Bison run by Draft

STUARTS DRAFT - Buffalo Gap coach Chad Coffey decided not to start his star player Sara Lamneck against Stuarts Draft on Monday night. But he ended the contest with the senior, who contributed 15 points and three steals for the team’s first victory of the season, a 52-46 win over the Cougars.

“It was a team thing, a team-policy issue,” Coffey said. “There is nothing to write an article about or anything to read in to. We’ve resolved it.”

Gap (1-1, 0-0 Shenandoah) controlled the tempo in the second half of the game. Both teams started the third quarter even at 23. After back-and-forth play the squads were knotted again at 29.

Then the Cougars’ defense broke down and twice the lane was clear for Lamneck, who drove the ball down the center of the court for a hook shot and layup. That started the Bison 10-point scoring run. Lamneck had three steals and was enmeshed in what turned to be the turning point of the game.

“Sara’s hands were tremendous in that stretch, she’s active and anticipated really well,” Coffey said.  “She did a good job.”

The game was a battle from the beginning.

The Cougars (2-2, 0-0 Southern Valley District) forced turnovers early in the game and the Bison made bad passes and were not protecting their shooters. The home team outscored the Bison 15-12 in the first quarter and were led by Sarah Surratt’s 19 points, including one 3-pointer on the night. The Bison looked overmatched.

But Coffey’s locker-room chat worked.

“I think we were going like 500 miles an hour and going nowhere,” Coffey said. “I told them at halftime, ‘You can slow down and still be moving pretty quick up and down the court. What we want to do this year is to set the tempo and let everyone else follow.’ ”

Cougars coach Marc Sweigart said his team did not play four quarters.

“We played three quarters tonight,” Sweigart said. “We just got tired and it started in the third.”

For Lamneck and her team she simply stated hard work was in order.

“We slacked off in the second quarter and we need to work on that,” Lamneck said.

Stuarts Draft hosts Turner Ashby on Friday night at 7 and Buffalo Gap will host Strasburg on Wednesday at 7 p.m.