WINNSBORO – The Richard Winn Lady Eagles began the TruVista Christmas Tournament, hosted by RWA, with a statement win over the South Aiken Baptist Crusaders. RWA’s defense smothered the Crusaders from the beginning buzzer to the final and tallied a brutal 59-20 on day one of the two-day tournament.
Taylor Spires (15) goes up under the basket. Spires had 14 rebounds in the win. | DeAnna Robinson
“When they play their A-game, they’re very dominating under the basket,” Richard Winn head coach Millie Lambert said. “For the most part, we have a good solid post playing team, it’s just a matter of it all coming together.”
Richard Winn opened the game with the first bucket and ran their early lead up 7-0 before the Crusaders scored their first bucket with 2:48 left in the first quarter. That remained South Aiken’s only first quarter score until a late three-pointer, but they were down 9-5 after one.
Taylor Spires exploded for ten of Richard Winn’s 16 second-quarter points, and despite South Aiken having their best offensive quarter in the second, Richard Winn claimed a comfortable 25-14 lead at halftime.
If South Aiken had any hopes for a second half comeback, the door was slammed shut in the third quarter. The Crusaders had one field goal and only put up three points. Both Spires and Lydia Wilder doubled up South Aiken’s third quarter output and led the Eagles to a 20-3 run.
Again in the fourth, Richard Winn’s blanket defense swallowed up the Crusader offense. South Aiken followed up their dreadful third with another meager three-point period in the fourth.
Spires single handedly outscored South Aiken with her game-high 23 points, and Wilder had 10 of her sixteen points in the second half. Spires racked up a double-double with 14 rebounds.
“Very good at putbacks,” Lambert said of the Spires-Wilder duo. “We’ve been working on putbacks for the whole season and how important it is for offensive rebounds, and they finally realized that tonight and started doing it.”
Cassidy Salas’s 14 points accounted for the bulk of the Crusaders’ output.
RWA faced Holly Hill on day two of the tournament.
“I think this sets a pace for us,” Lambert said. “And hopefully we can continue this pace with Holly Hill.”
Following the tournament, the Lady Eagles are back in action Jan. 3 at Cambridge.
RWA – 9-16-20-14 – 59
SAB– 5-9-3-3 – 20
RW– Calee Thigpen -8, Taylor Spires -23, Lydia Wilder -16, Kimmy Albert -2, Rayne Williams -4, Emma Castles -4, Kaitlyn Thoma -2.
SAB – Cassidy Salas -14, Bria Sanders -2, Britney Yarnell -4.