Second quarter surge propels Conway girls past Carolina Forest
Frustrated by her team’s lack of execution on both ends of the floor, Conway girls basketball coach Shamae Hemingway had seen enough.
After allowing Carolina Forest to grab five consecutive offensive rebounds, the Tiger coach benched her starting five in an effort to send a message.
“We just weren’t playing well, especially on the defensive end,” Hemingway said. “We weren’t boxing out, we weren’t playing with an intensity or spark. Something had to change.”
Obviously, the message was well received by Conway players, responding with a 20-2 second-quarter run that helped turn the game in the Tigers’ favor, en route to a 55-47 victory Friday night over the rival Panthers.
“It’s kind of what I wanted to see, after facing some adversity the girls kept their composure,” Hemingway said. “It showed we have a bit of fight, and that will take this team a long way.”
Down 17-10 after a quarter of play, Conway started finding its mark from deep range, knocking down four 3-pointers in the second quarter. The play of Lanaejha Evans was particularly key in the second period, scoring nine points during the key spurt that changed the game.
Carolina Forest would hang around, however, cutting the Tiger lead to a bucket with two minutes remaining in the third quarter. But as would become a common theme in the second half, every time the Panthers made a run Conway would answer with one of its own.
Meme Williams led the Tigers with 16 points, while Evans chipped in 15 of her own. Leading the way for Carolina Forest was Alexis Tomlin with 22 points in a losing effort.
With the victory, the Tigers assured themselves of the No. 2 spot in Region VI-AAAA and a home game when the playoffs tip off Tuesday night. Conway will host Fort Dorchester, which finished third in Region VIII-AAAA.
Knowing the importance of the playoffs and the reality of a “win or go home” scenario, Hemingway is doing her part to get her team prepared mentally as well as physically for what lies ahead.
“I’m pleased to make the playoffs, because we worked so hard for it,” she said. “But that’s not the ultimate goal. We did our part to earn home-court advantage in the first round, and we must do what we can to defend it.”
▪ CAROLINA FOREST (47): Cheyenne Pyles 11, Aubrey Bowen 5, Ellen Nardella 7, Jordan Martin 2, Alexis Tomlin 22.
▪ CON (55): Meme Williams 16, Zakera Chadman 7, Lanaejha Evans 15, Danielle Robinson 4, Janecia Hemingway 4, Teana Sherman 7, Nancie Edge 2.
CF | 17 | 5 | 15 | 10 | — | 47 |
CON | 10 | 20 | 9 | 16 | — | 55 |
▪ 3-point goals: CF 3 (Bowen, Nardella 2), CON 6 (Williams 3, Chadman, Evans, Sherman). Team fouls: CF 10, CON 11. Fouled out: None. Technical fouls: None.
▪ Records: CF 9-15 (2-8 Region VI-AAAA), CON 14-7 (7-3).
Joe L. Hughes II: 843-444-1702, @thejournalist44
This story was originally published February 12, 2016 at 11:51 PM with the headline "Second quarter surge propels Conway girls past Carolina Forest."