Lady Panthers defeat Heard County in home opener
A junior player dribbles the ball up the court during a fast break. The Lady Panthers were able to score in transition due to spectacular rebounding.
November 30, 2017
Following a 2-1 start at the Hampton Tip Off Classic, the Lady Panthers added another win to their season Tuesday night defeating the Heard County Braves 48-41. The team never gave up their lead despite a tough effort from the opposition.
From the tip off, Starr’s Mill consistently attacked Heard County from multiple angles. Sophomore Alice Anne Hudson scored eight points in a row during the first quarter, hitting two three-point jump shots and a layup. As a whole, the Lady Panthers scored 13 points to the Braves’ 11 points in the first quarter.
A sophomore player stands in front of a pass. Starr’s Mill played great defense, pressuring the ball and contesting almost every shot.
“My teammates were passing very well,” Hudson said. “I was able to get open and they passed me the ball for some easy shots.”
During the second quarter, the Panthers continued to run their offense efficiently. They were able to get several open shots on the perimeter, with Hudson and sophomore Ashtyn Lally each making a three pointer. In addition to the threes, the Mill drew three fouls and were able to capitalize at the free throw line, with junior Alyssa Angelo and freshman Ali Rumpel leading the way with the most trips to the foul line. The team held a five-point lead going into halftime.
“[Heard County] had some really small girls,” head coach Emily Sweeney said. “Rumpel was able to take it to the hole and dominate.”
In the third quarter, Hudson went on a scoring tear, pouring in another eight points. She made three layups and a pair of free throws. Lally hit another three pointer to give the Mill a total of eleven third quarter points. On the other end of the floor, the Lady Panthers smothered the Braves, only allowing seven points to end the quarter with a nine point lead.
Starr’s Mill left Heard County searching for answers during the fourth quarter. They continued to drive inside for short-distance buckets and made multiple layups off of steals and rebounds. Senior Emily Nieuwstraten made a mid-range jumper to start off the quarter and the rest of the squad followed suit, scoring often and drawing fouls. Angelo got two steals to go along with five points in the quarter.
“I just drove in and hoped for the best,” Angelo said. “We also passed the ball around and made good cuts and we got the foul calls.”
With this win, the Lady Panthers improve their overall season record to 3-1. They will play the Newnan Lady Cougars at Newnan High School on Friday at 6:00 p.m. with region play beginning Dec. 5 at McIntosh.
