DOBSON — When it came to Surry Central’s first win in the Foothills 2A Conference, Golden Eagle fans knew that it was never a question of if – but when.
Surry Central got its elusive primary conference win on Wednesday in a 54-34 win over West Wilkes.
On paper, seeing that the Lady Eagles started 0-8 in the FH2A Conference didn’t tell the full story. Not only is the conference one of the best in the 2A West, with MaxPreps ranking three FH2A teams in the top-10 of the division, but most of Surry Central’s losses were a few plays away from a different result: 6-of-8 were decided by single digits, and four of those six were two-possession games.
The Eagles’ win was a statement, as it was the first intra-conference FH2A girls game this season to be decided by 20 or more points.
Seniors Mia McMillen and Jaylyn Templeton each had double-doubles and combined to outscore West Wilkes 36-34. McMillen scored 25 points, grabbed 15 rebounds and five steals in her seventh double-double of the season, while Templeton scored 11 and hauled in 12 boards for her second double-double this season.
McMillen’s 25-point performance extends an amazing scoring streak that began in late 2021. The Golden Eagle senior has scored at least 20 points in nine of her last 10 games, and in that time she has also set a new career-high twice. She had 31 points against Starmount on January 4, then upped the ante with a 36-point performance against Forbush on February 1. McMillen also grabbed a career-high 20 rebounds and was one steal away from a triple-double in the game against the Falcons.
Surry Central’s defense held West Wilkes to single-digit scoring in two quarters. The Eagles also never trailed in Wednesday’s game; they went up 2-0 after McMillen grabbed the offensive rebound from her own shot and put it back 33 seconds into the game, then never looked back.
Templeton took a pass from Ashley Santamaria and scored from the high post, Arial Holt drained a long 2-pointer, Santamaria went 1-of-2 from the line and McMillen scored four more points to put Central up 13-4 with 3:16 left in the first. West Wilkes’ Katie Nichols brought the Blackhawks within four by attacking the basket, but Central ended the quarter strong with a 3-pointer from Ally Crotts.
West Wilkes knocked down a jump shot 14 seconds into the second quarter then didn’t score again until the second half. Central closed the half with a 12-0 run that used defense to create offense. The Eagles packed the paint and made the Blackhawks shoot jumpers, and that led to Central going up 28-12 at the half.
Neither side got much going in the third quarter. The fourth quarter began with scores on the first four possessions; for Central, Santamaria knocked down the team’s third 3-pointer of the game and McMillen scored off of a Blackhawk turnover to go up 41-23.
After another West Wilkes bucket, Central went on a 7-0 run to take its largest lead of the evening at 48-25. The Eagles scored mostly free throws in the final five minutes of the game, with the exception being a 2-point field goal from Laken Coe in the final two minutes.
Scoring
West Wilkes – 10, 2, 9, 13 = 34
Surry Central – 16, 12, 8, 18 = 54
WW: Kacey Triplett 12, Katie Nichols 11, Annalee Bell 5, Kendall Stanley 4, Tori Teague 2
SC: Mia McMillen 25, Jaylyn Templeton 11, Ashley Santamaria 7, Arial Holt 3, Brittany Frausto 3, Ally Crotts 3, Laken Coe 2
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com
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