LUMBERTON — Scotland’s girls basketball team got off to a hot start in their first-round Sandhills Athletic Conference tournament game at Lumberton on Tuesday, but it wasn’t enough to keep their season going.
Lumberton defeated Scotland 59-44 to end the Lady Scots’ 2018-19 campaign.
Asjah Swindell notched a double-double with 15 points and 15 rebounds for Scotland. The Lady Scots finished with an overall record of 9-16.
“My girls came out excited,” said Mallarie Snow, Scotland’s head coach. “They really wanted to win this game. Playing here at Lumberton, we always know it’s going to be competitive.”
Scotland jumped out to a 13-1 lead in the first quarter, and they held an eight-point lead at the end of the period. The Lady Pirates used a 9-0 run to take a 22-21 lead in the second quarter.
Scotland’s Jahkayla Walker responded with a basket to give the Lady Scots the lead again, but Lumberton’s Zye Cade used a fast break layup to give the hosts a 24-23 halftime lead.
Cade made another big basket at the end of the third quarter. After the teams swapped the lead several times throughout the period, Cade made a 3-pointer to give Lumberton a 37-29 lead heading into the final quarter.
Lumberton expanded its lead to 42-29 with a basket and a three-point play by Madison Canady. The Lady Scots cut the deficit to nine points at four different points later in the quarter — once on a pair of free throws by Miste Clark, another time on a basket by Swindell and a third time on a bucket by Niaria Leach that made the score 48-39 with three minutes left in the game.
The final time was on a basket by Nautika Moore that made the score 50-41. The Lady Pirates took over from there. Lumberton ended the game on a 9-3 run with the help of baskets by Canady, Alex Simpson and Rachel O’Neil.
Leach had 11 points for Scotland. Kadence Sheppard wrapped up her freshman season with an eight-point performance. Moore had nine rebounds.
Canady had 29 points and four rebounds for Lumberton. O’Neil had 10 points.
