Bird rebounds with win over Lady Chiefs

The L.C. Bird girls’ varsity basketball team says it’s back.

The team, ranked fourth in the most recent Times-Dispatch poll, suffered a 46-44 loss at the hands of unranked Manchester last Tuesday but rebounded for a 56-52 win over third ranked Monacan on Thursday.

“Focus,” Lady Skyhawks high scorer Victoya Ricks said about facing off against her old team. “Everybody was focused. We knew what we had to do and everybody did their job … We’re back in it but we never left. We just slipped up.”

In a rough and tumble game that saw both teams in the shooting bonus early in the second and fourth quarters, either team could have pulled ahead from the free throw line. Combined, the teams had 42 free throw opportunities in the first half but made just 15.

L.C. Bird held a marginal 27-26 advantage at halftime, but Monacan capitalized on quick fingers to take the lead late in the third quarter.

Katie Keys started a 6-point run for the Lady Chiefs with a long 2-pointer near the top of the circle. Candice Silas stole the ball on the Skyhawk’s next trip down the court and tossed it ahead to Keyla Pullen for the finish.

Guard Gabby Harris capped the run with a second consecutive steal and played pass with Pullen down the court. Pullen ended the play with a dish back to Harris for the easy jumper to the put the Lady Chiefs up 42-39 with 45 seconds left in the quarter.

L.C. Bird tied the game on a layup by Porsha Buchanan and a foul shot by Karmen Robinson.

The teams traded leads throughout the final quarter until a short jumper by Kelsey Cruz put L.C. Bird in the driver’s seat for good with 49 seconds remaining in the game. Cruz and Buchanan added three late free throws for the final margin.

Monacan and L.C. Bird combined for 27 free throws out of 63 attempts.

“We couldn’t throw it in the ocean in the first half, and we couldn’t throw it in the ocean in the second half either, but we made the ones we had to make,” L.C. Bird coach Chevette Waller told the Times-Dispatch.

Keys led Monacan with 12 points and was the only Chiefs’ player in double digits. Silas contributed seven points and 11 rebounds, but went to the floor and had ice on her knee after the final buzzer. At 8-1 overall (3-1 Dominion District), Monacan faces another test on Tuesday as they host top ranked Cosby.

L.C. Bird was led by Ricks with 14 points and 19 rebounds. Robinson added 11 points and Ayanna Tweedy finished with 10 points. The Skyhawks move to 4-2 in the district and 7-2 overall.