On Tuesday night, Crest High School girls’ basketball team played host to the Independence Lady Patriots who were looking to bounce back from Thursday night’s loss to South Mecklenburg.
Indy’s Braylyn Milton started the game with a three-point basket, and Trinity Thompson followed with a jumper to give the Lady Patriots a 5-0 lead at the 6:55 mark of the first quarter.
The Lady Chargers hit two quick baskets to cut the score to 5-4. That was as close as Crest would come to taking the lead. After Crest’s second basket, the Lady Patriots went on an 11-0 run.
Braylyn Milton started the run with a drive to the basket and scored again on a three-pointer to move Indy out to a 10-4 lead. With 2:08 left in the quarter, Ayanna Anderson pulled down an offensive rebound and made the stick back to make the score 12-4.
Trinity Thompson added another point 13-4 from the charity stripe. With 11.7 seconds left in the period, Thompson hit a baseline jumper and was fouled. She made the free throw to make the score 16-4 at the end of the quarter.
At the beginning of the second quarter, Trinity Thompson stole the ball in Crest’s back court. Braylyn Milton raced down the floor and Thompson made a near-perfect pass to Milton who scored on a layup.
At the 7:25 mark, the Lady Chargers scored their only second-quarter basket, after which Indy went on an 18-0 run to make the half time score 36-6.
Indy started the second half with a Braylyn Milton three-pointer. After Crest scored two quick baskets 39-10, Trinity Thompson scored on a baseline jumper, and Laura Flynn drained another baseline jumper to make the score 43-12.
Ayanna Anderson and Aaliyah Lowery each scored a basket in the final thirty seconds of the quarter, to make the score 47-12 at the end of three quarters.
Braylyn Milton started the final stanza just like she did the third period with a three-point basket, only to follow it up with another three-pointer to make the score 53-12 with 7:25 left in the game. Ayanna Anderson, Alex Barrino, and Trinity Thompson made baskets to make the final score 60-13.
Braylyn Milton led all scorers with twenty-two points, eighteen of which came from three-point land. She had five rebounds, four assists, and seven steals. Ayanna Anderson scored thirteen points and pulled down seven rebounds. Trinity Thompson was the last Indy player to reach double figures. She added eleven points, pulled down six rebounds, had five assists, and eight steals. Alex Barrino scored five points. Laura Flynn, Azuria Barrino, Trinity Benjamin, Mariah Washington, and Kalyn Perry scored two points each.
The Lady Patriots are 2-1 and will travel to Ardrey Kell High School on December 3 for a non-conference game.
Independence 16  20  11  13 – 60
Crest         4   2   6   1 – 13
