LAKE WALES, Florida - Daijah Turner fired up for 25 pts and 4 steals leading the Royals to the rivalry victory over Webber International.
GAME RECAP
With the opening tip, the Warriors jumped out and got on the board in the first four seconds of play by drawing a shooting foul. In the first quarter of play, both teams were letting up very few points and the only attempt at seeing the basket was from the free throw line. In the first quarter alone there were 13 fouls and 18 points made on free throws, 15 of which were made by the Warriors. Both teams were showing strong defensive efforts as the first quarter statistics show. The Royals went 33% from the FG, 27% from the 3FG and 60% From the FT. As for the Warriors, they shot 33.3% from the FG 0% from the 3FG and 98% from the FT. With very few shooters left unguarded, the game was looking to be the shootout you'd expect to see from the rival schools. It was clear at that point the only thing keeping the Warriors in the game was the shooting penalties, accounting for 15 of the 21 points, the score following the 1st quarter was, Webber 21 Warner 18.
With the start of the second quarter, the intensity continued to build. As the quarter progressed, the defense efforts remained the same from both sides, however with less penalties, this allowed for the Royals to outscore the Warriors 16 to 15 in the second quarter moving the score to a two point lead in favor of the Warriors with the score at the end of the half being 36 to 34. Key players up to this point for the Royals were Desirelle Salas with three defensive rebounds 6 points and 1 assist, Daijah Turner with 7 points 1 rebound and 2 assists, Charisa Broadway with 3 rebounds and 2 points, and I'munique Green with 2 rebounds and 4 assists. Key players for the Warriors at the end of the half, Shayla McPhearson who at this point is shooting 100% from the FG the 3FG and the FT with 11 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assists, also Ashely Perry with 6 rebounds, and 7 points.
As the 3rd quarter began and half time adjustments had been made, the Royals found themselves slowly pulling away from the Warriors. The key players to the royals began to show with, for lack of better words, clutch performances to continually pull away from the Warriors. Daijah Turner had a phenomenal game up to this point leading her team in points with 16 total, and causing key turnovers as the Warriors began to gain any form of momentum, Daijah wasn't alone in her efforts for the Royals as Charisa Broadway led her team in rebounds and assists with 5 each. Jasmine Clestine had 2 rebounds and 11 points and 1 assist, and I'munique Green had 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, and 3 points. With these efforts at the end of the third the Royals were up on the Warriors 7 points from being down 2 at the start with the score being Warner 58 Webber 51.
With the final quarter, both teams know that a 7 point lead with 10 minutes to go is nothing in the game of basketball. With great efforts from both sides, the Warriors seemed as if they would be able to not only shorten the lead but, take control of the game in itself. However, with a controversial call, tempers flared with only 1:07 left on the clock with the score being only a four point difference with Warner 70 and Webber 66. This out burst seemed to be the deciding factor in the game as the Royals were able to extend the lead after the Warriors received a team technical foul, resulting in an 11 point lead in favor of the Royals with 40 seconds left to go. With the time ticking down, the Royals were triumphant over the Warriors with a score of 78 to 71.
The Royals are expected to return to the court 12.05.17 in Melbourne, FL To face off against NCCAA D-II Florida Tech at 5:30 PM .
