Williamsburg stuns South Laurel

Lady Cards fall to Lady Yellowjackets, 58-50

By Denis House

WILLIAMSBURG—Kat Hoffman poured in 23 points, while Sam Burr added 18 as the Williamsburg Lady Yellowjackets pulled off a shocker Friday night, beating visiting South Laurel, 58-50.

It was the first time Williamsburg has ever beaten South Laurel in girls’ basketball.

“Williamsburg did a really good job tonight,” coach Konnie Snyder said. “They were more aggressive, took care of the ball, and deserved to win.”

For Snyder’s Lady Cardinals, the Jekyll and Hyde season continues. At times they looked very good; other times, like against Williamsburg, they didn’t.

“The team that played Heritage (in the Candy Cane Classic finals) is the team we can be,” Snyder said. “The team that played tonight is also the team we can be. We’re still looking for consistency.”

It wasn’t to be found against the Lady Yellowjackets (8-4, 1-1). After leading early 5-2, South then trailed 9-7 at the end of one. The Lady Cards then opened the second quarter with a 6-0 run to push ahead, 13-9, before watching Williamsburg end the half with a 14-7 run to hold a 23-20 lead. Burr drained two threes during that run for Williamsburg.

Porsha Justice led South Laurel (7-3, 2-1) with 11 points, while Macy Clontz came off the bench to add 10, including two three-pointers in the second half.

A Justice three with 7:19 left in the third cut the lead to one, 24-23, before Hoffman drove to the basket on the other end, scoring and was fouled by Kendra Davidson. She completed the three-point play for a 27-23 advantage.

The lead grew to 32-25 with 4:21 left on a basket by Burr. The Lady Cards, behind a three from Justice and a jumper from Chelsea Anders, cut the lead down to two, 34-32, with 1:44 left. Williamsburg led 35-33 going into the final quarter of play.

A three from Clontz gave South a 36-35 lead, but that was quickly erased, as Hoffman and Burr both hit a free throw, followed by a Burr jumper, to give Williamsburg a 39-36 lead with 5:21 left in the game.

Another Hoffman basket made it 41-36, forcing Snyder to call a timeout. During the break, she told her team “you’ve got to take care of the ball.”

A Erika Burchett three brought South to within three (43-40) at the 4:07 mark. But the Lady Cards couldn’t stop Williamsburg on the other end, as Cecily Sears scored, then Whitney Rains nailed a trey to push the lead to eight, 48-40, with just over three minutes remaining.

But down the stretch, when South was forced to foul, Williamsburg hit eight-of-14 free throws to help seal the 58-50 win.

“We stood around a lot,” Snyder said. “We were flat-footed. You play anyone flat-footed in the 13th Region and you’re gonna get beat.”

Snyder said she didn’t feel like her team was looking ahead to Saturday night’s game at North Laurel (too late for this edition). And if they were, “it will be the last time.”

“We’ve not found our team chemistry yet, or consistency,” Snyder said. “We have to have more heart, and we’ve got to finish.”

Denis House can be reached at sports@sentinel-echo.com.



Williamsburg 58, South Laurel 50

South Laurel 7 13 13 17—50

Williamsburg 9 14 12 23—58

South Laurel (50)—Dean 8, Anders 5, Davidson 4, House 2, Justice 11, Burchett 8, Clontz 10, Johnson 2.

Williamsburg (58)—Hoffman 23, C. Sears 4, Rains 12, Burr 18, K. Sears 1.

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