Sebring shrugs off slow start

Nothing came easy for the Sebring Blue Streaks on Friday night - not passing, not dribbling, certainly not shooting.

Perfect time to dial up the full-court press.

Playing the second game of a back-to-back, Shannon Williams had a monster night and Sebring exploded in the third quarter to pull away for a 55-33 win over Ridge Community.

"The girls responded well," said Blue Streaks coach Mike Lee, whose team improved to .500 overall (5-5) and 2-4 in the district. "It may have taken us a half to get back in rhythm, but I'm happy."

Sebring lost to Avon Park on Thursday night in large part because it failed to make anything outside the paint. The Blue Streaks didn't fare much better Friday - they shot 29 percent from the floor in the first half - but their defense cranked up the intensity during a pivotal five-minute stretch in the third quarter to secure the district win.

Despite playing with a large wrap on her right thigh, Williams recorded 23 points and 20 rebounds (12 offensive). Emmanice McCullors also put up big numbers during the Blue Streaks' third game in four days, filling up the stat sheet with 12 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and five steals.

They were both instrumental in Sebring's decisive third quarter, when it turned up the full-court press and then watched Ridge implode. The Blue Streaks began the period on a 10-2 run, stretching their lead to 11. They led by 10 at the end of the quarter, after a Ridge player drained a 3-pointer at the buzzer.

"That got us pumped up and it worked," Lee said of switching to the press to start the second half. "It got some easy baskets and it gives everybody extra energy and it allowed us to be more aggressive. It definitely jump-started us."

But it also masked some glaring concerns for the Blue Streaks, who continue to struggle with their outside shooting. They missed all 11 of their attempts from 11-15 feet, with their two best pure shooters - Jerica Moore and Madison Rose - combining to score just six points.

"It's just one of those things," Lee said. "It's not like they're way off, they're just not exactly falling. It's a little mechanical thing, and all shooters go through ups and downs.

"If you're a shooter, you're a shooter," he continued. "You're going to miss, but eventually it's going to start falling again. You've just got to believe the next one's going in. You've just got to work through that."

One night after managing just seven fourth-quarter points in a 10-point defeat to county rival Avon Park, Sebring scored 18 in the final period to bury a Ridge team that couldn't handle the press - nor Williams' presence inside.

The forward recorded only nine points and fouled out in the loss to Avon Park. But she responded Friday by scoring 10 of the Blue Streaks' 17 points in the first half, a disconcerting 16 minutes defined by lackluster passing, missed shots from point-blank range and head-scratching turnovers.

"Our effort has always been good," Lee said. "We just missed a ton of shots inside."

Sebring plays two games this week before beginning a two-and-a-half-week lapse in the schedule. The Blue Streaks host LaBelle on Tuesday.