January 8, 2011
By Mark Sawyer
The Winchester Star


WINCHESTER- What a difference a year makes.

It's been well documented how improved the Sherando High School girls' basketball team is from last year, and how the Warriors eclipsed last year's win total in just nine games under first-year coach Kevin Reed.

Last season, the Warriors not only finished last in the Northwestern District, they didn't win a single district game. Add to that a current eight-game winning streak by the Warriors and Friday night's road game against Frederick County rival James Wood was anything but an ordinary district opener for either team.

For the better part of two and a half quarters, Sherando had trouble getting in sync offensively thanks in large part to a brilliant defensive scheme put together by the Colonels' coaching staff.

It worked so well Wood enjoyed a six-point lead midway through the third quarter.

But then Sherando sophomore Courtney Reid found her range. Reid knocked down three 3-pointers in the last 3:27 of the third quarter, sparking a rally that lifted the Warriors to a 69-57 Northwestern District victory at Wood's Donald H. Shirley Gymnasium. "This game was important because you try to win every game you play," Reed said. "We want to come out and compete at a high level and just get better every day. From the standpoint of records or past seasons it didn't really mean anything. We're more about where we are as a team."

Admittedly struggling with her shot, Reid did like all good shooters do - she kept firing. And with the Warriors down 37-31 with 3:27 left in the third, she connected. After the two teams exchanged field goals Reid knocked down another to tie the game 39-39 and with 14 seconds left in the period she completed the hat trick with one from right in front of the Warriors' bench to give her team a 44-43 lead after three quarters.

"James Wood came out with a great game plan and that's a credit to their coaches," Reed said. "We were on our heels. We were in trouble and looking for a spark. In the second half, Courtney Reid started hitting shots, if [she] doesn't get those 3-pointers their lead continues to grow, and I don't take that timeout and the kids don't come out energized. No question she was the spark."

James Wood (5-5, 0-1) seemed to recover by scoring the first two points of the fourth quarter on a short jumper by Katelyn Pennington that gave Wood the lead back 45-44. It was the last time the Colonels held the lead.

On the next trip down the floor, junior Morgan Sirbaugh gave the Warriors (11-1, 1-0) the lead for good with a driving layup. It sparked a 14-0 run over a three-and-a-half-minute stretch that gave Sherando a comfortable 58-45 lead.

Wood's next field goal didn't come until there was only 2:20 left in the game and trailing by 14 points (61-47).

"We saw some good things," James Wood coach Rhonda Slider said. "We went out and really worked on our intensity as to being prepared and getting the girls mentally ready to take this on so we could go out and actually win this game. Unfortunately, there was short three-minute span there we couldn't come back from. We spent two days getting ready for Sherando and knew what they wanted to do offensively, so we wanted to limit that and make someone else step up and score the points. Unfortunately No. 42 [Reid] did."

Senior Shannan Thorne was once again huge for the Colonels. She dominated the paint pouring in a game-high 33 points and pulling down and 28 rebounds. She was the only Colonel in double figures. Kelsey Seymour was next with seven points, and Erica Hepner chipped in five off the bench.

Trailing by two points at the break (29-27) the Colonels opened the second half with a 10-2 run to build their 37-31 lead before Reid took over.

Reid, one of three Warriors in double figures with 13 points, hit three of their four 3-pointers - all of which came during that critical third-quarter run.

"We're a team that plays better relaxed," Reid said. "So we knew we had to come out and be relaxed and do what we know how to do and play our hardest. I knew I had to step up and score some points for my teammates. I knew we were struggling, I could see it."

Joining Reid in double figures was Morgan Sirbaugh with a team-high 22 points. She also had seven rebounds and seven assists. Erin Drumheller fought through foul trouble, playing the entire second half with four fouls, to score 15 points, dish out nine assists and pull down six rebounds.