BELPRE - A collective effort enabled the Belpre girls basketball team to register its first victory of the season.
Not only did Allison Flowers score a game-high 21 points in the Golden Eagles' 58-35 win against Wahama Monday night, but coach Scott Miller received 24 points from his bench as his ball club improved to 1-1.
Belpre answered the bell following a lopsided defeat to Waterford last week in its season-opener.
"Coming off the Waterford situation where I just wasn't happy with our effort in a lot of ways, we were able to build a lead tonight and get a lot of playing time out of a lot of people," Miller said. "A game like tonight gives us a lot to build on."
Belpre held Wahama scoreless for the first seven minutes of the game and raced to a 12-0 lead. The While Falcons (0-1) missed their first 11 shots from the floor before MacKenzie Gabritsch picked up a loose ball and knocked down a short jumper at the 1:52 mark of the first quarter.
Gabritsch accounted for the first six Wahama points, but by that juncture the Belpre lead had increased to 20-6 midway in the second quarter.
Flowers matched the White Falcons in the scoring department at intermission as the Golden Eagles built a 31-13 cushion.
The two teams traded baskets to start the second half before Belpre essentially put the game away with a 14-2 run during a five-minute span. Flowers hit her second 3-pointer from the left side of the baseline then received a dish inside from Kelsey Lerch as part of a three-point play the old-fashioned way.
Freshman teammate Jackie Cunningham also received a couple open looks on the baseline, which resulted in two straight buckets - including a 3-pointer off a feed from Sierra Barker which put the Golden Eagles in front 45-17 with just under two minutes remaining in the third quarter. Cunningham finished with 11 points.
Behind the post play of senior Ashley Templeton, Wahama managed to whittle the deficit to 50-30 with 3:11 left in the fourth quarter. The White Falcons, however, could not pull any closer.
Templeton had a decisive height advantage and finished with 19 rebounds to go with a team-high nine points. Despite battling foul trouble throughout the game, White Falcon point guard Karista Ferguson pitched in eight points.
Senior Brooke Kapple led Belpre with 11 rebounds and tied Flowers for a team-high five steals.
"I'm usually guarding girls three times my size, but you have to hold your ground," Kapple said. "Tonight was a better show of our team."
Even though Kapple scored just four points - all on free throws - she earned rave reviews from her coach.
"You cannot beat her effort," Miller said. "She is not a true post player, but she makes it work. She is a hustler and she's quick. That energy level rubs off on other people, and that's what I like."
Doddridge County 57,
Wood County Christian 20
WEST UNION -Doddridge County evened its record at 1-1 here Monday night with a 57-20 thumping of visiting Wood County Christian. The Bulldogs raced to a 28-9 halftime lead and never looked back.
Hunter Newton led Doddridge with 15 points while Bethany Carroll added 14.
Wood County (0-2) got 8 points from Adria herring.
Doddridge County travels to Ritchie County on Thursday night.
