Lady Lancers make it two in a row over Lady Dragons
ARGOS — Different setting, same result.
Exactly one week after defeating Argos in the Bi-county Tournament semifinals, Laville’s girls basketball team did so again, this time winning, 38-33, on the Lady Dragons’ home court to reach 16 wins for just the second time in 12 years.
“That was a good game for us,” said Laville head coach Nicholas Amor. “We did a good job on defense, moved the ball well on offense and took care of the ball when we needed to.”
Besides hitting a pair of 3s and running the point, LV’S Mikayla Kuskye was tasked with guarding Samantha Redinger all game and held her to just one made free throw. In last week’s game, Redinger scored 15 points.
“Mikayla did great,” added Amor. “She fought through screens and had a consistent defensive effort. She is one of our hardest working players.”
Another key to the win was the production off the bench from Brooke Edison. The sophomore reserve scored five straight points after entering the game in the second quarter, then added four more when she got the call to start the second half and her nine points ended up being the second-most on the team.
“Brooke also did a great job for us,” continued Amor. “She can really get to the hoop.”
Argos led by three after the first quarter, with Baleigh Binkley scoring five of her team-high 13 points during that stretch. Laville scored the first seven points in the second period though, and led throughout the quarter until a 6-0 finish by Argos with Emma Dunlap scoring on a pair of drives, then assisting to Binkley just seconds before halftime to give the Lady Dragons a one-point lead at the break.
A 6-0 LV run to start the third period helped the visitors eventually lead by seven twice, the last time at 31-24, before another buzzer-beater by Binkley - this time a steal and layup that cut the lead to five heading to the final stanza.
Argos’ Morgan Barcus’ outside shot to open the fourth period then cut the lead to three, but LV’S Heaylyn Kwiatkowski scored the next five points and the Lady Lancers had their biggest lead of the game, 36-28. Argos did make one last run, with Dunlap hitting a 3, then a layup to cut the lead back to three with just under four minutes to play, but that would be the last points for the Lady Dragons.
Kwiatkowski scored all seven of LV’S fourth-quarter points and finished with a game-high 14.
“Heaylyn is a rock for us,” concluded Amor. “She gets us started, played good defense, hit her free throws (3-for-3) and found ways to score.”