Veach, Lady Senators hold off Lady Rebels

Published 12:03 am Sunday, January 4, 2015

Morgan Academy’s Emily Sherrer dribbles the ball down the floor as Coosa Valley’s Danielle Richardson chases from behind in Saturday’s win.--Daniel Evans

Morgan Academy’s Emily Sherrer dribbles the ball down the floor as Coosa Valley’s Danielle Richardson chases from behind in Saturday’s win.–Daniel Evans

Behind a big night from Kendall Veach, the Morgan Academy Lady Senators (6-8) have won back-to-back games for the first time in quite a while.

Morgan defeated Coosa Valley 65-53 in the final girls game of the Morgan Pepsi Classic Saturday.

Veach scored 30 points to lead Morgan, who jumped out to an early double-digit lead and held off the Lady Rebels, who were spurred on by a 39 point night by Danielle Richardson.

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“We played tough,” Morgan coach Jeremy Carter said. “To win two in a row, the girls I don’t think have experienced that many times. It’s big for those girls.”

The Senators defeated Southern Friday in their only other game of the Morgan Pepsi Classic. Saturday night a big first quarter allowed Morgan to jump out to a 21-8 lead — a deficit Coosa could never overcome.

“We scored 21 in the first quarter so we came out firing,” Carter said. “Turnovers and fouls got us in the second half.”

Richardson did her best too, scoring 19 points in the fourth quarter alone. The Lady Rebels cut the deficit to eight with under two minutes to play, but the Senators closed it out with free throws down the stretch.

“We knew she was a great shooter and tried a little box-and-one on her and tried to get in her head a little bit by keeping pressure on her at all times,” Carter said. “Then, we would back out and play a little zone to keep us out of foul trouble.”

Morgan led 40-22 at halftime and 47-33 after three quarters.

Emily Sherrer and Emily Stewart each scored 11 points for the Senators.