For the 10th straight year the Washington girls’ basketball team took down Eddyville-Blakesburg on opening night, this time with a 53-42 victory on Monday.
As heard on KCII, the Demons found success early feeding the rock inside to 6’0’’ Addison Six and 5’10’’ Olivia Pacha, but foul trouble put the momentum to a halt. Three players including Six had two fouls in the first quarter and the Rockets took advantage holding a 9-8 lead at the end of one and it grew to as much as seven in the second quarter. The switch was flipped with three minutes left until half when Halle Leyden started to heat up with three consecutive made threes and the Demon defense turned the Rockets over to tie it up at 19-19 at half. The third quarter was all Washington, outscoring Eddyville-Blakesburg 18-3 on the strength of continued hot shooting from Leyden. The senior finished with a game-high 21 points including six from behind the arc. Six and Anna Nacos were also in double figures with 10 points apiece. Head Coach Shannon Rugg tells KCII Sports Leyden is a big key for the team. “She is a girl that really changes us because when you have two big girls down low with Halle and Anna on the outside, it is a tough matchup for teams. I’m really excited about this year and the kids are working hard to be better.”
Washington starts the year 1-0 and gets back on the court next Tuesday at Cedar Rapids Washington.