Second half inside game lifts Lady Panthers into final

By Andre Jones | February 28, 2013 1:50 pm

Lady Panther Jessica Hill pushes the ball to the basket despite defense by Sussex’s Lacoura Ellis.

Andre' Jones photo

When Charles City’s Cheyenne Davis pulled the trigger a little early, launching a half-court shot that found the bottom of the net still with six seconds left in the opening quarter, you had a feeling it was going to be a good night for the Lady Panthers.

Powered by Davis’ 13 first quarter points and an inside game that flourished in the second half, the third-seeded Lady Panthers defeated the second-seeded Sussex Central Lady Tigers 64-51 in the Tri-Rivers District basketball tournament semifinals on Feb. 14 at Surry.

In the early going, Sussex had no answer for Davis. She scored her team’s last 10 points in the first quarter, including the aforementioned half-court heave, to give the Lady Panthers an 18-9 first quarter lead.

But at the beginning of the second quarter, the Lady Tigers adjusted to Davis’ scoring outburst, using a box-and-one defense to isolate Davis from the rest of the Panther offense. The ploy worked as Davis was unable to connect from the field and Charles City’s offensive woes began to mount.

Not helping the Panther cause was the emergence of senior sharpshooter Candace Clark for the designated home team. Clark converted on three consecutive long balls, with the second giving the hosts their first lead of the night (24-23) with 3:44 left in the half.

Both teams traded scores for the remainder of the frame, with Sussex taking a 32-31 lead into the break, mostly on Clark’s 13-point second quarter and the Tigers converting 12 of 18 free throws.

But the designated visitors found halftime to be the remedy for a struggling offense. Sophomore Adrienne Miles converted back-to-back baskets, and the feat was duplicated by teammate Jessica Hill, as an 8-0 run stretched the lead to 40-32 for the Lady Panthers.

Miles’ lay-up out the gate in the fourth quarter gave the guests their first double digit lead of the night (49-38). Sussex would be unable to stop the onslaught of bucket after bucket from the inside as the Lady Panthers poured on the scoring, most courtesy of Hill and Miles.

Miles’ free throws plus her assist to Hill in the post pushed the lead to 17 just before the five-minute mark in the fourth quarter, putting the game out of reach and earning the Lady Panthers their first trip to the tournament finals since the 2006-07 season.

Afterward, Lady Panther head coach VaShaun Otey spoke about the intensity maintained in the game.

“The girls played with a lot of energy tonight,” said the victorious coach. “We were planning to shut down their point guard and we played the passing lanes.

“We recovered in the second half,” he continued. “We focused on Jessica in the post and she stepped up and made us go tonight.”

Hill’s 21 points led three Lady Panthers in double figures. She was joined by Davis’ 13, all in the first quarter, and Miles’ 12. Sara Whitehead dropped in eight followed by Taylor Bradby’s six, Ke’Ara Jones’ four, and Hailey Holmes’ two.