In low scoring game, Vikings bury Blazers

With the regular season winding down, the slumping girls' basketball team was looking for a win against Whitman High School to fuel a possible playoff run. But as turnovers and missed scoring opportunities piled up, the Blazers showed they were running on an empty tank.

Coming off an 18 point win over Sherwood High School, Blair's 39-30 loss to Whitman dropped their overall record to 7-12. With only three games remaining, the Blazers hopes of a .500 record were erased.

Though primarily made up of sophomores and juniors, the young team has shown moments of brilliance, including a stunning upset over Quince Orchard High School on Dec 20. Quince Orchard, now 17-2, is one of the Washington Post's top 20 girls' basketball teams.

Other victories, including a 45-18 routing of Kennedy High School, have exemplified Blair's ability to step up their game and win big. But inconsistency has been an enormous factor thus far, as the Blazers have gone through hard times, including a four game losing streak to start off the season.

About the only thing that has been consistent in Blair's recent play has been their tendency to get behind early and struggle back in to contention. Coach William Lindsey could find little explanation for his team's lackluster first half performances, but said, "For some reason, we have to spot people two quarters before we start to play."

Lindsey's squad followed that pattern against Whitman. While they were down by two points after the first quarter, the next eight minutes produced only two Blair field goals, and the Blazers went in to the locker room down 19-10.

In the second half, sophomore Carey Bartlett, who has been injured for most of the season, scored six of her team-leading eight points. Senior Erin Ivey and sophomores Caroline Kuttner and Emily Ramsay were quiet offensively. The trio has been the team's main source of scoring but could only manage a combined eight points.

From beyond the arc, sophomore Mckenzie Robinson and junior Jen Sindall showed their shooting touch, hitting Blair's only three-pointers of the game. In comparison, Whitman had only one successful three-point attempt.

But the Warriors found other ways to score, passing through Blair's defense and attacking the basket. Whitman also took advantage of Blair's inability to box out, grabbing offensive rebounds and converting on second chance opportunities.

Still, the Blazers fought hard on the glass, especially in the second half. Their efforts held Whitman to below 40 points. Yet Blair could find no offensive rhythm and made hasty passes in the front court, turning the ball over almost 30 times.

The inability of the Blazers to capitalize on Whitman's low scoring output was noted by Lindsey, who felt that his team needed to take advantage of the situation. "To me, if we keep them in the thirties, you've got to be able to score a little," said Lindsey.

Juniors Colby Chapman and Lara Dean were held scoreless, despite excellent guard play by Dean, who has handled the point guard spot well for the team this season. Latasha Peace and Ashley Moorefield, both seniors, added four points each.

On the horizon for the Blazers is Churchill High School, who is currently 16-3 and ranked number 12 by the Post. The key to victory may lay inside the paint, as Lindsey credits his post players with most of the team's offensive production.