Eads Girls go to 8-2 with Wins over Karval, Stratton
January 24, 2003
The Eads girls finally put together some very excellent team basketball over the past weekend as they dominated both of their opponents at home beating conference member Karval, 69-23, on Friday night and non-conference Stratton on Saturday night, 67-44.
Eads would advance to 1-1 in the early weeks of conference play getting a nice win over an athletic Karval Trojan team in Eads on Friday night. The Lady Eagles would put on a tough half court trap press that resulted in many fast break opportunities and nice setups by the guards. Treva Richardson would hit two of her four three-balls in the first quarter and the post play by Jessica Watts and Darci Weeks added the inside-outside dimension for Eads. By the end of the first Eads had all but blown the game open leading 21-4. Although scoring would slow down into the second with many support players for Eads getting important playing time, Richardson would manage another three-ball and guard Tiffanie Gooden would add support with some good outside shooting from the other side of the court. At halftime Eads was in control, 32-13, and continued to cruise their way to a strong win with many players getting court time.
Richardson would lead Eads with 16 points followed by Gooden with 13 and Watts and Weeks providing the inside punch with 10 apiece.
It was a very good, athletic, and big Stratton team that took the Eads court on Saturday night, and this one turned into a rough, nothing-held-back game. This was by all accounts the best team ball the Eads girls have played this season. They showed Eagle fans excellent fundamental basketball as both the inside and outside ball movement was outstanding and the defense did a nice job shutting down the much bigger Eagles from the north. Watts would be quite effective in the first half getting the bulk of her 16 points using her exceptional strength to battle inside with the big girls.
Stratton was in the ball game at intermission, just barely, trailing 37-22. But it was the third quarter for Eads that blew the game wide open and in that period the Lady Eagles buried their green opponents. The attack was led by Gooden who was phenomenal as her team mates, showing what teamwork is all about, kept giving the ball to her hot hand. She would start with two three-balls and then finish with 14 of her 22 points in that quarter. After the third, Eads’ ever-improving bench was called to duty and competed well against the bigger Stratton players. Gooden would lead all scorers with her 22 points followed by Watts with 16. Richardson would once again be an offensive threat contributing 13 points while workhorse Weeks got another double-double hitting for 12 points and pulling down 11 rebounds.
The JV girls had a very tough game with Stratton where fouls and free-throw shooting was the story. The two-hour plus game saw Eads finally pull away by 10.
This week the Lady Eagles will have two conference match ups first traveling to Cheraw to meet up with the ever-tough Wolverines on Friday and then they will return home to host the Granada Bobcats on Saturday.
Both games are very important to the Lady Eagles’ overall position in the conference.