Alayna  McNulty and Kalli Miller

Bristol Herald Courier | Tim Hayes | Photo Credit: Emily Ball

BRISTOL, Va. – This much is known through Honaker High School’s first two games of the Region 1D girls basketball tournament: Alayna McNulty is locked in, and the Tigers know how to lock it down.

McNulty scored 16 points and also contributed to a stingy defensive effort as Honaker trounced the Twin Springs Titans for a 36-12 triumph on Thursday in the semifinals of the VHSL Region 1D girls basketball tournament at Virginia High’s Bearcat Den.

Honaker (26-1) forced 16 turnovers – 10 of those coming via steals – and held Twin Springs (16-11) to just one field goal per quarter in clinching a state tournament berth.

“Our practices are really defensive-centered, and we know that defense wins championships,” McNulty said. “We just have to focus on every possession and get our defense right. I think we really did a good job today holding them to 12 points.”

Honaker has not allowed an opponent to crack the 40-point mark since a 47-40 victory over the Union Bears on Jan. 15. That’s 15 straight games of holding an opponent below 40 points.

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TWIN SPRINGS (12) – Davidson 2-5 0-0 5, Bays 0-7 0-0 0, Gillenwater 1-2 0-0 2, Ross 0-5 0-0 0, Meade 1-6 0-0 3, Cassell 0-0 0-0 0, Beckham 0-2 0-0 0, Dean 0-1 2-2 2, Culbertson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 4-28 2-2 12.

HONAKER (36) – McNulty 7-12 2-2 16, C. Keene 4-10 0-0 9, Miller 0-2 0-0 0, Whaley 1-2 0-0 2, Farmer 3-10 0-0 6, Musick 0-0 0-0 0, Campbell 0-0 0-0 0, Rose 1-3 1-1 3, A. Keene 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 16-39 3-3 36.

Twin Springs 3 3 2 4—12

Honaker 9 6 14 7—36

3-point goals – TS 2-17 (Davidson 1-3, Meade 1-6, Gillenwater 0-1, Beckham 0-2, Ross 0-2, Bays 0-3), Honaker 1-8 (C. Keene 1-3, Rose 0-1, Farmer 0-1, Miller 0-1, McNulty 0-2). Rebounds – TS 17 (Davidson, Gillenwater, Dean 4), Honaker 20 (Keene 7). Assists – TS 3 (Bays 2), Honaker 10 (Farmer 4). Total fouls – TS 9, Honaker 10. Fouled out – none. Technicals – none.