A second half surge allowed Manchester to blow the game wide open in a dominating 50-19 win over rival Benton Academy on Tuesday night.
Though the game is far less important than the district games, Manchester Academy head girls basketball coach Emily Poe believes the game still means a lot to the players.
“The girls were pretty pumped after the game,” Poe said. “Anytime you can beat a rival from the same town, it is a big deal. I’m proud of the girls.”
In the first half, the signs of a blowout were not glaringly obvious.
The Lady Raiders fought with the Lady Mavericks all over the court.
Manchester slowly pulled away, however, towards the end, and at the break, they led 27-14.
At the half, Poe calmed her players’ nerves and built up an intensity within them.
“We started off pretty slow, and it was a close game early on,” Poe said. “I talked to them in the locker room at half time, and it calmed their nerves. We picked up the intensity in the second half and started making shots.”
The second half was all Manchester.
Poe’s squad outscored the Lady Raiders 23-5 to take the contest 50-19.
Manchester was led offensively by towering eighth grader Lanie Potter, who put up 16 points in the victory.
When Poe saw Potter’s dominance early in the second half, she decided to make her the focal point of the offense.
“Lanie got hot down low in the second half,” Poe said. “They really struggled to stop her, so we made it a point to keep feeding her the ball.”
After facing Benton, Manchester had a grueling schedule before the oasis of Thanksgiving break.
They faced St. Al and Canton on Thursday and Friday, neither of which were completed by press time, and they close things out with a home game against Pillow on Monday.
Tip-off at Manchester against Pillow is set for noon.
Benton Academy played their final game before Thanksgiving break on Friday night against Carroll, but it was not upon completion by press time.
