With their third win in as many tries, the Columbia Academy Lady Cougars remained undefeated in district play with a home victory Tuesday night.
The edge they had in both size and athleticism was clear as the Lady Cougars (6-7, 3-0) beat Lamar Christian 45-30 in a district showdown. Macey Jones led the way with 11 points and eight rebounds, while Peyton McCain nearly had a double-double with nine points and eight boards and Lauren McDaniel had eight points and four rebounds.
CA consistently outpaced Lamar down the court, and even when the Lady Cougars missed they had the size to grab offensive rebounds for put-back opportunities. They have been utilizing their length defensively, running more zone than man to create turnovers and offense in transition.
“We’re shooting the ball a lot more. We’re shooting a lot more threes and trying to use our length to get more rebounds and put-backs, which is the equivalent of an assist,” head coach Dale Watts said. “It’s challenging the girls and getting them a little bit out of their comfort zone. The big girls really have to run the floor hard, and the guards have to push it fast and not turn it over.”
The Lady Cougars played host to Amite School Center in another district game Friday night, but results were unavailable at press time. They will head to Waynesboro Saturday night for a showdown Wayne Academy.
After those two games, the Lady Cougars will finish their first trip through the district slate Dec. 19 when Bowling Green comes to town. Bowling Green beat CA four times last season, including in the district tournament and state quarterfinals.
Watts said that matchup will tell the Lady Cougars truly how far they’ve come.
“They could very well be our (kryptonite again) this time, but hopefully we’re better at it,” he said.
Having Jones’ prowess in the paint could help even the matchup as she gives the Lady Cougars a distinctive mismatch to turn to when things aren’t going well. Jones actually suited up for Bowling Green last year but missed most of the season with an injury.
