Shipley holds on against Episcopal

Nia Holland walked from the bench to talk to teammates Yndia Bobo and Tenisha Pressley at the edge of the basketball court during a timeout.

"They are going to keep pressing," the senior guard warned. "They are going to trap you every time."

Holland, who was set to be the starting point guard for Shipley, is out until around Christmastime after having meniscus surgery, but she wasn't going to let her knowledge go to waste on the sideline.

So when the home game Saturday against Episcopal Academy got tight with less than a minute to play in what would be a 46-40 nonleague victory for the Gators, the Lafayette recruit took it upon herself to talk to the sophomore duo.

When the timeout was over, the Churchwomen pressed and trapped, just as Holland had said, but this time, the Gators got the ball down the court and drew a foul.

Shipley started the game on a 20-0 run and prevailed, surviving a comeback by Episcopal (1-1).

"Once we started communicating, everything worked out," the Gators' Courtney Redcross said. "Communication was key."

Bobo, who saw limited time in every game last season, has become the main ball handler with Holland sidelined. Just as Holland learned a lot about the point-guard position from Sox Alexander, now a freshman at St. John's, Bobo is learning from Holland.

"This year, I had to step up a bit because Sox left and Nia is injured," said Bobo, who scored 10 points. "I'm just trying to get my teammates the ball and trying to score more."

The teammate Bobo got the ball to most often was Redcross, who at times took over the game for the Gators (2-0). The junior forward used her strength and physicality down low, finishing with a game-high 17 points.

Episcopal Academy 0 9 9 22 - 40

Shipley 14 13 5 14 - 46

EA: Maria Kilcullen 10, Luca Mamula 7, Meghan Pickell 6, Dylan Higgins 5, Seanna McNamara 5, Elodie Furey 4, Margaux Paolino 3.

S: Courtney Redcross 17, Yndia Bobo 10, Tenisha Pressley 8, Martine Fortune 6, Meredith Maguire 5.