Moose girls' junior varsity applies pressure to Hawks

The Palmer Moose girls' junior varsity squad demonstrated how pressure defense can sway momentum and allow a team to completely take over a game during Tuesday's basketball match-up with the Houston Hawks.

Ignited by a second-half press that created havoc on the Hawks' offense, the Moose overcame a first-half deficit to charge to a 47-28 victory at Palmer High School.

"We came out tight and nervous in the first half," said Palmer coach Paul Reid. "We talked at halftime and were able to play loose and confident in the second half."

Houston played well in the first half, showcasing a hustling defense of its own to keep the Moose outside and play tight defense on the perimeter.

The Hawks used good ball movement on offense to find open shots and move ahead 12-10 at the end of the first quarter.

The Hawks continued the tight defense and good ball movement in the second quarter to extend its lead and take a 21-16 lead into halftime.

The Moose had pressed the Hawks up the court from the beginning of the game, but Houston was able to break the press and set up its offense without much difficulty.

In the second half, that all changed.

Palmer's press intensified at the start of the third quarter. The Moose defense attacked Houston from everywhere on the court. The Hawks began making bad passes while attempting to break the press. Palmer's Keisha Hooker continually made steals at center court with aggressive play.

The defensive attack held Houston scoring while Palmer closed the gap and took the 22-21 lead early in the third quarter.

The Hawks were able to keep the game close for a short while because of its solid half-court defense. The Hawks' continual turnovers on offense collapsed its defense because it created easy transition points for Palmer. The Moose scored 14 points in the third quarter and 17 in the fourth to roll to the 47-28 victory. The Hawks scored just seven points in the second half while struggling to move the ball against the Palmer defense.

Hooker led all scorers with 14 points with Hannah Lien contributing nine. Whitney Conn led the Hawks with seven points.

"The press gives us more intensity as a team," Reid said. "We like to emphasize the press to keep our intensity up."