C3D2 GBB: Woodland has tough task against talented, experienced Saxony

The Woodland High School varsity girl’s basketball program has enjoyed a stellar 2023-24 season, as its 18 victories are the most by the program in over a decade. However, that doesn’t make tonight’s match-up with Saxony Lutheran in the semifinal round of the MSHSAA Class 3 District 2 Tournament at Bloomfield (6 p.m.) any less daunting.

“Our Season number two started (this week),” Cardinal coach Paul Lynch said following an opening night win over the host Wildcats on Monday. “Everybody starts 0-0 and Saxony is an excellent team.”

Lynch and his players would know that better than anyone after falling to the Crusaders 63-24 in December.

“They put it on us good before Christmas,” Lynch said. “But I challenge our girls to come out every night and play one game at a time.

“That is what is so exciting about March Madness.”

Woodland can look no further back than 24 hours if it wants a ray of hope.

In the MSHSAA Class 2 District 3 Boy’s Tournament, played on the same Bloomfield court, Advance ignored a 48-point thrashing in December by the host Wildcats and knocked them out of the postseason with a win on Tuesday.

“You never know what can happen,” Lynch said.

What first-year Crusader coach Chris Crawford hopes will happen is that his team plays to its potential at both ends, which it has done with frequency this winter.

Saxony Lutheran (16-8) has improved markedly offensively this season but hasn’t let its defensive play slip at all.

The Crusaders, who have enjoyed their best season in four years, are scoring nearly 14 points per game more than last season.

“We are just running (our offense),” Crawford said earlier this season, “and when we’re open, we shoot the ball. We have preached this, and it has taken awhile to get it through their heads, that if you’re open, then you’re shooting.”

Saxony Lutheran has won seven of its last 10 games entering the postseason, with those three defeats coming against teams with a combined 52 wins.

In seven of those games, Saxony Lutheran scored at least 56 points, which is a couple of points below its average.

“I don’t care if you’re not used to shooting,” Crawford continued, “if you’re on the floor, your job is to shoot when you’re open.

“We let it fly a little bit more than probably some teams, but we work really hard defensively to get extra opportunities. So, I’m OK with that.”

The Crusaders aren’t just good, they are experienced.

Saxony Lutheran has five seniors (Evie Caruso, Rebecca Johnson, Maci Hollis, Annie Adams, and Samantha Hope) and four juniors (Timora Criddle, Maddie Preusser, Camille Richey, and Abigail Haley).

“Our seniors are awesome,” Crawford said. “Really, all of our upperclassmen are. They have done a really good job of setting an example of how we want to play and how Saxony basketball works.

“They have a first-year head coach, so they could have come in with a lot of doubts, but they have done nothing but listen and try to execute to the best of their abilities. I couldn’t have asked for a better group to coach in my first year.”