-38 in the Battle of 1-5 Tournament. Hollingsworth said the loss helped the Bulldogs learn to play full games and on defense.
“When we played Pleasant Hill, we won three of the quarters,” he said. “We just lost the third quarter so badly. You can’t have quarters like that. You got to learn how to execute those all the time. You’re not going to win every quarter, but your quarters can’t be blow-out quarters. You got to keep it close and end runs and get runs on your side. The defensive end is also crucial and we’ve been consistently locking in defensively recently.”
Hollingsworth said the team’s confidence is strong, which is crucial for a challenging league game.
“I know it will be a dogfight,” Hollingsworth said. “I don’t know what the outcome will be, but if it’s a dogfight, we have a chance. That’s all we’re asking for: chances. With the way they’re playing, they’re starting to believe. They’re starting to think ‘Hey, we can keep up with anybody now’ and so, and that’s what we need.”