The Morrison Lady Eagles stayed just out of reach of the Eastside Lady Bulldogs on Monday. The Lady Eagles did not take flight until the second quarter and the game was decided by four points.
Morrison held the lead at the end of the third quarter 28-24 and the Lady Bulldogs never gained any ground after that. The Lady Eagles soared away with a 35-31 win at Eastside.
In a grueling game that went down to the wire, Gabby Monzon led all scorers with 15 points.
The game was decided in a very close second quarter in which the Lady Eagles outscored the Lady Bulldogs 10-6. Morrison made just enough plays on defense to force the ball back in the other direction. The Lady Eagles capitalized on Eastside mistakes and the slim margin was just enough for Morrison to hold on for the win.
Monzon scored six of her 15 in the second quarter and she went 2-of-3 from the free-throw line. Lia Wright and Chloe Nokes added a basket and helped extend the Lady Eagle lead.
The Lady Bulldogs made it to the rim and scored six points. Shelby Smartt, Savannah Winfree, and Madelyn Powers supplied the offense in the second quarter. The Eastside offense only stumbled in the second quarter and it was just enough to propel Morrison into the lead.
Morrison claimed the lead just before the half, 18-15.
Out of the half Morrison continued its pursuit of the ball. The Lady Eagles applied pressure to every player who touched the ball for Eastside. The Lady Bulldogs stayed in the game led by Smartt with another five points.
Monzon and Lexi Whipple soared past the Lady Bulldog defense and each of them scored four points for the Lady Eagles.
Down 28-24 to start the fourth quarter, Sable Winfree took action and led the Eastside offense. Winfree attacked the Morrison defense and scored her only four points of the game in the final quarter. Emeri Cummings was 1-of-2 from the free-throw line.
Morrison stuck with what was working and the big three continued to work the ball in close and the Lady Eagles stayed just beyond the grasp of the Lady Bulldogs. Monzon, Whipple, and Wright held off the Eastside assault on both ends of the floor.
The Lady Eagles went on to win by a final score of 35-31 over the Lady Bulldogs.
LADY EAGLE SCORING – Gabby Monzon 15, Lia Wright 12, Lexi Whipple 6, Chloe Nokes 2
LADY BULLDOG SCORING – Shelby Smartt 14, Madelyn Powers 8, Savannah Winfree 4, Sable Winfree 4, Emeri Cummings 1