Southern Wayne’s Azariah Jordan (1) gets fouled from behind by Eastern Wayne’s Taleia Claude on Friday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Southern Wayne’s Aaliyah Williams (33) and a teammate prevent an Eastern Wayne player from scoring during first-quarter action. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Southern Wayne senior Naveah Hines-Bass stretches to grab a loose ball after getting knocked down by an Eastern Wayne defender. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
DUDLEY — Southern Wayne’s varsity girls’ basketball players are becoming students of the game this season.
They’ve learned the nuances of breaking down film — recognizing tendencies on offense and paying particular attention to how opponents defend Naveah Hines-Bass.
The senior has seen her fair share of junk schemes.
So has guard Azariah Jordan.
The backcourt tandem faced a diamond-and-one and triangle-and-two on occasion Friday evening against Eastern Wayne. Hines-Bass drained the nets for 26 points in a come-from-behind, 45-35 victory inside “The Halo.”
Jordan provided nine.
“They’re coming around, listening to us better than what they did at the beginning of the season,” SW head coach Ricky Lofton said. “They’re seeing what we’re asking them to do. They’re looking at film of other teams, looking at their players. They’re doing a great job.”
But Lofton beamed more about his team’s poise.
Eastern Wayne went on a 10-3 run that turned a 20-19 deficit into a 29-22 advantage with just under two minutes remaining in the third quarter.
Though frustration shrouded their faces, a level-headed Lofton maintained a calm demeanor during every stoppage in play.
“We just reminded them to don’t rush … force anything, just let it happen [and] make good decisions,” Lofton said. “Attack the rim and don’t settle for jump shots. At the end [of the third], they started doing that.”
Tamiya Boone’s layup off Jada Harris’ assist gave the Warriors a 29-22 lead.
Momentum soon shifted.
Hines-Bass grabbed a defensive rebound and went coast-to-coast for a layup. Jordan fed Bass for a layup off an EW turnover. Jordan picked the Warriors for a steal and kissed it off the glass.
The Saints trailed 29-28 as the third-quarter buzzer sounded.
Jordan converted the back end of a two-shot foul, which knotted the contest at 29-29 early in the fourth. T’mya Parker’s offensive putback gave the Warriors their final lead, 31-29, with 6:42 left in regulation.
A fourth-generation athlete, Hines-Bass did the rest.
She got some help from Jordan and Myhirah Hunter.
The trio turned turnovers into points — either layups or free throws. Hines-Bass shot 10 for 10 at the stripe, including eight consecutive makes in a 59-second span, to seal the outcome.
“It made me feel so great to see that,” Lofton said. “The girls have bought into playing four quarters in practice and it showed at the end. We still made mistakes, but they didn’t put their heads down like they used to do.
“They learned how to fight after making the mistake.”
Southern Wayne (2-3 overall) ended a three-game skid against Eastern Wayne, which has prevailed in 30 of 45 meetings overall since 2007.
You may reach sports writer Rudy Coggins at prepswriter2@gmail.com or call/text 919-709-9257.
