JOHNSON CITY – The North Greene girls spread the ball around on Thursday as they put four players in doubles figures while a pair freshmen hit new scoring highs in a 64-27 win over University High.
“It was a slow start, but we buckled down and only gave up nine points in the second half, which I was very pleased with,” North Greene coach James Buchanan said. “I felt like we controlled the glass and forced turnovers. That’s what we want to do. I felt like we took a step forward tonight. It was a good day for the whole program. I’m especially proud of Josie Graham tonight. She was aggressive and looking to score, and she gave us a huge spark off the bench.”
Thursday’s first quarter started with a slow pace and that allowed the Lady Buccaneers to hang around early.
The night started with Loren Blevins scoring North Greene’s first six points on a pair of three-pointers. Mercy Buchan pushed the lead to 9-4 at the midway point in the period when she drained a straight-away trey.
The Lady Bucs came back and closed the gap to 11-9 on a free throw from Emma Chandley.
The Lady Huskies got going again with a triple from Kaydence Marshall, and they finished the quarter leading 16-11 after a high-low feed from Hannah Miller set up Josie Graham for a bucket.
Starting in the second quarter the Lady Huskies went with a full-court press to try to stop University High from slowing the game down, and the result was 14 unanswered points.
On the offensive end the Lady Huskies sent the ball inside early to Miller and Graham who alternated scoring on the way to a 24-11 lead. Graham then stepped outside for a triple, and with 2:55 left in the half she made a free throw that put North Greene in front 30-11.
Graham, a freshman, had a huge day coming off the bench on Thursday as she poured in 22 points to lead all scorers.
“I don’t know that Josie is super comfortable scoring at all three levels yet, but we have been encouraging her to work on it,” Buchanan said. “You never know what it’s going to look like until you try it in a game. Tonight she was ready to go get us some buckets, and it was good to see her put it all out there.”
In the final minute Miller and Cadie McDevitt each hit from behind the arc to stretch the Lady Huskies’ lead to 40-18 at halftime.
North Greene made seven three-pointers in the first half, and they came from six different players. North Greene also put four players in double figures on Thursday. In addition to Graham’s 22 points, Blevins scored 11 points, Miller had 10 points, nine rebounds and five assists, and McDevitt had a career-high 10 points.
“That is a coach’s dream. If you are too one dimensional you are too easy to guard, but if you can spread it around you make the defense pick their poison,” Buchanan said. “Early on they tried to play zone to keep Hannah from hurting them inside, but we were knocking down threes so they had to go to man. Just forcing the other team to make adjustments is big.”
Ella Head, who watched much of the first half in foul trouble, got the second half started by charging through the paint for a lay in. Three-pointers from Graham and Blevins followed and the Lady Huskies led 50-21.
North Greene finished the third quarter with a 53-24 lead.
North Greene scored the first five points of the fourth quarter for a 58-24 lead. Miller found Blevins on a backdoor cut, and then Head set up McDevitt for a transition layup.
Lemy Ortiz hit a three-pointer for UH, but those were the Lady Bucs only points in the period as North Greene cruised to a 64-27 win.
