Basketball: Tornadoes, Marlins prepare for region quarterfinals

First things first: A technical foul on the writer. Bay and Arnold will begin Region 1-5A quarterfinal play on Thursday night, not Tuesday as was reported in Sunday’s paper.

The Tornadoes, 10-8, host Wakulla, 17-9, with the Marlins, 12-14, traveling to Tallahassee to meet Rickards, 18-8. Four other area teams are involved in the 1-1A playoffs with Ponce de Leon the lone school hosting off its district title on Saturday.

All region games begin 7 p.m. local time. Admission is $7.

Bay was buoyed by the return of head coach Glennda Long on Saturday as it defeated Arnold for the first time in three tries this season. Long’s husband, Clay, ran the team during both district games as Long became ill during the semifinals and still was weak and fatigued when on the bench for the finals.

“They had a lot of adversity, I know they were concerned about me,” Glennda Long said of her players on Monday. “Friday they were trying to win for me and I was concerned on Saturday that I didn’t affect their performance.”

If she did, it was for the better as the Tornadoes played their most complete game of the season.

“When we played Mosley right before Christmas break the paper said that we played token defense,” Long recalled. “We’ve been trying to improve on that. That (Saturday) was the greatest defensive effort I’d seen us have.”

Bay hasn’t met Wakulla in recent seasons, The War Eagles were dominated 55-16 by a strong Rickards team in the District 2-5A finals. They are led by Kiara Harvey who averages 15.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 5.6 steals. Laquana Webster averages 11.0 points.

Long is hoping that her team, which starts only one senior in Shytiarra Webb in addition to sophomores Shania Brantley and Ni’Kaya Russell and juniors Anissa Martin and Devyn Austin can continue to play at the level of Saturday night.

“I’m praying that it does” carry over, Long said. “We’re trying to let them enjoy it, but then today we get right back at it. The past two years they were first in the district and believed they should have won it so this was really comforting to them.”

Long is optimistic that she’ll be near full strength herself for the quarterfinal. She described her condition as not life-threatening but leaving her weak at times.

“We’ve spoken to the girls about it … and explained what to expect,” Long said. “That’s why my husband carried on for me. I went to the hospital and was released that night and just didn’t have the energy (Saturday). They’re used to hearing his voice anyway.

Arnold at Rickards

The Marlins know what to expect Thursday night. Even if they had handled Bay’s full-court pressure well on Saturday, and they did not, the Raiders will show them a ramped up version from baseline to baseline.

“We played them last year in the region quarterfinal, they score quick,” Arnold coach Bryan Normand said. “They press a lot. They’re a really quick team. They get turnovers and rebounds and run the floor.”

Tyeshia Guinnie leads Rickards with 14.1 per game and averages 3 steals. Shannon Owens averages 10.1 points and 7.0 rebounds and Kaneshia Jackson 8.9 points and 2.3 steals.

One intangible is how Arnold responds from being unable to secure the first district basketball title in school history. Normand said he reminded his players Saturday night that the season is not over.

They will need to hit the floor running against Rickards’ relentless pressure.

“Starting with today’s practice we’re working on passing and beating the press,” Normand said. “Sometimes I’m wondering who we were passing to, our vision of the court.

“We’ve got to make sure of every pass and come to the ball.”

Schedule including area teams. All games 7 p.m. local time Thursday:

• Region 1-1A: Holmes County at Paxton, Malone at Baker, Port St. Joe at Ponce de Leon, Graceville at South Walton.
• Region 1-5A: Wakulla at Bay, Arnold at Rickards.