Lady Bulldogs can’t hold lead, fall to Falcons 55-49
Published 5:07 pm Sunday, December 1, 2024
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent The Bulldogs' Allie Birchfield looks to push the ball back out during third-period action.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent The Bulldogs' offense works the interior to expand their third-period lead.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Hampton’s defense pressures the ball handler early in the second period.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Brea Hicks drives the baseline against the Falcons’ defense.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Ella Eastep hits a pair of free throws. She finished the night with six points.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Hampton Lady Bulldogs coach Dewayne Humphrey sets up an offensive play with his squad.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent The Bulldogs' offense works the interior to expand their third-period lead.
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By Ron Marvel
Star Correspondent
In the second game of the Thanksgiving Tournament held at Happy Valley, the Lady Bulldogs held a nine-point lead against the 4A Volunteer Lady Falcons—a team that made a strong postseason run last year. Regrettably, it was a lead they couldn’t hold in a back-and-forth contest.
The Lady Bulldogs jumped out to an early lead, going up 11-6, fueled by the outside shooting of Piper Helle. However, Volunteer cut into the lead as Elisabeth Byington worked inside for a layup, and Scarlett McClaren grabbed a loose ball and hit a short jumper. By the 1:21 mark of the first period, the game was tied at 11 apiece. As the first period closed out, the Lady Bulldogs regained the lead when Hannah Smith rolled through the lane and hit a baby hook for a 12-10 advantage.
The rim grew cold in the second quarter as the Lady Bulldogs went nearly five minutes without scoring. The Lady Falcons took advantage, going up 18-12. Smith hit a mid-range jumper at the 1:41 mark, but the Lady Falcons pushed the lead to eight, 24-16, heading into the locker room.
The Lady Bulldogs made halftime adjustments, turning up the defensive pressure with full-court presses and traps. Smith converted a three-point play the old-fashioned way, and Ella Eastep drove the right side of the lane for a layup, cutting the lead to three at 28-25 with 4:11 left in the third period. The two teams exchanged buckets before Eastep put the Bulldogs up 36-34 with an eight-foot jumper. The Lady Bulldogs’ full-court press continued to plague the Lady Falcons, forcing turnovers, and the Lady Bulldogs extended their lead to its largest of the game when Brea Hicks sank a three-pointer, making it 43-34 with 7:15 left in the final period.
Volunteer slowly began to break down Hampton’s defensive pressure and started chipping away at the Lady Bulldogs’ lead. Emilee Mailoux hit a three-pointer to cut the lead to four at the 4:11 mark and tied the game on a loose ball putback. With 2:47 left, the Lady Falcons reclaimed the lead and extended it to four points when Rylee Smith drained a three-pointer. The Lady Bulldogs continued to battle but couldn’t regain the lead.
Smith led the Lady Bulldogs with 15 points, while Hicks and Helle chipped in eight apiece.
Postgame, head coach Dewayne Humphrey reflected on the slow start in the first half as the turning point in the game.
“We scored 16 points in the first half, 33 in the second. You can’t have a slow start against a good basketball team like that. We have to learn from that and get better,” Humphrey said.
