The Western Albemarle girls basketball team defeated the Waynesboro Little Giants, 35-22, in the fifth-place game of the Daily Progress/NBC 29 Holiday Basketball Classic on Thursday afternoon.
In an opening quarter featuring mainly turnovers and traveling calls, the Little Giants inched out to an early lead finishing the quarter ahead 6-2.
Western came roaring back with strong defense, holding the Little Giants to only four second-quarter points. Western’s offense also began to heat up as the Warriors scored 13 second-quarter points. The Western attack in the stanza was a balanced one with four different players contributing. The Little Giants ended the half with a buzzer-beating layup to bring them within five points of the Warriors, trailing 15-10 at the break.
The story of the third quarter was Western’s full court press and the Lady Giants inability to break it. Western applied the press after every made basket and it proved extremely effective in disrupting Waynesboro’s offensive rhythm.
“We like to throw a press in there early on just to see what happens. Waynesboro had done a good job against Albemarle’s press in their game [Wednesday] night but [Thursday] for some reason it seemed to bother them,” said Western Albemarle coach Kris Wright.
Sydney Fewell stepped up for Western in the third, scoring all eight of the team’s third-quarter points. Western ended the third quarter up 23-16.
In the final quarter the Little Giants were unable able to make up the deficit as they continued to struggle with turnovers, ultimately losing 35-22.
Wright is encouraged by the play of his team as of late.
“We had lost eight games in a row before winning yesterday and winning again today,” Wright said. “As a group we’re excited about that and we’re starting to understand what it takes to get there.”
For his part, first-year Waynesboro coach James Eavey is also positive about the season.
“I’m very excited about the season the kids are working hard and I’m very proud of their effort,” Eavey said. “ It’s just sometimes we show up and sometimes we don’t.”
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