Lady Saint Aliyah Williams #33, works to keep possession of the ball while surrounded by a group of Lady Spartans Friday night. (Robert Taylor|mountolivetribune.com)
Nevaeh Hines-Bass, #3, slows the pace for Southern Wayne as the Lady Saints try to keep the lead. (Robert Taylor|moutolivetribune.com)
Southern Wayne’s Myhirah Hunter, #10, looks for an open teammate in Friday’s game. (Robert Taylor|mountolivetribune.com)
Southern Wayne’s girls’ basketball team closed out their regular-season home schedule Friday night in commanding fashion, defeating the Smithfield-Selma Spartans 57-9.
The Saints set the tone early with relentless defense and efficient offensive execution, building a significant lead that left little doubt about the game’s outcome.
The girls wasted no time establishing dominance in the opening quarter. Southern Wayne won the tip-off and quickly got to work. Destiny Bullock attacked the basket for a layup but had the shot deflected by the Spartans’ defense. Nevaeh Hines-Bass followed up with two three-point attempts but couldn’t connect. Kymora Stokes broke the scoring drought by sinking a three-ball, giving the Saints their first points of the night.
Smithfield-Selma struggled to find their rhythm as Southern Wayne’s defense tightened its grip. Azariah Jordan drew a foul on a drive to the basket and calmly sank both free throws, extending the lead to 5-0. Moments later, Hines-Bass came up with a timely steal, and Bullock hit a jumper to stretch the Saints’ lead to 8-0.
Southern Wayne’s defense continued to shine, creating turnovers that fueled their offensive run. Stokes stole the ball and converted a layup in transition. Shortly after, Bullock followed suit with a steal and a quick basket. Hines-Bass found her stroke from beyond the arc, sinking a trey that brought the crowd to its feet. Jordan added another three, capping off a dominant first quarter with the Saints leading 17-0.
Smithfield-Selma finally got on the board when they converted one of two free throws, making it 19-1. The Spartans briefly found some momentum with a two-point basket, but Southern Wayne quickly responded with another three from Stokes to push the lead to 22-3.
In the second quarter, Southern Wayne maintained their aggressive defensive pressure, forcing Smithfield-Selma into difficult shots and multiple turnovers. The Saints protected the paint and contested every shot, preventing the Spartans from finding any offensive flow.
Kymora Stokes drained a three to increase the lead to 25-3. Smithfield-Selma called a timeout at the 4:54 mark to regroup, but it did little to slow down the Saints. Nevaeh Hines-Bass capitalized on a foul, making both free throws. Aliyah Williams then knocked down another three, followed by a smooth mid-range jumper.
The Saints’ defensive intensity continued to frustrate the Spartans. Hines-Bass once again made her presence felt with a steal and a layup in transition. Moments later, she stole the ball again and made a quick pass to Stokes, who converted an easy layup. Jordan added a layup to close the second quarter, bringing the score to 42-3 at halftime.
The Saints showed no signs of slowing down as the third quarter began. Bullock opened the second half with a layup, followed by a jumper from Jordan that extended the lead to 46-3. Hines-Bass got another steal and took it coast-to-coast for a layup, pushing the score to 48-3.
Smithfield-Selma continued to struggle against Southern Wayne’s relentless defense. The Saints applied full-court pressure, forcing multiple turnovers and denying the Spartans any opportunity to cut into the lead. Jordan executed a perfect downcourt pass to Williams for an easy layup, making it 50-3.
The Spartans managed to score on a layup midway through the third quarter, but Southern Wayne quickly responded with another layup from Jordan to bring the score to 52-5. The Saints’ bench provided solid support as the team rotated players while maintaining their defensive intensity.
The fourth quarter opened with Southern Wayne holding a commanding 52-5 lead. Jordan added another layup before Smithfield-Selma answered with a layup of their own, bringing the score to 54-7. The Saints briefly stumbled with a backcourt violation, but the defense remained locked in, forcing the Spartans to miss two free throws.
Hines-Bass knocked down another 3-pointer, further extending the lead to 57-7. Smithfield-Selma scored one final basket before Southern Wayne decided to slow the game down. With under a minute to play, the Saints held onto the ball for the final 45 seconds, securing a 57-9 victory.
Southern Wayne’s balanced offensive attack and aggressive defense were key factors in their dominant performance. Multiple players contributed at both ends of the floor. Nevaeh Hines-Bass was a standout with her defensive hustle, notching several steals and converting them into points in transition. Destiny Bullock and Kymora Stokes provided a steady scoring presence throughout the game, while Azariah Jordan controlled the tempo and made key plays in transition. Aliyah Williams also had a strong game, knocking down timely shots and contributing on both ends of the court.
The Saints’ ability to force turnovers and capitalize on fast-break opportunities helped them build and maintain their lead. Their defensive rotations were crisp, and they contested nearly every shot the Spartans attempted, holding them to just nine points for the entire game.
