MADISON — Iris Ireland sported a genuine look of surprise.
Advised that the Hall-Dale girls basketball team had dominated the boards by a better than two to one margin Tuesday night, the senior didn’t quite know what to say.
“Really? No… I don’t really pay attention to the stats,” Ireland said. “It didn’t feel like that, it felt really even out there.”
It wasn’t.
Fueled by the massive rebound advantage, the Bulldogs strolled to a 67-38 Mountain Valley Conference win over Madison at Venziano Gym. Ireland pulled down 10 of Hall-Dale’s 46 team rebounds, while Lily Platt and Averi Baker each ripped down eight.
All that work in the paint at both ends of the court opened things up for junior guard Amanda Trepanier, who scored a game-high 18 points, including three 3-pointers.
“I’ve definitely developed a lot of confidence in my shooting,” Trepanier said.
Senior KK Wills (10 points) typically runs the show for Hall-Dale (9-0) as its point guard, but a rash of illness and injuries left the Bulldogs shorthanded. Down five bodies on the bench, head coach O.J. Jaramillo decided to hand the keys to the supercar to Trepanier.
“(Wills) was struggling a little bit tonight. I think the girl guarding her had some speed on her,” Jaramillo said. “We asked Amanda to come up and handle the (point), and she stepped up and did a great job.”
Trepanier said she was comfortable in the new spot.
Hall-Dale’s Averi Baker, right, steals the ball from Madison’s Ali Griffeth during girls basketball action Tuesday in Madison. Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel
“It was definitely different, but I felt like I did alright,” Trepanier said. “I like dishing the ball around, so it’s fun.”
There were things that weren’t perfect for Hall-Dale, which turned the ball over 16 times in the first half alone. It was outscored in the final period and it shot only a shade over 31 percent from the field.
All of those things were glossed over by the hard work at the defensive end of the floor, and by its determination on the glass.
“I think rebounding is one of the most important aspects of the game, and it all starts on defense,” Ireland said. “We’re definitely working on it. It’s not the best thing we do, but it’s something we’re striving to get better at.”
Madison (5-2) got a 15-point effort from Raegan Cowan, 10 of those after halftime. But it was of little consolation as Hall-Dale raced out to leads of 14-3 after the opening quarter and 32-14 at halftime.
The home team simply never got into a rhythm and appeared forced into playing a pace they weren’t comfortable with. Madison committed 35 turnovers by night’s end and was out-rebounded 46-21.
“I have a lot of confidence in our team,” Trepanier said. “Any night, we could come out and lose to any team. Wins and losses don’t really matter — we just have to come out strong and play our game.”
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