Perryville’s shooting slump finally gave way to a complete performance, as the Lady Pirates combined energy, defense and efficient offense to pull away from De Soto for a 68-34 victory in a game Feb. 5 at the Perryville Middle School gymnasium.
After beating De Soto by 27 points on the road earlier this season, Perryville coach Jason Dreyer expected a much tighter game this time around, especially with his team struggling to make shots in recent weeks. Instead, the Lady Pirates delivered one of their sharpest offensive nights in some time, building separation early and never letting De Soto back into the game.
“We’ve been struggling shooting the ball lately, so I told the girls it was probably going to be a really close game,” Dreyer said. “But if we’re shooting in the high 40s to 50 percent range, that’s awesome. When you make shots, your energy level is just a lot better.”
That energy showed from the opening tip.
Perryville jumped out to an 18-12 lead after the first quarter and turned it into a 38-22 advantage by halftime, using its athleticism and quickness to push the pace and create easy scoring chances in transition. The Lady Pirates continued to apply pressure in the second half, outscoring De Soto 14-8 in the third quarter and 16-4 in the fourth to pull away.
Senior forward Aby Amberger led the way with a game-high 29 points, consistently attacking the basket and finishing through contact. Senior point guard Janie Porter added 17 points, providing steady control of the offense while also capitalizing on open looks created by Perryville’s pressure.
All but one Perryville player scored, a reflection of the balance and depth Dreyer has emphasized throughout the season.
“Our game plan was to get up and down, trap, shoot the passing lanes and try to get easy layups,” Dreyer said. “I felt like this week the teams we were playing, we were more athletic and quicker. We wanted to use that, especially early, and that’s how we got our big lead.”
De Soto, which fell to 7-13, struggled to keep pace offensively. Junior Kennedy Shores led the Lady Dragons with 10 points, but Perryville’s defense limited second chances and consistently disrupted De Soto’s offensive rhythm.
The Lady Pirates also made noticeable progress in an area that has been a point of emphasis.
After shooting just 26 percent against Woodland and 23 percent against St. Vincent in recent games, Perryville found its stroke against De Soto, knocking down shots at a much higher clip and forcing the Lady Dragons to defend the entire floor.
“That’s been the biggest thing for us,” Dreyer said. “We know we’re physical, athletic and quick. When we make shots to go with that, it really opens things up for us.”
Perryville had beaten De Soto 69-42 back on Jan. 8, a game in which the Lady Pirates shot nearly 50 percent from the field. Monday’s performance mirrored that efficiency, while also showing growth in energy and execution.
For Perryville, now 9-8, the win was another step forward as the Lady Pirates continue to look for consistency heading into the final stretch of the regular season.
“When we play with that kind of energy and make shots, we can be tough to deal with,” Dreyer said. “That’s what we’re trying to build on.”
PERRYVILLE 49, WOODLAND 33
PERRYVILLE — Defense and effort on the glass carried Perryville on Monday night, as the Lady Pirates forced turnovers and dominated the offensive boards in a 49-33 win over Woodland.
Perryville got off to a sluggish start, leading just 10-9 after the first quarter and 20-16 at halftime, but steadily created separation in the second half by turning defense into offense. The Lady Pirates outscored Woodland 17-11 in the third quarter and 12-6 in the fourth to improve to 8-8 on the season, while Woodland fell to 5-9.
“We started off pretty slow and weren’t really focused mentally,” said Perryville coach Jason Dreyer. “But our goal was to get up and down, turn them over and rebound, and I thought we did a good job of that.”
Perryville forced Woodland into 33 turnovers and finished with 30 offensive rebounds, repeatedly extending possessions and creating high-percentage scoring chances. Madeline Gremaud and Paula Sticht led the effort on the boards, grabbing 13 rebounds apiece. Dreyer noted that all 10 of Sticht’s rebounds came on the offensive end.
“That was a big emphasis for us,” Dreyer said. “Rebounding really helped us.”
Offensively, Perryville continues to work through shooting struggles, finishing at 26 percent from the field. To compensate, the Lady Pirates relied on defensive pressure, trapping in the halfcourt and looking to generate easy baskets in transition.
“Our shooting percentages over the last couple of weeks haven’t been very good,” Dreyer said. “So we’re trying to focus on trapping on defense, creating turnovers and turning those into easy layups and fast-break opportunities.”
Aby Amberger led Perryville with 16 points, while Sticht added 13 to go along with her double-double. Madeleine Gremaud finished with 4 points but played a key role by consistently creating second-chance opportunities.
Woodland stayed within reach early but struggled to handle Perryville’s pressure as the game wore on.
