Lee kept missing shots, but its defense kept forcing turnovers and giving the Lancers shot after shot at the hoop.
Eventually those shots started to go in, especially senior guard Vanessa Gardiner’s. Gardiner had 10 third quarter points to help break open a one-point game at halftime, sparking Lee to a 42-36 road victory over Annandale. It was the season opener for both teams.
The Lee full-court press kept giving the Atoms fits. Annandale, which started two freshmen and two sophomores, had a hard time getting the ball around the Lancer defense. The visitors found their best offensive success attacking the rim off those turnovers, and Coach Le Towe’s improved team depth helped keep the pressure on.
“It was a good opener,” Towe said. “I’m hoping this gives us a good confidence builder. We have better depth this year and we wanted to get lots of people touches.”
That happened, as the first seven Lancers to play all ultimately scored. While Annandale’s young backcourt had a rough night against the press, its young frontcourt kept the Atoms in the game. Freshman center Haley Garrish had 15 points and 22 rebounds, while sophomore forward Jane Elkins also had a double-double. The Atoms out-rebounded Lee 54-23, but Lee took 27 more shots than Annandale in the contest.
–Chris Jollay
all stats are unofficial
| LEE | FG | FT | TP | REB | AST | |
| BLUM | 3-13 | 1-3 | 8 | 4 | 1 | |
| PAUL | 0-4 | 1-4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| PULLIAM | 3-10 | 0-0 | 6 | 4 | 0 | |
| PELLEGRINO | 1-5 | 0-2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | |
| GARDINER | 8-28 | 1-5 | 19 | 8 | 5 | |
| Heraud | 2-7 | 0-2 | 4 | 2 | 0 | |
| Salih | 1-2 | 0-0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | |
| Mebrahtu | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Hite | 0-0 | 0-2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| TOTALS | 18-69 | 3-18 | 42 | 23 | 7 | |
| Threes: Gardiner 2-10, Blum 1-4, Salih 0-1, Pulliam 0-3, Heraud 0-3, Pellegrino 0-5 | ||||||
| ANNANDALE | FG | FT | TP | REB | AST | |
| MENDEZ | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| GARRISH | 6-15 | 3-4 | 15 | 22 | 0 | |
| MARTINDALE | 0-3 | 0-0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | |
| YUNGNER | 0-2 | 0-0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | |
| ELKINS | 5-12 | 1-4 | 12 | 11 | 1 | |
| Salisbury | 0-2 | 1-1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Johnson | 2-6 | 2-2 | 6 | 5 | 3 | |
| Kargbo | 0-1 | 0-2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Linares | 0-1 | 2-2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | |
| TOTALS | 13-42 | 9-15 | 36 | 54 | 9 | |
| Threes: Elkins 1-3, Yungner 0-1, Johnson 0-1 | ||||||