Newcastle’s Racer girls stand at 5 wins and 3 losses as they look to the new year. The Racers had a dominant win against Comanche, but then lost to Millwood.
The Racers paid back Comanche on December 19 by beating them 41-19. The Lady Indians had defeated Newcastle the previous year.
Coach Nichole Copeland said the Racers had good senior leadership from Leah Bradley to help spark the team after a slow start. They rode big quarters in the second and third, before holding Comanche to no scoring in the fourth.
Copeland said the defensive effort from the whole team was fantastic all night. Offensively, seven players scored for Newcastle.
“When you have that kind of balance combined with our defensive performance, you put yourself in position to win games,” Copeland said.
Bradley had 9 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists, and she forced a handful of turnovers. Bella Allen had 7 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals; Reagan Greenroyd had 9 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals; Amber Ellis had 7 points and 7 rebounds; Emerson Marble had 6 points and forced 2 turnovers; Ava Snider had 2 points and 2 rebounds; and Baylee Miller had 1 point and 2 rebounds.
Against Millwood, the Racers had quarters of 4, 11, 12 and 12; however, Millwood had quarters of 7, 17, 17, and 9, to take the 50-39 win.
The game was part of the Sickle Cell Showcase Charity Event at Putnam City West. Copeland said Millwood has a good team and a Division 1 player on their squad, “and she looks the part.”
Newcastle struggled to hit shots early, but still kept the game close, according to Copeland. Turnovers in the second half contributed to the Racers’ loss.
Leah Bradley hit big shot after big shot in the game, making a difference for the Racers, according to Copeland, playing extremely well. She had 18 points.
Snider had 10 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals; Allen had 3 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals; and Greenroyd had 4 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals.
The Racers return to action on January 2, 2024, at Tuttle. They’ll play at the Noble Tournament on January 4-6, 2024.
