WADESBORO — By the time the first quarter was over during Thursday’s basketball game between Rockingham and Anson middle schools, the game had already been decided.
The Lady Rockets continued their perfect season with a 31-14 win over the Lady Bearcats to improve to 4-0 on the season. It was their second win in three days, having beaten in-county opponent Ellerbe Middle School on Tuesday.
Only three Rockingham players would score in the win, two of whom would reach double figures. Eighth grader Keyoni Nichols led the way for the first time this season, netting a game-high 15 points.
Behind her was seventh grader Jamyia Lindsey, who returned to the double-digit column with 10 points. Rounding out the scoring for the Lady Rockets was eighth grader C’Niya Hinson with six points.
Rockingham exploded off the opening tip, netting 17 points in the opening quarter, and taking a 12-point lead. Nichols netted seven of her points on two field goals and three free throws, and Lindsey chipped in three buckets from the floor. Hinson added four points on two baskets.
Anson’s defense settled in during the second quarter and limited Lindsey and Hinson to just two points each. The Lady Bearcats, however, struggled on offense, scoring only three points. At the halftime break, head coach Teresa Mason’s team led 21-8.
Nichols put an exclamation point on her performance with her final eight points in the third. She drained three more field goals and knocked in two of three attempts from the line. Lindsey also ended her night with her fifth basket of the game.
Rockingham would go scoreless in the fourth quarter, but the five points Anson put on the board wasn’t enough to eliminate the large deficit.
The Lady Rockets will look to improve to 5-0 when they travel to Cordova Middle School on Monday at 4 p.m.
