SLIDELL — Pine’s Lady Raiders played solid defense and the offense picked up in the second half, helping the team to a 47-24 victory over Pope John Paul II in District 9-2A play at PJP on Tuesday.
The Lady Raiders’ offense struggled the first half, but the team’s defense allowed them to get out to a 16-9 lead at halftime.
“We pretty much know that we’ve got to stop 5 (Jessica Feraci) and 13 (Savannah Beaudette) and for the most part, I thought we did a good job,” Pine coach Mary McGinnis said. “I think we only gave 5 one three all night, one good look at a three and she made it, but I was pleased. I thought our defense played good. Offensively, we’re a little slow sometimes, but we got through it.”
Savannah Kennedy led all scorers with 17 points.
“We played ‘3’ defense, which is a zone defense, so we could keep the middle tight and keep our wing tight, so that way we could limit the driving that we let come to us earlier this season when we played them,” Kennedy said. “We just really tried to pack in so that we could get the rebounds.”
Pine opened the lead during the early part of the second half by going on a 9-0 run over the first 4:48. Raina Crosby pulled down an offensive rebound, hit the shot and got fouled with 7:13 on the clock. She missed the free throw, but Jasmine Crosby collected an offensive board that led to Crosby hitting a layup to make it an 11-point game.
The score stayed 20-9 until the 3:54 mark when Elizabeth Barber nailed a 3-pointer from the left corner and tallied a fastbreak layup, giving Pine a 25-9 lead with 3:12 left in the third period.
Pope John Paul II got back in the game late in the third and early in the fourth. Pine was up 27-11 late in the third period when the Lady Jaguars went on a 9-0 run that extended into the fourth quarter.
Feraci hit 1-of-2 from the free-throw line to trim the lead to 15 with 1:45 left in the third. Chloe Molero hit a 3-pointer and Beaudette banked in a shot with 18 seconds left and it was 27-17, going into the fourth quarter.
Feraci brought the Lady Jaguars within seven at 27-20 at the outset of the final period with a 3-pointer.
But Pine rebounded and outscored PJP, 20-4 down the stretch in the 47-24 win.
Jasmine Crosby posted 10 points, which included three 3-pointers.
Kiyahsa Clark posted seven points while Raina Crosby tallied six, Barber had five and Kelsey Jenkins added two. Barber hit a 3-pointer in the win.
Beaudette was PJP’s leading scorer with 11 points.
Feraci tallied five points while Molero posted three and Ashley Calamari and Leanne Lain added two. Feraci hit a three.
Pine made it two straight the following day with a 45-42 victory over Independence on the road.
Kennedy once again led Pine in scoring, this time going for 15 points.
Barber posted 11 points that included a pair of 3-pointers.
Kaylyn Ginn recorded seven points while Raina Crosby and Clark posted four each and Jasmine Crosby had three for the Lady Raiders. Jasmine Crosby and Ginn hit a 3-pointer each.