Wakefield employs a zone versus Battlefield as head coach Marcia Richardson looks on.
The Wakefield zone keeps Battlefield at bay in the Warriors victory Monday night.

#9 Lady Warriors defeat #10 Battlefield, 56-40

Going around the region this season we’ve heard a great many coaches lament their team’s relative lack of experience. Not Wakefield Coach Marcia Richardson. The talents of her four senior starters were on full display Monday night as the #9 Lady Warriors defeated #10 Battlefield at home, 56-40.

Seniors Hailey Finlay (left), and Summer Matlack.

Senior guard Summer Matlack had 19 points and was eight of nine from the free throw line. Senior Lyrin Hatcher was dominant inside, registering 15 points and 10 rebounds. Senior Hailey Finley impressed with her crisp passing, ringing up six assists. Senior Tamara Jackson played some sterling defense as did most, if not all, of Richardson’s squad.

“Their leadership is really shining through,” Coach Richardson said after the game. “This is it. This is their last hurrah and these guys have been playing together since they were elementary kids and in middle school. It doesn’t get any better than this your senior year.”

You could say it was experience that won the day, but Battlefield also is fortunate enough to start four seniors. Here it was just grit and determination that did it for the home team. That, plus some good defense and free throw shooting.

From the onset you could tell it was going to be an intense, playoff-type atmosphere. Battlefield raced to an early five-point lead in the first quarter, but Wakefield settled down a little bit at the end of the period and took a 14-10 lead. The teams switched defenses up a little bit until it became apparent neither side was looking particularly good shooting from outside.

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Matlack hits sophomore Lauryn Freeman for an open look.

After the half with the Warriors up 25-21, both teams settled into a more sagging zone to prevent penetration and force the other team to try from outside. Battlefield couldn’t do it and scored only one point the entire third quarter. Wakefield wasn’t much better from the perimeter, but the Warriors got their hands in passing lanes, forced turnovers and got to the line. That was the difference in the third quarter as the Warriors out-scored the Bobcats 15-1 in the frame.

Down 18 at that point there wasn’t much Battlefield could do against Wakefield (3-0). The Bobcats switched to a man defense and succeeded at opening scoring opportunities up a little bit, but the deficit was too much to overcome. Battlefield was 2-22 from three-point range on the night and missed too many free throws, with its starters missing 14 of them. That, along with key turnovers leading to fast breaks, was Battlefield’s undoing.

It was just one of those nights for the Bobcats (2-1), who were led by seniors Marley McLaughlin (12 points) and Dana Harrington (nine points, 10 rebounds). Battlefield still rightfully has great hopes for the year despite the setback, as do Richardson’s Warriors.

“We came off a great win over Tuscarora the other night,” Richardson said. “Battlefield is a great team and we have one of the toughest schedules we’ve had in a long time this year. The kids need to understand that along with their tough schedule and winning along the way you become the hunted. We have to embrace that.”

–Chris Jollay

all stats are unofficial

WAKEFIELD FG FT TP RBS AST
MATLACK 5-14 8-9 19 3 2
HATCHER 6-16 3-6 15 10 3
JACKSON 1-2 0-0 2 3 0
FINLAY 2-6 0-0 5 3 6
THAM-MORROBEL 3-8 7-7 13 4 1
Freeman 0-6 0-0 0 5 0
Foley 1-2 0-0 2 3 1
Lopez 0-0 0-0 0 1 0
Pearson 0-1 0-0 0 2 0
TOTALS 18-55 18-22 56 34 13
Three Point Shooting: Matlack 1-3, Finlay 1-4, Freeman 0-1
BATTLEFIELD FG FT TP RBS AST
KANTI 1-5 0-0 2 1 0
DANIELLE H. 1-9 1-5 3 3 1
MCLAUGHLIN 5-13 2-5 12 1 2
DANA H. 4-9 1-4 9 10 2
MOONE 1-7 4-7 7 5 0
Jenks 0-3 0-0 0 0 1
Marchand 0-0 2-2 2 0 0
Chipps 0-0 0-0 0 2 0
Turnbull 0-4 2-2 2 5 0
Beasley 1-3 0-0 3 1 0
TOTALS 13-53 12-25 40 28 6
Three Point Shooting: Kanti 0-3, Danielle Harrington 0-4, McLaughlin 0-4, Dana Harrington 0-1, Moone 1-6, Jenks 0-2, Jagels 1-2