The Harding Lions cranked up the defense to defeat the SBEC Trojans 42-22 for the Division 2-A Title on Monday night at Lausanne. High Point University signee, Kaylah Keys, led the Lions with 17 points and several steals and assists.
“We’ve lost in the championship game the last two years, so it feels good to be on the winning side,” said Harding coach Becky Starks.
“Defense was the key tonight. We did a good job of limiting the players we needed to limit,” added Starks.
After falling behind by four points to end the first quarter, the Lions roared from behind turning tenacious defense into transition offense. Keys stole the ball twice to start the second quarter leading to back-to-back layups to tie the game.
The Trojans only scored one basket in the quarter and that came in the final minute of the half.
“They outworked us in the first quarter,” Starks said. “We weren’t getting the loose balls, and our effort, especially defensively, made the difference.”
Keys garnered MVP and all-tournament team honors. She led the Lions in scoring, and initiated most of the offense tallying several important assists.
“The MVP is just a bonus,” Keys said. “I’m more concerned about winning.”
Eighth grader, Antoinette Lewis, added 10 points, scoring off of hustle plays and offensive rebounds.
Harding and SBEC will both host sub-state matches this weekend. USJ, which won the the consolation game 46-28 over St. George's, and the Gryphons will play sub-state games on the road.
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