BERLIN- In a game rife with emotion for a lot of reasons, it was Pocomoke’s girls’ varsity basketball team edging host Stephen Decatur on Monday, 37-36, in an early season battle between Bayside South heavyweights.
Decatur battled Pocomoke at home on Monday in a game many predicted to be a precursor for the Bayside South title. Before the highly anticipated game began, however, there was some more important business to dispense with. Pocomoke’s long-time coach Gail Gladding is battling cancer and before the first tip embraced former Seahawk coach Amy Fenzel-Mergott, who a few years back fought her own battle with the disease. Before the game, it was announced $250 from the gate would be donated to the American Cancer Society in both coaches’ names.
On a lighter note, Seahawk star Dayona Godwin was honored for breaking the Decatur’s all-time scoring record last week. Godwin, who set the new record with 1,508 points and counting last week, was honored with her parents and former Decatur scoring leaders Elise Mercer and Sue Ellen Vickers in attendance.
With the festivities dispensed with, the highly anticipated, physical game began with both teams riding the emotion. After a back-and-forth first half, Pocomoke led 25-19 at the break, but the Seahawks battled back. The Seahawks trailed by three at the start of the fourth, but a jumper by Lexie VanKirk tied the game at 26-26 about midway through the period.
The Warriors led by a point with six seconds remaining, but the Seahawks last chance to pull out the win slipped away when VanKirk’s last second shot rolled out and Pocomoke escaped with the 37-36 win. In the physical game, foul trouble and free throws proved to be the difference. Pocomoke made 17 free throws to the Seahawks’ 12. With the win, Pocomoke improved to 5-1 overall including a 5-0 mark in the Bayside South. Decatur fell to 5-1 overall with a 4-1 conference record.
Amaya Mumford led Decatur with 12 points, while Godwin added 11 and VanKirk pitched in nine.