HS Girls Basketball: Grand Oaks Takes Battle of the Oaks in Dominant Showing on Home Floor

SPRING, TX -- A pre-winter break edition of the Battle of the Oaks saw the Grand Oaks Lady Grizzlies defeat the Oak Ridge Lady War Eagles in a lopsided 55-28 affair

The intense rivalry ensured a heightened level of preparation for both teams. A win before the break would be big for either team, but the hopes of continuing their unbeaten streak would be the best possible gift for the Lady Grizzlies.

In an exclusive interview with The Woodlands Online Sports, Grand Oaks Head Coach Shiakia Carter spoke about her team’s mindset entering their rivalry match with a perfect district record.

“This game is business as usual,” explained Carter. “A record is just a record. Numbers are just numbers. So we have to prepare this game the same way we would anything else because, at any moment, it can be taken away.”

Coach Carter’s planning and stout coaching staff got the Lady Grizzlies settled into a matchup that the players took control of from the opening whistle.

After an Oak Ridge free throw opened the scoring, Grand Oaks’ offense took off on a 13-0 run that created significant distance in the first quarter. Excellent spacing and kicks to exterior shooters got the Lady Grizzlies working with the shots they found.

Leading the charge for Grand Oaks was Bree Riley who ended the opening eight minutes with 10 points. The double-digit effort from Riley was enough to outpace the Lady War Eagle scorers in the first singlehandedly.

Paired with their early offense was the shutdown Grand Oaks defense that held the Lady War Eagles scoreless for five minutes following their opening free throw.

Size and interior rebounding played to Oak Ridge’s advantage. But, quick hands from Grand Oaks defenders and a balanced zone setup ensured that the Lady War Eagles had a difficult time breaking through the wall of white jerseys.

“If we can’t get rebounds, if we can’t block out, then that takes away some of our points,” said Carter. “But, mixing things up, things of that nature, and trying to challenge the kids to understand that we have to rebound cause that’s what gets us in transition.”

Working systematically to overcome the height difference rewarded the Lady Grizzlies with multiple stops and a 17-5 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Despite time to adjust game plans and rotations, much of the first quarter was repeated in the second.

Tipped passes from the hands of Riley and Hannah Reynolds stopped the many chances Oak Ridge had to kickstart their offense in the second quarter. These turnovers also put Grand Oaks runners down the floor for layups in transition that extended their already sizable lead.

Oak Ridge’s spent chances on offense left the team relying on the few shots that did go up. Nearly all of the Lady War Eagle jumpers missed their marks, but the continued success on the offensive glass saw multiple second chances get cashed in for points.

Adding to the already lacking Oak Ridge offense was a sudden shift back to full-court pressure from the Lady Grizzlies with two minutes left in the second quarter.

“We started out with the press then we kind of got into foul trouble,” said Carter. “So, it was many factors that played into bringing it back. We were comfortable, started with it, got into foul trouble, then decided to bring it back to pick up the tempo.”

The new pressure handful of makes on Oak Ridge’s possessions only worsened the chances for a potential comeback.

A 19-point 33-14 lead for the Lady Grizzlies at the buzzer sent both teams to the locker rooms with very different emotions. Grand Oaks’ relaxed yet composed demeanor contrasted greatly with Oak Ridge’s defeated gazes.

“We kept things professional,” said Carter on the halftime energy. “We were just trying to tell the girls to go out and play the way we practice. If there are changes or adjustments, we’ll do them in-game.”

Grand Oaks’ positive momentum rode into the third quarter with a shifted offensive focus that ate considerable portions of the clock.

“It wasn’t really the game plan,” said Carter on the slower pace. “It’s one of those things where my assistant is calling to slow it up from the sidelines and we’re trying to look at what we can get.”

The first possession of the second half for the Lady Grizzlies saw the team burn through the first minute of play due to methodical passing and rebounds from Avery Dalton and Avery Campbell. Grand Oaks’ active bigs tipped incoming boards to one another or the constantly shifting guards that littered the perimeter.

Poking and prodding the Lady War Eagle defense for weaknesses found gaps in the high key, but soft backdoors and a downward slump in shooting left several Grand Oaks possessions empty.

With the Lady Grizzlies eating precious time, Oak Ridge was forced to speed up their offense to compensate.

Drives into the lane and layups became the preferred attack for the Lady War Eagles. Leaning on the size advantage did provide some easy looks, but fouls committed by Grand Oaks did force some of the Oak Ridge points to come in the form of ones.

A late 5-0 run from Oak Ridge, built on a combo of free throws and a layup, did eat slightly into the 21-point Lady Grizzly lead before the end of the third. However, the 38-22 Grand Oaks lead was an overbearing task for the visiting Lady War Eagles to overcome in the last eight minutes.

“Sometimes we get a little stagnant,” said Carter on the offensive scoring. “But, given the situation, I understand why we slowed things down.”

The Grand Oaks full-court press remained intact to start the fourth quarter. Coach Carter’s aggressive stance made certain that her team would stay in the driver’s seat despite losing some ground during the third.

More turnovers by the Lady War Eagles against the press fed into the opening 7-0 Lady Grizzly run that acted as the final blow to any hope Oak Ridge may have had.

Insurance points down the stretch poured an insurmountable amount of points on Oak Ridge before the mid-point of the fourth. Bree Riley’s 2,500th career point signaled the end of the road while bringing on mass substitutes for the Lady Grizzlies.

“That’s what we try to do,” said Carter discussing the substitutions. “We prepare them every day to be put into those situations so they’re comfortable. When it comes down the stretch or in the playoffs, it's fair game and we’ll have to depend on everyone.”

With every player on the roster having seen the floor, the Lady Grizzlies ended their end-to-end display of strength with a 55-28 victory.

The win secures the eighth-straight win in district play for the Lady Grizzlies. The challenge of staying unbeaten is tough, and the added break of over a week presents different aspects that will need to be taken into consideration.

“We just need to keep it the way it is,” said Carter. “Once we get back to practice, we need everyone to understand that it’s back to business. I hope all the kids have a great time, but once we’re back in those doors, it's straight business.”

Grand Oaks’ record now extends to 8-0 in district play, remaining as the only unbeaten squad left in 13-6A.