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Springwood’s girls basketball team continued its blazing start to the season Monday as the Wildcats dispatched Lafayette Christian School 58-24. 

Springwood’s defense completely stifled the Cougars. At the end of the first half, the Wildcats already held a dominant 36-8 lead. 

“Today I thought we started off really slow, just really sloppy,” Springwood coach Lisa Sampson said. “When we started to press, they kind of picked it up [and] kicked up their intensity. When we play aggressive defensively, it turns into easy offense for us.” 

Shalexia Little and Tori Patillo have dominated the early parts of the season. Little led the Wildcats on Monday with 19 points, six steals and 11 rebounds. Patillo finished the game with 16 points, seven steals and four rebounds. 

“They’re huge,” Sampson said. “Not just so much from an offensive standpoint, but it really starts with them defensively. They’ve been great leaders so far. We just have to keep getting better every game, and they’re doing that.” 

Madison Robinson has likely been the best shooter on the team to start the season. Robinson finished with 13 points, three steals and two rebounds. 

Robinson is a knockdown shooter from behind the three-point line, but that might not be her best quality. Robinson plays the enforcer role for the Wildcats, and she is considered to be one of the toughest players on the team. 

“Madison is huge,” Sampson said. “Her shot was on today. She gives us a toughness. She’ll compete with anybody. She’s not scared of anything, and I love that about her. She was really a spark that we needed.” 

Springwood’s press defense has played a large role in the team’s hot start. The Wildcats finished with 22 steals as a team on Monday. 

The dominant win against the Cougars pushed Springwood’s record to 6-0 on the season. Next up for Springwood is a home game against Lakeside on Tuesday night.