The Blind Brook Lady Trojans advanced to the Section One Class C Semi-Finals Wednesday, beating the Keio Unicorns 54-14.

Lady Trojans Coach Manny Martinez said defense was key.  

"I thought our defense was really good throughout the game," he said.

The Trojans bench played well and accounted for 25 of the Lady Trojans' points.

"We got nice contribution from everybody," Martinez said.

The first half was shaky for the Trojans, as the Unicorns made repeated shot attempts that, luckily for the Trojans, did not fall through the net.

The Lady Trojans had a 10-2 lead at the end of the first quarter, but pulled ahead in the second with under seven minutes left on a bucket from Shannon Reddy, giving the team a 12-2 lead. The Trojans outscored the Unicorns 12-4 during the quarter, giving the team a 22-6 lead at the half.

The Trojans began the third quarter by applying defensive pressure, using triangle and two-zone defense, and applying a 1-3-1 press during several stretches during the quarter. The strategy didn't work so well as Keio freshman center Anya Baugh muscled her way through to score more points.

After switching their defense to contain Baugh more effectively, the Trojans capitalized on points off of rebounds and steals.

The Lady Trojans continued to control the game in the third to lead 36-11 heading into the final quarter.

Martinez used the lead to allow the Trojans to work on their zone defense against the Unicorns, something the team did not do when they defeated the Unicorns in a blowout on Feb. 3.

 "We make them earn every shot," Martinez said.

Blind Brook continued to dominate in the fourth, allowing substitutes to gain extra playing time with under three minutes to go in the game.

The Lady Trojans' bench remained consistent in its offense and defensive production, limiting the Unicorns to just 14 total points for the game and the 54-14 playoff victory.

Blind Brook's Allison Silfen scored 14 points. Samara Meyers was heavy on the boards, grabbing 1o rebounds and scoring four points.

Rebecca Christal scored seven points, part of the 25-point effort from Blind Brook's bench.

The Lady Trojans also improved their stats on defense. Jackie Lavitt had seven rebounds and four points. Jessica Silfen and Shannon Reddy each had six rebounds.  

Blind Brook next plays North Salem on Tuesday at the County Center.