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Down 19-0, Ridgewood Rallies To Win Morrison

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By LEE DIEKEMPER

Tribune correspondent

Published: January 3, 2009

NEW PORT RICHEY - The Ridgewood Rams wrapped up their first Ashley Morrison Memorial girls basketball championship with a 36-35 win over Countryside on Saturday at Ridgewood to complete the two-day, four-game tournament.

What may be most remembered by the win isn't so much it was the first Rams' memorial championship, but how they won the game.

With just under seven minutes left in the first half, Ridgewood trailed 19-0.

Roughly 16 minutes later, Julia Moore's three-point shot from the right side gave the Rams a 27-26 lead.

"We shot 3-for-18 in the first half and made 22 turnovers," Ridgewood coach Greg Bollinger said. "So if we could play any worse, it would be hard to."

Ridgewood appeared lost early and the game also appeared lost. Time after time passes found their way into the garnet-colored Countryside defenders. It was almost as if the visiting Cougars knew where the passes were headed, or the Rams somehow thought they were the ones wearing the dark jerseys.

How lost did the Rams look? Twin sisters, guards Aleesa and Daylyn Williamson, both seniors and the backbone of the team, found themselves benched.

"I don't know why," Aleesa Williamson joked, yet she confessed she knew: They were playing terribly.

"By putting us on the bench it taught us a lesson," Williamson said. "We had to step up our game. We're seniors. We need to take leadership."

And she did. With Ridgewood suddenly playing ferocious man-to-man defense they rallied and held on to the lead late in the fourth thanks to Williamson.

She scored eight straight points on two three-point field goals sandwiched around a two-point basket near the top of the key to give the Rams a 34-28 cushion with 4:16 left.

Countryside never recovered, though the Cougars trimmed the lead to 36-35 on a three-point shot by Aly Grossman with 11 seconds left and had possession late, but couldn't get off a short shot in the paint as the buzzer sounded.

COUNTRYSIDE (35) – Thomas 1 0-0 2, Truluck 4 1-2 9, Grossman 1 1-4 4, Blanton 1 0-2 2, Nash 1 0-2 2, Barriault, 5 0-2 10, Panico 2 2-2 35. Totals 14 4-14 35.
RIDGEWOOD (36) – A. Williamson 3 2-4 8, D. Williamson 4 0-0 11, Kayor 1 2-6 4, Soderland 1 0-1 2, Vanker 0 1-2 1, Moore 2 2-2 7. Totals 12 7-15 36.

Countryside 13 13 0 9 – 35
Ridgewood 0 12 12 12 – 36

3-point goals-Barriault (C); D. Williamson 3, A. Williamson, Moore (R). Total fouls-Countryside 18, Ridgewood 14. Fouled out-Berchiolly (R). Records-C 7-7; R 8-6.

Correspondent Lee Diekemper can be reached at pinellascountyports@yahoo.com.

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