Charger girls avenge regular-season losses against Greenfield
By Andrew Stevens
Published in Sports on February 20, 2011 1:51 AM
Attack, attack and then attack some more.
Wayne Country Day drove to the rim with relentless aggression for four quarters and held off a late Greenfield rally for a 59-52 win in the Coastal Plains Independent 1-A Conference tournament semifinals on Friday night.
The Chargers consistently beat Knights' defenders off the dribble and either turned those opportunities into layups or got to the free throw line. Greenfield's all-state center Ashley Hughes picked up her third foul with fewer than four minutes left in the first quarter.
"We challenged our girls in practice and Sarah (Best) and Catherine did a good job of setting the tone," said Wayne Country Day head coach Eric Perry. "When we play attack mode we're better offensively."
Chargers' junior point guard Catherine Ford poured in 34 points and pulled down 12 rebounds. Ford scored 20 of her 32 points in the first half and continued to attack the basket with Hughes on the bench in foul trouble. Wayne Country Day led 12-6 at the end of the first quarter and Ford scored nine points in the final 3 1/2 minutes of the second quarter as the margin grew to 32-18 at halftime.
Chargers' forward Kim Martell was whistled for her fourth foul with 3 1/2 minutes to play in the third quarter. Ford was called upon to defend Hughes, while continuing to produce on the offensive end. Hughes fouled out early in the fourth quarter and finished with 16 points.
"That was our all-state point guard matching up on their all-state center," said Perry. "She did a good job. Catherine played with a lot of heart. That's our leader. We go as far as Cat takes us. She has the heart of a champion. When Hughes fouled out that was huge."
The Knights pulled to within 36-31 on Hughes' 3-point play that capped a 13-4 run midway through the third quarter. Wayne Country Day answered with a 19-7 run and led 55-38 with 4 1/2 minutes remaining.
"We're still young with one senior," said Perry. "I let our girls play through it and we practice for those moments. Some people may not understand but my girls understand and they're determined to win a conference championship."
Jameka Thompson knocked down three 3-pointer's in the final 2 1/2 minutes to cut the margin to 57-52. Thompson scored 25 points.
Ford sank two free throws with 16 seconds to play to seal the win. Sarah Best provided 13 points.