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GIRLS BASKETBALL: Wiregrass Ranch Earns 13th Consecutive Win

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By LEE DIEKEMPER

Tribune correspondent

Published: January 7, 2009

WESLEY CHAPEL - A season ago Wiregrass Ranch struggled, posting a 10-16 mark. This year, girls basketball coach Greg Finkel thought he had a team that could record a winning season in the school's third year of existence.

But not even he nor any of his girls in their wildest imaginations could have expected this season.

With a dominant 62-33 win over Hudson on Wednesday, the host Bulls recorded their 14th win of the season with only one loss. That lone defeat came against (still) undefeated Wesley Chapel in the second game of the season, 52-26.

The Bulls racked up their 13th consecutive win much the same way they've been steamrolling opponents this season -- with a suffocating defense. Whether it's a half-court trap or a full-court press, the Bulls swarm to the ball not unlike a football team on defense flies to a loose fumble.

Aggressive defense begets turnovers, resulting in easy baskets, is the simply formula for Wiregrass Ranch.

"I didn't think we would be 14-1 but I thought these girls had a chance to be really successful," Finkel said. "We had some big wins against Gulf and Nature Coast and Land O' Lakes. ... those are games you are not expecting to win at all.

"Doing what the girls are doing, they are doing a wonderful job."

The Bulls got off to an awful start but rarely does defense take a night off. Good thing, otherwise Wiregrass Ranch may have been scrambling not to lose their second game. While only scoring four points to start the first quarter, the Bulls held Hudson to a single free throw in the quarter and just 12 points in the opening half.

"They keep coming and coming off the bench and there's no [drop off]," Hudson coach Aaron Lounsbury said of Wiregrass Ranch.

"Our defense sets everything up," Wiregrass Ranch guard Julie Gould said. "Our press and our half-court trap works for us. We just play hard."

HUDSON (33) -- Ruscvich 0 2-5 2, L. Carley 2 2-6 6, Zasloff 2 1-2 5, Dugan 1 0-2 2, C. Carley 6 3-6 16, Proctor 1 0-2 2. Totals 12 8-23 33.
WIREGRASS RANCH (62) -- L. Gould 3 0-0 6, Donohue 5 0-0 15, Reid-Chacon 5 0-0 10, McCaffrey 1 2-2 4, Bowman 1 1-2 3, Ballish 1 1-1 3, J. Gould 5 1-1 11, Deloach 5 0-0 10. Totals 26 5-6 62.

Hudson 1 11 13 8 - 33
Wiregrass Ranch 4 25 18 10 - 62

3-point field goals -- L. Carley (H); Donohue 3 (W). Total fouls -- H 6, W 17. Records -- Hudson 6-8, Wiregrass Ranch 14-1.

Correspondent Lee Diekemper can be reached at pascocountysports@gmail.com.

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