H.S. GIRLS' BBALL: Lady Hawks win on 13-point run

South Side post Asia Currie will say that Thursday night was not her best offensive performance of the season.

Currie was held scoreless until the fourth quarter, but she hit two layups during a 13-0 run as the Lady Hawks came from behind to beat Liberty for the second time this season, 44-41 at Liberty.

"Its rivalry games," South Side coach Brent McNeal said. "The kids came to play each other. We knew that Liberty was going to bring everything they had. We don't want to lose to them, and they don't want to lose to us."

The Lady Crusaders (4-5) scored 20 points in the third quarter to jump out to a 32-29 lead with eight minutes to play.

South Side (10-2) was not real consistent on the offensive end of the court most of the first three quarters.

Liberty extended its lead to 37-31 in the first three minutes of the final quarter. Cortney Fisher (13 points) and Brindy Fuller (nine points) were the catalyst to the Lady Crusaders' run.

Fisher and Fuller both worked to penetrate the South Side defense for layups.

"Liberty did an excellent job getting the ball out on a break," McNeal said.

That is when South Side started to rally. The Lady Hawks went to the post as Tamia Curry (11 points) and Currie hit consecutive layups before a jumper by Cheyenne Cunningham (10 points) tied the game up at 37-37 with 2:56 remaining.

"Right after the third quarter, I wrote the word 'heart' on the board," McNeal said. "We had to dig, claw scratch, and do whatever to play with heart.

"You have to credit the girls. They talked to each other before the fourth quarter. I didn't have to say anything."

But the Lady Hawks were only halfway done with the run. Alexis Miller and Kiya Sain got into the scoring before another layup by Currie with 59 seconds remaining put South Side up 43-37.

"We had to get our mind straight and focused," Currie said. "We just had to do what Coach [McNeal] told us to do."

The Lady Hawks' defense was key all night as they gave up single digits in scoring three of the four quarters and forced multiple turnovers.

The defensive performance Thursday was better than the first meeting when the Lady Hawks stayed in foul trouble and allowed a third quarter rally from Liberty.

"We had to lock up on our player," Currie said. "Use out mind and not foul."

Boys

South Side 81,

Liberty 70

Chris McNeal, a Western Kentucky signee, went off for 30 points as South Side (8-5) finished off the season sweep of the Crusaders.

The Hawks won each of the first three quarters to build up a 13-point lead (64-51) going into the final eight minutes.

McNeal led five double-digit scorers for South Side, including Kameron Rose (12), Geordan Reed (11), Terrikous Smith (10) and Terrandous Smith (10).

Liberty (3-9) was led by David Murry and Ashton Willis with 13 points each.

Michael Odom, 425-9754