Windsor enters tough part of schedule this week
The defending North Bay League champion Jaguars continued their hot start in convincing fashion on Jan. 13, soundly defeating home-standing Maria Carrillo, 48-34 to maintain first place.
The win helped Windsor keep pace with Cardinal Newman atop the NBL standings at 4-0, while the Jaguars pushed their season record to 13-3.
The Jaguars now enter a brutal stretch of games against the league’s top rated teams, beginning with a Tuesday, Jan. 17 visit to Montgomery followed by a Thursday, Jan. 19 home date with Newman. The varsity tips off in both games at 7:30 p.m.
Friday’s win was a welcome result after entering the game shorthanded, and was fueled by outstanding defense, particularly in the second half to help bust open a tight game.
“The third quarter was key for us, holding them to seven points and just 12 in the second half,” Jags coach Travis Taylor said, citing a fine defensive effort from forward Travis Carlozzi.
Jags notch win
The Jan. 13 visit to Maria Carrillo featured a slow start for Windsor, spotting the Pumas an early 12-7 lead. The Jags finished the period with five straight points to even the score at 12-12 at the end of one.
Windsor completed a 10-run early in the second quarter for a brief 17-12 advantage, but Carrillo finished the half on a 10-3 run to take a 22-20 lead at the break.
“Travis Carlozzi picked up two fouls early in the first quarter so he sat out a lot of the first half,” Taylor noted. “He played the entire second half and did a great job defensively.”
The Jags picked up the defensive intensity in the third, mounting a 20-7 run in the period to gain separation. Leading 40-29 after three, Windsor maintained the cushion the rest of the way en route to a 48-34 victory.
Justin Smith paced the attack with 18 points and 10 rebounds, while other top scorers included Riley Smith (14 points, 9 rebounds), Carlozzi (11 points, 7 boards) and Brandon Mallie (5 points).
