Defense leads LC Lady Mustangs past visiting Fairfield
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
DODSONVILLE — Defense was the name of the game for the Lynchburg-Clay Lady Mustangs on Monday night, as they began their Southern Hills Athletic Conference schedule by pacing the visiting Fairfield Lady Lions by a 51-27 score.
LC’s win moves them to 2-0 overall as they won Saturday night as well when they defeated Miami Trace by a 47-40 score to open the season. The loss by the Lady Lions moves them to 0-2 as they lost on Saturday to Huntington on the road.
Neither team got off to a fast start Monday, as no points were scored until the 6:05 mark of the first quarter and Fairfield didn’t tie the game until there was 4:59 left in the opening frame. Though Fairfield never held the lead against LC, the Lady Mustangs didn’t score their second basket of the game until there was 4:25 on the first-quarter clock.
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As for those first points of the game for LC, they were scored by Zoe Fittro with the assist by Peyton Scott. FHS tied it with a basket by Brianna Barnes, only to see the Lady Mustangs score seven straight points with baskets by Scott and Logan Binkley for a 9-2 lead with 2:27 left in the quarter.
Fittro finished with 14 points to lead LC in scoring. Scott followed with 13 points and earned a double-double with 12 rebounds, along with six assists, five steals and three blocks. The third Lady Mustang player in double figures was Binkley with 11 points, seven rebounds and two blocks.
FHS answered with a 3-pointer by Samara Cannon from the corner of the court with 2:16 left in the first, but following a timeout by Fairfield at the 1:49 mark, LC came back strong with the final seven points off a 3-pointer from Fittro and layups by Scott and Binkley for a 16-5 first-quarter lead.
“Our first two games have been really physical. The game against Miami Trace was physical, and this game was physical, and I was happy with how we responded to that,” LC head coach Whitney Lewis said. “We got a little sloppy at times, but we were able to take care and grind through it and get some of the shots we wanted.
“We had three kids in double digits, and Peyton filled up the stat sheet again tonight. She’s going to draw a lot of attention, and that opens up a lot of things for different players and they took advantage of it,” Lewis said. “We were able to share the ball and get some easy shots. Zoe knocked down some big shots for us tonight, too.”
The second quarter saw LC outscore the Lady Lions, 10-6 in the frame for a halftime lead of 26-11. LC’s points in the second were from Fittro, Chelsea Hart, Serena Smith, Scott and Binkley. At the 2:35 mark of the second, Smith knocked down a 3-pointer for LC to make it a 24-11 lead, as Smith finished with seven points.
Fairfield’s points in the second were scored by Trinity Huff and Barnes, with Huff scoring two buckets in the frame. Barnes led FHS with 10 points, while Huff totaled six points.
The third frame was more defense by LC as they held the Lady Lions to just six points, while the LC offense was held to just nine points by the Lady Lions defense as LC held a 35-17 lead after three frames.
LC opened the third with a put-back basket by Scott, a 3-pointer from Fittro and a layup from Scott at the 4:26 mark for a 33-11 lead. FHS scored four consecutive points with a steal and layup by Lauren Arnold and a jumper by Huff. LC answered with a layup by Scott, and FHS came back with a basket by Braylynn Haines to end the third-frame scoring.
In the fourth, the Lady Mustangs had control of the game and outscored the Lady Lions, 16-10.
Scoring for LC in the fourth were Fittro (making her third 3-pointer of the game), Hart, Smith, Sierra Benney and Binkley. FHS had points in the fourth by Madison Bronner and Barnes.
For the game, LC finished 9-of-12 from the free-throw line, and they made a total of 19 baskets from the field (15 two-point baskets and four 3-pointers). Fairfield totaled 12 baskets for the game with 11 two-point baskets and one 3-pointer. They were 2-of-6 from the free-throw line.
“I’m really happy with our defense and just finishing the play,” Lewis said. “Our rebounding was the difference in the Miami Trace game, and we didn’t do as good of a job tonight, but we did a good enough job tonight to finish those plays. I’m really happy with our defensive effort and really hope to continue that, especially on Thursday night when we play North Adams.
“That will be a huge game, and we play them twice, so this matchup will see where we are with that and we are going to prepare for it the next two days.”
There was no JV game played due to injuries to LCHS.
Fairfield will next play on Wednesday, Nov. 28 at East Clinton in non-conference play, and then on Thursday, Nov. 29 when they host the Whiteoak Lady Wildcats in SHAC action.
