GIRLS' BASKETBALL: EW's defense stifles North Lenoir

By Ben Coley
Published in Sports on December 1, 2016 11:04 AM

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Some nights, the shots just don't fall.

That was the case for Eastern Wayne in the first quarter of Tuesday night's game versus North Lenoir.

But there were no dipped heads or visual signs of frustration on any Warriors' face. Instead, the team decided that if the shots weren't going to fall, then the defense must pick up the slack.

EW's defensive pressure, along with persistence on the offensive end, translated to a 56-35 victory over North Lenoir.

"I'm proud of the girls," said EW head coach Michael Gurganus. "They kept fighting. They kept trying to execute even though the shots weren't falling in the first half -- they kept shooting."

In the opening minutes, EW had open looks inside the paint and beyond the arc, but shots constantly banged off the rim. The Warriors ended the first quarter trailing the Hawks 13-10.

That lead quickly evaporated in the second quarter.  Myesha Best opened the frame with a three-pointer to tie the game, and eventually hit another long-range bucket to give EW an 18-15 edge.

"Even though we weren't knocking them down, we kept trying to attack," Gurganus said. "We didn't stop -- we just kept on playing."

The Warriors eventually stretched their lead to 26-21 by halftime.

EW then proceeded to protect its lead like it was a pot of gold. In the third quarter, the Hawks managed to only score four points.  They only mustered 10 in the fourth quarter.

The Warriors forced over 25 turnovers in the game, and their lead became as large as 33 in the second half.

"I told them to liven up," Gurganus said. "There was nothing I said to switch anything up. But they realized what they needed to do. I'll give them credit. They came out in the second half and started playing better defense."

Nyesha Best and Treycie Ford led the Warriors with 12 points apiece.  Ziomara Williams added eight points and also grabbed five rebounds.

Gurganus has won two straight games to begin his tenure as a varsity head coach.

But the first-year coach knows his team is capable of more, and that all begins with completing the simple things on the court.

"I'm not satisfied by any means," Gurganus said. "Am I glad we're 2-0? Yes. But again, it could've gone either way. We have to start executing better on offense and defense. We have to make sure we keep fundamentals and principles in check."