BRL Semis For GBB On J-98 Wednesday
The girls semifinals of the Black River League Tournament get underway in Lesterville Wednesday night on J-98. The first semifinal features the third-seeded East Carter Redbirds against the second-seeded Ellington Whippets.
Despite being in a rebuilding year, Ellington boasts a 9-4 record after cruising to a 62-22 win over Clearwater in the first round. Head coach Paula King says her starting lineup is particularly young.
On the side of East Carter, they now have a 6-6 record after defeating Bunker 65-24 in round one. The Redbirds fell at Ellington just last Thursday by a final of 72-57 and are looking to avenge that loss on Wednesday night. Head coach Angela Rodgers was pleased with the performance against Bunker but knows limiting turnovers will be key against Ellington.
In the other semifinal, the top-seeded South Iron Panthers will face the fifth-seeded Viburnum Bluejays. The defending champion Panthers bring a 12-2 record to this contest after receiving a first-round bye. Panthers coach Lawrence Graves says while defense has always been their strong suit, a few players have stepped up on the offensive end, too.
Meanwhile, the Bluejays grabbed a close 68-62 victory in overtime on Monday over Lesterville in the first round, bringing their record to 4-6. Bluejays coach Tyler Coleman says the motivation is there for his group ahead of this game.
