Sports
Eastern Tops Belpre In Battle Atop The TVC-Hocking
By: Nate Moore
Posted on:
Going into this week the Eastern Lady Eagles knew they were going to be tested.
All three of the opponents they faced held winning records and were close behind Eastern’s 2nd place spot in the division. However, as the old saying goes, when the going gets tough, the tough get going.
That’s exactly what Eastern (9-5, 8-2 TVC-Hocking) did tonight as they defeated the Belpre Golden Lady Eagles (9-5, 8-3 TVC-Hocking) 63-51.
Anytime these two teams meet up it’s always a great one to watch. Every contest is highly contested and physical with emotions running high for both the players and the fans.
In the first half Eastern was able to jump out ahead of Belpre. Sticking with their usual game plan of using their full court press and playing high pressure defense, Eastern was able to force Belpre to turn the ball over, giving Eastern extra scoring opportunities of the offensive end.
When it came to the other side of the ball, Belpre guard Sydney Spencer was able to respond to Eastern’s early lead. As the primary ball handler for her team, Spencer was able to control the pace for Belpre’s offense and open up scoring opportunities for herself and her teammates.
The half would end with Eastern leading Belpre 27-24.
The second half was very similar to that of the first. The Lady Eagles of Eastern would open the half on fire as the Lady Eagles went on a 6-0 run. Belpre would start off the half slow by committing a couple of turnovers, but the Lady Golden Eagles would respond to Eastern as Belpre forward Kyanna Ray hit back to back three pointers to get her team’s momentum back.
As the second half continued the game stayed closely contested before Eastern seniors Madison Williams and Liz Collins began to dominate the competition. On the defensive end both players played lock-down defense and Collins grabbed rebound after rebound as she ended the night with a total of 15 rebounds.
On offense, the seniors proved they have what it takes to elevate this team to the next level as both players lead the team in scoring, Collins with 15 points and Williams with 23.
Coming down the stretch in the last couple of minutes of the fourth quarter, the game was still close as both teams became extremely physical with their play. However, it would be Eastern’s defense and depth that would lead the Lady Eagles to victory.
Eastern would end the last two minutes on a 7-0 run with senior Kaitlyn Hawk hitting a clutch three and Eastern’s defense locking up Belpre’s Spencer from getting anything going to the basket.
As the season progresses and the playoffs inch closer and closer make sure to keep up with the Eastern Lady Eagles as they look to continue their win streak against the Miller Lady Falcons.
The Lady Golden Eagles look to rebound in their upcoming game against Federal Hocking this Saturday.