By Fred Solis
ANDALE—“Defense. Defense. Defense.”
It’s the Andale High School girls basketball team’s new mantra, preached by new head coach Joe’Randle Toliver. And it was on display in a big way in the Indians’ 52-10 victory over Winfield last week in their home-opener.
“When I got the job here, I knew I wanted to come and change the defensive philosophy,” Toliver said. “We were gonna do a lot of running and jump, and we got a big team, so we try to utilize that length and the quickness of those girls.
“They’re willing to dive on the floor for loose balls and chase them, and that was one thing I knew I wanted to bring here: that energy on defense that creates some steals so we can get some offensive opportunity,” he said.
Andale’s lights-out defensive effort coerced Winfield into 46 turnovers on the night that directly translated into 39 Indian points.
The Indians’ defensive mindset reflects Toliver’s background as a University of Arkansas Pine Bluff player and, more recently, as a coach in California.
“We played that same two-three zone when I was in college, and I put a little twist on it,” he said. “I coached at Santa Barbara City College and turned them into a powerhouse the last five years. We led the state and defense last year […] No. 1 in the state.”
Sophomore Rylee Winter, working in tandem with her twin Ali, led the Andale defense with seven steals. Their combined trapping play spelled double trouble for Viking ball-handlers and contributed to a 9-2 Andale lead after the first quarter and 29-4 at the break.
“They’re on whoever has that ball,” Toliver said. “The first time I met them and saw them play, I knew that I could utilize them in our defense, and I want them to be a pest on defense and be annoying to other teams, because now it’s two of them, not just one.
“They know what their role is, and they come off the bench and they bring that energy for our team. It’s kind of hard to see one, then you see the other […] so, they’re coming,” Toliver said.
With a bench of starter-caliber players, Andale’s high-pressure attack never stopped, as they frequently subbed five-for-five and kept their foot on the gas.
“We always preach about the energy,” Toliver said. “Coming from the bench is going to set that tempo for our team. Just because they’re coming off the bench doesn’t mean they can’t be starters, and they know their role and they come in and they play well.
“So, we have five ready to go off the bench, and that helps our team,” Toliver continued. “That’s a big energy for us. We’re chasing the ball, always seeing where the ball is, and our philosophy is this defense; being noisy, being annoying, that’s what we kind of preach about. That’s the intensity I wanted to bring.”
By the end of the third quarter Andale’s lead ballooned to 47-6, with junior Abbi Winter, who had a game-high 20 points, cashing in time and again with layups coming off her six steals, while junior Addy Orth added to the onslaught with 11 points.
Overall, the Indians put up 28 points in the paint to the Vikings’ four. Andale also had the edge down low in rebounds, 37-25, with senior Mayla Spexarth grabbing a game-high nine to go along with her six points.
After Andale’s 20-point second quarter and 18-point third, the final frame settled down to a five-point output for the Indians and four, Winfield’s high point, for the Vikings. But the lopsided lead also rescued Winfield when the running clock began ticking as the fourth quarter started.
The game played out just as Toliver planned, he said. “I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I knew the girls just by working here, as well. So just building that relationship with them and getting that trust and letting them know that I can trust them, they trust me, and that’s how our defense is going to come together,” he said.