Warrior girls wake up against Saints in 3rd quarter

By News-Argus Staff
Published in Sports on January 20, 2016 1:48 PM

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Eastern Wayne needed to relax offensively and utilize their "go-to" player, Naheria Hamilton, on Tuesday.

The Warriors did just that in the second half.

Hamilton pumped in 13 third-quarter points and collected her second triple-double within a 24-hour period during Eastern Wayne's come-from-behind 68-59 conquest of county rival Southern Wayne.

The 6-foot-4 senior, who tied the state's single-game rebound record on Monday, ended the night with 24 points, 24 rebounds and 14 blocked shots.

"The first half, I was missing a lot of shots (underneath the basket)," Hamilton said. "I was like, I really need to come out here (in the second half) and step it up for my team and help out.

"That's what I did."

Southern Wayne led 30-22 at halftime, but went cold offensively in the second half. The Saints managed 29 points -- 21 at the free throw line and just four field goals. At one point, the Warriors permitted just one field goal during a 10-minute stretch.

"They woke up and I think we went to sleep a little bit," SW assistant coach Takisha Vann said of the third quarter. "They went on that little run and instead of us fighting back and attacking, they went ahead."

Treycie Ford's putback tied the game at 34-34 midway through the third quarter. Myesha Best's 3-pointer off Ford's assist put Eastern Wayne ahead for good, 37-34.

Best collected 17 of her 21 points in the fourth quarter.

Saints senior Zaria Atkins posted a triple-double -- 18 points, 11 rebounds and a career-high 10 assists. Vann said that Atkins played unselfish and helped get her teammates involved in the offense.

Eastern Wayne (8-6 overall) continues play Thursday at Eastern Carolina 3-A/4-A Conference foe C.B. Aycock. Southern Wayne (5-11, 0-6 ECC) returns to action Jan. 29 at J.H. Rose.