Both teams took some time to settle in on Thursday. Cierra Wiggins’ transition layup 3:22 into the game was the first basket. Washington took a 19-5 lead after the first quarter and rode it out for a 69-65 win over former 2-A Eastern Plains Conference rival Farmville Central.

The gap in experience fuelled the Lady Pack win. Upperclassmen Hailey Respass, Tierra Wiggins, Cierra Wiggins and Daria Jones used their familiarity to jump on the visiting Lady Jaguars early.

PHOTOS: Washington JV boys, varsity girls, varsity boys basketball

“They had nine freshmen, so it took them a little longer to settle in than us,” Washington coach Ralph Biggs said. “The home crowd got behind them and they got their legs under them. I think that helped a lot. It was a nice crowd tonight.

“(The upperclassmen) know what I expect. They know what to do. It’s just a matter of them clicking. When we win, a lot of the times, I do the least amount of coaching.”

After back-to-back baskets by Wiggins, a 3-pointer from Cyntavea Blackledge put Washington ahead 7-2 early on. Monique Erazo earned three of Farmville Central’s five first-quarter points at the free-throw line. The Lady Pack ended the period on a 10-0 run thanks to transition buckets and a trey from Kizoria Redmond.

The Lady Jaguars scored the first nine points of the second quarter to cut Washington’s lead to 19-14. Rashya Speight’s layup gave them their first lead, 22-21, with 3:50 left in the first half.

Jones knocked down a shot from behind the arc to give the Lady Pack a 26-23 advantage that it wouldn’t relinquish. Wiggins ended the half with four unanswered points to put her side ahead, 32-27, at the intermission.

In the second half, Jones went on to show off the versatility she’s been developing in the offseason. She displayed her range in the first half. In the opening moments of the third quarter, Jones used her height to dominate the post and was able to find mismatches to drive the lane.

“She’s expanding her game. She’s getting better,” Biggs said. “She’s worked on her outside game, so we’re going to let her use it. It gives us a good mismatch.”

As a team, the Lady Pack exploded out of the gate in the second half. Defensively, Farmville Central was held to two baskets while five different Washington players made shots to produce a 47-31 lead.

Cadajah Barnes finished the period by going coast-to-coast for a layup, but she and the Lady Jaguars found themselves down 51-40 going into the final eight minutes.

Transition opportunities helped Farmville Central come within two shots of tying the game, 59-53. Zion Sheppard’s triple cut it to 67-63, but with only 20 seconds left on the clock, Washington was able to hang on.