Lady Eagles take down Lions

The Providence High girls basketball team was tamed by Princeton on Friday, as the Lady Eagles swooped into Orland and bested the Lions 55-29.

Both teams started off fast and fresh, but kept each other's scoring to a minimum with the score resting at 9-9 at the end of the first quarter.

Maryssa Martin came out shooting for the Eagles, while Gaby Rodriquez took the ball to the hoop inside the paint to seal up the first-half lead for visiting Princeton, 21-13.

After the break, the Eagles were able to successfully stop the Providence offense, while coming at the Lions with a dominating offense.

Martin and Rodriquez continued to excel, with Martin tallying four of her team-high 24 points in the third, while

Rodriquez finished the night with six.

The Lions wee able to mount some offense with Amanda Edmondson scoring 12 on the night, but it was the energy and determination with which freshman Kayla Tuma played that spurred the Lions, despite being down 38-17 going into the final period.

As the fourth quarter began, Amanda Hansen began making an impact for the Eagles, taking and making shots inside the paint. Two jump shots from Martin stoked the offensive fire under the Eagles wings, while Hansen sunk another when she took the ball into the fray for a quick two.

Providence never gave up, with Edmondson sinking a bucket, followed by Audrey Grocott waiting for defenders to jump past her before putting up a hoop.

With the fast pace of play from both teams, the fourth quarter flew by and Princeton left town with the win.

Providence coach Laurel Cleek praised her team for their work ethic and how far they've come, commenting, "We're really picking up, and they're getting better. We are very excited where they are, and they are stepping up in all areas."

Princeton coach, Nate Odom was equally proud of his team's effort. "We are doing well. We are playing as a team rather than individuals, and we played hard today in the second half. We did a great job with rebounds tonight, and Maryssa Miller had a wonderful game."

The Lions (1-8, 0-1 Pioneer-Valley League) hosted rivals Champion Christian on Tuesday, while the Eagles (9-5, 1-0 PVL) traveled to Elk Creek to face the Lady Elks on Tuesday.

CONTACT Emily Saint-Evens at 824-7990 or esaintevens@tcnpress.com.