Merry Parker Boaz (5) scores a fast break layup for East Surry.
Cory Smith | The News
EAST BEND — An explosive fourth quarter for Forbush led the Falcons to a 66-55 win over East Surry on Tuesday.
After six ties and nine lead changes through the first three quarters of action, the Falcons led for all eight minutes of the fourth quarter. Late steals sealed the victory for Forbush in its first game against East Surry since 2013.
The Cardinals, who drop to 6-5 overall and 1-3 in the Foothills 2A Conference, stayed in the lead for most of the first half. From the 2:15 mark of the first quarter to halftime, Forbush only made three field goals. The Falcons only made three 2-point field goals in the first half, instead relying on 3-pointers and trips to the free throw line.
The Falcons finished the game 7-of-18 (39%) from 3-point land and 19-of-25 from the line, while East shot just 8-of-28 (29%) from beyond the arc and 7-of-11 from the line.
Forbush went up 3-0 to start the game, but East Surry responded with a 10-0 run thanks to five points from Cadence Lawson, a layup in transition from Merry Parker Boaz and an old-fashioned 3-point play by Kylie Bruner. Alexis Ball scored the Falcons’ second 3-pointer with 3:42 left in the quarter, then Brooke Davis made it a one-possession game with a layup.
The speedy Falcons (10-5, 3-1 FH2A) added another 3-pointer, but still trailed by a point thanks to two made free throws by Rosie Craven. Carrie Vestal went to the line with 2:02 remaining in the first and put Forbush back on top.
Forbush led 18-17 heading into the fourth quarter, but East’s Brooklyn Gammons drained a 3-pointer to put East back in the driver’s seat. The Cardinals started the second quarter with a 13-6 run; East Surry’s 13 points came from three Gammons 3-pointers, a jump shot from Addison Goins and a put-back from Bruner. Forbush’s six points came on made free throws by Davis and Skylar Southard.
The Falcons then closed the quarter with an 8-1 run to go ahead 32-31 at the half.
East went up after five quick points in the first 45 seconds of the second half. Forbush called a timeout, then retaliated with a 9-2 run that featured seven-consecutive points scored by Ball. Forbush’s Ball and Southard continued to get key steals as Forbush scored another five unanswered points out of the timeout.
Lawson finally ended the run with a 3-pointer at 3:45. Ball scored again, but Kate Parks, Bruner and Boaz each scored to give East its final lead of the game at 49-48. Natalie Scott hit a 3-pointer for Forbush to make it 51-49 heading into the fourth quarter.
Forbush ramped up its defense in the fourth quarter and held East Surry without a field goal for the first 4:46. The Falcons, who finished with 20 steals as a team, capitalized by taking its largest lead to that point at 61-51.
East Surry was unable to get good looks from beyond the arc in the fourth quarter. Goins tried to get East Surry back in the game with a jumper at 3:14, then Lawson added another jump shot at 1:55. Boaz picked up a steal right after Lawson’s shot made it 61-55, but a Cardinal turnover squashed momentum. East Surry went scoreless in the final 1:54.
East Surry committed 27 turnovers as a team, but was still competitive for more than three quarters of the game. The Lady Cards also picked up 11 steals, led by Bruner’s four and Boaz’s three.
Lawson led East Surry with 17 points and added four assists and four rebounds. Bella Hutchens grabbed 10 rebounds for East, and Bruner filled the stat sheet with five points, five rebounds, five assists and four steals.
Ball led Forbush with 26 points, and added six rebounds and six steals. Southard had a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds, and flirted with a triple-double by adding six assists.
Scoring
ESHS – 17, 14, 18, 6 = 55
FHS – 18, 14, 19, 15 = 66
ES – Cadence Lawson 17, Brooklyn Gammons 14, Rosie Craven 8, Merry Parker Boaz 6, Kylie Bruner 5, Addison Goins 2, Kate Parks 2, Bella Hutchens 1
FB – Alexis Ball 26, Brooke Davis 11, Skylar Southard 10, Laci Mendenhall 7, Natalie Scott 6, Carrie Vestal 6
Reach Cory on Twitter @MaNewsSports