FREMONT – As far as season-openers are concerned, it’s hard to draw up a better way to start a year.
Jazmin Bulger
The Fremont Ross girls basketball team opened the 2017-18 campaign by welcoming in one of the area’s most respected and consistent programs, the Clyde Fliers. It’s a program for Ross use as a decent measuring stick to gauge what it might be able to expect from itself. But if Friday night is any indication, the Lady Giants are going to need a longer measuring stick.
Behind an impressive second half performance, the Lady Giants gave the Fliers a pretty good thumping in taking a 62-38 win over Clyde.
“There was a lot of moments where a player had a good shot and gave it up for an even better shot, and I would have took either one,” Ross coach Juan Vela said. “…I think that’s the kind of team that we have. First game, a lot of things we have to work on but, for the most part, the unselfishness is what really stood out.”
Ross was not immune to the usual opening-night miscues, by any means. The Lady Giants’ struggled offensively early and turned the ball over a few too many times. After hitting a pair of 3-pointers in the opening minutes, Ross struggled for much of the first half, shooting just 10-of-29 from the field but maintained a 27-18 lead as Clyde also shot a low percentage (5-of-16).
But, in the waning seconds of the second quarter, senior guard Jazmin Bulger hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key. Bulger’s bucket not only sent Ross into halftime with nine-point lead but also, more importantly, gave the Lady Giants the momentum.
Ahlia Simms
They carried that momentum into the third quarter where they could not miss from the field. Ross made its first eight shots of the second half, not missing until the final minute of the third quarter. Bulger began the second half where she ended the first, with a 3-pointer. A couple minutes later, freshman Brooke Baptista set the tone for the rest of the period as she dished a behind-the-back pass in the paint to senior Alhia Simms for the easy lay-in and bringing the Ross bench, and the crowd, to its feet.
“Brooke is known for those tricky passes, and she’s only a freshman, which is crazy,” Simms said. “In practice, we’ve been learning, when Brooke has the ball, to just stay ready. That was a beautiful pass.”
Less than a minute later Olivia Baptista hit a 3-pointer, followed shortly thereafter by a basket by Jasannah Sabiers, but Clyde kept pace and Ross’ lead remained the same nine-point advantage it held at halftime.
But Ross was far from finished and Clyde couldn’t keep up.
Bulger drove the lane to the basket. Braelyn Horn fed a nice pass to Sabiers for another lay-in. Bulger grabbed a defensive rebound and drove the length of the floor and finished at the other end. Bulger then finished the run with another layup and Ross ended the quarter with a 46-28 lead having shot 8-of-9 in the period.
Bulger scored 12 of her game-high 17 points in the second half to go along with six rebounds while Simms scored 12 points and grabbed eight boards.
Olivia Baptista
Brooke Baptista
“I feel I wasn’t playing to my full potential,” Bulger said. “After I made that three before the end of the half, I think that brought momentum into the second half of the game.”
The biggest impression of the night was made by a pair of sisters making their Ross varsity debuts. Junior Olivia Baptista connected on three 3-pointers, scored 11 points and grabbed eight rebounds while freshman Brooke Baptista displayed an all-around performance, scoring six points, six rebounds, a game-high seven assists and a pair of steals.
“Coming into it I was a little nervous, being in new surroundings but the girls really helped me, me and my sister,” Olivia Baptista said.
“I think (this win) set the tone and we have to keep working at it in practice and keep it going,” she added. “We can’t let off, don’t take it easy, just keep going.”
The Lady Giants (1-0) return to action Tuesday night 7:30 at Sandusky Perkins.
“Since last year and the years before, prior to that, everybody thinks, ‘Fremont – they suck, they’re going to do bad,’” Bulger said. “We came out as underdogs last year and I feel like starting off with this momentum is really going to help us.
Fremont Ross 62, Clyde 38
ROSS (62)
Bulger 7 0-2 17; O. Baptista 3 2-4 11; Simms 6 0-1 12; B. Baptista 2 1-2 6; Overmyer 2 0-0 6; Sabiers 2 0-0 4; Gore 2 0-0 4; Szymanowski 1 0-0 2. Totals 25 3-9 62.
CLYDE (38)
Keegan 0 0-2 0; Marshall 3 9-13 15; Barrera 2 2-2 7; Smith 5 3-6 15; Salazar 1 0-2 2. Totals: 11 14-25 38.
3-pointers – Ross, Bulger 3, O. Baptista 3, B. Baptista 1, Overmyer 2. Total 9. Clyde, Berrera 1, Smith 1. Total 2.
Rebounds – Ross, 37 total, Simms 8, O. Baptista 8, Bulger 6. Clyde, 21 total, Smith 6.
Assists – Ross, 12, B. Baptista 7.