GDW Analysis:
BIRMINGHAM: Teamwork has been a regular status of the Good Hope Lady Raiders all basketball season.
It was fitting the AHSAA asked the 5 Lady Raider starters to join coach Justin Aby in the news conference Tuesday after the Lady Raiders prevailed against a very good Catholic team from Montgomery 61 to 45 in the 4A semifinal game from Legacy Arena.
Aby shared the stage with PG Ella Gossett, SG Lexi Marshall, WG Sophie Konrad, SF Ella Davis and C Lucie Adams.
"I was very pleased with the performance," Aby stated.
A game plan by Good Hope was to go to a "box and one" defense with Gossett assigned to cover Catholic's very talented player, senior Hannah Smith.
"Ella Gossett takes pride in guard good players from the other team," Aby said. "She did it last week against the best from Deshler and did it today against Hannah Smith."
Smith scored 16 points, managing only 6 FGs made out of 17 tries. She was 0 for 5 in the 3 ball, but 4 of 5 from the FT line and has 14 rebounds, 10 defense.
Good Hope's defense allowed Catholic only 17 FGs out of 53 opportunities. The Lady Knights went 6 of 25 from long range. They converted 5 of 7 from the line.
The Lady Raiders allowed Catholic 8 points in the 1st and only 5 in the 2nd to build a 27 to 13 lead at the half.
Both teams scored more in the last half with Good Hope accounting for 21 in the final period, 5 of 6 from the line and 46 percent FG shooting in the stanza (7 of 15).
Konrad, the Northwest Regional MVP, had 20 in the Final Four game. She was 4 of 4 at the line and had 6 rebounds.
Gossett scored 11, Adams and Davis tallied 10 and Marshall finished with 8. Davis made 4 of 6 from the line with Gossett 4 of 4, Adams 2 of 2. For the game the Lady Raiders netted 14 of 16 for 87 percent.
Gossett displayed 7 assists while displaying her defensive skills the entire game against Smith.
"I played my tail off," Gossett responded to the media including Gameday Weekly.
Good Hope at 29 & 5, plays for the 4A title Friday at 4:00 p.m. against the winner of Plainview/Jackson.
This is the 3rd straight state title game for Aby and his Lady Raiders.
Photo of the Good Hope Lady Raiders celebrating their Northwest Regional title win on February 23 against Wilson from Wallace State CC.
Photo courtesy of Martha Needham.
