SMITHSBURG – So far, opponents can’t measure where the Smithsburg girls basketball team falls on the scary-meter.
The Leopards continued show their early-season dominance on Tuesday in a 72-15 win over young and overmatched Boonsboro.
Alert: There’s no telling how much better Smithsburg might be if they actually practice.
Smithsburg is 5-0 with all games being played in the first 11 days of the season. The Leopards still have two more games yet to play in this week before Christmas.
The Leopards were like singers debuting their next hit in concert when they rolled out a full-court press. They hit all the high notes – in tune – by running off to a 21-point lead in the first quarter.
“That was the first time running that press today,” said Smithsburg guard Skyla Mastronardi. “It was just to work on some things, trying to develop some new things. We have so many games this week, so we don’t have a lot of practice time.”
Practice? The on-the-job training worked just fine for the Leopards.
Their pressure caused numerous backcourt turnovers for Boonsboro, resulting in breakaway scores for the Leopards. Mastronardi was a magician on the left side of the press, using sleight of hand to steal the ball and pass it ahead for teammates to notch easy baskets.
“Just her outlet passes … She puts the ball on the money,” said Smithsburg coach Todd Bono. “All we have to do is run and she will put it right there. And she did. She’s willing to make the extra pass and do anything to help the team. She’s that type of kid.
“We are trying different things to get ready for the playoffs. We are trying to us our length our athleticism and our speed. Speed the game up. …That’s what we are trying to do. Speed the game up.”
In fact, it was so fast, the Warriors didn’t know what hit them.
Boonsboro scored the game’s opening basket on a Mylee Hartman layup in the first 28 seconds to give the Warriors a 2-0 lead.
From there, Smithburg ran off the next 25 points. Jayda Tyler scored on a layup off a pass by Claire Bono at the 6:49 mark. Then the press started to squeeze the Warriors.
Mastronardi picked of four of Smithsburg’s five steals in the quarter and hit teammates running post patterns to the hoop for easy scores.
“It was just kind of figuring out what my role (in the press) will be,” Mastronardi said. “Coach Todd just said to be super aggressive in it. “We played really good team basketball today – sharing the ball – and my teammates did a really good job running the floor and making themselves available.”
Heather McLean scored the Warriors’ next basket with :53 remaining in the quarter to end Smithsburg’s scoring spree for the 25-4 score after the first period.
“Their press gave us a hard time,” said Boonsboro coach Jerica Wetzel. “We weren’t focused on moving the ball and using ball fake. We were just throwing lob passes over the top and, of course, they are going to run through them every time.
“They’re a very athletic team and that’s not what you do.”
It didn’t get any easier for the Warriors.
Boonsboro cut the deficit to 30-10 in the first 2:05 of the second quarter, but Smithsburg ran off the last 19 points of the half for a 49-10 lead at the intermission.
The second half was played entirely with a running clock, which started because of the 35-plus point deficit.
Boonsboro outscored Smithsburg 5-3 in the third quarter, with all five Warriors’ points coming from the foul line to make the score 52-15.
Smithsburg capped the game by outscoring Boonsboro 20-0 in the fourth quarter. The Leopards ran a deliberate offense and mixed in its bench, but were able to find open shots, including four long-range 3-pointers.
The Leopards placed four players in double figures, with leading-scorer Mastronardi finishing fourth with 11 to go with 11 rebounds and 10 assists. Claire Bono led with 24 points, including 3 of 7 from three-point range. Turner finished with 13 and Kara Hoover added 12.
Hoover added six assists and Bono had four steals.
Smithsburg assisted on 23 of its 28 baskets in the game and had 17 steals. The Leopards have scored at least 70 points in three of their five games to date.
Hartman led Boonsboro with six points.
