As the saying goes, “All good things must come to an end,” and unfortunately for Richard Winn’s Lady Eagle basketball team, that’s just what happened when they matched up against the Mid-Carolina Lady Rebels in Prosperity last week. The Lady Eagles had advanced their overall record to 16-0 and 2-0 in region play with a 34-22 victory over the Lady Warriors of Spartanburg Christian Academy Jan. 8. Their next opponent, however, turned the tables and the Lady Eagles found themselves on the losing end and their perfect record blemished with a 52-35 loss on the road at Mid-Carolina Jan. 10.
The Mid-Carolina Lady Rebels handed the visiting RWA team their first loss of the season behind the hot hand of Mid-Carolina’s eighth-grader Julie Kinard who ended the game with 23 points. The Lady Rebels took control of the court and scoreboard from the beginning while the Lady Eagles struggled offensively. The Lady Eagles mustered only 18 points total to their opponent’s 41 through the first three quarters. Not ready to throw in the towel quite yet, the RWA team outscored MC 17-11 in the final period, but the offensive spark came too little, too late and the Lady Rebels won the battle on the court by a 17-point margin.
Carson Justice once again led the Lady Eagle offense with a 14 point total in addition to pulling down seven rebounds. She also made three assists and stole the ball three times. Jaycie Johnson put up eight points and had a block and four rebounds. Jessie Stidham was the third leading scorer with seven points and controlled the boards for the Lady Eagles with 10 rebounds while also getting credit for a block and three steals. Megan Simpson, Alyssa Atkerson and Emily Brigman rounded out the 35 point total with two points each.
The Lady Eagles got back into the win column and boosted their overall record to 17-1 and 3-0 in region play with a 68-32 victory over Oakbrook Prep Tuesday night. The Lady Knights visited the Eagles’ nest and found the Lady Eagles too quick, too skilled and just plain too hot to handle. The Lady Knights struggled to break the press while the Lady Eagles took advantage of their opponent’s turnovers and converted them into points. RWA held the visitors scoreless throughout the first 8 minutes of play, and it was not until the 5:26 mark in the second period that Oakbrook put a free throw point on the scoreboard. The Lady Eagles took a commanding 40-15 lead into the locker room at half time. The Lady Eagles kept their focus throughout the second half and cruised to their 17th win of the season. Carson Justice led the Lady Eagles’ offense with 24 points. Teammates Jessie Stidham scored nine and Bailey Taylor had eight. Jaycie Johnson, Emily Brigman and Anna Cooke contributed six points apiece. Marion Walker Coleman and Alyssa Atkerson rounded out the total with five and four points, respectively.
RWA hosts Greenwood Christian tonight (Jan. 18). Middle school teams will play the opening games, starting with the MS girls’ at 4 p.m. The varsity girls’ tip off at approximately 6:30 p.m. on both days.