Annapolis junior McKenzie Fuller never planned to pop seven 3-pointers against Chesapeake. Her coach disagreed.
“We always have that in the plan for her,” coach Arbrey Butler said.
After one quarter, Fuller and the Panthers’ scoring had already thrown the Cougars into a pit they’d struggle to rise from. Still, Chesapeake altered its defense in the second frame to clog the paint. But while the battle raged inside, Fuller stood outside, ready and waiting.
“My forwards set the screen for me,” she said. “[Chesapeake] didn’t come up to defend. It was open. So, I took the shot.”
She and sophomore Audrey Skinner combined for 45 points in Annapolis’ 58-38 takedown of the Cougars on Friday. Not only did Annapolis deliver the Cougars their first county defeat, but the victory cloaked the Panthers (9-1) in confidence ahead of another difficult opponent next week: Broadneck, which quietly absorbed Annapolis’ performance from the bleachers.
Skinner (19 points) has no reservations in her ambitions for the team this winter.
“We’re ready to play at the next level,” she said. “We’re really excited for county championships coming up, and we’re ready to take the region.”
It wasn’t until the second half where the expected balanced clash between two evenly-matched would make an appearance. The first half belonged to the Panthers.
But while they dominated Chesapeake (10-2), carrying a 34-13 lead to halftime, not everything felt so flawless.
While Skinner and Fuller rattled up Annapolis’ unchallenged lead to the double digits, another number climbed up like ivy choking a tree: fouls.
Chesapeake’s only four points in the first 10 minutes came from the free-throw line as at least one foul hit every Annapolis starter in the first quarter. There wasn’t enough motion on defense either, Butler said, to enact the damage they really wanted to do.
While their baskets ripped through the net for a 14-4 lead after one, Annapolis focused on simple things like talking to each other.
“If we’re struggling on defense, we’re able to make those adjustments,” Skinner said, “which puts us ahead. Our defense is so strong, and it turns into our offense.”
The Cougars had to limit Skinner come second quarter; the sophomore guard tallied six points but committed a slew of turnovers. They sandwiched her between two guards at all times, mostly forcing the hot-hand to pass.
So, Fuller simply set her hands ablaze.
The junior avoided most of Chesapeake’s defense by perching on the arc and peppering five 3-pointers before the half.
“People have a hard time defending against us,” Butler said. “We got four 3-point shooters on the court at any time, so people are gonna have to play us honestly.”
As the point, Fuller pulled the strings of each possession by slowing the tempo down. Chesapeake responded with speed in an effort to quickly cut into Annapolis’ lead.
But it just wasn’t working.
When they didn’t turn the ball over, the Cougars misfired on their shots. By midway through the second quarter, they only had six points to their credit.
But the winds shifter in the final two minutes of the first half. Ella Cieri’s 3-pointer highlighted Chesapeake’s 7-5 run to end the half — not a landslide by any measure, but night and day compared to its execution up to then.
Butler warned his Panthers that weather was coming in.
Chesapeake nearly matched Annapolis on the scoreboard in the third and outdid the Panthers in the fourth. Kiery Matkins, Allison Schaefer and Cieri landed shots. In the final few minutes, Kendall Kotofski whipped a cross-court pass to Matkins, waiting to sink the basket on the other end.
But as much as Chesapeake fixed its offensive issues, it could not hinder Annapolis enough to catch up.
“We didn’t come out underestimating them,” Fuller said. “We were just playing our game.”
Annapolis – 14 20 12 12 – 58
Chesapeake – 4 9 10 13 – 38
AN: Fuller 26, Skinner 19, Lindsay Lyman 7, Melody Cordua 2, Catherine King 2, Isabella Asuncion 2
CH: Matkins 15, Cieri 12, Schaefer 6, Kotofski 2, Claire Foster 2, Aubrey Hayes 1
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