After Washington beat Greene Central by 15 on its home court on Nov. 22, the Lady Rams hoped to find some success with a tweaked defense. However, the Lady Pack created some separation in the second quarter en route to a 56-46 win on Tuesday.

First-year Lady Rams coach Keeshonna Davis made some defensive adjustments since the two teams last met in Snow Hill. It worked for a bit and staved off Washington down the stretch, but the Lady Pack was still able to pick up its fifth win to start the season.

“Our defense was key because we’re a fourth-quarter team. We’ve got to learn to show up in the first quarter,” she said.

Greene Central was in the game early on, though. The two sides traded baskets throughout the first eight minutes. The opening period almost ended in a tie, but Kizoria Redmond drained a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give Washington a 13-10 lead.

“That was big for momentum,” Washington coach Ralph Biggs said. “The first quarter was kind of like a boxing match. I feel you out. The girls finally got into a rhythm, and that’s where our depth comes in. … I think we wore them down.”

 

The Washington defense held Greene Central to just three made baskets in the second quarter. Meanwhile, Nazayah Parker got her mid-range game going, and Tierra Wiggins knocked down a trey. That helped break the Lady Rams’ defense and open up Daria Jones in the post.

“They had a little different wrinkle with the zone they played, so we had to get them out of that,” Biggs said. “Once we got them out of that, we played the same game we played (in Snow Hill).

“Tierra and Nazayah hit a couple of shots that made them come out and guard them. Once you do that, Daria starts doing her thing.”

Jones had seven of Washington’s 16 second-quarter points. She finished the game with 15.

Already with a 29-16 lead, the Lady Pack stormed out of the halftime break on a 12-2 run. Sheckeria Boomer and Hailey Respess each got layups late in the third to help Washington take a 46-27 lead into the final period.

Greene Central produced some fourth-quarter momentum behind the likes of Aniyah Jones. She led the way with 14 points, including a late triple, but Washington led by as much as 17 in the fourth, which sealed the win.

The visitors, however, we able to cut their deficit to a respectable 10 points by the time all was said and done.

“We subbed in and didn’t keep our concentration,” Biggs said. “They let off, but that’s what it’s for. You’ve got to learn that it’s more intense in a game than it is in practice. It’s a good workout for some people who aren’t used to being in a game when a team is making a run.”