Lady Broncos grab first 8-A win of season
The Lady Broncos were looking for their first District 8-A win of the season Thursday night against Mt. Juliet Christian at home.
Each team turned the ball over 10 times in the opening period, but the Lady Broncos never trailed, downing the Lady Saints 42-28 to improve to 1-7 in league play and 4-10 overall.
Mt. Juliet started off strong with back-to-back baskets in the opening minutes of the first period. Boyd used a zone defense, while the Lady Saints went man-to-man, but turnovers plagued the first period. Emily Newby put the Lady Broncos on the board at the 5:43 mark as Boyd scored the last nine points in the quarter for a 9-4 lead.
The Lady Saints once again started the period with back-to-back baskets pulling within one at 8-9. But in the second period Boyd did a much better job of protecting the ball, which resulted in 10 points with a basket from Lyndsey King, and two each from Courtney Hard and Jennifer Laxton. The Lady Saints continued to turn the ball over, but managed 10 points in the period as the Lady Broncos held a 19-14 lead at the break.
The Lady Broncos went to work on the boards in the third period, blocking out and pulling down rebounds on both offense and defense. Newby hit to open the quarter as Boyd built a 23-16 lead. Laxton nailed a 3-pointer at the 3:53 mark and drove the paint for two with under two minutes to play. Mt. Juliet added one more basket before the period ended with Boyd holding a 31-18 lead at the end of the third.
Laxton hit to open the final period and the Lady Saints’ Crystal Marshall hit a pair of free throws with six minutes left to play. Tabitha King hit from the paint and converted a three-point play, and Newby added a basket as Boyd held a 41-21 lead with 3:28 left. Christine Humes sank a 3, and Hannah Staggs added a basket for the Lady Saints, but Boyd’s lead was too large to overcome as the Lady Broncos picked up the victory.
Laxton led the Lady Broncos in scoring with 13 points, followed by Tabitha King with nine, Newby and Hard had six points each. Leah Walker had four, Lyndsey King hit for three and Lydia Powell added one point.
For the Lady Saints, Humes hit for seven, Holly Morgan, Brianna Lane and Staggs had four points each to lead the way.
The Lady Broncos next game will be at home Monday night against Van Buren County.