After leading by 11 points on three different occasions, the Freedom girls basketball team found itself in a tie ballgame early in the fourth quarter with a persistent Draughn team.
Senior Peyton Caldwell took over for the host Lady Patriots from there, however, guiding FHS to a season-opening nonconference win over the county rival Lady Wildcats in ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ on Wednesday.
Caldwell scored 16 of Freedom’s 18 fourth-quarter points on her way to a game-high 27 points scored. Kaitlyn Hagmann had the other late basket for Freedom, which turned up the wick defensively down the stretch to limit DHS to just four points across the game’s final seven minutes and change.
“I was proud of how we battled, especially since we’re a little banged up right now,†FHS head coach Amber Reddick said. “So, I was super-proud of how we battled. I definitely want to see our closeout angles and our defensive rebounding improve, but I was really happy with how we managed the game and the clock down the stretch.â€
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Hagmann and Cynica Caldwell finished with nine points apiece for Freedom, which also received four points apiece from Ava Cooke, Haven Gladden and Jenaya Johnson and two points from Alayhia Bates.
In their season-opening loss the Lady Wildcats (0-1) were led by 18 points from Kenley Berry, 14 from Jacey Davis and 10 from Mati Kincaid. Also scoring for DHS were Taylor Holder (three points) and Alexis Vasser (two).
Thomas Jefferson 77, NCSSM-¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ 14
The Lady Dragons (0-5) remained winless with a mercy-rule nonconference loss at home in ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ on Thursday, trailing 29-1 after a quarter, 46-4 at halftime and 67-9 after three periods before the visiting Lady Gryphons led the fourth frame 10-5 to win by 63 points.
No more details were available at press time.
BOYS
Thomas Jefferson 77, NCSSM-¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ 38
The Dragons (1-6) lost in nonconference play at home in ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ on Thursday. No more details were available at press time.
