Blue Devils win with strong ‘D’

Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2006

Springbrook girls basketball shooting guard Eryn Withers has missed the last two games with the flu. And yet the only thing sick about Springbrook has been its defense.

As in sickeningly good.

The Blue Devils (4-0 record) certainly made Richard Montgomery ill on Friday, causing 31 turnovers without even pressing. And thanks to three double-digit scorers, Springbrook cruised to a 57-28 victory over the Rockets (2-2).

Point guard Taryn Christian, who hit the game-winning shot in a one-point victory over rival Paint Branch last weekend, scored 10 points and added six assists. And center Wilize Maleombho added a team-high 14 points .

But it was the defense that keyed the win, led by Christian’s 10 steals.

Any time you cause 31 turnovers, obviously you have a lot of fast-break points,” said Springbrook coach Oliver Riggs. ‘‘Offensively, I feel we’re still kind of hesitant with our plays and passing, and there are areas we can improve on , but our defense is solid.”