Alyssa White drops in a layup for the Viqueens. White had 13 points for Community. (Post Photo by Rickey Clardy)
By RICKEY CLARDY
Sports Writer
BELL BUCKLE —After a close loss in their first game against the Cascade Lady Champions, the Community Viqueens did a 180 and used dominating second and third quarters to mount an insurmountable lead and the Viqueens never looked back as Community defeated the Lady Champs 43-22 in an intra-county and District 9-2A matchup Tuesday night.
The Viqueens were quick on defense and challenged the Lady Champs on most of their shots as Cascade could not break double digits in any of the four quarters.
Both teams looked shaky from the start as neither team could break the ice in the first two minutes of the game before Sophie Ray nailed a 3-pointer to give Cascade (11-12, 4-4 D9-2A) a 3-0 lead.
After the Viqueens took the lead, Lizzie Keele drilled a trey at the 4:54 mark to give the Lady Champs a 6-4 advantage.
But the Lady Champions total on the scoreboard would not change for over 12 minutes as the Viqueens found the upper hand.
Despite Anna Haskins picking up two fouls in the opening couple of minutes and not returning to the game until midway through the second quarter, Community (10-16, 2-5) looked to the inside and found Alyssa White for two baskets as the Viqueens took an 8-6 lead to the second quarter.
Lizzie Keele fires up a shot for the Lady Champions. Keele led Cascade with 10 points. (Post Photo by Rickey Clardy)
About the only thing that went wrong for the Viqueens in the quarter was an 0-4 performance at the free throw line, but Community used a mixture of treys and shots from the paint to increase its lead.
White added four more points while Haskins and Mattie Maxey each had 3s as the Viqueens completed an 18-0 run from the opening quarter to take a 22-6 lead.
The Lady Champs finished a 12 minute, 31 second draught as Kaegan Young connected on a basket with 23 seconds left as the Viqueens took a 22-8 lead to the intermission.
The teams came out slow again in the second half before Taylar Wessner drilled a trey to give the Viqueens a 25-8 lead with 4:45 left.
The Lady Champions tried different combinations and used a full-court press that was effective in the comeback win against Community earlier in the season, but this time the Viqueens were able to solve the Cascade press without much difficulty.
Maxey had five points to lead the Viqueens while the Lady Champs continued to struggle from the field as Keele and Young added the only Cascade baskets on three-pointers as Community took a 35-15 lead to the final quarter.
A White basket to open the fourth quarter gave the Viqueens their biggest lead at 37-15 with 7:47 remaining.
It was a quarter with several jump balls as play became a bit ragged on both ends of the court.
Maxey scored four points for the Viqueens while Keele added four for the Lady Champs as Cascade could only get as close as 18 points.
Community outscored the Lady Champions 8-7 as the Viqueens avenged some close losses of late and split the regular season series against Cascade.
Maxey and White each scored 13 points to lead the Viqueens in scoring.
Keele was the opening Lady Champion in double figures with 10 points.
The Viqueens were only 6-of-16 at the charity stripe while the Lady Champs were 2-of-4.
Community closes its regular season and district schedule with a road game at Forrest Friday while Cascade entertains Mt. Pleasant in a non-district encounter on Thursday.
Community 8 14 13 8 — 43
Cascade 6 2 7 7 — 22
Community: Mattie Maxey 13, Alyssa White 13, Anna Haskins 5, Taylar Wessner 3, Sara Flannagan, Savannah Pearson 6, Brooklyn Yoes 3.
Cascade: Lizzie Keele 10, Kaegan Young 7, Kaydence Miller 3, Caroline Parker 1, Sophie Ray, Emerald Tillman 1, Laina Carter, Lexie Comstock.
3-Point goals: Community (3): Pearson, Haskins, Wessner; Cascade (4): Keele 2, Young, Miller.
Halftime score: Community 22, Cascade 8.
