Within the first minute of the game, Chadarryl Clay connected on two pull-up jump shots in the lane. When Father Ryan extended its defense in an attempt to cut off her penetration, the GPS sophomore guard answered by stepping farther back and nailing three consecutive 3-pointers.
Clay scored the Bruisers’ first 15 points and was their only player to make a field goal in the opening quarter of their 62-40 victory in the Division II-AA state tournament opening round.
Then her 3-pointer in the first minute of the second quarter sparked a 12-0 run that put the Bruisers in command to stay. GPS will play in a quarterfinal next Friday at top-ranked Ensworth.
“I felt good even in warmups,” said Clay, who finished with a game-high 26 points, including four 3-pointers, and also had three assists. “After those first couple of shots, I really got confident.”
GPS had beaten Father Ryan one week ago in Nashville by 11 but never allowed the visitors to keep this game close. Despite making just 14 of 37 free throws, the Bruisers used their quickness and continual pressure to cause the Lady Irish problems. GPS had 18 steals and the second-half lead never dipped under 14.
“We wanted to get after them pretty hard and blitz them on defense,” GPS coach Susan Crownover said. “Our defensive pressure is what makes us successful.
“We have a tendency to stand around and watch Chadarryl when she starts going off like she was early,” Crownover said. “I was thinking she was bound to start missing at some point, but we were going to let her keep shooting until she did miss.”