DOBSON — Surry Central started the new year off strong with a 35-point win over Starmount on January 4.
The Lady Eagles ended 2021 with three tough losses in the High Country Holiday Classic Tournament hosted by Watauga High School. The three-game skid ended Tuesday as Surry Central defeated Starmount 63-28 in nonconference action.
Central played Tuesday’s game without many of its usual weapons and was without multiple starters. The Eagles (5-4) overcame this hardship behind a career-high 31 points from senior Mia McMillen. McMillen, whose first game of at least 30 points came earlier this season, shot an efficient 15-of-22 (68%) from the field.
The senior also led the team in three other statistical categories with nine rebounds, six assists and seven steals. McMillen and fellow senior Jaylyn Templeton each recorded one block.
Starmount’s Layken Mathis scored the first field goal of the game with 7:01 left in the first quarter, giving the Rams (2-5) the initial lead. This lead was short-lived; McMillen scored her first two points at 6:13, then Templeton ripped the ball from Starmount in a full-court press and passed to McMillen for another field goal at 6:05. The game was all Surry Central from this point on.
The Golden Eagles’ full-court pressure helped the home team score 11-consecutive points before Starmount finally found the bottom of the basket again. The Surry Central lead grew to 11 by the end of the first quarter and would stay that way through the final whistle. Central tallied 16 total assists in the win.
The lead grew to a modest 27-14 at halftime before Central nearly doubled its score in the third quarter alone. McMillen, Templeton, Brittany Frausto, Ally Cross and Alyssa Woods all scored in the third quarter to make it 50-21 at the end of the third.
The fourth quarter was simply a formality as the Eagles held on to win 63-28.
Surry Central resumes Foothills 2A Conference play on Friday by hosting Forbush (8-5).
Scoring
SCHS – 17, 10, 23, 12 = 63
STAR – 6, 8, 7, 7 = 28
SC: Mia McMillen 31, Brittany Frausto 11, Jaylyn Templeton 9, Ally Crotts 6, Alyssa Woods 4, Gaby Montero 2
Star: Morgan Pinnix 9, Emily Brewer 9, Layken Mathis 5, Killian Waimen 2, Fantasia Hagler, Bella Stewart 1
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com