NDB adjusts, tops Terra Nova

But all Faasolo, NDB’s 6-1 post player, could do was watch. She missed practice Wednesday because of a family emergency and team rules dictate she sit out the first quarter.

“I really wanted to get in. But if I wasn’t, I might as well help on the bench,” Faasolo said.

Fassolo was her team’s biggest cheerleader even as Armstrong scored eight points and pulled down nine rebounds in the first eight minutes.

Faasolo took the floor to start the second period and turned the tide of the game. She more or less shut down Armstrong the rest of the way as NDB rallied from an early first-quarter deficit to pull away at the end for a 54-34 win.

“This was a good pre-league test for us,” said NDB coach Josh Davenport. “The kids handled the relentless onslaught at the outset.”

NDB (7-3 overall) did not look ready to match the intensity Terra Nova (7-2) started the game with as Terra Nova jumped out to a 9-2 lead, mostly on the shoulders of Armstrong, who struggled with her shot, but made up for by simply grabbing her own rebounds and shooting again. After Venus Pascua drained a 3-pointer to open the scoring, Armstrong score the final eight points of the quarter for Terra Nova.

“[Armstrong] created so many problems for us,” Davenport said.

Once Faasolo came in, the momentum swung to NDB. On Terra Nova’s first entry pass to Armstrong in the second quarter, Faasolo slapped the ball away for a steal. She did it a second time and then a third.

Faasolo would end up five steals to go along with 11 points, six rebounds and a block.

“I wasn’t afraid of her, but she was really big,” Faasolo said. “I just had to make it harder for her.”

Faasolo did just that as Armstrong managed just five points over the final three quarters and just two more rebounds.

Faasolo was so dominant against the Terra Nova post that Terra Nova got out of its game plan and stopped trying to go to her.

“We didn’t play the way we should be playing. We can play better than that,” said Terra Nova head coach Kawann Summerville. “I felt we were a little scared to let [Armstrong] do what she can do. I think the confidence level on entry passes wasn’t there.”

With Faasolo taking care of Armstrong, it opened up the court for the rest of her NDB teammates. After the early 9-2 deficit, NDB got into a rhythm and had closed the gap to 11-10 by the end of the first quarter.

NDB used that momentum to go on a 5-0 run to open the second period to take a 15-10 lead and led 18-16 at halftime.

Terra Nova used a pair of Kapua Wong Hin free throws to tie the score at 18 and a bucket from Numi Saini to knot the score at 20 with 6:07 left in the third before NDB went on a game-controlling 19-0 run to take a commanding 39-20 after three quarters.

Terra Nova did not crater, however, as it started to claw its way back into the game as it opened the final eight minutes with a 9-1 run. When Saini scored on a putback with 5:16 to play, Terra Nova trailed by just 11, 40-29.

“In the fourth quarter, the starting five wasn’t playing good enough so I brought in some fresh legs,” Summerville said. “We just couldn’t finish.”

NDB got a bucket from Emily Dougherty on a layup off the dribble before adding a pair of free throws to push the lead to 44-29 as NDB would outscore Terra Nova 10-5 the rest of the way.

Dougherty led all scorers with 14 points. NDB point guard Alaiyah San Juan also added 11 points to go along with Faasolo’s.

Armstrong was the only Terra Nova player to score in double digits, finishing with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Saini added eight points for Terra Nova.