GIRLS BASKETBALL: NO. 1 PIEDMONT 54 | GUTHRIE 31
By Kale Fouts
Contributing Writer
Defense was the recipe for success for the top-ranked Piedmont girls Monday night.
They squared off against Guthrie in Collett Fieldhouse, forcing 16 turnovers, and 24-percent shooting on route to a 54-31 win.
Maddy Lee led the way for the Wildcats in the first quarter with nine points on 3-for-4 shooting with all of her points coming from behind the arc.
Piedmont continued its trend of great defense in the second quarter, limiting Guthrie to only seven points and a measly 12 first-half points.
Despite its great defensive effort, Piedmont struggled offensively in the second quarter, adding just 12 points while shooting 22-percent from the floor.
The Wildcats’ poor offensive output in the second gave Guthrie fans hope as they were only down by 13 at the half. It seemed to everyone in the stands as if this game was a blowout, but in reality it was anybody’s game.
Lee again came up big in the third quarter as she lit it up from the three-point line. She added three of her six three-pointers in the period to go along with two steals.
The Wildcat defense again destroyed Guthrie in the quarter and Triniti Harmon led the way. She came up huge with three blocked shots while the team held Guthrie to just five points on 2-for-12 shooting.
The Piedmont defense in the paint is really what stood out. It seemed like the Wildcats were brick walls when guarding anywhere near the basket. It was by far the team’s best quarter in all facets. They scored a whopping 18 points in the quarter.
Going into the fourth quarter the game had seemingly already been decided with Piedmont winning 43-17. The Wildcats put in the subs early. Guthrie was still resilient despite the score and they continued to fight as hard as they could.
Lee led the way for the Wildcats with 18 points on 6-for-9 shooting and also collected three steals. Tyeshia Anderson also had a big night as she added 10 points on 3-for-7 shooting and also put up four rebounds and four assists.
Piedmont will try to continue their winning ways next week at Western Heights.
