Short-handed Lady Panthers fall in opener to West Point

Unable to overcome a slow start, Charles City’s host Lady Panthers could not muster the offense needed to get back in the game in dropping their basketball season opener 47-22 to West Point’s Lady Pointers.

Midway through the first quarter of the Dec. 1 affair, West Point owned a 9-0 lead. Over the same span, Charles City got off only one shot from the floor and turned the ball over on seven occasions. By halftime, the Lady Panthers trailed 21-5, and matters never improved for the hosts until the visitors emptied their bench in the fourth quarter.

“I have high praise for my kids,” Charles City coach Andre’ Jones said afterward, despite the one-sided outcome.

“This was just first game jitters,” he said. “We’re young and small, we only have one starter back, and we have a lot of [former] JV players we need to get up to playing on the varsity level.”

That lone returning starter, point guard Toni Harris, along with another starter, Logan Madison, did not play due to injury. Stepping in at point, first year guard Cheyenne Davis led the hosts in scoring with 10 points. Another player up from JV, forward Kayla Otey, chipped in seven.

“Davis scored and Otey scored and got on the boards. They both did well for their first game,” Jones said.

Otey scored all five of Charles City’s first half points. Meanwhile, the Lady Panthers never reached double digits in team scoring until a late third quarter Davis basket. West Point led 40-10 heading into the final quarter.

Jessica Hill’s four points and one from Chiquita Black completed Charles City’s scoring. West Point’s Kierra Gaines and Taylor Ashley tossed in 11 apiece.

“We’ve got to clean up a few things like better passing and making better decisions, but those things will come with time,” said Jones.

In the JV contest, Charles City jumped out to an 11-4 first quarter lead and held West Point scoreless in the third quarter on the way to a 29-17 win.

Nine points from Adrienne Miles and eight from Sara Whitehead paced Charles City. Hailey Holmes scored five followed by Myonka Boyd’s four and Mary Black’s three.