Breelyn Blanding (2) floats one to the basket against Spring Valley Tuesday. (Photo/Kristy Kimball Massey)
BLYTHEWOOD – The Lady Bengals basketball team (9-10, 3-4) fell to Spring Valley (18-2, 6-1) Tuesday night by a score of 51-36. Akia Dunlap’s 19-point effort fueled the scoring for the Lady Vikings’ victory. Dunlap knocked down eight of her 13 shots from the floor. As a team, Spring Valley hit 49 percent of their shots.
Blythewood let an early advantage slip away, when they led 10-9 at the end of the first quarter. Jasrial Thompson made good on a two-point shot as the horn sounded to give the Lady Bengals the edge. Thompson extended the Lady Bengals’ lead when she rattled in a basket from beyond the arc to start the second quarter. The four-point lead would be Blythewood’s largest of the game, because the Lady Vikings would respond with a 14-2 run before Lauren Harley spoiled the good times by floating in a shot in at the halftime buzzer.
The Lady Bengals trailed 23-18 at the break and would never again lead in the ball game.
Blythewood started the third quarter on a 6-3 streak; however, Spring Valley’s Briana Hill would bring the rally attempt to a dead halt with seven straight points. Hill finished with 15 points as the game’s second leading scorer.
Both Thompson and Breelyn Blanding broke the double digit mark with 10 each and Harley chipped in eight, followed by Bryana Anderson’s seven-point effort.
Collectively, the Lady Bengal defenders came away with 13 turnovers, but gave up 29 defensive rebounds.
With only three games remaining in the regular season, Blythewood is guaranteed of making at least the fourth seed, but will be competing for the third seed out of Region IV-4A. The top four seeds will make the 4A state playoffs.
The home stretch begins Friday night, when they host Lugoff-Elgin. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m.
