Sports
Lady Bulldogs Stay Atop TVC-Ohio Standings
By: Brendan Margolies
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The Athens Lady Bulldogs defeated the Vinton County Lady Vikings 46-40, Thursday night in Athens. Rachael Gilkey and Dominique Doseck led the way for Athens in scoring, combining for 30 points.
The Lady Bulldogs won the game with strong physical play in the paint and great ball movement. On nearly every possession, all five Athens players were touching the ball, creating good looks and playing unselfishly.
Their dominance on the glass was a big factor in the win, especially when it came to creating second-chance opportunities.
Gilkey, along with senior Hannah DeBruin, made head coach Wayne Horsley proud, stopping the Lady Vikings nearly every time they came into the paint.
“I was really pleased with our defensive effort and intensity,” said Horsley.
Vinton County was able to hang in the game, despite a copious amount of turnovers. They relied on their shooting for a majority of the game simply because the Athens defense was too disruptive down low.
Jamee Park was able to knock down two three-pointers for the Lady Vikings and Megan Dixon lead the way with 10 points. When the Lady Vikings got the ball out in transition, they scored and finished well, but Athens did a good job of limiting their own turnovers.
The start of the second half opened with great back-and-forth scoring for both teams. Vinton County seemed to be closing the gap, getting within four in the third quarter, but sadly for the Lady Vikings, Doseck decided to step up. She was running the floor and scored a majority of her points in the third while dishing out a few assists.
The x-factor was Gilkey, who not only put up 15 points, but also shut down Vinton County standout, Michaela Puckett. Throughout the game, she played physical defense and denied her the ball in the post throughout the game. Her strong play kept the Lady Vikings at bay and helped Athens get the win.
The Lady Bulldogs will host Oak Hill next Monday, Jan. 20, and look to remain undefeated.
The Lady Vikings will look to get back on track when they travel to River Valley on the same date.