Bears end Knights' quest

LAND O' LAKES - The Lady Bears dominated each quarter of Wednesday night's first-round 5A-7 district matchup against River Ridge, 57-35.

Amanda Morris led all Central scorers in the first quarter with three points including a field goal and went 1-for-4 from the line. Teammates Angela Velez and McKenzie Burns also had baskets, and Raqurra Ishmar went 1-for-2 from the line as Central pulled to a 10-6 lead.

Morris would later add two more baskets to that total. More importantly, however, was her play on defense, tallying 14 rebounds, two steals and causing at least one jump ball.

"Morris has been coming along," said head coach Penny Gressick. "This is her third year and she has started to actually blossom down there in the paint."

Burns at the helm

Burns took over in the second period for the Lady Bears. She had two field goals for four points and was 2-for-4 from the line. "My point guard, she's a freshman; she runs the show," said Gressick. "It's pretty hard to do when you're 14-years-old, but she played a great game."

Burns picked up four fouls in the first five minutes of the third quarter with aggressive defense. She ended the night with 10 points, three steals and a rebound before fouling out with 5:53 left in the fourth quarter.

Adding to the 19-point second quarter was Morris, co-captains Ronisha Browdy and Courtney LeCours, Brittany Lahey and Ishmar.

Gressick commented on what she said to her team who led 29-13 at halftime. "Don't get too confident or come out and think the game is over before it really is. Make sure we come out and play basketball in the second half, so that we can come back on Friday."

Ishmar, another youngster on the Central squad, dominated the third period, making four baskets.

"Raqurra is a freshman, very athletic, still kind of learning as we go, but when she attacks the basket her jumping ability is through the roof," said Gressick. "She gets above everybody else."

Ishmar finished the evening with 14 points, five rebounds, two steals and a block.

Going in to the fourth quarter, the score was 43-24. Browdy, who in the second quarter, had the only three-pointer on the night, led the Lady Bears to victory with three field goals and was 2-for-2 from the line. Ashley Olson had a steal and made a free throw. Called up from the junior varsity squad were Mallori Brooks who had a steal and Tikiera Relaford, who made a lay-up at the buzzer.

The Bears move on to the next round, only to draw the No. 1 seed Wesley Chapel. "We had them twice this year; they beat us pretty handily both times," Gressick said. "We've improved a lot since then, but they're still the one seed; we played them pretty early, too.

"We definitely have to come ready to play. They have two pretty big, solid post players, and that's been our problem all year. We're not that big.

"This is the tournament," Gressick said. "If you don't win here, you go home."