Facebook
Google
 1:00 | |||||
| Falon Turner talks about Tuesday night's victory | |||||
| More VideosView All | |||||
|
By James A. McCray III
Prince George's County, Content Editor
By all accounts from the DuVal Lady Tigers basketball team, sailing the sea that is the high-school basketball regular season has been rough.
Though there have been more rough spots than bright spots, the DuVal ship sailed to a late-season victory Tuesday night at home, 81-48, over the visiting High Point Lady Eagles.
DuVal's Falon Turner and Tamara Russell navigated the Lady Tigers to a victory as each scored 16 points, respectively, and helped lead DuVal to its fourth win of the season.
"I am actually glad that we won," Russell admitted, "because we played like a team. Usually, we don't play like a team, so I am really glad that we played like a team today."
DuVal won in wire-to-wire fashion as the game was shaped by game-opening and game-closing scoring runs for DuVal.
A 13-1 run to end the opening quarter of play pushed the lead to 25-5, and as High Point battled back in the early stages of the fourth quarter, a 15-0 scoring run to extend the lead to 79-45 sealed the victory.
"I think High Point was just pretty worn down with our speed," DuVal head coach Keith Devoe said of the fourth quarter run. "The girls got a lot of transition baskets tonight; we had a lot of transition baskets, something we haven't had all year."
Russell and Turner each used plenty of lay-up baskets in conjunction with smooth mid-range jumpers to earn the victory.
"It was a good win," Turner said. "We played together like we should have. ... It has been a rough season but we finally pulled it together to get this win."
High Point still remains in search of its first win, however, seemed to find its stride in the third quarter, on the scoring of Porchia Smith and Dachelle Robinson as each scored 15 points, respectively.
"We have had problems with that all year," said High Point first-year head coach Elise Moscati. "Sometimes they play in the first half, and not in the second, or they play in the second half and not in the first. When they play like they did in the third quarter, it is frustrating for us coaches because we know that they can play that way the entire game.
" ... In the second half they did play the way we know they can play, and at least they have those positives going out of the game."
With both teams heading into their respective last games of the season, wins and confidence are of importance heading into this time of the season.
"This season has been a little rough," Devoe added. "We are a young squad with five or six sophomores on the team. They are really inexperienced with a few first-year varsity players. ... It has been an up and down season, and I just tell them to stay upbeat.
"This is a learning experience, and hopefully some of the spurts we have in these last couple of games carry on into the playoffs."
E-mail: James A. McCray III
DuVal 81, High Point 48
High Point -- 5 10 21 12; Robinson 15, Smith 15, Williams 7, Kadiri 4, Junio 2, Vincent 2, Elie 2, Scotland 1
DuVal -- 25 15 20 21; Turner 16, Russel 16, Shinault 9, Carpenter 9, Henry 8, Braxton 8, Clack 6, Gregair 5, Blaine 4,
