Lady Trojans fare better, but Grafton rolls

New Kent's Sarah Major (right) and Kirsten Gipson challenge Grafton's Mikalea Swan under the basket.

Alan Chamberlain photo

At the end, the scoreboard read Grafton 96 New Kent 42. But on the bright side, the outcome wasn’t as one-sided as the first time the two basketball teams met this season.

Earlier, Grafton put up over 100 points at home on the Lady Trojans. The Clippers, who sit atop the Bay Rivers District standings, came close in the teams’ Monday night meeting, but this time the host Lady Trojans nearly doubled their offensive output.

“We did better than last time,” said Lady Trojan coach Ayla Young. “But [Grafton] shot lights out, and there was nothing much we could do. They’re just fundamentally sound.”

New Kent made a game of it in the early stages, despite the Clippers jumping out to a 4-0 lead. Baskets from Brittany LaPrade and Kirsten Gipson evened the affair.

Grafton surged again to a 9-4 advantage, but Adrienne Goodlet scored in the paint off a Gipson assist and Gipson found the range moments later to close the gap to 9-8. The Clippers, however, began to pull away.

The visitors managed 10 first half steals, turning seven into points on the way to a 24-9 lead as the opening quarter expired. Paige Simpson’s basket on an assist from Goodlet broke a five-minute Lady Trojan scoring drought, but by then the Clippers were in firm control up 31-11.

Goodlet led the Lady Trojans (4-12) with 17 points. LaPrade tossed in eight while Gipson and Sarah Major both totaled six. Simpson and Mikayla Scorsone finished with two each while Anna Mathis chipped in one.

Olivia Wilson (31), Emily Beyer (24), and Hannah Olson (18) combined for 73 points to lead Grafton.