By PAUL GOTHAM
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Hornell girls’ basketball has a shooting drill that they use in practice. The drill involves having five spots on the floor. The goal for each player is to shoot 2-for-4 at each spot. The player starts at the first location and works her way around the court.
Here’s the catch: the clock is running and if a player doesn’t reach the allotted goal at a particular spot, she has to start again.
The name of the exercise? Red light, green light.
“It’s a shooting efficiency drill,” head coach Jimmy Dagon explained. “If you get the green light in practice, you get the green light in games too.”
Midway through the first quarter of Monday’s non-league matchup at East High, Hornell’s Jordyn Dyring grabbed a long defensive rebound and made her way up the court. A pair of opposing defenders ran the floor and reached the foul lane before her with the intention of taking away a drive to the basket or perhaps even drawing a charge.
VIEW MORE PHOTOS FROM LAURA ACCIAIO.
Dyring had other plans and based upon the drill in practice it’s easy to imagine that the senior guard was seeing one color and one color only as she set her feet, squared her shoulders and buried a 3-pointer in transition.
“She’s always the one who ends up with the green light in that drill,” Dagon said of Dyring who is the school’s all-time leading scorer for both girls and boys.
Green means go and that’s what Hornell did with Dyring in the lead, Monday night.
Dyring finished with a game-high 18 points, and Hornell (12-4) topped host East (10-4), 57-42.
“She’s a fantastic player, and it’s great when she gets in rhythm like that,” Dagon said. “I’ll never ever tell her not to shoot. She could be on a 1-on-0 fast break, and if she wants to shoot a three, I’ll tell her to go right ahead. As long as she’s stepping in with confidence.”
As good as Dyring was Monday night, Hornell’s defense was as good if not better.
The Red Raiders forced 13 turnovers in the first half while limiting East to six field goals in taking a 26-15 lead in to the break.
“Our defense is what started us tonight, that’s for sure,” he said.
Dagon credited ninth-grader Teegan Eveland for creating pressure on the ball and allowing teammates to step up in passing lanes for steals.
“Our girls are very well-connected; they’ve played together for a long time. When we pressure the ball, the other four are able to make instinctive plays. They roll off each other and help each other.”
Monday’s win came two days after the Red Raiders, ranked No. 1 NYSSWA Class B in last week’s poll, dropped their third decision in four games.
Those losses, though, came to North Tonawanda of Section VI , ranked No. 2 NYS Class AA and Susquehanna Valley, No. 4 NYS Class B along with Aquinas – a state finalist in Class A a year ago which has since moved up to Class AAA.
East came into Monday night as Section V’s top team in Class A.
And the Red Raiders will travel to North Tonawanda for a rematch this Friday.
The rugged schedule is by design.
Last March, the Red Raiders had a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter before falling to Cold Spring Harbor in the NYSPHSAA Class B championship game.
Dagon wants to make sure his squad is ready for another postseason run.
“We learn from losses. Being in environments where it’s loud, intense and there’s a lot of pressure, it will become normal to us. I think we’re already getting past being shell-shocked. A lot of different opponents, a lot of high-quality opponents.”
Raegan Evingham added 11 points in the win. Selena Maldonado had eight. Mia Nasca, Alexis Smith and A’Jonay Hawkins scored six apiece.
Semaj Jackson led East with 15 points. Darianna Weathers had 10. Madison Simmons scored eight.
East will travel to play at Monroe/SWW on Wednesday. A 4:45 p.m. tip off is scheduled.
HORNELL (12-4)
Mia Nasca 2 0-0 6, Jordyn Dyring 7 2-2 18, Alexis Smith 2 0-0 6, Teegan Eveland 1 0-0 2, Selena Maldonado 4 0-0 8, Reagan Evingham 5 0-0 11, A’Jonay Hawkins 3 0-0 6 TOTALS 24 2-2 — 57
EAST HIGH (10-4)
Madison Simmons 3 2-4 8, Journe Caliz 3 0-0 7, Tamajaha Lenear 0 0-0 0, Darianna Weathers 3 3-6 10, Semaj Jackson 7 0-2 15, Layla Germany 1 0-0 2 TOTALS 17 5-12 — 42
HORNELL 10 16 13 18 — 57
EAST HIGH 9 6 12 15 — 42
3-point goals: HORNELL 7 (Nasca 2, Dyring 2, Smith 2, Evingham 1); EAST HIGH 3 (Caliz 1, Weathers 1, Jackson 1).
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