Spartans off to 3-0 start
The Salem High girls are going to be fun to watch this year. The Spartans run it up and down the floor and, so far, they’ve played three exciting games.
Last Wednesday the Spartans opened the season with a 61-41 win over a solid Lord Botetourt team in Daleville. The Cavs rebounded well, worked the ball inside, and lost by 20 points as Salem coach Dewayne Harrell switched girls in and out like Cher changing outfits at a concert.
“We turned the ball over too often,” said Lord Botetourt coach Chuck Pound. “Their quickness gave us some trouble, and they just had too much depth for us. They have a bunch of girls who can play.”
Salem led by just three after the first quarter and LB hung with Salem for the first half of the second period. Then Salem, led by the hot shooting of Alexeus Patterson, made a run late in the half and all of a sudden the Spartans were up 34-23 at intermission.
Emily Richardson led Salem in scoring Tuesday. - Photo by Brian Hoffman
Botetourt stayed within reach by outscoring Salem, 12-11, in the third period. However, Salem caught fire early in the fourth and won going away. Patterson finished with 22 points and freshman Tay Taylor had 14 in her high school debut.
On Friday the Spartans played their home opener against William Byrd, and for the first half it was a disaster. Salem trailed 35-20 at the half and appeared all but buried. However, they dug themselves out after intermission and, by the end of the third quarter, they had a 43-40 lead and went on to a 53-48 win.
“I think the girls might have been a little nervous at the start, playing at home for the first time,” said coach DeWayne Harrell. “Our shooting was way off. I don’t mind them taking the shots they’re taking, but they’re going to have to make more than that.”
Salem shot 45 percent against LB but only 22 percent against Byrd, hitting 20 of 70 from the floor. The fact a high school girls team can get off 70 shots is a feat in itself, and you almost have to take that many to shoot 22 percent and win. Salem scored just five points from the line, hitting five of 17 for a miserable 29 percent.
The difference, of course, was defense. Harrell went with a five guard lineup in the third quarter and turned on the heat. The Terriers bailed out of the kitchen.
“I really didn’t want to show that in December,” said Harrell. “There were five or six coaches scouting us and I hate to give up our secrets right away, but we had to go to that(five guard lineup) to have a chance to catch up.”
Keri Belcher, who had just one point in the opener, had 16 against Byrd to lead the Spartans. Patterson had 11, Bre Kawa had eight, and Taylor had seven for the Spartans.
On Tuesday the Spartans were at Northside and they made it 3-0 for the season and 3-0 against Blue Ridge District teams with a 50-33 win. Northside scored teh first seven points of the game but Salem bounced back and was up by 20 at one point. The Spartans were 17 for 36 from the floor.
Harrell took advantage of Salem’s height advantage against Northside, pumping the ball low to Emily Richardson, who led the Spartans with a dozen points. Belcher had nine, Patterson had seven, and Taylor had six. Salem has had a different high scorer in all three wins.
The Spartans are now in the midst of a week off, as they don’t play again until next Tuesday, December 15 when they play host to William Fleming.
