John Paul II girls star Tkai DeVore was held to single digits, but the Golden Warriors still found a way to pull out a 25-22 road win over Hilton Head Prep on Tuesday.
Abby Quinty scored 12 points to lead the way for JPII, which used an outstanding defensive effort to hold off the pesky Dolphins.
“We worked hard in practice this week,” JPII coach Karen Floyd said. “We knew we had to stop the Clark sisters, so we made sure to deny Ella from the 3-point line and Kierstin from her drives. We centered our defense around those two players.”
Both teams were ice cold to start the contest, as the hometown Dolphins managed a 4-2 advantage after a quarter of play, but JPII woke up in the second, going on a 13-2 run.
The Golden Warriors led by as many as 11 points midway through the third quarter, but the Dolphins had no quit. They cut the deficit to six at the end of the period and were within four with time running out.
After Bella Termini sank a free throw to up the lead to five, Ella Clark made two clutch foul shots to make it a one possession game. DeVore missed the front end of a 1-and-1, but she quickly got her revenge, stealing the ball as the final seconds ticked away.
Quinty stepped up when the defense focused on DeVore, who still managed seven points, five rebounds, three blocks, and four steals.
“Abby’s a big player for us,” Floyd said. “I’ve got six very talented seniors and Abby is a huge part of that. She’s a versatile player so we can stick her anywhere on the court that we need her.”
Jasmine Hamilton pulled down six boards and picked up four assists , while Katie Leigh Floyd tallied five rebounds.
Ella Clark led the Dolphins with six points, and Kierstin Clark and Maddie Frank added five each.
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John Paul II (13-1, 2-0) travels to Hilton Head Christian Academy on Friday.
Hilton Head Prep (8-6, 1-3) hosts St. Mary’s of Lynn, Mass., on Friday.
Story by Wes Kerr / Photos by Mindy Hopman
