Veterans girls basketball secure their first home win over Mary Persons 

KATHLEEN — Madison Sheppard and Nariah Nelson combined for 39 points as the Lady Warhawks defeated the Lady Bulldogs 70-48 in an early season matchup. 

Veterans (2-0) played aggressive on offense and defense as the Lady Warhawks jumped out to a 22-4 lead in the first quarter and took a 37-12 lead into the locker room at the half. 

Mary Persons (0-1) shook off some first-half rust and scored most of their points in the second half. 

PHOTOS: See more photos from the game.

The Lady Warhawks went on two separate scoring runs in the first quarter with aggressive ball handling and making key shots. Jessie Ortiz had a pair of layups, contributing to part of the first 11-0 run, which was followed by an 8-0 run after Mary Persons made one free throw. 

By the end of the second quarter, the Lady Warhawks held the Lady Bulldogs to 12 points, with 8 points coming from free throws. 

Christine Woolfolk started the scoring in the third quarter with a quick layup, followed by Sheppard hitting a 3 from the right side of the court. 

Camila Vicioso started a 6-0 run for Veterans before Mary Persons answered with their own 6-0 run, bringing the score to 48-24. 

After Francesca Jones hit a mid-range jumper to start the fourth quarter, Nelson took over on offense, scoring 8 of Veterans’ 12 points in the final quarter. 

Three Takeaways for Veterans 

1) Sheppard + Nelson combination: the pair of teammates chemistry was essential in transition, on setting up shots, and getting back on defense. 

2) Communication in transition: the Lady Warhawks had a handful of bad passes that could have translated into points had players kept their heads on a swivel. 

3) Improve on 3-point shooting: late in the second quarter, the Lady Warhawks shot 1-of-10 from beyond the arc and finished the game below 30% on 3-point shooting. 

Key Moment 

Late in the fourth quarter, Sheppard stole an inbound pass from the Lady Bulldogs and passed the ball to Nelson for a quick score that showed flashes of good early season chemistry.

Veterans head coach Tracy Fendley spoke highly of her team and their performance: 

“We played some good defense and shot well from the free throw line. We had a good night from Madison Sheppard – she led us with 22 points. Nariah Nelson had 17 points as well as many assists and rebounds.” 

“We need to improve on our offensive execution,” Fendley added. “We’re going to work on that as well as a few more aspects of our game plan and hopefully it all comes together Saturday against Warner Robins. I’m proud of the girl’s effort and I’m looking forward to growing as a team and winning games.” 

UP NEXT 

The Lady Warhawks play across town at the Warner Robins Demonettes (1-0) on Sat. Nov. 16 at 3:00 p.m.