Lady Mustangs return from break with win
DODSONVILLE – After a long holiday break the Lynchburg-Clay Lady Mustangs stepped back onto the court Monday night and continued their season with a solid defensive display, gaining another victory as they defeated the Bethel-Tate Lady Tigers 46-37 at Lynchburg-Clay High School.
L-C took control of the non-league game in the second and third quarters as they held the Lady Tigers to 16 points, while scoring 26, breaking the 11-11 tie after the first quarter.
“The end of the second and most of the third created the split from Bethel-Tate,” Lynchburg-Clay head coach Linda Hatten said. “The key was our defense. We told the girls at halftime we needed to play defense and they did.”
Hatten said the game was to slow for her liking and the pace was a disadvantage to her team.
“We needed to speed up the game,” the longtime L-C coach said. “They (BTHS) were in the 2-3 zone and we weren’t attacking the basket. We were feeding into their hands with the way we played against their zone.”
The pace of the contest was even at the start, as both teams finished the first with 11 points, but the Lady Mustangs were first to reach the scoreboard with two points from sophomore Brooke Hertlein.
The Lady Tigers built a 4-2 lead, but senior Cali Hatten came back with a turnaround jumper for the Lady Mustangs.
After BTHS built a 9-6 lead after L-C junior Lillian Blankenship tied the game at six, the junior guard came back and sank a jump shot after gaining her own rebound. Hertlein gave LCHS the lead at 10-9 with a layup after forcing a Tiger turnover with a steal. L-C junior Hannah Blankenship gave L-C an 11-9 advantage with a free throw conversion, leaving 1:53 in the first quarter.
Hatten tied the game at 13 early in the second with two made shots from the free-throw line and Hertlein gave LCHS the lead at 15-13. Lillian Blankenship extended the Lady Mustangs’ advantage with a long-range jumper at the 5:06 mark of the quarter for a four-point lead.
L-C freshman Laney Lewis netted three points in a span of one minute by making a free throw and scoring in transition after Lillian Blankenship stole the ball from the Tigers with 1:32 left in the first half.
“Laney played well and kept the ball alive with her long arms,” Hatten said. “She may have not got all the rebounds, but she will get in there and tip the ball to teammates.”
Bethel Tate’s Morgan Gill made the first 3-pointer of the game with 1:06 remaining in the second quarter. Lillian Blankenship put L-C in the lead by five points (23-18) with 15 seconds left in the quarter with two points on a fast break.
The Lady Mustangs gained a 10-point lead after three quarters, scoring in double figures in each quarter played up to the final eight minutes.
In the third, Hatten went 2 of 2 from the line at the 5:56 mark, followed later in the same quarter with L-C’s next two points by sinking a basket from the floor. Hertlein scored next for L-C to put the Lady Mustangs ahead by six points.
Lillian Blankenship nailed a 3-point shot with 3:59 left in the third, increasing the Lady Mustangs’ lead to eight points. Hatten followed with inside points for the 10-point lead. L-C senior Lindsey Hawk sank back-to-back free throws to make the score 37-25.
L-C junior Meredith Fittro put her team back ahead by 10 points with 5:35 left in regulation, but Bethel-Tate’s Brooke Kenneda converted a three-point play, bringing the Lady Tigers within seven points of tying the game.
In the fourth, Hawk made four free throws, with her final one giving L-C a 46-37 advantage with 23.8 seconds left in the fourth.
Hatten led all scorers with 13 points. The senior also gained six rebounds. Lillian Blankenship finished with 11 points, followed by Hertlein with nine points, nine rebounds and two blocks. Lewis gained three points, seven boards and one block.
Kenneda led the Lady Tigers with 12 points. Carolin Baker scored 10 in the loss.
L-C was 15 of 31 from the free-throw line, BTHS finished 8 of 16. From the field L-C shot 15 of 51.
The next game for L-C (3-1, 6-3) will be this Thursday as they travel to face Southern Hills League rival Peebles with JV starting at 6 p.m.
In JV play Monday, the Lady Tigers defeated L-C 40-28. Ashley Tenas led the Lady Mustangs with 15 points.
BOX SCORE
SCORE BY QUARTERS
BTHS – 11 8 8 10 – 37
LCHS – 11 12 14 9 – 46
INDIVIDUAL STATS
LCHS (46)
H.Blankenship 0 1-2 1, L.Blankenship 4 (1) 11, M.Fittro 1 2, L.Lewis 1 1-6 3, C.Hatten 4 5-8 13, B.Hertlein 4 1-2 9, L.Hawk 0 7-13 7. TOTALS: 14 (1) 15-31 46.
BTHS (37)
E.Vanderpool 1 1-2 3, C.Baker 4 2-4 10, B.Woodward 4 4-5 12, C.Jones 3 1-2 7, M.Gill 1 (1) 5. TOTALS: 13 (1) 8-16 37.