Memorial defeats Edison

A Game: The Mustangs had a furious comeback to win the first game of the night. In the middle of the second quarter, Memorial found themselves down by 14 points with several key players in foul trouble. From that point on the Mustangs played inspired basketball, erasing the deficit completely by the start of the 4th quarter. Memorial pulled away in the final frame to win 39-31. The Mustangs were led in scoring by Madisyn W with 18, and Christine W with 11 points.

Coach Hoegh says: "What a game! I told our girls in the second quarter (down by 14) that we were going to win this game, and I could tell that everyone in that huddle believed it. There was a lot of things going on during the game that were distracting, but our players focused and really came together. Rylee B and Brooke P led the way defensively, and EVERY member of the team was vital to our success."

B Game: Memorial won another classic against Edison 27-21 in the second game. The Mustangs trailed for the majority of the game, but they kept making plays to stay within striking distance. Still, Memorial found themselves down by four going into the 4th quarter. The Mustangs used a stifling full-court press to erase Edison's lead and take control of the game. Anna H scored 6 of the team's 12 4th quarter points, while the team held Edison scoreless.

Coach Hoegh says: "That was so cool to see our girls rise to the occasion in the fourth quarter. Irina V played her best help defense of the year, and she saved the day several times. This team continues to believe in themselves and their teammates."

Memorial falls to Patrick Henry

A Game: Patrick Henry flexed some defensive muscle early in the game, winning the first game of the night. The Mustangs played some inspired defense of their own, holding their opponent well below their season average. Cold shooting never allowed the home team to gain traction, but the Mustangs finished the game strong.
Coach Hoegh says: “You might not believe this judging by the score, but I’m as proud of our girls tonight as I have been all year. Our desire and hustle were evident throughout the game, and we did some great things on both ends of the court. It’s tough when shots are notfalling, but that happens sometimes and the Mustangs fought through it. We’ve improved a lot since our first meeting with them, and I expect that to continue.”

B Game: The Mustangs fell to the visiting Panthers in the second game of the night. The contest was close early, being tied 8-8 after the first quarter, but Patrick Henry pulled away in the second half. The Mustangs were led in scoring by Marisa N.
Coach Hoegh says: “We turned the ball over too much to win. I think we need to be more careful with our passing and dribble attacks, but I did see some progress of our ball handlers to be strong with the ball and use their pivot foot. The girls really hustled, and that has been a constant for this team.”

Mustangs Sweep

A Game: After a poor showing against O’Gorman earlier in the week, the Mustangs got back to their winning ways on Friday. They defeated Whittier 29-22 in the opponents’ gym. Memorial got out to an early four point lead in the first, but then found themselves down by two at halftime. The visitors broke the game open in the third quarter, and then never looked back. Madisyn W paced the Mustangs in scoring with ten points, and was followed by Amy C and Brooke P with six and five, respectively.
Coach Hoegh says: “Early in the game, we weren’t finishing quarters with the same intensity that we started them with. That changed in the second half. We also played very unselfishly in the second half. Rylee B had some sweet passes that led to easy hoops.”

B Game: After admittedly playing their worst game of the year versus O’Gorman on Monday, the B team played one of their best games on Friday. They led from start to finish, defeating Whittier 26-17. Macie C led the Mustangs in scoring, netting a total of six points. Four other Memorial athletes (Marisa N, Tovie T, Natalia A, and Amen D) scored at least two hoops in the game.
Coach Hoegh says: “We were reacting instead of anticipating early, but we found a little flow later. Irina V, Sophie O, and Haylee L showed some fight on defense. Jenny C and Anna H showed their speed and made some big hustle plays.”

