ROCKINGHAM — For the first time this season, the Rockingham Middle School girls’ basketball team struggled when it hosted Sandy Grove Middle School on Monday.
Despite the rocky start, the Lady Rockets used a second-half surge and a game-high 19 points from point guard Jamyia Lindsey to defeat the Lady Panthers 39-30.
The conference win kept the Lady Rockets and head coach Teresa Mason perfect on the season at 8-0.
C’Niya Hinson added eight points in the win, Keyoni Nichols notched six points, MaKailah Jackson chipped in four points in the second half and Jasmine Jennings netted two points.
A slow first half saw Rockingham net just 12 points, six in each quarter. Hinson led the team with three points in the first, followed by a bucket from Nichols and a free throw from Lindsey.
In the second stanza, Lindsey recorded all six points for Rockingham, connecting on two field goals and two free throws. At the break, the Lady Panthers led the Lady Rockets 15-12.
All of that changed in the second half for the home team, which outscored Sandy Grove 10-7 in the third quarter and 17-8 in the final period.
Lindsey kept her groove going with five more points in the third, while three points from Nichols and two from Jennings knotted the game at 22 points heading into the fourth.
Lindsey took over in the final stanza, hitting two field goals and three free throws for her final seven points. Hinson returned to the scoresheet with five points, and Jackson came in clutch with a pair of field goals to help earn the win.
Mason and company will close out the regular season on Thursday at home against Spring Hill Middle School.
If the Lady Rockets were to earn the victory, they would finish their second consecutive season with a perfect regular-season record. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. in Rockingham.
