High school girls basketball: Olympus rolls past Highland with emphatic second half performance

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Olympus’ girls basketball team is getting pretty good at playing mad basketball.

Since timid performances in losses to Highland and Skyline last month — where the Titans barely averaged 40 points — they’ve played with much more confidence and assertiveness racking up four straight victories, including a 63-52 redemption win over that same Highland team on Tuesday.

In Olympus’ last four games it has scored 79, 62, 67 and 63 points.

“We just had a really big week last week and I think we’ve just been following that confidence trail and we used that tonight,” said Olympus coach Whitney Jenkins. “Our practice yesterday was the best practice we’ve had.”

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The difference lately has been a killer instinct. Olympus outscored East in every quarter in an important region win last week, and then against Highland on Tuesday it had two stretches where it seemed to break Highland’s spirits.

The first came midway through the second quarter during a stretch in which Olympus scored on six of eight possessions to build a 25-15 lead.

The latter came in the third quarter and realistically sealed the win. It happened at both ends of the court and Jenkins was thrilled to see it.

In the earlier loss to Highland, Jenkins said her team had numerous possessions to try and keep pace in the fourth quarter but just didn’t execute on offense.

“We just had a really big week last week and I think we’ve just been following that confidence trail and we used that tonight.” — Olympus coach Whitney Jenkins.

On Tuesday, after Highland scored four quick points coming out of halftime to cut the deficit to 27-24, the Titans responded emphatically on offense. They scored on nine of its final 11 possessions of the third quarter racing to a 45-32 lead.

“They did a great job starting the quarter, but it was a great response cause we didn’t let Highland keep their momentum going,” said Jenkins.

All five Olympus starters scored during the third quarter, but none more than four points as the team enjoyed great offensive balance.

Olympus didn’t let up in the fourth quarter as the hot hand of Alyssa Blanck and Abby Topham helped stretch the lead to as many as 17 points before Highland waved the white flag and trotted in the backups with three minutes remaining.

Blanck finished the game with 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Titans, her fourth straight double-double and 10th of the season. Topham added 13 points, with Joss Baker finishing with 12.

Jenkins credited the perimeter defense of Brooklyn Davies with holding Highland shooter Sophia Legate scoreless.