Rosewood avenges earlier loss to Lakewood with road win

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on January 31, 2015 11:08 PM

• Print
• Email

rcoggins@newsargus.com

SALEMBURG - Rosewood is starting to click again.

That's bad news for the rest of the Carolina 1-A Conference girls' basketball teams.

Lakewood certainly wouldn't disagree after Friday evening.

Despite foul trouble, Lexi Mercer skinned the Leopards' defense for a game-high 37 points in a 59-46 victory and helped the Eagles seize a share of the conference lead at 9-1. Lakewood saw its win streak snapped at 14 and lost at home for the first time this season.

"We had a lot of time off before we played them the last time, and we were finally tuned back to Rosewood basketball which is what we should always be playing," said Mercer, who shagged 10 rebounds, doled out three assists and grabbed three steals.

"With the season we had last year, we weren't really pushed a lot in our games. Tonight we proved that we know how to fight back and if somebody's going at us, we can back go harder to come up with a win. So, it's what matters when the fourth-quarter buzzer goes off."

Neither team gained more than a two-possession advantage in the nip-and-tuck, physical affair that led to 35 total fouls and 41 free throw attempts. Lakewood had two players foul out late in the fourth quarter.

The game was tied at 32, 34 and 37 before Rosewood freshman guard Jala Holloman hit her lone bucket - a wide-open jumper just outside the lane - to make it 39-37 after three periods. Mercer missed the final 3-plus minutes of the quarter after picking up her fourth foul.

RHS head coach Rick Grantham gambled and sent Mercer back onto the court to start the final period. Hannah Daniels' steal and assist to Krystal Yelverton led to an open-court layup and sparked a pivotal 11-3 run.

Still in attack mode, Mercer managed to protect herself and found other ways to put points on the board. She hit Yelverton for an open 3 and later connected with her on a back-door layup. Mercer helped seal the outcome with clutch free throw shooting - a 7 of 8 effort in the fourth and 12 of 17 performance for the game.

"Lexi is a really good player and she can't do it all, all the time," said Thornton, who contributed three points, pulled down seven rebounds, dished out three assists and pick-pocketed Lakewood for four steals.

"She's going to have 'off' games and games where people are on her all the time. So, that means we have to step up and score, and since we did that, I think that's why we came on top."

Rosewood improved to 9-0 in road games this season.