Lady Mustangs use defense for season-opening win
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
BAINBRIDGE — It was a happy 18th birthday for Lynchburg-Clay senior Laney Lewis on the basketball court as her double-double led the Lady Mustangs to a 41-36 season-opening win over the Vinton County Lady Vikings Saturday night in the concluding game of the two-day Paint Valley Lady 'Cats Classic.
LC earned the win with a big-time defensive effort in the fourth quarter as they held off a hard-charging Lady Viking squad as LC didn't score on a single shot from the field in the final eight minutes but did score seven points on free throws.
As for Lewis, she celebrated her birthday by being named Lynchburg-Clay's MVP of the game with a team-high 26 points and 14 rebounds. She was 10-of-12 (83 percent) from the free-throw line, including six converted free throws in the fourth quarter.
Lewis also added seven steals and one assist.
"I'm proud of Laney's effort at the free-throw line for us (Saturday)," head coach Whitney Lewis said. "She's been working hard at the line this offseason and she's improved from there, and it showed.
"As for her block late to allow us to keep the lead … we needed that block at that moment. What was even more important was she kept the ball in bounds, and we regained possession."
LC (1-0) led after every quarter with a one-point lead after the first frame at 11-10 and a halftime advantage of 28-19. Once the third quarter was completed, LC led by eight at 34-26.
"We came out and played well in the first half … I was happy with the first half," Lewis said. "In the second half, we had trouble making baskets, but I'm proud of the defense we played.
"We knew Vinton County wouldn't quit, and they battled back. Our defense stepped up. We have to continue to play defense like we did in the second half."
In the fourth, one of the biggest plays of the game came from Lewis' defense. Vinton County just brought the score to within one point at 37-36 with 1:15 left on the clock. They forced a LC turnover, and while in transition, Vinton County went for a layup, but Lewis was there on the defensive side, knocking the ball away with a block, keeping it in bounds and allowing LC to regain possession, all along keeping LC in the lead.
From there, Lewis was fouled two more times, as she made two more free throws to eventually end the game. In the fourth frame alone, she was 6-of-8 from the charity stripe, while Emma Setty (four rebounds, two steals) made the other free throw in the quarter.[[In-content Ad]]
The first half for LC offensively was productive as they had the aforementioned 28 points in 16 minutes, beginning the game with two points from Lewis with 6:59 on the clock for the first points of the season.
From there, the score stayed close in the quarter with Lewis scoring 10 of the 11 LC points in the eight-minute span, including putting LC ahead 11-10 at the buzzer off an inbounds lob pass from Morgan Fittro with less than a second left on the clock. Fittro finished with three points, three rebounds, one assist and three steals.
Lewis continued her scoring to start the second with two points in the paint for a 13-10 lead. Vinton County regained the lead at 14-13, but again, Lewis (a senior) was there to put LC ahead with two points from the free-throw line and a layup of a pass from Sarah Rosselott (four rebounds, one assist, four steals).
Madysyn Creighton (nine points, four rebounds) added to the LC lead with two points and later in the quarter sank a jumper with 3:16 left in the half for an LC lead of 23-17. Creighton also made three free throws late in the frame off two trips to the free-throw line, and Shelby Stewart (two rebounds, two steals) also scored a bucket on a turnaround shot with 44 seconds left in the first half.
LC scored just six points in the third and a total of 13 points in the second half. In the third, scoring for LC were Fittro, Rosselott and Lewis.
"I'm happy to get the first win," Lewis said. "We have a tough schedule early, and it is good to open the year with a win."
For the game, LC totaled 35 rebounds (18 offensive) with three assists, 20 steals and two blocks and committed 15 turnovers.
Also for LC, Ali Little totaled three rebounds, one steal and one blocked shot. Madison Wills had one steal and one rebound.
Leading VC in scoring was Johnna Remy with 11 points, followed by Michaela Puckett with eight and Caitlyn Owings with seven.
LC will play again on Monday, Nov. 26 at Huntington in a non-league game.
LC earned the win with a big-time defensive effort in the fourth quarter as they held off a hard-charging Lady Viking squad as LC didn't score on a single shot from the field in the final eight minutes but did score seven points on free throws.
As for Lewis, she celebrated her birthday by being named Lynchburg-Clay's MVP of the game with a team-high 26 points and 14 rebounds. She was 10-of-12 (83 percent) from the free-throw line, including six converted free throws in the fourth quarter.
Lewis also added seven steals and one assist.
"I'm proud of Laney's effort at the free-throw line for us (Saturday)," head coach Whitney Lewis said. "She's been working hard at the line this offseason and she's improved from there, and it showed.
"As for her block late to allow us to keep the lead … we needed that block at that moment. What was even more important was she kept the ball in bounds, and we regained possession."
LC (1-0) led after every quarter with a one-point lead after the first frame at 11-10 and a halftime advantage of 28-19. Once the third quarter was completed, LC led by eight at 34-26.
"We came out and played well in the first half … I was happy with the first half," Lewis said. "In the second half, we had trouble making baskets, but I'm proud of the defense we played.
"We knew Vinton County wouldn't quit, and they battled back. Our defense stepped up. We have to continue to play defense like we did in the second half."
In the fourth, one of the biggest plays of the game came from Lewis' defense. Vinton County just brought the score to within one point at 37-36 with 1:15 left on the clock. They forced a LC turnover, and while in transition, Vinton County went for a layup, but Lewis was there on the defensive side, knocking the ball away with a block, keeping it in bounds and allowing LC to regain possession, all along keeping LC in the lead.
From there, Lewis was fouled two more times, as she made two more free throws to eventually end the game. In the fourth frame alone, she was 6-of-8 from the charity stripe, while Emma Setty (four rebounds, two steals) made the other free throw in the quarter.[[In-content Ad]]
The first half for LC offensively was productive as they had the aforementioned 28 points in 16 minutes, beginning the game with two points from Lewis with 6:59 on the clock for the first points of the season.
From there, the score stayed close in the quarter with Lewis scoring 10 of the 11 LC points in the eight-minute span, including putting LC ahead 11-10 at the buzzer off an inbounds lob pass from Morgan Fittro with less than a second left on the clock. Fittro finished with three points, three rebounds, one assist and three steals.
Lewis continued her scoring to start the second with two points in the paint for a 13-10 lead. Vinton County regained the lead at 14-13, but again, Lewis (a senior) was there to put LC ahead with two points from the free-throw line and a layup of a pass from Sarah Rosselott (four rebounds, one assist, four steals).
Madysyn Creighton (nine points, four rebounds) added to the LC lead with two points and later in the quarter sank a jumper with 3:16 left in the half for an LC lead of 23-17. Creighton also made three free throws late in the frame off two trips to the free-throw line, and Shelby Stewart (two rebounds, two steals) also scored a bucket on a turnaround shot with 44 seconds left in the first half.
LC scored just six points in the third and a total of 13 points in the second half. In the third, scoring for LC were Fittro, Rosselott and Lewis.
"I'm happy to get the first win," Lewis said. "We have a tough schedule early, and it is good to open the year with a win."
For the game, LC totaled 35 rebounds (18 offensive) with three assists, 20 steals and two blocks and committed 15 turnovers.
Also for LC, Ali Little totaled three rebounds, one steal and one blocked shot. Madison Wills had one steal and one rebound.
Leading VC in scoring was Johnna Remy with 11 points, followed by Michaela Puckett with eight and Caitlyn Owings with seven.
LC will play again on Monday, Nov. 26 at Huntington in a non-league game.