On Friday night, Manual’s girls’ varsity basketball team won in their rivalry match against the Male Bulldogs, with a final score of 69-34.
First Half:
The game began with Male gaining possession following tipoff, where they scored the first points of the game. However, Manual didn’t let them get their hopes up because soon after they also scored.
Male regained the lead for a minute before the Manual called for a sub. London Bibb (#20, 11) was subbed out and Brooklyn Davis (#24, 11) came in.
Male then called a timeout. Afterwards, Manual scored, which tied the game 8-8. The first quarter was filled with a lot of back and forth play, with no successful shots made by either team.
To start the second quarter, Davis passed to Ahmari Brice (#0, 9) who took the ball from Manual’s basket back down to Male’s, but no points were scored. Manual then called for a timeout where head coach Ashley Franklin began talking with the team, discussing their strategy and layout. Following this, a foul called on Male allowed Cameron Brooks (14, 9) to shoot a free throw.
Male then got the ball, but Kendall Hemmerle (#12, 10) stole the ball back. Hemmerle passed the ball to Alicia Mangrum (#13, 9), and though she attempted to score a basket, she missed. Brice tried to catch the ball, but both teams were fighting for the rebound.
With 1:30 left in the first quarter Manual held onto their lead, 21-10.
Manual got called for a foul shortly after and Male went to the free-throw line. This gave the Lady Crimsons the chance to call for various subs. At this point, the score was now 21-13.
With 10 seconds remaining, Takenzie Young (#1, 9) scored and then at the last second Manual scored again. The first quarter ended 26-13, in favor of Manual.
The second quarter began with Male nearly scoring, but Mangrum hit the ball out of their hands. She took it back to Manual’s side of the court and the Lady Crimsons scored. Male wasn’t letting that slide, though, and shortly after they scored.
When a Male player tripped and lost the ball, Young helped her up showcasing sportsmanship even as rivals.
Male then subbed multiple players and so did Manual. Jermiya Bracken (#11, 9) went in for Young. Davis then scored, with the scoreboard reading 32-15 with 5:30 left in the second quarter.
With five minutes left in the quarter, Davis scored off of a free throw and Amaria Pegues (#23, 9) was subbed out. Manual scored again and the score was now 36-15, with Manual leading.
Brice then scored a three-point shot from the corner. Male called for subs. Shortly after, Manual fouled a Male player, and they received a trip to the free-throw line. Then, Manual scored again. Another foul was called on Manual, giving Male another chance to make some free throws. The score was now 42-18, in favor of the Lady Crimsons.
After Manual was fouled on, Mangrum shot the free throws and subbed out following this. Brooks then scored and to end the quarter, Male received another trip to the free-throw line. At the sound of the buzzer marking halftime, the score was now 46-20, with Manual holding onto a strong lead.
“I did good working the ball around, my shot wasn’t following so I had to depend on my teammates. I was setting up shots for them,” Electra Lovely-Tolbert (#4, 12) said.
Second Half:
Male started off the second half of the game by dominating, but when one team scored, the other team then scored. Though for a minute neither team was scoring, both teams were competing fiercely to bring the ball back to their side of the court and attempt to score.
After the tough battle, Male scored, making the score 48-25, still in favor of the Lady Crimsons. Hemmerle was quick to make a comeback for Manual scoring back-to-back points. Hemmerle tried to go for a corner field goal but she missed. A Male player caught the rebound and brought the ball back to their side.
Young was also able to accomplish back-to-back points with 3:46 left in the third quarter, with Manual now leading, 56-26. During a Male free throw, Hemmerle was subbed out for Lovely-Tolbert. Mangrum then received a foul for pushing a Male player.
Afterwards, Mangrum passed the ball to Young, who scored. Male scored right after, though, and the Lady Crimsons called for a full timeout. For the next few minutes no one scored as the ball moved up and down the court.
The third quarter ended with a free throw for Male. While that occurred, Pegues was subbed out for Bailey Fatcher (#35, 10). The score was now 59-29, with Manual continuing to dominate.
The final quarter was quick to start with a free throw for Manual. Shortly after, Mangrum scored a field goal. Manual scored again and Male regained possession, but before they could get it, Hemmerle stole the ball. She was fouled in the process and ended up receiving a free throw.
Afterwards, Male tried to score, but was unsuccessful. Manual then called for subs taking out various players. Male tried to score once more, but missed yet again. A full timeout was then called by Male.
Manual ended the game dominating all aspects on the court, but Male got the last points of the game. The final score was 69-34.
“We weren’t able to practice at all this week, we just had to show up and play. I think the girls went out there and handled business,” Franklin said.
