BERLIN- Stephen Decatur’s girls’ varsity basketball team got in the win column this week with a solid team effort resulting in a 51-40 win over visiting Cambridge-South Dorchester on Monday.
The young Seahawks struggled a bit to start the season, dropping their first two games, but showed a glimpse of their future with a win over the Vikings on Monday. After falling behind, 13-7, in the first quarter on Monday, Decatur put together three and half quarters of great basketball at both ends of the floor. After trailing for much of the first quarter, Decatur’s Shakiyla Shockley scored with 51 seconds left in the first to cut the lead to 13-9. Erica Howell stole the ensuing inbounds pass and converted a lay-up to cut the lead to 13-11 as the first quarter expired.
Right off the bat in the second quarter, Decatur’s Kylie Nottingham scored a quick basket to tie the game at 13-13. After Cambridge went ahead again, Decatur’s Kristen Lubeski and Chele Lathroum each scored baskets to put the Seahawks ahead for good at 18-17 with just over three minutes left in the first half.
Howell scored again to make it 20-17 and Virginia Harris converted a long three-pointer on a bank shot to push the lead to 23-17. Lindsey Parker then made a nice baseline jumper to push the lead to 25-17, which is how the first half would end.
In the third quarter, Harris made a quick basket to extend the lead to 28-19 and Parker scored on two straight possessions to make it 32-21 with just over five minutes left in the third. Cambridge went on a mini-run about half way through the third period to cut the lead, which had been 14 points, to just seven, but the Seahawks finished the third quarter strong. Decatur cranked up the full-court pressure in the third, which caused numerous turnovers and easy scoring opportunities.
Parker scored on a nice baseline move and Nottingham stole an inbounds pass and converted a lay-up to make the score 38-27 at the end of three quarters. The Seahawks extended their lead to 12 points again at 41-29 early in the fourth quarter, but there was no quit in the Vikings. Relying largely on the outside jumper, Cambridge scored on three straight possessions to cut the lead to seven points again, but the Seahawks did not bow to the pressure.
What Decatur did do for a long stretch in the fourth was continue to pick up fouls, which presented the Vikings with opportunities to chip away at the lead without much time coming off the clock. Cambridge cut the lead to seven at 42-35 with a lot of time left, but the Seahawks took care of business down the stretch, making several free throws of their own to get the satisfying 51-40 win at home for their first of the year.