LAKE HUNTINGTON — Chester made the trip to Sullivan West this Monday night for a girls’ basketball game. The Bulldogs’ aggressive defense and rapid pass and cut offense proved too much for Chester to handle. Chester was hoping for a win on the road but Sullivan West shut them down hard and bagged a 44-19 win over Chester.

Sullivan West came out of the gate hard with multiple accurate passes inside and tight, in-your-face defense. The first quarter was simultaneously Sullivan West’s best quarter and Chester’s worst. The Bulldogs were able to take a comfortable 14-3 lead by the end of the quarter.

The second quarter played out in similar fashion with Chester seeming hesitant to drive or pass inside and looking for mostly open jumpers around the outside. Sullivan West, however, was primarily looking for inside passes to the players down low or they were making hard drives to the basket and often picking up points or fouls. Chester was able to shorten the Bulldogs’ lead slightly and ended the quarter 21-11 in favor of Sullivan West.

Sullivan West came out of the half and doubled down on their aggressive and physical defense. The Bulldogs’ were able to force multiple turnovers through blocks and steals, many of which ended up becoming fast breaks for Sullivan West. The third quarter was Chester’s lowest scoring quarter with Sullivan West holding them to only one basket. Their lock-down defense combined with laser accurate passing up the court allowed Sullivan West to widen their lead considerably and end the quarter up 32-13 over Chester.

By the fourth quarter, the game was all but over and it was apparent Chester couldn’t break through Sullivan West’s athletic defense. The final quarter played out much like the rest of the game, with the Bulldogs getting stop after stop on defense and converting those turnovers into baskets. 

Sullivan West played with intensity that Chester couldn’t keep up with and it allowed the Bulldogs to bring home an impressive 44-19 win over Chester.

“We had a great second half once we made some adjustments after having a sluggish first half. We just weren’t rebounding at all and were missing easy layups. But by that 3rd quarter we really came around and stepped on the gas,” commented Sullivan West Head Coach Pat Donovan. 

When asked about what he’s focused on now coach Donovan said this, “We have a big game with O’Neill next week, and we are looking forward to the division games we have left so we can finish the season strong.”