Huntingdon girls bring intensity in win over Dresden
HUNTINGDON — One thing that Huntingdon coach Farris Lowery wanted to see from his team in the final two weeks of the season was intensity.
The Fillies came out with a high-level of intensity to outscore Dresden by 13 in the first quarter and go on to pick up a 70-50 victory over the Lady Lions on Thursday at Huntingdon.
“I thought we had a lot of intensity tonight,” Lowery said. “That is something that we haven’t had in recent games. You want to see the level of intensity up here before tournament time.
“You also want to see team basketball, and I thought we played team basketball. We had a lot of assists as we worked the ball looking for the open girl.”
Dresden (17-5, 9-1) suffered its first District 13-A loss of the season, while Huntingdon (14-3, 8-2) tied Gleason for the No. 2 spot in the district and sits one game behind the Lady Lions.
The two meet again on Tuesday at Dresden.
Both teams tried to press in the first quarter. Dresden got in foul trouble, while the Fillies handled the pressure better. Huntingdon was patient in moving the ball down the floor and not forcing passes.
“I thought we handled the pressure well,” Lowery said. “I thought that was a key for us, handling their pressure.”
The Lady Lions have multiple weapons that can score at any time, but when Millie Bryant went out four minutes into the game with her third foul, it changed how Huntingdon tried to defend the Lady Lions.
Instead of having to worry about Bryant on the perimeter, the Fillies focused on defending around the basket.
And playing underneath the basket is where Huntingdon senior Jesica Keith excels.
Keith scored 18 first half points on her way to a game-high 22 to help Huntingdon open a 23-10 lead after one quarter and extend it to 15 points by halftime.
“Jesica is a good player,” Lowery said. “She is a senior, and we look for her to take over.”
Three Huntingdon players scored in double figures with Taylor Smith scoring 15 points and LeAnn Webb adding 13.
Mary Grace Davis led Dresden with 18 points, while Kasey Gallimore added 14 points.
Boys
Huntingdon 64,
Dresden 54
The Mustangs (11-6, 10-0) kept its undefeated District 13-A record intact with a win over Dresden.
Huntingdon trailed by seven points at halftime (27-20), but the Mustangs doubled their halftime score in the third quarter with 22 points and matched those 22 points in the final quarter.
Jeremiah Pearson scored 17 points to lead, while Davion Phillips added 11 and Keeton Bailey had 10.
Dresden (9-7, 6-4) was led by Dresser Winn with a game-high 20 points. Dylan Yates added 12 points.
Reach Michael Odom at michodom@jacksonsun.com or 731-425-9754. Follow him on Twitter @JSWriterMichael.