Lady Maroons top Lady Pioneers

By L.L. WIMMER/Correspondent

The Fort Chiswell Lady Pioneers made the short bus ride to George Wythe Friday night for a non-district girls’ basketball contest.
In a whistle-filled game, the Lady Maroons came out on top 78-61. Ashley Buchanan had a game-high 31 points for GW while teammate Lacey Price added 30.
Kendra Vaughan tied for team high honors for Fort Chiswell with 20 points (including four treys) while freshman Nancy Thacker added 20, including a pair of three-pointers.
FC jumped out to an 8-4 lead in the first quarter behind Vaughan, Lakin Arnold and Carlyta Hamm. Price then got hot and cut the lead to a pair. Vaughan countered with five points, but Price, Shelbie Bennett and Amy Hall put GW on top 15-13 after a quarter.
The Lady Maroons outscored the girls from the Fort in the second period 22-13 as Price, Buchanan and Hall were the main cogs for the Lady Maroons. Thacker, Vaughan, Hamm and Quesenberry tried to rally the Fort, but GW led 37-26 after two quarters.
Thacker heated up in the third quarter as she scored 13 points. Vaughan added five and Brittany Lambert added a pair, but George Wythe replied with Buchanan, Price, Hall, Bennett and Chelsey Corvin as the Lady Maroons led 59-46 after a trio.
Over the final eight minutes, Buchanan, Price, Corvin and Bennett continued to score for GW as it stayed in control. Christina Shockley, Vaughan, Hamm, Thacker and Quesenberry tried to fuel the Fort, but it was not enough as GW took the county win.
The Lady Pioneers outscored GW 56-50 from the field. The Lady Maroons went to the free throw line 43 times, while the girls from the Fort visited the charity stripe eight times.
Vaughan had her second fine outing along with her running mate at guard – Thacker. FC was hurt as Shockley was saddled with foul problems and played only seven minutes before fouling out along with Vaughan. The Lady Pioneers could not afford to be aggressive as two other starters finished the game with four fouls.

Fort Chiswell – Thacker 20, Quesenberry 8, Arnold 2, Shockley 2, Hamm 7, Vaughan 20, Lambert 2.
George Wythe – Hall 3, Bennett 10, Corvin 4, Buchanan 31, Price 30.

JV game:
George Wythe 40, Fort Chiswell 26.
Fort Chiswell – Coffey 9, Whitt 4, Thomas 1, Waller 5, Steed 2, Lawson 5.
George Wythe – Hodge 6, Marrs 1, Govin 4, Barbrow 15, Vaught 12, Gregory 4.