Nick Stevens: Closer Wakefield Win Will Help Team

Prior to Tuesday night, the closest playoff victory Wakefield had was 35-points. In all three rounds of the sectional, Wakefield didn't score less than 83-points.

It was inevitable that Wakefield was eventually going to be in a close game. After all, this is the cream of the crop at this point in the playoffs. You don't get to the Eastern Regionals by accident, and you have to be willing to fight for the right to go to the state championship.

Wakefield did just that.

The Wolverines found themselves down 3-0 to begin the game, and they didn't shoot the ball particularly well. In fact, I haven't seen Wakefield miss so many shots, and I've seen them play several times.

Between the first and second quarters, when the teams went to their huddles, I thought about something Coach Danielle Blackburn told us just a few days prior.

"We pride ourselves on our defense," Blackburn said.

That is what Wakefield was going to have to use to get control of the ball game. There were flashes of that defense in the second quarter, but the third quarter was the turning point.

Wakefield used traps and on-ball pressure to create several turnovers and put transition points on the scoreboard. Before long, Wakefield had gone a 14-2 run to put themselves in control of the game.

The Wolverines were still struggling offensively, but their defense created just enough offense to give them a comfortable lead, and they didn't let Laney score.

With the outstanding play we have seen from Wakefield over the course of the season, and especially in recent weeks, I think we have come to expect 40-point wins day-in and day-out. That simply is not going to be the case from here-on-out.

Wakefield will take on Westover on Saturday at 1 p.m. at J.H. Rose High School. Westover knocked off Wakefield's rival (and Coach Blackburn's alma mater) Millbrook, 65-58.

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