The Lindbergh High School varsity girls’ basketball team captured the Southside Classic Tournament for the second consecutive year.
The Flyers showed up at the tournament to tip off the 2017-2018 season hoping to defend their title from last year.
They did exactly that, dominating the competition.
In the first game, the Flyers beat Bayless 60-10. They then followed up with a strong 50-34 victory over Fox, before taking out rival Mehlville 61-31.
Lindbergh head coach Michelle Pittroff told the Call that her players were hungry for the tournament title.
“We had won it last year, so the team kind of made it a goal again this year to defend their title,” she said. “We got the No. 1 seed going in, and so we had expectations.
“The girls really came out hard every single game and they really wanted it.”
A solid full-court press and high energy were the keys to the Flyers’ success, according to Pittroff.
“Our press really got us going in every game, (and) gave us a lot of energy each of the three games, especially the championship game,” she said. “We got a few steals early on, a few easy ones, so it kind of let us calm down and play our game.
“But it definitely brought the energy for the entire game.”
The team’s four returning starters helped spur the Flyers to an all-around excellent team effort, according to Pittroff.
“… Our top scorer is a junior, Julie Baudendistel. She kind of led the way again this tournament, but then seniors Sejal Krell, Quinn Breeding and Jordan Billyeu had great tournaments. Quinn and Jordan were named to the All-Tournament Team, and they all contributed,” Pittroff said.
Flyer fans can be optimistic after what they saw in the opening tournament, and the key is going to be the players’ chemistry.
“… They enjoy playing with each other and they enjoy playing for each other, so I think that’s the key,” she said. “We are just going to keep riding on that. Our motto is to just get better every day, so the next game should be better than the last.
“And that’s kind of what we’re hoping for and so then we’re playing our best basketball come February.”