The Centennial High Eagles improved to 9-5 after a Friday night victory over the Atholton Raiders, who dropped to .500 in the 56-44 contest.

 

Atholton took an early 10-8 lead behind sophomore Erica Makar's 4 first-quarter points, but momentum quickly swung in the Eagles favor as senior Molly Speicher lead the offense to a 16-10 lead at the first quarter's end.

 

Centennial saw stellar defensive play in the second quarter, holding the Raiders to a mere 5 points. Powerful defensive efforts were complimented on the offensive side of the ball by Speicher, who continued her dominance with 8 points. The gap in the score widened at the half's conclusion, with Centennial on top 31-15.

 

Junior Katie Mann provided a brief spark for the Atholton Raiders with her 6 points, but Centennial continued to pull away with the help of senior Kristin Anderson's deft second-half shooting. The Raiders were able to close the deficit slightly, but still trailed significantly with the onset of the fourth quarter at 42-28.

 

Athtolton's attempt at a fourth quarter comeback began when they scored 9 unanswered points, but were ultimately stifled in their efforts when sophomore Jessica Downing hit a three-pointer to ice the game and give the Eagles their ninth win.

 

The Eagles saw exceptional performances by Spechier and Anderson, who scored 22 and 15 points, respectively. Their next contest will be against the struggling Long Reach Lightning at home.

 

The Raiders fall to 8-8 with the loss, and will face a powerful 11-4 Mount Hebron team this Wednesday for a chance to rebound from the night’s loss.