Warren Central’s Saniyah Shelton scored a game-high 28 points, but it wasn’t enough for the Lady Dragons to knock off visiting Warren East on Friday night at Warren Central High School, as the Lady Raiders recorded a 57-51 win.
Shelton, a seventh-grader, was already up to 18 points at halftime to help the Lady Dragons (3-22 overall, 0-7 District 14) hold a 28-24 lead, but the Lady Raiders (15-10, 4-3) fought back in the second half to earn their sixth straight victory.
“I told them at halftime that we weren’t trying to really get the ball inside,” Warren East coach Orlando Hayden said. “We had to get the ball inside to Cressida (Duncan) and she had to be on the block and more aggressive. (Shelton) got hot and started hitting threes and it was hard to stop her.”
Duncan led Warren East with 20 points and 10 rebounds, while Cailyn Howard scored 18 points. Lucy Patterson and Olivia Price each added five points.
Along with Shelton’s big night, La Aunhni Lewis assisted in carrying Central with 10 points.
Warren Central was the aggressor in the first half.
The Lady Dragons jumped out to a 5-2 lead at the 5:46 mark of the first quarter and led 10-8 at the end of one. Warren East took its first lead on a Howard basket at the 2:02 mark that made it 8-7, but six points from Shelton helped Central hold its two-point advantage.
A three by Allie Hendrick put the Lady Raiders up 17-14 with 5:35 left in the second. Warren Central responded with a 6-0 run to take a 20-17 lead before a Howard three put East back in front.
Shelton matched Howard’s triple with a pair of her own – including one just before the buzzer – and sent Warren Central into the locker room at halftime up 28-24. Shelton was already up to 18 points at the break with four threes, while Cailyn Howard had 11 for the Lady Raiders.
Warren East bounced back in the second half.
“I told them in the first half I thought our defense was sloppy and we really didn’t come out and rebound,” Hayden said. “This is one of those games where you think you can come in and it’s gonna be easy, but everybody’s not gonna lay down for you. We had to come out and play.”
Duncan went on an individual 6-0 run and gave the Lady Raiders a 37-34 advantage with just under three minutes remaining in the third quarter. Tiffany Taylor’s bucket with 50 seconds left cut Warren Central’s deficit to 38-37, but Price scored to give Warren East a 41-37 lead entering the fourth.
The Lady Raiders built a 48-41 lead with 4:23 remaining, and it quickly grew to double digits at 53-41 with 3:41 left.
Shelton’s fifth three of the contest trimmed the Lady Dragons’ deficit to seven, but Duncan followed up with a score inside to put East back up nine and it was able to hold on for a road victory.
“I keep telling the girls that every time they step on the floor, they’ve gotta act like it’s the first game of District (Tournament),” said Hayden. “It’s win or go home now. It’s crunch time.”
Senior writer Tyler Mansfield can be reached at mansfield.sportingtimes@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter at @_TylerMansfield.
