SWO girls pull away from DSA

The Southwest girls pride themselves on converting turnovers into opportunities.

Such style proved the Stallions’ difference against Durham School of the Arts.

Juniors Iesha Hayes and Tee Tee Taylor paved the way for a solid fourth quarter by each converting a steal into an easy layup to close the third and Southwest pulled away from the Bulldogs 52-35 Wednesday night in the second round of the NCHSAA 2-A playoffs.

The Stallions led by 10 early in the second half, but DSA managed to get within four with less than a minute remaining in the third quarter.

That’s when Hayes answered with a steal and layup with 20 seconds left before Taylor moments later scored in similar fashion. Those plays sparked Southwest (22-6), the second seed from the East Central Conference, to go on a 15-6 spurt in the fourth.

The Bulldogs, a wild card from the Mid-State Conference, departed 15-15.

“Those plays brought up our intensity,” said Hayes, a point guard. “We were ready to win the game after that.”

Hayes emerged as the Stallions’ leading scorer with 13 points, seven coming in the second half. Freshman Jasmine Williams added 12 points, freshman Jasmine Jordan netted 10 and Taylor chipped in with nine second-half points. Junior Shelby Cooper added seven rebounds while Taylor and Jordan each had six.

Williams began her squad’s 9-0 fourth-quarter run with a pair of free throws before Taylor added a putback and later a free throw. Hayes followed with a layup and another free throw for a 46-29 edge. Williams and Jordan later added layups to help extend the lead to 19.

“I was really proud that we came out focused and looked for each other,” said Stallions head coach Bev Marley. “We have seen in the last two games what we have worked on.”

But while the scoring was collective, Southwest’s defense was obviously the key.

“We came out and played sharp and got on the ball,” Hayes said. “We stopped reaching for the ball and started pressuring it.”

The Stallions forced 29 turnovers and limited the Bulldogs to just three field goals in the fourth. After making good on five first-half 3-pointers, DSA was limited to one following intermission.

“I think we did a really good job keeping their No. 14 (Felicia Maye) and No. 10 (Altiana O’Neal) off the 3-point line,” said Marley. “In the first half they hurt us more on the 3-pointers than on the 2-pointers, so we just gave up the lane to stop the 3s.

“They (players) did a good adapting because that is out of character for us.”

O’Neal, a freshman, led the Bulldogs with 11 points, including three 3-pointers. Senior Natisha Hall added eight points and Maye, a senior, notched six on a pair of treys. O’Neal had cut a SWO third-quarter lead down to 33-29 on a 3-pointer off the glass.

Senior Alexis Webb and junior Princess Bethea each had 12 rebounds.

“Those steals and layups were the turning point,” said DSA head coach Calvin Freeman. “We worked so hard to get the game close to give it right back and that was not only frustrating for me, but also for the players.”

Southwest now shifts its focus to Friday’s third-round encounter at Red Springs, the top seed from the Southeastern Conference. The Red Devils defeated Edenton Holmes 64-37 on Tuesday.

DSA (35)

O’Neal 11, Hall 8, Maye 6, Harmon 5, Webb 1, Bethea 4. TOTALS — 13-49 3-7 35.

SOUTHWEST (52)

Burney 2, Williams 12, I. Hayes 13, Jordan 10, Taylor 9, Cooper 4, Bell 2. TOTALS — 19-53 12-21 52.

DSA 8 11 10 6 — 35

Southwest 16 10 11 15 — 52

3-POINT GOALS—DSA 6 (O’Neal 3, Maye 2, Harmon), SWO 2 (I. Hayes 2). REBOUNDS—DSA 28 (Webb 12, Bethea 12), SWO 29 (Cooper 7, Jordan 6, Taylor 6). RECORDS—DSA: 15-15, season complete. SWO: 22-6, at Red Springs Friday in third round.