Defense fuels Webb’s rivalry win
Knoxville — Webb School of Knoxville’s girls basketball team got off to a fast start against Cedar Bluff rival Knoxville Catholic at home Friday night,Feb. 6.
And that would be enough to propel the Lady Spartans into the win column against the Lady Irish before a packed and spirited house at Lee
Athletic Center in a 56-41 Division II-AA East Region contest.
“I just thought we got off to a great start,” Webb coach Greg Hernandez said. “We did a good job on defense. Any time you hold a team to 41 points in a high school game, you should win.
“I thought we did a good job defensively across the board.”
The Lady Spartans’ defense stifled the Lady Irish throughout much of the contest, although Catholic enjoyed a brief spurt of momentum in the second quarter.
Webb, which led, 20-9, after the opening frame, went a bit cold offensively in the second stanza, scoring just seven points in the frame. Still, the Lady Spartans held a 27-18
advantage at the halftime break.
Hernandez issued a challenge to one of his players and Kyndall Mays answered.
“I’m so proud of Kyndall,” Hernandez said. “I got on her a little bit in the second quarter and halftime and she responded. She’s been a little under the weather.
“I’m hard on the team because I want them to be so good.”
The coach must have pushed the right button with Mays and the rest of his team.
Webb outscored the Lady Irish, 17-12, in the third quarter and Mays had a big third frame as she scored five of her 11 points in the quarter, helping her team pull away and defeat KCHS for the second time this season.
The Lady Spartans shared the ball well Friday night against Catholic as they boasted a balanced offensive
attack.
Meeyah Green and Ivy Napier also scored 11 points apiece for Webb while Zaniyah Rockett finished the contest with 10 points.
Emery Haws scored a game-high 12 points for the Lady Irish.
