Horton girls clinch top spot

BY JOHN DECOSTE

jdecoste@kentvilleadvertiser.ca

NovaNewsNow.com

The Horton Griffins D-1 girls’ basketball team, having just finished their first semester exams, faced a test on the court Tuesday and passed with flying colours.

Horton had to defeat Yarmouth in its final regional league game to earn the right to host the regional championship this weekend.

The first game between the two teams, played last month in Yarmouth, ended in a four-point Horton win. This time it wasn’t nearly as close, with the Griffins turning in a solid effort to win 60-37.

Horton broke open a close game early with a 13-6 run to end the opening quarter ahead 20-11, then went on a 14-2 run to start the second quarter and led 38-19 at halftime.

The Griffins were ahead by as many as 30 points (52-22) at the end of the third quarter before settling for a 23-point bulge at the final buzzer. Defensively, Horton held Yarmouth to just three points in the entire third quarter.

Kira Pederson led all scorers with 19 points for Horton. Lindsay Harris added 18 as well as doing a great job defensively on Ariel Smith, Yarmouth’s top scorer.

Smith finished with 14 points to lead the Yarmouth attack, but seven of them came in the final quarter with Harris on the bench.

Kaylee Young, Kayla Davis and Christine Crowell had six points each for Horton, Katie Jordan three and Laura Boylen two. Kayla Muise chipped in nine for Yarmouth.