By AARON SNYDER / The Independent
GRAYSON — East Carter coach Hager Easterling thought his team had plenty of chances to score points, whether they were from the floor or from the free-throw line.
Normally that would bode well for a solid-shooting team that also shoots 67 percent from the free-throw line.
However, the Lady Raiders could not convert those opportunities into points Saturday night, forcing them to rely on their defense in a 45-38 win over West Carter at East Carter High School.
“I thought we ran our offense pretty good and got good shots,” Easterling said. “We missed some easy shots early and I think that affected us. Add into the fact that it’s a rivalry game, and that tends to tense you up a little bit more.”
Easterling was proud of his team’s defense, which has improved immensely as the season has progressed.
“Early in the year, we had trouble guarding a chair out there,” Easterling said jokingly. “It’s gotten a lot better. We want them to have the attitude that no matter how we shoot, our defense is going to give us a chance.”
East Carter junior Lakota Burge had a tough defensive task in guarding West Carter junior Kristin Perry, but she limited Perry to 12 points on 4-of-11 shooting. Perry also grabbed nine rebounds, while Burge recorded a double-double with 14 points and 10 boards.
Both defense as well as lack of offense attributed to an ugly score at the end of the first quarter, 4-3, advantage West Carter.
Shooting improved slightly in the second quarter, as East Carter recovered from a 1-of-11 start to finish 7-for-18 for the first half.
The Lady Comets took a 12-7 lead after Janice Shepherd drove the lane for two points. But, the turnover train started rolling for West Carter, and it was a rough ride from that point forward.
The Lady Comets accumulated 18 turnovers in the first half alone, and West Carter coach Tex English was displeased.
“Nothing against East Carter’s defense, but most of (the turnovers) were unforced,” English said. “We were mentally not into the game; walks, double-dribbles, throwing to somebody who knows where.”
East Carter (15-3) took advantage of the miscues by going on a 16-1 run spanning into the third quarter. The run was sparked by Jessica Marshall and two unanswered 3-pointers to begin the second half by Jordan Parsons and Burge, which helped East Carter to a 27-15 lead, its largest of the game.
West Carter (6-7) held East Carter to less than 32 percent shooting, but the Lady Comets were only slightly more accurate, while East Carter went 4-for-21 from beyond the 3-point arc, as opposed to West Carter’s 0-for-9 clip from long range.
West Carter battled back behind sophomore Paige Tackett and Perry. An 8-0 fourth-quarter surge cut a 10-point deficit to 34-32. However, a three-point play by Courtney Sparks ensued as East Carter responded with a 7-0 spurt of its own.
“(East Carter) looked like the more experienced team, and we didn’t look experienced,” English said.
The Lady Raiders struggled from the free-throw line, especially in the fourth quarter. They went 13-for-29 for the game, including 7-for-19 in the final eight minutes.
For East Carter, the win marked the sixth consecutive on the season and the fourth in a row in the rivalry.
AARON SNYDER can be reached at asnyder@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2664.
