CLINTON, S.C. – In a key Region III-3A contest on Tuesday night, a late first half layup and a stingy defensive effort helped propel the Chapman Lady Panthers to a 37-34 win over Clinton (6-3, 4-2).
With time winding down in the first half, Chapman guard Asia Anderson drove down the right side of the lane, racing by a couple of defenders for a layup as time expired in the second quarter, cutting the Clinton lead to 25-12 deficit at the break. But that’s when things began to change. Chapman (4-3 Region III-3A) put together an outstanding defensive stand in the second half, holding the host Lady Red Devils to nine points. A big part of that focused on shutting down Clinton forwards De’Shanti Watts and Tinique Austin. “At halftime, we focused on our defensive effort if we were going to have any chance of getting in the game,” Lady Panthers head coach Leslie Boyd said. “It started with defensive stops. At practice (on Monday), we spent so much time on making sure we focused on those two (Watts and Austin). I feel like our girls stuck to the task and took care of business.” The Lady Panthers frustrated Clinton with how they continued to switch and front against Clinton’s top two options on offense, holding Watts and Austin to a combined seven points in the latter two quarters of the contest. With 2:45 to play in regulation, Anderson used a dribble-drive to glide down the lane, which gave Chapman their only lead of the night, 35-34. “It was a bit of a struggle for me (shooting-wise),” Anderson stated. “I still had my teammates, from the bench and on the court, pushing me and keeping me going. At first, I was a bit concerned because our three’s weren’t dropping, but I think it was that we needed to get our shots going (by) driving to get clear shots across the court.” Asia Anderson scored a game-high 12 points for the Lady Panthers. Caroline Garner had eight points, along with Farrah Grohs and Krislyn Wilder, who had six points apiece. “(Our team) knew what this game meant,” Boyd added. “We’re fighting for a playoff spot every game. We have a very competitive region. Every game matters, and we used that energy tonight to get the job done.” BOYS – Chapman 66, Clinton 54 Clinging to a four point lead at intermission, Chapman established control in the second half, creating a 48-39 advantage entering the final stanza. Junior guard Miles Carter poured in 14 of his game-high 18 points in the latter two quarters, helping the Panthers build a double digit lead late in the contest to secure the win. Senior guard Banks Atkins also notched a game-high 18 points for the Panthers. For Carter, this marks three straight games that he has scored in double figures, dating back to last Tuesday’s road win over Woodruff. Taygan Ray and Jonathan Mitchell also scored nine points each in the win. Chapman (13-7, 6-2 Region III-3A) will make a trip down Highway 176 on Friday night to Union County High School. The girls’ game begins at 6 PM, with the guys’ game to follow. -Justin Mathis Comments are closed.
|
Our SponsorsArchives
October 2023
Categories |