By Murray Gleffe
Correspondent
PULASKI – The Green Bay Southwest girls’ basketball team scored 12 of the game’s final 13 points en route to a 48-44 Fox River Classic Conference road victory over Pulaski Dec. 20.
“I’m glad we took advantage down the stretch when Pulaski wasn’t hitting their shots,” said Berri West, Green Bay Southwest head coach. “We talked at halftime about doing the little things, and everything else will come. We don’t need somebody to go off for 40 points – everybody can do something special.”
The Trojans were again led in scoring by Jaddan Simmons, who finished with 15 points while being saddled with foul trouble.
Jahzmeen (Jazzy) Jackson added 11 points.
Pulaski (5-3 overall, 2-2 FRCC) was led by sophomore Ashlyn Szymanski’s 15 points.
Southwest jumped out to an 8-2 lead, and it took almost seven minutes before the Red Raiders scored their first basket of the night – a three pointer by Jasmine Litt with 10:49 left in the first half.
Pulaski’s cold shooting didn’t stick around.
After Sheridan Flauger made a ‘shake-and-bake’ move on her defender for a layup, the Red Raiders tied the score at 12.
Down the stretch of the first half, the Trojans (3-3 overall, 1-3 FRCC) played without their leader and playmaker Simmons.
Pulaski took a 25-21 advantage into halftime.
The second half proved to be a struggle offensively, as both defenses put the clamps on the other.
After falling behind by nine points, Southwest pulled to within 33-27 after Jackson connected on a deep, two-point field goal.
“I didn’t feel like I played good to start,” said Jackson. “I knew I had to pick my game up and hit some jumpers. This is my final year. I had to come out tonight and do the things I’m capable of doing.”
Toward the end, it looked like Pulaski might pull away, going up 43-36 with 5:18 left in the game after Flauger hit an elbow jumper.
The Red Raiders then went ice cold from the field.
The Trojans showed fortitude and resilience when it mattered most.
In the game-ending run, it was Madison McFerrin and Kiara Thomas who hit big baskets to put Southwest back up 44-43 with 1:22 left.
The Trojans also got two stops defensively to seal the game.
Pulaski missed its final eight shots of the game.
“Our goal was to play team defense effectively, and I thought we did a pretty good job, especially in the second half,” added West. “It feels good to get our first conference victory, and now we have to build off of it.”
Box score
Southwest: 21, 27—48
Pulaski: 25, 19—44
Trojans: Simmons 15, Jackson 11, Hill 7, McFerrin 6, Thiel 4, Thomas 3, Rauschenbach 2.
Red Raiders: Szymanski 15, Litt 11, Flauger 10, Hernandez 4, McQuillan 2, Kubiak 2.