Defense keys Charles City’s 54-42 conquest of West Point

Doubling down on and sometimes triple-teaming last year’s Tidewater District player of the year paid huge dividends for Charles City’s Lady Panthers against West Point’s invading Pointers.

The hosts held the Pointers’ Kristen Medlin to 12 points, and no one else on the Pointer roster picked up the scoring slack. Charles City went on to a 54-42 triumph, upping its record to 3-1 last Friday.

“That was our game plan,” Charles City coach Andre Jones said concerning the ploy to surround Medlin.

“We call it our collapse defense. We collapsed in front of her and behind her and denied her the ball,” he said.

Charles City operated out of a 1-3-1 zone, but with Medlin’s presence in mind. Lady Panther starters Eboni Coles and Shana Brown double-teamed Medlin in the low post, making entry passes difficult. When Medlin did get her hands on the ball, a guard would sag back to help out. The hosts’ defense didn’t miss a beat when either Coles or Brown took a break and Shaunte Williams and Amanda Adkins came in off the bench.

“When we play a team like that with a strong inside game, we want to make their other people shoot,” Jones said.

After one quarter, Charles City led 14-4 and Medlin had her team’s lone field goal plus a pair of free throws. No other Pointer managed to score, and the visitors were one-for-15 from the field.

The 10-point edge held up at halftime with Charles City in front 23-13. For the first half, West Point shot just 11 percent from the floor (3-for-28) and Medlin was held to six points. All that kept the game from turning into a rout was Charles City’s shooting, just nine of 30 or 30 percent from the floor.

For the second half, Medlin avoided congestion in the lane by operating from a wing spot along the baseline. The Pointers were able to prevent Charles City from stretching its advantage, but could not make serious dents in the deficit until the final quarter.

“When they pulled her out to the wing, I just told the girls to run a regular 1-3-1 and they did a good job,” Jones said.

Charles City built its largest lead (14 points) on Shana Braxton’s basket off a Jolisa Williams assist midway through quarter three. The Pointers, however, were back within 10 by quarter’s end.

West Point opened the fourth period with an 8-3 run, pulling within five at 38-33 on Paige Rowlett’s three-point shot from the corner with 5:20 left in the game.

But Charles City answered with Joy Wynn’s basket from the perimeter and Braxton’s trey after a Pointer miss at the other end to bump the lead back to 10. Jolisa Williams’ trey with 3:25 to go gave the hosts a comfortable 13-point lead.

Williams poured in a game-high 26 points while Braxton tossed in 12 and Brown finished with nine. Wynn, Stormie Adkins, and Shaunte Williams each added two while Amanda Adkins chipped in one.

In the JV contest, Charles City had an easy time, limiting West Point to a pair of first half field goals and no baskets after the break on the way to a 37-8 win.

Toni Harris pumped in 17 points to lead the victors while Chayla Swinson scored 10, Hilary Wynn tossed in six, and Allison Adkins contributed four.