By Nick Eilerson/Scrimmageplaycva.com contributor
In a game showcasing the state’s top two varsity girls’ basketball teams, second-ranked St. Anne’s-Belfield triumphed against the top-ranked Dolphins of Cape Henry Collegiate by a score of 78-72 Saturday. Yet when asked about his star player’s monster performance, Saints Coach Phil Stinnie shook his head.
“She’s upset with herself right now,” Stinnie said. “She doesn’t feel like she played well.”
Her numbers might strike everybody else as borderline absurd, but to Sarah Imovbioh, 48 points and 33 rebounds was just another day in the office. The senior forward dominated the glass all day long, aggressively pulling down rebounds and converting put-backs as if playing by herself in the back yard.
“I got those rebounds because my teammates did a good job of boxing out,” Imovbioh said. “When they box out it makes things easier for me. The area is clear for me to go get the ball, which makes it much easier. So that’s why I was successful today.”
Cape Henry was far from intimidated out of the gate, as they controlled most of the first half with a fast-paced approach that threw the home team off kilter. The Dolphins employed a hounding full court man-to-man press that forced several STAB turnovers, and they constantly looked to push the ball in transition. The result was a 36-33 advantage that followed them into halftime.
“From the beginning we got pressure,” Stinnie said. “It affected us, but we made it affect us because we were making mental mistakes. I told them all you got to do is focus on what we do and don’t let their defense dictate how we play.”
Stinnie’s message resonated with his team, which jumped out to a 40-36 lead just a couple minutes into the third quarter. With 3:45 left in the quarter, the Saints took a 50-40 lead — their largest of the game — off a three-pointer by senior guard Addi Bolin, who finished the afternoon with 18 points. Bolin and Imovbioh complemented each other nicely throughout the contest, as Bolin’s long-distance touch combined with Imovbioh’s interior presence to create a multifaceted offense.
“We work off each other,” Bolin said. “If I shoot, she gets my rebound. I just know her really well. I just lob it up there and she gets it.”
Cape Henry, for its part, never quit battling. Spurred on by the slashing quickness of junior point guard Khajae Hester (10 points), the Dolphins never let STAB get comfortable. They cut the Saints’ lead to five with just under two minutes to go, but Imovbioh and company withstood the frenetic pace of the game’s final minutes by staying calm against the press and knocking down free throws.
“I think they came out with a little more aggressiveness in the second half, especially the third quarter,” Cape Henry Coach Richard Plank said. “They were getting some offensive rebounds and that was the difference. We need to do a better job boxing out.”
Plank affirmed that his girls played admirably against a good team in a tough environment, adding that he eagerly anticipated a potential rematch against STAB on a neutral court.
Junior forward Nakaila Pollard (22 points) headlined a group of four Cape Henry players in double figures. The Dolphins must now gear up for another road matchup, this time against Nansemond-Suffolk Academy on Monday night. STAB, meanwhile, will return home Tuesday night for a showdown with Fredericksburg Christian High School.