A Team Wins the Nightcap

The Mustangs pulled off a wire-to-wire win against the visiting Wildcats from Edison. The final margin was nine points, aided by quick scoring spurts in both halves. Brooke P and Kylie M used their quickness for some fast-break scoring opportunites in each quarter, and solid individual and team defense held Edison under twenty points.
Coach Hoegh says: "It was huge to have such a strong start. Perhaps it was seeing such an emotional end to the B Game. I thought Breanna R and Alexis B really gave us some good energy tonight.  We can get better at taking care of the ball and rebounding, but our girls made some great plays when they needed to. When we're all moving well on offense -- cutting hard and setting screens -- it becomes really difficult for the opposing defense."

B Team Wins in Thriller

Those in attendance for the Memorial vs. Edison showdown were treated to a gem of a game. It finally ended in overtime, and the Mustangs were the victors by one point. Memorial found themselves behind by five at halftime, but then used a strong 3rd quarter to take a three point lead. Edison clawed their way back into the game in the 4th, and there were several lead changes down the stretch. Clutch free throws from Marisa N and Tovie T allowed the Mustangs to gain the slim winning margin in OT.
Coach Hoegh says: "I'm glad I don't have any heart problems because I'm pretty sure I would have died several times during that game. That was crazy. I'm really proud of how hard we played. It was one of the coolest games to be a part of, and the atmosphere was electric."

Mustangs notch first wins of the season

B Game: Memorial used a balanced scoring attack to grab their first win of the season, defeating Whittier 27-12. The Mustangs got off to a strong start, and held a lead of 11 points after the first quarter. The lead stretched to 15 in the second quarter, and that cushion was maintained for the remainder of the game.
Coach Hoegh says: "Our girls played really hard tonight. We were aggressive at both ends of the court. It is pretty cool to see 9 girls score in the same game. All of our players were all a huge part of our success today."

A Game: The Mustangs defeated Whittier 22 - 15 in the second game of the night. It didn't seem as if the game would turn out as favorably for the home team as it did until a strong 2nd quarter. After trailing 0-6, Memorial used an up-tempo pace to tie the game at ten before halftime. The Mustangs then took control of the game defensively in the third quarter. Whittier made a charge early in the 4th, only to have Memorial pull away at the end.
Coach Hoegh says: "That was a fun game. I thought Amy C's defense was vital, and Madisyn W stepped up huge in the middle of the game to help us take back control of the game. We all improved a lot from the first game, and this group will continue to do that as long as we keep working hard with each other during practice.

Mustangs Drop Opening Games to Panthers

B Game: Patrick Henry got off to a quick start in the opening game and never looked back. There was a figurative lid on the rim for the first half for the Mustangs, who were playing in their first game. The second half saw some bright spots for Memorial, but it wasn't quite enough in the end.

Coach Hoegh says: "It took awhile for us to show the tenacity that this team possesses, and that was enough for Patrick to get a large lead. I thought the whole team played much better in the second half. Natalia A did a great job on the boards, and Anna H showed some awesome hustle. There are a lot of things we need to improve on for our next game, but I'm confident that this team can do just that."

A Game: The Mustangs fell in their opener to Patrick Henry on Friday. Memorial saw the home team win the battle of turnovers and rebounds, both of which were large factors in the final score. Kylie M. was able to hit a couple of deep shots in the 4th quarter, but the late scores weren't enough to overcome the early lead built by the Panthers.

Coach Hoegh says: "Losing is tough. It can be easy to find blame or point fingers at other factors (like refs, teammates, preparation, etc.), but that's not what this team is going to do. Together, we're going to put in some hard work to fix the things we need to get better. I am looking forward to the next time we can get on the court."

1st Week of Practice

We had a good first week, Mustangs. It was nice to meet you all, and see the improvements that many of you made. Hopefully you all get a chance to play a little basketball over the weekend. We don't have practice on Monday (due to conferences), so I thought that I'd post a short video of an offense we might run. Here it is. As you watch it, look for patterns so that you might be able to run this with your teammates on Tuesday morning.

Memorial Mustang Basketball Blog

Parents and Players: Welcome to the 2012-13 girls basketball season. Come to this website to find the latest schedule, information, and the A and B team game recaps. It should be a great year representing Memorial on the basketball court! I'm looking forward to all of the practices and games.