Cristin Gray (42) banks one in for the Lady Griffins. (Photo/Joe Seibles)
WINNSBORO (Dec. 7, 2016) – The Lady Griffins picked up their first win of the 2016-2017 season on Tuesday night when they knocked off the Dutch Fork Silver Foxes in a 46-44 nail-biter.
“Well basically we just wanted to stay the course and do what we do,” Griffins head coach Amelia Miller said. “It was all about the defense. It was all on defense and we had eighth-graders step up. Jamaria Sampson played all game, Cristin Gray controlled my middle. We played aggressive and did what we needed to do.”
Sampson and Gray led the way for the Griffins with 12 points apiece, while Wareanna Butler topped the Silvers Foxes’ score sheet with 14 points.
Things got off to a rocky start for the Lady Griffins due to a turnover-plagued first quarter, and they were only able to muster 5 first quarter points, leaving them in 11-5 hole going into the second.
The second quarter was all Griffins. They pulled off both a 5-0 run and a 7-0 run in the period, and took their first lead of the game, but Dutch Fork battled back to end the half in a 19-19 tie.
Both teams continued the same neck-and-neck battle that was seen in the first half. First, the Lady Griffins opened the quarter with a 12-2 run to go up 31-21, but after a Silver Fox 12-2 run, the third quarter ended like the second, with a tie ballgame.
Dutch Fork and Fairfield entered the fourth with the game tied up 33-33, and the teams fought tooth and nail to gain any type of advantage. Neither team held more than a 4-point lead in the final period.
A Silver Fox foul with 4.5 seconds remaining and the game tied at 44-44, sent Gray to the line to shoot two. She sunk both of her shots.
Jenna Mills, a Dutch Fork Senior, heaved up a half-court prayer shot at the end, but it bounced off of the rim, and the Griffins held onto the 46-44 win.
“Oh man it was awesome,” Miller said. “They beat us by a great margin the other night, and it was pretty sweet because we wanted this one, but we’ve just going to move forward and get better.”
Fairfield 46, Dutch Fork 44
FCHS :5-14-14-13 – 46
DFHS: 11-8-14-11— 44
Fairfield
Cristin Gray 12, Jamaria Sampson 12, Jameka Henderson 9, Tahalier Collier 6, Tameshia Woodard 5, Lakeyn Boyd 2.
Dutch Fork
Wareanna Butler 14, Madison Golden 12, Iyonna Harris 10, Jenna Mills 3, Lakelyn Malovic 2, Jenna Bishop 2, Meghan Jones 1 .
