Lady Warriors kick off Thanksgiving tournament with big rally
Published 2:02 pm Sunday, December 1, 2024
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Lady Warriors coach Dana Hill calls a timeout to make defensive adjustments in the second period.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Forward Shaniece Gardner pushes the ball back to the top of the arc as the Warriors' offense resets.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Ashlynn Sommers defends the low post.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Kymer Pruitt looks for an offensive rebound as she pushes past the defender.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Cayden Anderson hits a free throw in the final period to cut the Seahawks' lead to two points.
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By Ron Marvel
Star Correspondent
The Lady Warriors opened the Valley Forge Auction-sponsored tournament by rallying past the Cedar View Hawks, 37-33. In doing so, they flashed aggressive, determined play that will serve them well moving forward.
Things did not look good in the early going, as the Seahawks’ length created problems for the Lady Warriors on both ends of the floor, often leading to multiple looks off rebounds. The Lady Warriors’ best offense was driving the lane and absorbing contact. Cayden Anderson went 4-for-6 from the free-throw line in the second period to slow down a Seahawks team looking to blow the game open. The Seahawks’ effort was boosted by guard Kahlan Lynch, who hit three 3-pointers in the first half. Trailing 19-12 with 13 seconds left in the half, Anderson fired up a long 3-pointer that rattled out to end the half.
The Seahawks pushed their lead to 11 to start the third period before the Lady Warriors’ Shaniece Gardner grabbed an offensive rebound and put a shot off the glass to cut the lead to single digits at 23-14. Anderson cut the lead even further when she hit a 3-pointer with a Seahawk draped over her back. The Seahawks answered with Naomi Strickland hitting a short jumper with 27 seconds left in the period to make it 26-21, but Anderson banked in a pair of free throws to make it a one-possession game at 26-23 heading into the final period.
Anderson continued driving the lane and picking up fouls, cutting the lead to just one point at 27-26 after sinking two more free throws with 5:58 left on the clock. The Warriors took the lead for the first time when Bailee Jarrett swatted away a pass and fed teammate Kymber Pruitt, who hit an eight-foot push shot to make it 27-26. Josephine Zeoli stepped in front of another pass and went the distance to push the lead to 30-27 with 3:04 left. Gardner hit a couple of short jumpers in the closing minutes to keep the Seahawks at bay. Anderson finished the night with 20 points, while Gardner chipped in 6.
After the game, Lady Warriors head coach Dana Hill spoke about his team’s halftime adjustments that fueled the rally.
“We put Cayden in the middle of their zone, and she was able to penetrate and get to the line for us—she jump-started things for us. We got some big rebounds, and we had some kids step up and make some big shots, and we are going to have to have that moving forward,” Hill shared.
