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C2D2 GBK: East Carter returns to district championship
VAN BUREN — The East Carter Lady Redbirds would rely on other members to push ahead as one of their star players was sidelined in the first half.
Despite the adversity, the Lady Redbirds stayed disciplined to walk away with a 65-58 victory over the Alton Lady Comets to return to the C2D2 championship for the second straight year.
Junior Parker Golden was one of the players who stepped up for the Lady Redbirds with some solid play inside the paint. Golden finished with 15 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists.
“We’ve been dealing with injuries, but we’ve been adjusting all season,” Golden said. “We handled the adversity pretty well to take over and finish strong. I had a lot of faith in all my teammates, so there was no doubt in my mind that we were going to win. When Dylan went down, we had to pick up the pace and control our ball handling, but I feel like we moved the ball very well. We’ve worked hard all season, and I wasn’t ready to go home. My mindset is always to win, and there’s nothing else.”
The Lady Redbirds came out with a full head of steam on a mission to build a big lead early. With their fast-paced offense on the break, they managed to put up some quick baskets on the transition. East Carter closed out the first quarter on a 19-6 run of what could’ve been a long game for Alton.
Midway through the second quarter, the game shifted for the Lady Redbirds as point guard and senior Dylan Priced headed to the locker room with an injury. Though East Carter would go through most of the game without their dominant ball handler, they managed to hold a solid 32-29 heading into halftime.
The momentum quickly shifted as Alton saw a window to climb back into the game. Alton stepped back onto the floor with a lot of confidence as they started to chip away at the lead. Despite the run, the Lady Redbirds remained solid and continued to build on their lead. With a missing link in their starting lineup, big plays from Golden, Breanna Dohleman and Anna Crowley would keep the Lady Redbirds out front.
While holding a 55-45 lead to start the fourth, the Lady Redbirds would battle through more adversity with multiple key players in foul trouble. East Carter needed to protect the ball if they wanted a chance to defend their district title. In the game’s final moments, the Lady Redbirds would seal the victory with a dagger from Katelyn Nichols.
Dohleman added to the Lady Redbirds stat sheet with 18 points and four rebounds, while Crowley finished with 15 points and 14 rebounds.
The C2D2 finals game will be an OFC showdown as the Lady Redbirds will play the Neelyville Lady Tigers in the district championship on Friday at Van Buren.