Lady Scots ride dominant ‘D’ to shut down ’Cats

If Friday’s Peninsula Athletic League South Division opener at Woodside is any indication, Carlmont (1-0 PAL South, 7-2 overall) may really have something. The Lady Scots dominated on defense to strong-arm their way to a 40-29 victory, handing the upstart Wildcats (0-1, 6-1) their first loss of the year.

“They’ve got the kind of team, they can get scary if they get rolling,” Carlmont head coach Dan Mori said. “Offensively, I think we didn’t play great. But defensively is where we won the game.”

Despite Carlmont shooting just 32.6 percent (15 of 46) from the field, Mori was glowing after the game. That’s because his defense put on a clinic with its hyper-aggressive high and deny approach in the forecourt. Not only did the Scots limit Woodside to just six field goals on the night, the Wildcats managed to attempt only 12 shots in the second half, including just five in the third quarter.

“Carlmont is one of the better teams in our league,” Woodside head coach Ron Rossi said. “They’re long, they’re aggressive. I think we’re quicker than them but we couldn’t utilize it.”

Woodside opened the year with a 6-0 record in non-league play, much in part to the addition of junior transfer Hailey Stewart. As a relocation transfer from James Logan-Union City, Stewart didn’t have to sit out, as do many transfers.

Stewart is athletic and aggressive, but this cost her against Carlmont, as the junior forward picked up her third foul with 2:30 remaining in the first quarter. As a result, her tenacious one-on-one defense against Carlmont’s multi-faceted forward Ashley Trierweiler was shelved in the early going.

Trierweiler had a tough night from beyond the arc as Carlmont converted just 3 of 19 on 3-point attempts. But the 5-11 senior team captain still found plenty ways to affect the game, going for a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds, along with two steals, an assist and a blocked shot.

“We expected a battle,” Trierweiler said. “They’ve notoriously been one of the lower-level PAL teams. But with [Stewart], she definitely adds a different level to their team.”

That different level was on display in the first quarter. Just after Stewart checked out with her third foul amid a 4-4 tie, Trierweiler came up with a catlike backcourt steal, dribbled cross court, then stepped back to knock down her only 3 of the game. But Woodside got to the free-throw line twice in the closing minute of the quarter, hitting 3 of 4 from the stripe to tie the game 7-7 after one quarter of play.

Then the Carlmont defense went to work.

After turning over the ball just three times in the first quarter, Woodside went on to total 21 turnovers in the game. The Wildcats’ worst quarter in this respect was the second, as Carlmont senior Kaylee George produced two steals along with scoring all five of her points in a period where the Scots outscored Woodside 10-3.

“Defensively, we have to try to create more havoc and turnovers, and pressure the other team into mistakes,” Mori said.

Carlmont turned up the intensity in the second half. As a result, Woodside could hardly get to the basket. The Scots nearly pitched a shutout in the third quarter. The Wildcats’ only points of the period came in going 2 of 5 from the stripe.

“Our screens up top, they were late,” Rossi said. “We gave them too much time to read it.”

On the other side of the court, Trierweiler went to town, shortening up her range just a tad to hammer a pair of long-range 2s — one from 15 feet and another from 19 — while adding a pair of free throws. Carlmont outscored Woodside 11-2 in the period to all but put the game away.

“I know that I can’t stop shooting,” Trierweiler said, “because I know that one of my roles on the team is to keep shooting.”

Trierweiler has more rebounding responsibilities this season due to a personnel change. Last year, as the Scots posted a 20-8 overall record, Trierweiler paired with Catherine Dahlberg in the post. This year, however, Dahlberg opted not to play basketball as a senior to focus on the upcoming track season.

“[Trierweiler] knows that she has to do a lot more for us,” Mori said. “But one of the things I am really proud of her is her leadership … the intensity she brings every day and her leading by example.”

Woodside does show promise though. The team shot at an abysmal 18.7 percent (6 of 32), sure. Yet Stewart, despite being on the floor less than half the game, still went for a game-high 12 points.

And while she stands to be one of the Wildcats’ better rebounders, Woodside still held its own in the post without her, getting outrebounded by Carlmont 36-32. Senior forward Isabel Castro and sophomore guard Natalya Hotovec shared the team-high with six rebounds apiece.

Senior forward Evelyn Gordi totaled five points and seven rebounds for the Scots.