WINNSBORO – After falling 24-65 to former Eagle coach Jason Haltiwanger’s Oakbrook Prep team on Monday night, the Richard Winn Lady Eagles hosted Anderson Christian on Tuesday and proceeded to wallop the Lions for four consecutive quarters. RWA’s defense prevented the Lions from scoring a single point in the first half, and when the final buzzer sounded the Eagles stood tall with a 51-3 victory.
Hannah Gibbons (21) makes the difficult entry in Monday’s Oakbrook game. | Martha Ladd
“We finally had a chance to actually run an offense,” Eagles head coach Milie Lambert said. “Once the girls finally settled and they did run the offense, they saw that when you perform with an offense it works. The positions were there and the shots were there.”
Domination started early for Richard Winn. Senior leader Gracie Atkerson put up all eight of her points in the first quarter, rejected two Anderson Christian shots in the first and finished with eight steals. Taylor Spires had a game-high 21 points and finished with 24 rebounds.
“Taylor is a great rebounder and I knew she’d get in there and get after it under the basket,” Lambert said. “She’s a really good outside shooter so having her availability under the basket and on the outside is a good weapon for us to have.”
Anderson Christian was already faced with a 23-0 deficit at the end of one, and the hill got steeper before halftime. Five Eagle players scored in the second quarter, and RWA extended the lead to 37-0 at the half.
The Lions finally broke the scoreless streak after Lexi Wyatt sank a three-pointer with under five minutes left to go in the third quarter. Spires scored 10 of Richard Winn’s 14-point second half.
“We have some young girls out there and they were all getting after it. It’s just a matter of which is going to come up and perform at which phase,” Lambert said. “The easy under-the-basket shots, we have to got to make those, we were given too many opportunities we can’t capitalize on.”
The Eagles see action again on Friday at home in a non-conference with Providence Athletic Club.
RWA: 23-14-8-6-51
AC: 0-0-3-0-3
RW – Taylor Spires – 21, Gracie Atkerson – 8, Hannah Gibbons – 6, Kaitlyn Thoma – 6, Rayne Williams – 4, Mikaela Miller -2, Kaeleigh Dukes – 2.
AC – Lexi Wyatt – 3.
Oakbrook: 9-29-15-11-64
RWA: 4-11-4-6-25
RW – M. Miller – 6, G. Atkerson – 6, H. Gibbons – 4, K. Dukes – 4, R. Williams – 4, T. Spires – 1
OP – Abbie Bishop – 25, Faith Sides – 15, C. Wayne – 13, Anna Troutt – 6, Brianna Glenn – 3, Kaycee Smith – 2
