HAMLET — The Hamlet Middle School girls’ basketball team didn’t have too much trouble putting away the Carver Lady Eagles on Thursday.
In action for the first time this week, the Lady Red Rams and head coach Mitch Coe welcomed in Carver Middle School for a Southeastern Middle School Athletic Conference contest.
The basket was easy to find for Hamlet, which rolled to a 39-11 victory, helping Coe celebrate his birthday with a win.
Hamlet matched Carver’s point total in the first quarter alone, and used a game-high 17 points from seventh grader Saquanna Bostic to improve to 4-1 on the season. Chipping in with seven points apiece were teammates Jamia Crowder and Ryelan Lyerly.
Coe credited his team’s efforts on both ends of the floor, but noted the Lady Red Rams’ defense help set the tone early.
“It was a great defensive effort by our girls tonight,” Coe said. “They showed tremendous energy on both ends of the floor. Orena Drake did a great job of moving her feet on D and holding Carver’s scorers in check.
“Olivia Brown also helped to set the tone defensively by playing with great energy,” he added.
Bostic would lead Hamlet with six first-quarter points, all coming on field goals. Lyerly added a bucket and a free throw and Crowder chipped in her first two points.
Twelve more points in the second frame from Hamlet put the game out of reach early. Crowder and Drake each knocked in a pair of field goals, with Bostic and Lyerly netting two more points apiece.
Carver managed to score just two points thanks to a stingy Hamlet defense, and the Lady Red Rams led 23-7 at halftime.
Bostic recorded her best scoring quarter in the third, putting up seven points on three buckets and a free throw. Adding the other three Hamlet points were Elise Dimery and Crowder.
Lyerly would exit the game with 4:40 left in the third with an apparent ankle injury, but later returned in the fourth. Carver failed to score any more points and trailed 33-7.
To ice the conference win, Bostic, Lyerly and Amerah Primus each scored two points in the fourth.
“Saquanna found her rhythm early,” Coe said of his leading scorer. “She is really coming into her game. She took lots of shots and did a great job of finding her teammates in transition.”
Hamlet, which has won four games in a row, will look to keep the streak alive when it travels to rival Rockingham Middle School (5-0) on Tuesday. Game time is set for 4 p.m.
