Lady Panthers edge Lady Trojans, 40-35

Charles City’s Myonka Boyd (11), Jessica Hill (12), and Sara Whitehead (2) close in on New Kent’s Brittany LaPrade, preventing a fast break.

Andre' Jones photo

Horrible shooting from the floor by both teams highlighted the Dec. 17 non-distrcit basketball contest between the visiting New Kent Lady Trojans and the home-standing Charles City Lady Panthers. But it was key free throw shooting down the stretch that let the hosts escape with a win.

The Lady Panthers converted eight of 16 free throws in the final period and dodged a last gasp effort from the Lady Trojans to post a 40-35 victory.

New Kent opened the game with two baskets by Anna Mathis to take an early 4-1 lead. However, Charles City would score the next eight points to end the opening quarter that saw the same number of combined turnovers as combined points [13].

The hosts slowly stretched the lead to double digits (17-6) after a Jessica Hill lay-up with three minutes remaining until halftime. But the Lady Trojans answered, scoring the final six points to close the gap to five and trail 17-12 at the break.

In the third quarter, Mathis dropped in a pair of free throws to narrow the gap to three at the 5:14 mark. But an offensive spurt emerged as Charles City went on a 7-0 run within a 50-second span, powered by lay-ups from Adrienne Miles, Myonka Boyd, and Hill, who subsequently finished hers while being fouled. Hill added two more from the stripe to give the hosts an 11-point lead heading into the closing stanza.

The hosts’ lead would swell to 15 after a Miles stick-back. But the Lady Trojans failed to be deterred as Mathis’ three-point play along with an Adrienne Goodlet lay-up would shrink the lead to 10. Another Mathis lay-up and free throw conversion narrowed the margin to seven.

After a pair of missed free throws by Charles City, New Kent’s Mikayla Scorsone drained a trifecta in front of her team’s bench to make the score 37-33 with 2:58 remaining.

New Kent had control of the ball with 1:08 remaining and trailing 39-35. Goodlet attacked the basket but the ball caromed off the rim. Mathis retrieved the rebound and attempted to put it back but was rejected by Miles. Miles would gain possession of the ball and sank one of two free throws with 28 seconds remaining to seal the deal.

After the game, New Kent head coach John Scorsone talked about the sluggish first half for his team.

“We had no intensity,” he said. “We weren’t focused, we missed shots, and we weren’t executing.

“In the fourth quarter we played and that’s our team,” he said. “We forced turnovers and extended our pressure on the court, but in the end, fouls hurt us.”

For Charles City, head coach VaShaun Otey’s game plan focused on controlling the speed of the game.

“We wanted them to play at our tempo,” he commented. “Against them, we knew our girls could take them off the dribble.

“Our defense created a lot of fast breaks,” he continued. “In the first half we didn’t finish at the rim, but we did a better job during the second half and closing out the game.”

Hill led Charles City (6-2) with 14 points. Cheyenne Davis also posted double figures with 10 while Miles added seven, Sara Whitehead scored five, and Boyd and Mary Black each tossed in two.

Mathis’ 15 paced New Kent (1-6). Goodlet scored nine and Paige Simpson dropped in four. Scorsone contributed three points, Brittany LaPrade tossed in two, and both Ta’racya Winston and Karley Allen chipped in with one.