Inconsistent Lady Trojans fall to Bruton

By Alan Chamberlain | January 22, 2014 9:23 pm

New Kent’s Paige Simpson (left) tries to hold off Bruton’s Kelsey Sluss during a chase for a loose ball.

Alan Chamberlain photo

When one basketball team goes an entire quarter without scoring, it’s usually a safe bet that team ends up losing. But the key word here is “usually.”

That didn’t prove true Wednesday night when New Kent’s Lady Trojans entertained Bruton’s Lady Panthers. After building a 14-5 lead through one quarter, Bruton failed to score in the second, getting off just three shots from the floor.

But the Lady Trojans had scoring problems of their own spread over more than one period. Bruton recovered in the second half to post a 53-32 victory, dropping New Kent to 3-8 on the season.

“It’s tough losing to a team I thought we could have easily beaten,” New Kent coach Ayla Young said afterward. “We’ve just got to be smart. We didn’t get after it the way we wanted, and it seemed like we didn’t want the basketball in our hands tonight.”

New Kent spent a six-minute-plus span in the first and second quarters mired in the scoring doldrums, enabling Bruton to stretch a 7-5 advantage to 14-5. The hosts broke the drought on an Anna Mathis basket but sank only four of 17 shots from the floor to close within one (14-13) at halftime.

Bruton opened the second half with a 6-0 run thanks to seven New Kent turnovers, but back came the Lady Trojans behind an all-out press. Kayla Davis’ steal on a Bruton inbounds pass and assist to Adrienne Goodlet handed New Kent its first lead at 23-22 with 1:30 left in the third quarter. Unfortunately for the hosts, it was their last.

Bruton closed the quarter on an 8-2 run, and dropped in 13 unanswered points in the fourth. Sarah Major’s basket on an assist from Goodlet ended the Panther run, but by then the visitors had taken firm control and a 43-27 lead.

Goodlet pumped in a game-high 19 points, 15 in the second half, to lead New Kent. Mathis finished with seven while Major, Kirsten Gipson, and Brittany LaPrade scored two apiece. Alexis Calloway’s 16 points topped Bruton.