The MU Ancilla Chargers returned to their home court on Friday to take on NJCAA Division 1 opponent Lincoln Trail, a team they opened the season against on the road. In that match-up, it was Lincoln Trail who got off to a hot start, taking an early lead that required a big Chargers comeback. This time, it was MU Ancilla who jumped out to a 9-1 lead in the first quarter. Lincoln Trail closed the quarter on a 10-1 run to lead 11-10 after the 1st quarter. Much like the first contest, the Chargers took control in the 2nd quarter. MU Ancilla used Kyra Duncan's 12 points in the second quarter as part of a 22-6 run that led to a 32-17 lead at the break.
Coach Gould was really impressed with his team's play in the second quarter. "I was really happy with how the girls adjusted to the different defenses Lincoln Trail threw at them in the 1st half. We saw man to man, 23 zone, a 23 zone trap, and a little full court pressure as well. The girls showed a lot of poise and played with confidence which allowed us to knock down shots off of some great ball movement. We are making a lot of progress in the way we move the ball without over dribbling which has helped us reduce our turnovers."
The second half was a defensive struggle for both teams. After MU Ancilla stretched their lead to 19 points, Lincoln Trail slowly cut in to the lead, getting back as close as 12 late in the 3rd quarter. The Chargers were able to grind out some long possessions to work time off the clock to keep their double digit lead for the remainder of the game. Lincoln Trail hit two 3-point shots in the last 30 seconds to get the final score to 50-42 which was the first time the lead was in single digits since the 2nd quarter.
"I am really impressed with how our girls defended tonight. We have spent a lot of time in practice with scouting and preparation. They have asked a lot of great questions, been really engaged and really taken ownership in using information. I also give them a ton of credit for how they have adjusted individually. We struggled with fouling way too much early in the season and I felt like we lacked some toughness. The last few games we have outrebounded our opponents 45-20 and 42-26 which shows how tough we are playing. I thought Audrey Schmidt set a great tone with her post defense on their post player and then Ellie Fausnaugh as well as Derriauna Woodson continued on that same path. I also cannot say enough about the job Samaria Freeman and Nicole Swain did on Graycie Poe who is an outstanding guard. Throw in Jayci Allen grabbing 15 defensive rebounds with the perimeter defense Kyra Duncan as well as Alexis German provided and that's how you hold a team to 42 points."
The Chargers were happy to welcome back former Head Coach Dave Liverance and some of his players who were able to attend the game and catch up with each other while also seeing a new group of Chargers out on the court.
With the win, the Chargers improve to 5-2 on the season. They will return to action on November 28th when they will travel to Fort Wayne to play Indiana Tech's JV team.
