For all of the swished three-pointers, timely defensive stops and clutch buckets, it was a play that culminated in a botched layup that garnered praise from the Sidwell Friends bench.
It counted for zero points in the scorebook, but plenty in the book of Coach Anne Renninger.
“That was the best passing we’ve done all year,” Renninger said.
The Quakers could’ve used that layup, but they didn’t end up needing it in Saturday’s 55-52 win over the Tigers on Saturday afternoon in Northwest Washington.
Boasberg scored 16 points to lead Sidwell (8-3), breaking down the Wilson defense both from the perimeter and the paint. The do-it-all sophomore point guard, who recorded a triple-double in a December win over Stone Ridge, impacted the game on both ends of the floor and finished with 16 points. Freshman forward Nalani Lyde had a breakout performance, controlling the boards and chipping in 12 points.
“I think we’ve definitely had our ups and downs, but when we’re all on the same page and we’re all talking and encouraging each other, we play our best,” Boasberg said. “I think that’s really important — communication.”
A 10-0 run helped Wilson (7-6) head into the second quarter with a 12-8 lead, but the Sidwell offense clicked after that.
Boasberg and Willing broke the shooting slump with a pair of three-pointers, and the Quakers went into halftime leading 30-25.
Sidwell’s ball movement stalled early on. Renninger was none too pleased after a first-half possession when one player, from the corner, put the ball on the floor. But the Quakers established a rhythm by making the most of their dribbles.
“The guards penetrating with their dribbling, it made a huge difference,” said Renninger, who notched her 500th career win last season. “We were able to drop it to the middle more, do other things. It’s what you do with your dribbling.”
That crisp ball movement not only led to more fast-break opportunities and open three-pointers, but it also opened up space for Lyde and the Sidwell front court.
“I think once we start shooting, we start making it, then we have more confidence we can build on that and look inside,” Boasberg said.
Led by Tytilayo Green (16 points) and Asia Coates (12), Wilson stormed back and took a 52-51 lead late in the fourth quarter. But Sidwell didn't trail for long. Gabby Statia scored off a putback to put the Quakers ahead 53-52, and on the ensuing possession, Boasberg came up with a steal and went coast to coast for the final bucket of the game.
