Western Tech freshman Kayla Spruill said she was just playing her regular game Friday night when the Wolverines defeated Kenwood, 62-49. If almost getting a triple-double in just under three quarters of playing time is regular, it will be interesting to see what kind of numbers she puts up when she plays an extraordinary game.
When Spruill left the game at Western Tech for good, with 16 seconds left in the third quarter, she had 26 points, 13 rebounds, 8 steals, 3 blocked shots and an assist.
The 26-point effort came two days after she had 27 points in a victory over Perry Hall.
"It (the high scoring) is becoming normal," said Western Tech coach Alan Lagon, noting she came into the Kenwood game with a 16-point scoring average.
Spruill and the Wolverines' press turned a close game into a rout in the third quarter when Western Tech (9-7) outscored the Bluebirds, 26-13, after a 27-22 halftime lead.
During one 30-second span, from the 4:45 mark to the 4:15 mark, Span scored seven points and turned a 33-27 lead into a 40-27 advantage, and Western Tech was never challenged again.
Spruill, 5 feet 11, guarded the inbounds pass on the baseline during the press and created havoc as the Bluebirds committed 13 of their 21 turnovers in the quarter
"I was just trying to keep my hands up to make a hard pass so one of my teammates could get a tip or something like that, but I really just tried to distract her from the open person," Spruill said.
When Kenwood did break the press it got layups, but they were too infrequent for the Bluebirds, who were led in scoring by Naya Delaney (16 points) and Mia Boyd (15).
"She was on the ball and that did make it difficult to get the ball in," Kenwood coach Jackie Hardwick said.
Lagon knows his team gains energy from the press and thought it could use a boost after halftime.
"Kenwood is a good basketball team and one of our problems this year has been a slow start and we got burned for that in a couple games and sometimes if you go to a press it helps."
Spruill, Deja Dennis (5 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steal), Ashley Gourdine (10 points, 3 assists), Kayla Moore (4 points, 2 steals) and Madison Liggett (5 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals) keyed the defense during the press.
In the second quarter, Spruill had exploited the Kenwood zone by hitting a pair of three-pointers to help the Wolverines maintain a lead against a feisty Kenwood squad that lost for the ninth time in 13 games.
"She is starting to get comfortable beyond the three-point line," Lagon said.
So is Jasmine Drayton, who made three three-pointers on her way to scoring 12 points.
In fact, the whole Western Tech team is getting more and more comfortable with each other all over the court.
"I think we are definitely picking it up," said Dennis, one of three players, along with Gourdine and Kaitlin Page, who played on Western Tech's state championship team in 2013. "We still have improvement to do but we are coming together We are trying to set a new legacy before we leave here, mostly teamwork. As long as everyone is contributing, that is what is important."
Western Tech improved to 5-1 in the race for the top spot to represent Division II in the Baltimore County championship game.
The Wolverines trail only Catonsville, which is unbeaten in league play.