Girls' Basketball -- Best paces Lady Warriors by Southern Wayne

By Justin Hayes
Published in Sports on January 21, 2018 3:08 AM

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Junior guard Nyesha Best scored a game-high 17 points on Friday to help Eastern Wayne High survive a marathon-inspired, turnover-prone tilt versus ECC 3A and Wayne County rival Southern Wayne.

The victory moved the Lady Dubs to 12-4 overall this season, and 4-2 in matters of league significance.

Best, known in area circles for her slick handle and mid-range marksmanship, factored prominently from the outset, scoring 11 points in a first half that featured both breathless action and a litany of misgivings with the basketball.

As pace goes, it was manic.

As turnovers go, they were aplenty on both sides, though Eastern Wayne played through the carnage to post a 33-25 advantage at the break.

"Southern Wayne did a good job with their trap, and we tried to force some passes and dribble out of it," Eastern Wayne head coach Michael Gurganus noted. "In the second half, we were able to settle down and focus more on hitting the open areas."

Specifically Best, who buoyed the New Hope faithful after a third quarter in which the Dubs registered just two made field goals and saw their lead dwindle from eight points to just two.

Time and again during the final stanza, No. 35 made winning plays on both ends -- scoring six points on a variety of drives, jumping passing lanes on the defensive end and effectively ending matters by canning a pair of free throws with just 11.1 seconds remaining.

"I'm proud of them," Gurganus said. "In regards to regaining their composure. There are aspects they need to improve on, and as a team we need to improve on... but when it comes down to it, they are competitive and keep playing."

Best was complemented by her sister, Myesha, who finished the night with 13 points. Ziomara Williams tallied 10 points, while senior guard Channing Williams finished with seven points.

Southern Wayne (4-9, 1-4 ECC) was paced by the play of forward Samiya Bess, who finished with 13 points and 16 rebounds.

Machiah Moore, prior to fouling out with 7:30 remaining in the contest, contributed eight points and as many rebounds. Takeitha Glaspie accounted for eight points and 12 boards, while freshman Ty'Lisha May registered six points.

Both teams return to the floor on Tuesday. Eastern Wayne travels to face D.H. Conley, while Southern Wayne will pay a visit to league-leading South Central.