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Photo by Adam Northam/Eighth-grade Lady Cougar Madison Moak gets a shot off over Silliman’s Maddie Windham late in Monday night’s 45-16 victory.

The Lady Cougars’ speed game ran off and left Silliman Institute behind on the court and on the scoreboard Monday night, earning a Brookhaven Academy win 45-16.

The she-cats struck fast and hard in a big first quarter, scoring 19 in the game’s opening eight minutes to put Silliman at a deficit the green girls could not close up. The BA ladies shared the ball with quick passes and moved down the court with ease to score close baskets while their pressure defense harassed the Wildcats into numerous misses and turnovers.

“We realized the other team was aggravated because they couldn’t really run the plays they wanted to run, and we took advantage of that,” said BA senior Kailyn Jordan, who cashed in on the Wildcats’ frustration to grab two steals. “We heard them talking about it on the court.”

The Lady Cougars stole the ball away from Silliman 18 times on the night while committing only 11 turnovers of their own. The close-in pressure style of play meant there was always a Cougar near the basket, and the team picked 18 rebounds off the glass.

Junior Jana Case led the ladies in scoring with 13 points that included one three-point shot and a pair of free throws. Eighth-grader Anne Brantley Warren accumulated the second-most points with 10, including a three-point toss and one free throw. Jordan scored six points.

Eleven Lady Cougars recorded points on the night while seven girls totaled 12 assists, a testament to the team’s ball-handling and communication, said head coach Jason Case.

“The girls played good team ball, and that’s what I expect out of them,” he said. “We stress team work and unity, and their attitude and effort were great tonight.”

After the high-scoring first quarter, BA slowed its attack and rotated in players off the bench, scoring 9 points in the second quarter, 10 points in the third quarter and seven points in the final quarter.

Silliman found the net in the fourth quarter, recording 10 points in the game’s final minutes, but by then a three-point effort in the first and second quarters and a scoreless third had put them too far behind to catch up.

The Lady Cougars’ stand at 5-4 on the season, and their next game will be Tuesday at Copiah Academy.

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