By By SCOTT COOPER – Sports Writer
In a Jan. 10 Area-1 contest between the W.S. Neal Lady Eagles and the Clarke County Babes at W.S. Neal High School, Clarke County gained a big advantage early and went on to defeat the Lady Eagles, 53-21.
The win improved Clarke County to 2-1 in the area while the loss dropped Neal's area record to 0-2.
From the outset of the game, Neal's shots would not fall and the Babes took advantage of the misses by running the floor in transition.
Three consecutive fast-break baskets gave Clarke County a 6-0 lead with two minutes expired from the clock in the opening quarter. After the Babes built the advantage to 10-0, a Mayisha Brown jump shot from the left wing pulled the Lady Eagles closer at 10-2.
Beginning the second quarter, Clarke County continued applying the pressure with a transition game that enabled them to pull further ahead. Five consecutive points gave the Babes a 15-2 advantage before the Lady Eagles' Olivia Thompson hit a couple of free throws to make the score 15-4 with 5:18 left in the period. Clarke County registered a 3-point play to go up 18-4, but then a Neal basket by Tikeria Matthews allowed the Lady Eagles to remain within reach at 18-6. A Clarke County 13-0 run just before halftime, however, put the Babes in a commanding position, 31-6, at the break.
To start the third period, baskets by Neal's Lilly Fantroy and Timiya Nolan cut into the Babes' lead at 34-10. Clarke County then scored a transition bucket for a 36-10 cushion before Shekinah Adams' two points from in close made the score 36-12. Four straight Clarke County points to end the quarter put the Babes up by 28 points, 40-12.
The Babes continued to run away from the Lady Eagles in the final period, as they built a 51-15 lead with just over two minutes remaining in the game. Six points by Candi Williams late in the contest reduced the margin to 32 points by game's end.
Candi Williams led the Lady Eagles with six points.