LAUREL HILL — Grace Reese made her presence known for Laurel Hill’s girls basketball team in Tuesday’s District 1-1A game with Malone.
Reese, a 6-foot-2 sophomore post player, was a force on both ends of the floor. Defensively she blocked eight shots and altered a dozen more. She was just as impressive on offense leading the Hoboes with 15 points as Laurel Hill beat the Tigers 50-34.
Laurel Hill-Malone girls basketball photos>>>
Laurel Hill Coach Scott Varnum liked what he saw from the Hoboes.
“I thought our intensity and effort was there tonight,” he said. “We have a whole lot to work on with a young group, but we played hard. I’m proud of them and I love them to death.
“We had more turnovers than I wanted but it was a big district win for us. We got everybody involved and it was a fun game.”
Bridgett Zessin scored the game’s first basket to give the Hoboes a lead in the first 96 seconds of the game. A pair of free throws by Malone’s Alicia Jackson tied the game at 2-2 halfway through the first quarter.
Diamond Griffin’s free throw with 3:58 left in the opening period put the Hoboes in front for good and sparked a 12-0 Laurel Hill run that stretched into the second quarter.
Zessin hit a 3-pointer and Reese hit back-to-back baskets to push the lead to 10-2. Kaitlyn Watts got into the act with a basket late in the first quarter.
The Hoboes (8-10, 3-7) continued to pour it on the Tigers in the second quarter stretching the lead to 23-7 at the half.
Laurel Hill led 39-13 at the end of the third quarter. The Hobo lead was 46-17 with 5:17 left in the fourth quarter when Malone went on a late run close to within 16 points of the Hoboes at the final buzzer.
Reese was the only Hobo player in double figures, but she did get some help from her friends. Griffin added nine points, Cynthia Mason eight points and Zessin seven points.
Email News Bulletin Sports Editor Randy Dickson, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Reese leads Hoboes past Malone (PHOTOS, VIDEO)