MONTGOMERY
Springbrook Is Doing It With Defense
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As Springbrook's third coach in as many seasons, Oliver Riggs already had it tough. He didn't make it any easier on his players by telling them the route to a third straight region title would be through a complex defense that provided little personal glory.
It took a while for the 17th-ranked Blue Devils to buy into it, but now they are the stingiest team in Montgomery County -- and also might be the best. Springbrook (12-2, 6-2 Montgomery 4A East) is allowing a county-low 33.8 points per game.
The Blue Devils run a man-to-man, full-court pressure defense with players constantly rotating, forcing opponents to use up to half the 35-second shot clock just getting the ball into the front court.
"It wasn't a hard sell," Riggs said, "but the hardest part was making sure they do it right. They would freelance and get out of what we were trying to do. I told them, 'If you do it right, the steals will be there and you'll get the fast breaks.' "
The Blue Devils have held five opponents to less than 30 points and only four have reached 40, including Whitman (11-3, 7-1), which scored 52, the most against Springbrook this season, in an 11-point win on Dec. 21. The Vikings scored 21 fourth-quarter points as the Blue Devils' defense broke down from fatigue.
The teams meet again tomorrow at Whitman.
-- Alan Goldenbach
