GIRLS' BASKETBALL: CBA uses 3-point baskets to down EW

By Ben Coley
Published in Sports on January 14, 2017 11:26 PM

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bcoley@newsargus.com

The high school 3-point line is 19.75 feet away from the basket.

For Eastern Wayne and C.B. Aycock, that distance felt like two feet Friday night.

The Warriors and Golden Falcons' guards tormented each other with their hot shooting. There was just one difference -- EW eventually blinked, and CBA kept its eyes wide open.

In a game that witnessed 19 combined 3-pointers, the Golden Falcons disrupted the Warriors just enough to seal a 62-56 victory.

"Overall, I was still confident because we have shooters ourselves," said CBA head coach Tangela Faulkner. "I knew that if it was a 3-point type of game, all we had to do is go down and run our play. Our 3-point shooters -- they're all hot. So I was okay with the 3-point-type game."

It became clear from the opening tip that 3-pointers would define the outcome of the game. EW nailed five 3-pointers -- three by Treycie Ford and one apiece by Myesha and Nyesha Best -- in the first half.

The Warriors led 28-26 at halftime.

"It seemed like they were getting a lot of open shots," Faulkner said. "They were moving the ball really quickly. That's one of the areas where we were struggling with -- getting our guards back to the other side because we were dropping back so much."

The Golden Falcons' 3-point surge came when it mattered most in the second half.

CBA nailed four treys in the third quarter. Two of those were by Cassandra Lassiter, who constantly flashed to the left baseline for wide-open attempts.

In the fourth quarter, the hits kept coming from the Golden Falcons, and they eventually broke through. A 3-pointer by Tanika Powell gave CBA a 53-50 lead with three minutes left in the final stanza. The Golden Falcons never trailed from that point.

"We weren't getting out quick enough on the shooters every defensive possession," said EW head coach Michael Gurganus. "(CBA) has girls who can shoot, and they were lighting it up tonight. And some of that's on us. We didn't get out in time to get a hand in their face."

EW finished with nine 3-pointers, while CBA made 10. Powell -- who sank four treys -- finished with 22 points. Lassiter hit five treys and registered 19 points.

Nyesha Best led the Warriors with 23 points while Ford added 16.

Faulkner said Friday night's success was a result of what happens when her team runs the play and moves the ball. The first-year head coach said the victory also proved what her team is capable of when faced with adversity.

"My girls played phenomenal," Faulkner said. "They never lost their composure when we were down by a few points. They stayed in the game... They did an amazing job. They were hungry for this win."