Slow first quarter start dooms Napa in loss to Tracy in Wine Valley opener
By Kyle Foster
Twitter: @NapaKyle @NapaSportsNews
Oftentimes, a slow start can be a killer. The hole is oftentimes so deep it’s nearly impossible to overcome.
That was the case for the Napa High girls basketball team in their Wine Valley Tournament opener where they suffered a 58-41 loss to Tracy.
The Bulldogs (5-2) jumped out to a 12-0 lead before Napa even found the scoreboard in the first quarter. In the first quarter, Napa (0-6) was only able to muster up four points on the scoreboard as well.
According to third-year head coach Taylor Willis, her team has been slow starters all season long.
“I think what went wrong is that we’ve been struggling all year with the first quarter,” the coach explained. “It’s like our worst quarter, and I think we have a hard time just getting into the game.”
Another thing that didn’t help was that Tracy was knocking down three-pointers early on in this one to gain an edge.
“We were running a two-three (zone), and we were trying to protect the middle,” Willis said of the three-point onslaught from Tracy. “I didn’t know this team. I didn’t know what they were going to be doing. So I was like ‘let’s protect from layups.’ And they decided to be shooters and in two three that’s what you usually give up.”
Despite the scoreboard, this was one of the Grizzlies’ best efforts of the season. They tied their season-high point output with 41, which is a sign of progress.
“I think so,” Willis said of the offensive effort starting to become more of what they expected. “I think a lot of our offense comes from when we pressure and we get steals and we go in and we go hard and we get rebounds. I think this team ran a two-three on us, and we haven’t really gone against a team that’s zoned us too much. So just kind of figuring that part out.”
On the night Napa was led by Nadia Ali-Musa. The senior finished the game with 16 points and eight rebounds. She also went 4 of 4 from the free-throw line, while adding a blocked shot as well.
“She was being strong in the post,” Willis explained. “She was jumping up because she’s using her height to get the rebounds. I think she’s getting a lot stronger, and then we just got to get a couple more finishes and we’ll be good.”
Olivia Vavricka added 11 points and six rebounds as well. Vavricka was able to score the majority of her points in the second half of the game.
“I think Liv gets her energy from playing defense and pressuring,” Willis added. “And I think when she’s not thinking about offense is when it flows, and I can see it. She was like hitting shots and going up strong, and I think it’s because she wasn’t thinking about it.”
Up next, Napa will face Oakland High on Friday at 4 pm. Meanwhile, Tracy will face Santa Rosa at 7 pm.
