NICEVILLE — If Monday’s performance by the Laurel Hill School girls basketball team is a sign of things to come it could be a interesting season for the Hoboes.
Freshman Cynthia Mason was a one-woman gang scoring a game high 22 points as the Hoboes rolled to a 39-18 win over host Rocky Bayou Christian School.
Laurel Hill-Rocky Bayou Christian girls basketball photos>>>
Hobo Coach Scott Varnum saw a lot he can work with in the win as well as plenty of room for improvement.
“I like a lot of what I saw tonight with the unselfishness and moving the ball,” he said. “Sometimes we were too unselfish passing up the shot. I thought we played a good first half defensively.
“The second half we didn’t block out. We didn’t hit the boards as well as I would like to. We have a lot of work to do.”
Mason got off to a fast start scoring all eight of Laurel Hill’s points in the first quarter as the Hoboes led 8-0 at the end of the first quarter.
The Hoboes (1-0) continued to pour it on in the second quarter even as Mason’s scoring pace slowed.
Kayla McLaney and Mason each scored four points and Diamond Griffin added three points and Kaitlyn Watts two points as Laurel Hill stretched the lead to 21-4 at the half.
The Knights (0-1) finally picked up a basket with 5:39 left in the second quarter when Maria Denbow connected from close range.
Rocky Bayou tried to climb back into the game in the third quarter behind the play of Campbell Severence.
Severence scored 10 of her team-high 14 points in the third quarter, the Knights were only able to trim one point off the Hobo lead.
Mason continued her steady play scoring five points in both the third and the fourth quarters as Laurel Hill cruised to the win.
Email News Bulletin Sports Editor Randy Dickson, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Mason leads Hoboes to win over Knights (PHOTOS, VIDEO)