Lady Trojans take command early on way to first win
Three weeks ago, Charles City’s Lady Panthers held off New Kent’s visiting Lady Trojans for their first basketball win of the season. Saturday night, the host Lady Trojans returned the favor.
A vastly improved New Kent team dominated almost wire-to-wire on the way to a 58-42 triumph, its first of the campaign. New Kent improved to 1-6 while Charles City fell to 1-7.
“We’ve just decided to try to be in the gym working together, working harder, and learning the system and perfecting it,” Lady Trojan coach Shequra Dickerson said concerning her team’s turnaround.
“We’ve been working hard on defense and breaking down our offense so the players understand where to be and how to move the ball to be successful,” she said.
“They’re buying into the system and building confidence,” she added. “They’re learning how to score and finding out it’s not as hard as they were making it.”
Lady Panther coach Andre’ Jones indicated his players may have been too timid in facing their improved foes.
“What more can you say? They did their homework over the break, and they came out and handed it to us,” he said. “We didn’t get our trap going, we didn’t get after loose balls, and we were afraid to attack the rim.”
Turnovers plagued both teams, but unlike Charles City, the Lady Trojans converted more into points. New Kent scored 13 points off first quarter Charles City turnovers, enabling the hosts to take a 15-10 lead into the second period. New Kent then got seven second quarter points from guard Maria Bates off the bench to help extend the lead to 33-20 at the half.
Charles City could not mount a consistent attack on offense, even when New Kent experienced a third quarter scoring drought. The hosts owned a 42-25 lead less than three minutes into the period, but failed to score over the next five minutes.
The Lady Panthers, however, could reduce the deficit only by five. Bates scored just before the buzzer to end quarter three, upping New Kent’s advantage to a comfortable 44-30. A pair of Shana Braxton free throws closed the gap to 45-37 with 6:12 to go, but New Kent answered with a 6-0 run to put the contest out of reach.
Bates tossed in a game-high 17 points to pace New Kent. Tyler Savage and Jalesa Johnson ended with eight apiece while Beth Hale totaled seven, Molly Maffei and Nikki Jones each scored six, Rachel Baldwin chipped in four, and Kandra Taylor contributed two.
Toni Harris’ 12 points and 11 from Shana Brown topped Charles City. Braxton finished with nine followed by Hilary Wynn’s four, Allison Adkins’ three, Lanea Brown’s two, and Chayla Swinson’s one.
Both teams now head into the heart of their respective district schedules.
“From now on through district, we’re going to surprise people,” Dickerson said. “We owe some people some better games.
“I’m proud of the girls and proud of the turnaround,” she said. “They’ve put a lot of work in and they’re seeing the results.”
Jones, meanwhile, said, “I told the girls we’ve got district coming and that’s another season. They’ve got to have a passion for this game, and I’ve got to find some way to light a fire under them.”
In the JV contest, Adrianne Goodlet scored on a lay-up with 1:07 to go to put New Kent in front for the first time in the second half and for good. The hosts claimed a 38-36 win.
Goodlet and Alexis Newbill each scored nine while Raven Randall added seven to lead New Kent. Alexis Elliott finished with five while Casey Washington tossed in four and Anna Mathis and Miraya Whiteside chipped in two apiece.
Logan Madison’s 14 points led Charles City. Myonka Boyd and Jessica Hill each scored six followed by Kayla Otey’s four and two each from Mary Black and Ke’Ara Jones.