4 Girls and a Guy outhustled and outlasted South Bend Police Squad (SBPS) to cruise to a 21-13 victory in the Bookstore Basketball Women's Championship. Buckets were few and far between, as harsh winds and freezing temperatures forced each team to adapt to the elements.
"Playing in the rain is our game so we were glad when it started, especially in the second half," 4 Girls guard Sierra Smith said. Smith, who finished with 8 points to go along with her tournament MVP honors, hit the game-winning shot, a turnaround jumper in the face of an SBPS defender.
"Growing up with an older brother you kind of have to acquire those shots in order to survive," Smith said. "So I'm going to attribute it to him."
But the game's most dominant influence came in the form of 4 Girls captain Anna Kammrath, who carried the team on her back from the opening tip to the final bucket. Grabbing boards, blocking shots, and scoring at will, Kammrath made her presence felt on both sides of the ball.
"We had a lot of fun, it was good teamwork, everyone played well despite the slipping and the sliding," Kammrath said. "We really took advantage."
4 Girls came out fired up from the opening whistle, putting together a 3-0 run to start the game and giving them a lead they would not relinquish. SBPS employed a (wo)man defense to combat the aggressive style of 4 Girls, but the speed and tenacity of Smith and Kammrath proved to be too much in the first half.
But SBPS went on a run to close the half, putting together a string of buckets to bring them within 3 at the break. Captain Tiz Shadley drained a series of perimeter buckets, while Anne McDonnell was effective inside despite double teams.
But any momentum SBPS carried into the break quickly evaporated in the second half, as the the weather become a factor. 4 Girls took advantage of their flat opponent, outscoring SBPS 11-5 in the second.
But the real story of the half came on the opposite side of the ball, where 4 Girls bucked up and exhibited the fundamentals of team defense. Led by the relentless play of forward Jane Fleming and point guard Molly McCarthy, 4 Girls prevented SBPS from putting together any sort of rhythm on offense.
McCarthy's activity on the defensive side of the ball and unselfishness on offense typify the 4 Girls' champion attitude to basketball. The extra pass, the hustle on fastbreaks, the commitment to fundamentals - all characterize this year's Bookstore Basketball champs.
