Bristol Herald Courier | Jim Talbert | Photo Credit: Betty Davis, Honaker High School
HONAKER, Va. – Experience paid off for the Honaker Tigers as they advanced to the semifinals of the Region 1D girls basketball tournament with a 51-35 win over defending VHSL Class 1 state champion Eastside on Tuesday.
After seeing a 13-point halftime lead erased at the 7:18 mark of the fourth quarter, the Tigers turned up the pressure on defense and spread the floor on offense, triggering a 10-0 run that salted the game away.
“We have a lot of players that can handle the ball and spreading the floor let us take advantage of that,” said Honaker coach Misty Davis Miller.
It also got them to the free throw line where the Tigers connected on 13 of 16 attempts.
“That is what experienced teams do,” said Eastside coach Terri Anne Hill Funk.
Alayna McNulty was perfect from the line on eight attempts. McNulty, Kalli Miller, and Julianna Farmer led the Honaker charge in the fourth quarter.
McNulty, a four-year member of the varsity, hit clutch shots from the floor as well as the foul line and finished with 22 points and five rebounds.
Carey Keene (11 points, seven rebounds) and Kalli Miller (10 points, five steals) also scored in double digits, while Farmer finished with five points and pulled down six rebounds.
EASTSIDE (35) – Stanley 12, Damron 11, Bond 3, Clay 4, Williams 0, Rasnick 0, Johnson 5.
HONAKER (51) – McNulty 22, C. Keene 11, Miler 10, Whaley 0, Farmer 5, Rose 3.
Eastside 9 5 15 6—35
Honaker 20 7 4 20—51
3-point goals – Eastside 1 (Stanley), Honaker 4 (McNulty 2, C. Keene, Rose)