Northumberland thumps youthful Lady Panthers 51-22
A dive attempt by Charles City's Meryah Bates for the ball comes up just short as Northumberland's Raja Shabazz maintains possession. Looking on are Lady Panther teammates Veondra Brown (10) and Sydney Richard (2).Andre' Jones photos
With the top three scorers graduated from last year’s squad, Charles City Lady Panthers head coach VaShaun Otey is relying on four returning players and a cast of new faces to rebuild the recently successful hoops program. But as with many youthful teams, the process will come with lessons and numerous trials. A Wednesday night contest against the invading Northumberland Lady Indians proved to be one of those trials.
The visiting Lady Indians jumped out to a double digit lead by the end of the opening quarter before cruising to a 51-22 victory over the host Lady Panthers.
Charles City took an early 2-1 lead in the game with freshman Santaesha Hickman’s lay-up. But her bucket would be the only field goal from the field for the next eight minutes. Meanwhile, Northumberland received an offensive outpouring from all-Conference 43 selection Raja Shabazz. Shabazz answered Hickman’s basket with a jumper and subsequent free throw. After an accompanying score from teammate Zarian Freeze, Shabazz sandwiched a lay-up and three-pointer around Charles City’s Veondra Brown’s free throw to give the visitors a 13-3 heading into quarter number two.
Hickman’s lay-in at the 6:39 mark snapped a streak of 14 consecutive misses for the Lady Panthers. Teammate Kiandra Randall’s stickback sliced Northumberland’s lead back to single digits (16-7) to put the hosts within striking distance.
But with Randall being forced to the bench after picking up foul number three at the 4:02 mark and Hickman following her due to injury, Charles City was forced to play small ball, falling behind 25-9 at the halftime break.
Matters didn’t come any easier after the intermission break for the hosts. Shabazz’s trifecta found the bottom of the net to give the visitors a 19-point lead (30-11). Randall was able to follow a teammate’s miss, but two quick fouls disqualified her from the game at the 2:47 mark of the third. Northumberland’s Freeze would pick up the scoring, converting the final three baskets of the third quarter to increase the visitors’ lead to 25 (40-15).
Fourth quarter action saw Northumberland string together a 11-0 run during a six-minute span. The Lady Panthers rounded out the scoring in the contest with a pair of free throws from Brown, a single free throw from Sydney Richard, and an Alonda Dobson jumper.
After the game, Otey spoke about the challenges his team would face this year and how accomplishing simple feats would change the outcome of contests.
“I have a very talented team, but they have to learn how to win and want to win the game,” he said. “We are a much better team than what we looked like the first two games of the season.
“Right now, we’re not doing the little things,” Otey continued. “We have to learn how to rebound better and we need to take shots while we’re on balanced.”
Not helping Otey’s cause to start the season was missing two players up from last year’s junior varsity squad.
“Right now, we’re missing two players who are primary ballhandlers,” Otey commented, pointing to Shanijah Brown and Jaelah Wyatt. “They can help cut down on our turnovers.
“We’re a real young group of players and we can only go up from here,” he concluded.
Charles City (0-2) was led by Randall’s six points. Brown finished with five, Hickman tossed in four, three from Richard, and two apiece from Dobson and Meryah Bates. Shabazz’s game-high 20 points and Freeze’s 13 points led Northumberland (1-0).
Charles City newcomer Santaesha Hickman (13) shields off Northumberland’s Destiny Basey for the first basket of the game.