ROTTERDAM — One of the defensive goals that first-year coach Maceo Dubose set for the Guilderland girls’ basketball team was to hold every opponent below 50 points. Consider that mission abundantly accomplished as Mohonasen could muster only 26 points against the Dutch on Tuesday night.

To date on the season, Guilderland has held six of its 10 adversaries under 50 points. Four of those six games were wins.

Conversely, do the Dutch set a mark of 50 points for its offense?

“Well, we just want to score one more point than the other team,” Dubose said after Tuesday’s 46-to-26 victory on the road. “We don’t have a set number. We have to play defense first, so having a goal like holding opponents under 50 gives us a better chance to win.”

This makes Guilderland sound like a defensively focused team, but its offense was nothing to scoff at despite missing one of its main scorers, Zibby Eckhardt. Sophomore Olivia Baumann
(15 points), and seniors Rebecca Golderman (11 points) and Sunshine Edwards (10 points) each had their moments of flash during a productive 32 minutes.

Baumann, who, Dubose said, sometimes plays guard, and sometimes plays in the post, made her four three-pointers on Tuesday from the corners; she was basically unguarded as she waited for a pass. “If she’s in the corner, she’s probably playing guard,” added Dubose. “She could be at the foul line while playing guard, but it depends on the offense. We were changing up the offense a little bit.”

In the second quarter, Edwards helped Guilderland build a 17-to-2 lead. She made a quick assist to Skye Lindsay, banked in a shot against a double team, stole the ball only to get fouled at the other end, and scored on a cut to the basket off an over-the-shoulder assist from Lindsay. Later, Edwards scored on another slash to the basket, being found by Caitlin Corbett, who was on the opposite side of the court.

^{_{Fierce line-up: Sunshine Edwards, right, readies a free-throw attempt for Guilderland during a game at Mohonasen on Tuesday night; teammates Liliya Warner (#12) and Skye Lindsay stand behind her. The Dutch won, 46 to 26, and Edwards scored 10 points. The Enterprise — Jordan J. Michael}}

Golderman started the third quarter off for the Dutch with a smart bank shot, and then capped the quarter off with an excellent baseline move. In the fourth quarter, Golderman picked up a loose ball as the shot clock was winding down, swiftly making her toss in the nick of time.

The Guilderland players had a quicker step than those of Mohonasen, and their awareness was better. It was one of the finest games the Dutch have played this season, Baumann said.

“They have potential, but we’re still working on putting it all together,” said Dubose. “Hopefully, this is our time to improve some things; I saw some good things tonight that we’ve talked about in practice.”

Dubose was happy with Guilderland’s improved team defense — players ready to slide with help — and how that was able to attack Mohonasen’s zone offense. “If we can continue to do that,” the coach said, “and rebound the basketball with some other things, we should be in good shape.”

The Dutch (4-4, 4-6) held the Warriors to 14 points under its average. Guilderland caused turnovers and controlled the rebounding margin.

Baumann told The Enterprise that Golderman and Edwards played good defense against Saeeda Abdul-Aziz, Mohonasen’s most elite player, which gave Guilderland another advantage. “Most of their offense runs through her,” added Baumann. “If she’s not on the floor, they don’t score much.”

Playing Abdul-Aziz one-on-one, Golderman or Edwards got defensive help whenever they needed it. Still, Abdul-Aziz ended up scoring 16 of the Warriors’ 26 points.

Dubose said that he wants every opposing player to be contained, and, for the most part, every Mohonasen player was. “That was key, but we didn’t do anything different on defense tonight,” the coach said. “Containing her [Abdul-Aziz] gave them some problems.”

Guilderland has been making progress and “figuring things out,” Dubose said. Now in the second half of the season, he would like to see the Dutch become more cohesive.

“As long as we’re getting better, improving, and not making the same mistakes, I have to be pleased with that,” said Dubose. “I expect a lot and they’ve got it in them, so I’m pushing them to get there.”

^{_{Grinding teeth: Guilderland’s Skye Lindsay tries to get over the defense of Mohonasen’s Saeeda Abdul-Aziz during the first quarter of Tuesday’s game in Rotterdam. The Dutch won, 46 to 26. The Enterprise — Jordan J. Michael}}