Lynchburg-Clay will travel for their next game as they will face the North Adams Lady Green Devils on Thursday, Nov. 29 in an SHAC contest.
LC’s win moves them to 2-0 overall as they won Saturday night as well when they defeated Miami Trace by a 47-40 score to open the season. The loss by the Lady Lions moves them to 0-2 as they lost on Saturday to Huntington on the road.
Neither team got off to a fast start Monday, as no points were scored until the 6:05 mark of the first quarter and Fairfield didn’t tie the game until there was 4:59 left in the opening frame. Though Fairfield never held the lead against LC, the Lady Mustangs didn’t score their second basket of the game until there was 4:25 on the first-quarter clock.
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As for those first points of the game for LC, they were scored by Zoe Fittro with the assist by Peyton Scott. FHS tied it with a basket by Brianna Barnes, only to see the Lady Mustangs score seven straight points with baskets by Scott and Logan Binkley for a 9-2 lead with 2:27 left in the quarter.
Fittro finished with 14 points to lead LC in scoring. Scott followed with 13 points and earned a double-double with 12 rebounds, along with six assists, five steals and three blocks. The third Lady Mustang player in double figures was Binkley with 11 points, seven rebounds and two blocks.
FHS answered with a 3-pointer by Samara Cannon from the corner of the court with 2:16 left in the first, but following a timeout by Fairfield at the 1:49 mark, LC came back strong with the final seven points off a 3-pointer from Fittro and layups by Scott and Binkley for a 16-5 first-quarter lead.
“Our first two games have been really physical. The game against Miami Trace was physical, and this game was physical, and I was happy with how we responded to that,” LC head coach Whitney Lewis said. “We got a little sloppy at times, but we were able to take care and grind through it and get some of the shots we wanted.
“We had three kids in double digits, and Peyton filled up the stat sheet again tonight. She’s going to draw a lot of attention, and that opens up a lot of things for different players and they took advantage of it,” Lewis said. “We were able to share the ball and get some easy shots. Zoe knocked down some big shots for us tonight, too.”
The second quarter saw LC outscore the Lady Lions, 10-6 in the frame for a halftime lead of 26-11. LC’s points in the second were from Fittro, Chelsea Hart, Serena Smith, Scott and Binkley. At the 2:35 mark of the second, Smith knocked down a 3-pointer for LC to make it a 24-11 lead, as Smith finished with seven points.
Fairfield’s points in the second were scored by Trinity Huff and Barnes, with Huff scoring two buckets in the frame. Barnes led FHS with 10 points, while Huff totaled six points.
The third frame was more defense by LC as they held the Lady Lions to just six points, while the LC offense was held to just nine points by the Lady Lions defense as LC held a 35-17 lead after three frames.
LC opened the third with a put-back basket by Scott, a 3-pointer from Fittro and a layup from Scott at the 4:26 mark for a 33-11 lead. FHS scored four consecutive points with a steal and layup by Lauren Arnold and a jumper by Huff. LC answered with a layup by Scott, and FHS came back with a basket by Braylynn Haines to end the third-frame scoring.
In the fourth, the Lady Mustangs had control of the game and outscored the Lady Lions, 16-10.
Scoring for LC in the fourth were Fittro (making her third 3-pointer of the game), Hart, Smith, Sierra Benney and Binkley. FHS had points in the fourth by Madison Bronner and Barnes.
For the game, LC finished 9-of-12 from the free-throw line, and they made a total of 19 baskets from the field (15 two-point baskets and four 3-pointers). Fairfield totaled 12 baskets for the game with 11 two-point baskets and one 3-pointer. They were 2-of-6 from the free-throw line.
“I’m really happy with our defense and just finishing the play,” Lewis said. “Our rebounding was the difference in the Miami Trace game, and we didn’t do as good of a job tonight, but we did a good enough job tonight to finish those plays. I’m really happy with our defensive effort and really hope to continue that, especially on Thursday night when we play North Adams.
“That will be a huge game, and we play them twice, so this matchup will see where we are with that and we are going to prepare for it the next two days.”
There was no JV game played due to injuries to LCHS.
Fairfield will next play on Wednesday, Nov. 28 at East Clinton in non-conference play, and then on Thursday, Nov. 29 when they host the Whiteoak Lady Wildcats in SHAC action.
Lynchburg-Clay will travel for their next game as they will face the North Adams Lady Green Devils on Thursday, Nov. 29 in an SHAC contest.