JV girls amazing in opener
Published 9:08 am Thursday, December 2, 2021
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By Brian Pitts
Enterprise Record
During preseason, new JV girls basketball coach Lamar Russell said, “This season is going to be a fun season.” Then he said, “I think we’re going to do something special this year.”
In the season opener at West Wilkes on Nov. 23, Davie lived up to the hype, winning 57-41.
It was an absolutely amazing performance when you consider the War Eagles posted their most points in 35 games along with producing four double-figure scorers for the first time in 80 games.
Even more amazing, Davie accomplished those things with one sophomore and seven freshmen. Russell, though, managed to take it all in stride.
“We obviously wanted to win, but we wanted to use it as more of a learning game – and there’s a lot of things we’ve got to work on,” he said. “If we continue to work on those things in practice, we will be a hard team to beat.
“Our defense just needs a little more work. Once we get that defense down, it will be hard to beat us. The 41 points from West Wilkes kind of disturbs me.”
Davie charged to a 27-12 halftime lead behind the offensive work of Callie Wisecarver, Nadelie Jones and Kaylee Lynch. It maintained a sizeable lead in the third quarter and it coasted home.
The Jones/Hannah McMillian/Lynch/Wisecarver combination became the first foursome to hit double figures on the same day since a 64-35 rout at West Rowan in 2013-14, when Cameron Tabor (14), Madison Bohannon (13), K’lea Parks (12) and Ally Wyrick (11) shared the spotlight.
Jones led Davie in points (14) and assists (six).
“I was really hoping for her to get a double-double,” Russell said. “She did well facilitating the ball. At practice one day she asked me if she was going to be point guard. I said: ‘With Kaylee (Lewis) out with an injury, absolutely you’re going to be point guard.’ She told me she had some nerves, but in the game I didn’t see those nerves at all. She played like a woman on a mission.”
McMillian had 13 points and five rebounds. Lynch had 13 points to go with an eye-catching 15 rebounds. Wisecarver had 12 points and five boards.
“Four girls in double figures, I couldn’t ask for much more,” he said. “That’s sharing the ball and finding the open person.
“I’d say 10 of Lynch’s points were from cleaning the boards. I mean she was a rebounding machine.”
Notes: It was the most Davie points since a 60-21 wipeout of West Rowan in 2016-17. … Tasia Tarpley and Carleigh Croom had 2 points each. Tai’tayuanna Torrence had one point and five rebounds. … Davie will be an enhanced team when Lewis gets cleared. “She’s close to returning,” Russell said. “She probably won’t play (this week), but hopefully next week.”