Scoring drought dooms NK

By Alan Chamberlain | February 14, 2013 11:55 am

NK’s Caitlin McClain eyes the basket and draws a foul from Jamestown’s Aaliyah Lyttle.

Alan Chamberlain photo

A second half scoring drought on the part of New Kent’s Lady Trojans gave Jamestown’s visiting Lady Eagles a chance for separation in what had been a closely fought affair. The Eagles did not squander the opportunity.

Over a seven-minute span, New Kent did not score. Taking advantage, the Eagles went from one down to 10 up and never looked back on the way to a 57-38 win. Last Friday’s outcome dropped New Kent to 3-13 in Bay Rivers District basketball and 6-14 overall.

“It’s not like we had a lot of turnovers. We just couldn’t put the ball in the basket,” said Lady Trojan coach John Scorsone.

“Our defense was on,” he said. “We just lost it because we stopped scoring. I don’t think we gave up, but it was a combination of tiredness and the ball not going in.”

One quarter of play yielded a 15-15 deadlock. Then in the second quarter, New Kent jumped in front with the lead reaching 24-19 on a Paige Simpson three. The Eagles, however, wiped out the hosts’ advantage and held a 27-25 halftime lead.

A tie and three lead changes highlighted the early moments of the third quarter before Lady Trojan Anna Mathis sank a pair of free throws to put New Kent back in front 31-30 at the 5:26 mark. Unfortunately for the hosts, it would be their last lead.

Over the next seven minutes, Jamestown benefited from an 11-0 run. Adrienne Goodlet’s stick-back with just over six minutes left in the game ended New Kent’s scoreless streak, cutting the Eagle lead to 41-33 but the hosts never got closer.

Simpson led New Kent with 10 points while Goodlet finished with eight. Mathis scored seven followed by Karley Allen’s six, Caitlin McClain’s four, and Brittany LaPrade’s two.