Post Photo by Rickey Clardy Alyssa White of the Viqueens puts up a shot from close range. White had 17 points in the Community win.
By RICKEY CLARDY
Sports Writer
CHAPEL HILL — The Community Viqueens pulled away from a slim 2-point lead midway through the third quarter with a 12-0 run and used an 11-0 run in the final quarter to put the exclamation point on a 61-36 victory over the Forrest Lady Rockets in a District 9-AA basketball game Friday night.
The win was the third in a row for Community (6-12, 2-0) and allowed the Viqueens to remain undefeated in district play.
Alyssa White and Tayl
ar Wessner each scored five points in the opening quarter as the Viqueens scored five consecutive points to take a 7-3 lead.
The Lady Rockets battled back to tie the game twice before Community took a 12-11 lead to the second quarter.
With Anna Haskins scoring five points and White netting four, the Viqueens increased their lead to 20-14 with 5:23 left in the quarter before the Lady Rockets went on an 8-0 run over the next four minutes to take a 22-20 lead. Forrest led late before a trey by Haskins with five seconds left gave the Viqueens a 25-23 lead at the intermission.
Despite nine points from Haskins and five points from Wessner, the Lady Rockets stayed close and trailed the Viqueens 33-31 with 4:35 remaining before Community went on its first double-digit run of the second half.
Five different Viqueens
scored in the quarter as Community used its 12 points to take a 45-31 lead to the final quarter.
After the Lady Rockets broke the ice with a basket 15 seconds into the quarter, the Viqueens took a little over four minutes to score the next 11 points and put the game out of reach.
With White scoring six points and Community completing the second half by holding the Lady Rockets to single digits in each quarter, the Viqueens finished with their biggest lead of the game.
“We got the stops we needed to put them away and finish the game,” Coach Cody Pierce of the Viqueens said.
“To win these district games
, you’re going to have to be solid in the second half, especially in the fourth quarter, and you’re going to have to get a lot of stops,” Pierce added.
Haskins led three Viqueens in double figures with 19 points.
White finished with 17 points while Wessner added 10.
Community had eight players score in the contest.
Josie Brown led the Lady Rockets with nine points.
The Viqueens finished 5-of-8 at the free throw line while the Lady Rockets were 5-of-11.
“We had a slow start tonight and Forrest showed up ready to play and we were kinda going through the motions,” Pierce said.
“But we did enough to keep it back and forth that first half and the second half was much better as a team,” Pierce added.
Community 12 13 20 16 — 61
Forrest 11 12 8 5 — 36
Community: Anna Haskins 19, Alyssa White 17, Taylar Wessner 10, Brooklyn Yoes 6, Jayla Mangrum 3, Kathryn Sego 2, Gracie Daniel 2, Brailey Whitehead 2, Sarah Melson, Sara Flannagan.
Forrest: Sadie Smith 5, Kaylin Pope
5, Kinslee Inlow 4, Adi Howes 2, Camreigh Warner 1, Josie Brown 9, Cadence Chapman 5, Baeliy Stalnecker 4, Maddy Ille 1.
3-Point goals: Community (6): Haskins 3, Wessner 2, Mangrum; Forrest (3): Brown 3.
Halftime score: Community 25, Forrest 23.
