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Fike girls pull away against Hunt 55-37



Expecting the best shot from the underdog archrival, the Fike High varsity girls basketball team remained at least deadlocked for the 3-A Big East Conference lead with a 55-37 triumph against host Hunt on Tuesday evening.

The Lady Golden Demons shook off a sluggish start, spending most of the opening quarter solving Hunt’s zone defense, and proceeded to their second 2015-16 conquest of the Lady Warriors in boosting their conference mark to 3-1 and overall worksheet to 15-3.



Hunt, which clung to a one-point lead much of the opening period, dipped to 1-3 in the league and 3-13 against all foes.

“Any time you are playing a county rival and you are at the top of the conference, you are going to get the best they’ve got,” Fike head coach Kim Howard said of the undermanned Lady Warriors. “We played fairly well defensively. We are still in a little bit of a rut at the offensive end, but defense is pacing us. We are using so many defenses that they are giving teams a lot of trouble.

Hunt came within 20 seconds of not scoring in the second quarter and, for the game, was limited to 12 field goals on 37 attempts for 33-percent accuracy. Fike, utilizing 15 players against eight Lady Warriors, forced 25 turnovers and commanded the rebouunding 48-29.

Head coach Wayne Hardy cited his Lady Warriors’ decision-making and Fike’s superior transition.

“Tough for us was making good decisions,” Hardy contended. “When we did, we got good shots. We handled the press a little better and they didn’t press as much this time. When we settled down and passed the ball around, good things happened.

“They’re a good team and they’re a fast team. We started out concentrating on getting our hands up against their shooters. We did a good job for a while, but we got a little tired and a little slower; they walked it on down the floor. Running seven or eight against (15), it was a matter of time.”

Juniors Destinee Pierce and Bryson Lee sparked Hunt at the outset. However, Fike erased the 7-6 deficit and seized the lead for keeps on a field goal from sophomore guard Jada Lee and a three-point play from senior Rebekah Langley.

Fike stretched its 14-9 margin after one quarter to 22-9 before leading scorer Kayla Kent, a sophomore, netted the Lady Warriors’ only second-quarter points with 17 seconds before intermission.

Lee’s 3-pointer at the start of the second half enabled Hunt to close the deficit to 12 points. The Lady Warriors would come no closer as Fike began clicking in transition behind Lee and junior guard Dajah Horne.

“We look to rebound, get the ball out and score quick,” Howard noted. “We would rather not set up any offensive sets.”

Helping that endeavor was the fact that guards Lee (5 feet) and Horne (5-5) combined for 19 rebounds. The ever-active Lee posted a double-double of 13 points and 11 rebounds. Lee also sparkled as a playmaker in transition.

“I brought all I can bring to the court and to the team,” Lee assessed her performance. “Even though we beat them the last time, we needed to give our all. We played good as a team. We should play hard and give our best, but we probably need to practice more against the zone.”

Horne wound up with nine points and eight rebounds. Langley, who came off the bench with over five minutes elapsed, managed 12 points. Ten Lady Demons scored. Fike connected on 21-of-62 shots from the floor for 34-percent accuracy and wound up with 17 turnovers.

Another Fike positive was the interior rebounding of 6-foot-2 sophomore Mason Blake and seniors Elery Williams and Savannah Eatmon.

“Understanding their role and responsibility to get rebounds helps the team out,” Lee expressed.

Added Howard: “If they continue to do that and become a threat inside, it will open up a lot of things for us with our guards.”

Pierce and freshman Tatiana Smith each canned nine points for the Lady Warriors, who after falling behind 50-24, outscored Fike 13-5 to end the contest.

Hardy mentioned the youth and inexperience of freshmen and sophomores running the offense and added: “All in all, I was fairly happy with how we played.”

hammer@wilsontimes.com | 265-7819

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