By Trey Hunter
Sports Editor
A 31-point third quarter fueled by a Titan effort from Delanie Crawford spurred the fifth-ranked Wildcats past No. 9 Carl Albert Tuesday night at Collett Fieldhouse.
The 5-foot-10 sophomore scored 17 of her game-high 21 points in the period, including 10 of the team’s 18 unanswered points to start the half. She also finished with eight rebounds and three assists.
Crawford’s sister, Regan, got things going early for the Cats. The 5-foot-7 senior scored nine of the team’s 13 points in the first period before capping her 17-point night with eight in the second half.
“That’s kind of what I’d say is the expectation,” Piedmont coach Eric Carr said of the duo’s performance. “It’s just what they do. They go out and make plays and when they get going, it’s fun to watch.”
Piedmont played stagnant offensively in the first half said Carr. His team took a two-point lead into halftime before the third-quarter explosion.
“We struggled a little bit, which is probably good for us,” Carr said. “It’s good to face some adversity and see how you respond to it. It was a little uncharacteristic and we were pressing. But in the second half we got into the flow of the game and just let things come to us. Once we got it rolling and it all clicked, it looked pretty good.”
Although it took a half for the Cats to find rhythm offensively, on the defensive end and on the glass, they held their own all night.
Piedmont out-rebounded the Titans 32-25, led by Delanie Crawford and senior Maci Attalla who each grabbed eight boards. Attalla pulled down four on the offensive end, leading to eight second-chance points. She also finished with a team-high five steals, helping her team win the turnover battle, and scored 15 points.
Piedmont turned defense into offense throughout the game. The Cats worked a full-court press into the defensive rotation, something Carr feels is an asset for his team.
“We didn’t press a lot in scrimmages,” he said. “I was kind of afraid to. But right now we’re better defensively when we’re pressing. I think it speeds up the game and makes people take quick shots. Our kids do a pretty good job of adjusting to the game on that end.”
The team finished with 15 steals overall, including Attalla’s five. Junior Tyesha Anderson finished with three while junior Rain Peyton finished with two.
The Wildcats look to stay undefeated this weekend in the 29th annual Durant Lion Classic. They tip off the tournament against Class 3A No. 19 Hugo today at 11 a.m. Piedmont returns home Tuesday against Shawnee
