Story and Photos by Rusty Ellis
The DeKalb County Lady Tigers moved to 2-0 on the season with their 64-32 win over Gordonsville on Saturday.
DeKalb came out on fire in the first quarter, as they took a 20-8 lead into the second frame. Defensively, the Lady Tigers faltered a bit in the second, but they still went into halftime with a 12-point lead at 36-24.
The third quarter saw the visitors open up the lead more by outscoring the Tigerettes 15-5, giving the Lady Tigers a 51-29 lead heading into the final quarter. There, DeKalb locked down on defense and held Gordonsville to only three points en route to a 64-32 win.
Ella VanVranken led a balanced scoring effort with 14 points, while Avery Agee scored 12. Kadee Ferrell and Madison Martin each scored 10 points.
“We came out of the gates pretty good,” said DCHS head coach Danny Fish. “It always helps when you make some shots early, and we had multiple contributions from different people…I was really happy with my team.”
Playing in a district like the one DeKalb resides in, their defense is going to be something they rely on night in and night out, and if they play like they did in the second half, they’ll be a tough team to beat.
“I thought in the first half that we played pretty good defense, but we’ve made a habit out of bailing people out with fouls,” Fish said. “Our emphasis was to play good defense, but don’t foul. Make them make shots…We want other people to beat us, not us beating ourselves.”
The Lady Tigers brought back several key contributors this season in players like Ferrell, VanVranken and Martin, but are also relying on several young players to step into new roles and play more minutes.
Through two games, Fish is pleased with what he’s seen.
“We’re still learning,” Fish said. “They’re getting these floor minutes early and getting better every time they step on the floor…these times early before you get into district, you can’t really replace that experience. We’ve been able to play 10 people in both games, which is going to be invaluable at the end of the year.”
The Tigers followed the girls up with a win of their own, this one of the 59-51 variety over Gordonsville.
The energy at DeKalb’s end of the floor stuck out in the first quarter, and the scoreboard reflected that with a 14-8 edge in favor of the Tigers heading into the second. That frame proved to be another tough defensive one for DCHS, as they allowed the hosting Tigers to cut that lead down to 29-21 at halftime.
The third frame saw DeKalb take control back of the game and extend the lead to 44-29 heading to the fourth. There, they scored the first six points of the quarter to push the lead to 50-29. Gordonsville fought back, but wouldn’t complete the comeback as the Tigers also earned their second win of the season 59-51.
Conner Close backed up his 29-point effort in the season-opener with 18 points to lead the way in this game. Brayden Antoniak added 12 points, and Robert Wheeler scored nine.
“Defensively, I thought we did a good job getting after it in the first quarter,” said Tigers head coach John Sanders. “We missed a couple shots around the rim and had a couple turnovers, but for the most part, I was pleased with how we started the game by coming out ready to play.”
The third quarter was where the Tigers did a bulk of their damage, something that Sanders hopes they can apply to an entire game as the season moves along.
“We were just moving the ball,” Sanders said. “We went on that run and got the lead to 20, we were moving the basketball better. Defensively, we generate a couple easy baskets. So when we went on that run, we just got into rhythm.”
It’s the second consecutive big game from Close to start the season, and for someone who Sanders has high expectations for, it’s a good sign that he’s found his rhythm this early in the season.
“I think he’s played really good,” Sanders said. “I’d like to see him stay aggressive. I think sometimes he gets a little tired and gets passive…he’s doing really well so far. There’s a lot to look forward to this season with him.”
DeKalb County will be back in action on Tuesday when they welcome Cannon County to town.
