Monday, February 6, 2006

Supes Ask Schools To Tighten Belts

School Capital Improvements, Composite Index Will Affect County Tax Rate

Stretched thin by the prospect of having to repay $54 million in school capital improvement loans and the loss of the county’s composite index rating in 2010, members of the Halifax County Board of Supervisors asked school board officials yesterday to cut back as much as possible.
The request came as supervisors met with school officials Friday at Riverstone Technology Park during their annual retreat.
School Finance Director Bill Covington told supervisors that in 2010, the county could be responsible for as much as a $4 million additional outlay to fund the schools.
“In a nutshell, the state determines how much money Halifax County should put up to fund the Standards of Quality,” he said, adding that factors like property value, gross income and retail sales are used to determine the county’s ability to pay. “Right now, for the upcoming biennium, that formula gives Halifax County a rate of 31 percent. That means the state puts up 69 percent.
“But instead of paying 31 percent, we have to pay 23 percent,” Covington added. “That’s a difference of around $4 million for the county.”
County officials said that an additional $4 million would translate into an additional 12-15 cents in real estate taxes, but added they wanted to do everything possible to avoid additional taxes on county citizens.
“We’re taking the position that we don’t want to wait until 2010 to decide how to pay for it,” County Administrator Bryan Foster said. “We’ve done the heavy lifting for the school construction projects and we want to work cooperatively together on this, but we feel there has to be some movement on the expense side, to start working on that now rather than waiting for the final hours.
“This change in the composite index impacts with the community’s long-term financial future,” he added. “We’re in the midst of a significant building project that will affect the county’s taxes. This composite index will affect it as well.
“There’s certainly not some expectation that when 2010 rolls around we’ll have to raise the tax rate.”
Covington told the supervisors that 80 percent of the system’s costs are incurred in personnel.
“That’s where the money needs to go because we’re a service industry,” he said, adding that rising fuel costs also affect the school system’s budget. “These are areas where we have to spend money and don’t have a lot of control over the expense.”
School Board member Steve Anderson told supervisors that the Board is aware of the impending expenses.
“We’re not surprised by the composite index and have discussed it,” he said. “What we’ve done up to this point is discussed it and we were concerned about the direction the Board of Supervisors would go,” he said. “You’re starting to made decisions now that will impact us in 2010. We haven’t discussed where we can cut because there isn’t any fat in our budget.
“We need some direction from you about your expectations,” Anderson added.
Supervisor Wayne Conner said the additional taxes, if passed, would rank Halifax County over the rates of some of the surrounding localities.
“We need help now to start looking at where we can save some money because we don’t want to get way up on our tax rate because it could deter us as far as future growth,” he said.
Covington and Assistant Superintendent Larry Clark said they hoped to see some reduction in expenses as a result of the new school construction.
“We believe there will be some operational efficiencies achieved when we move the sixth-graders to the middle school,” Clark said. “We anticipate that with the two new schools we will achieve some efficiencies. The fact that we are looking at building these two schools will necessitate looking at new attendance zones, but I think that once we have the project completed we can be in a position to look at long-range planning to deal with the finances we have.
“I think our Board and administration are well aware of the short and long-range planning that will have to be dealt with,” he added.

 

Officials: Violence Will Not Be Tolerated In School Facilities

Supervisors Question School Board On Recent Fights At Halifax County High School

Responding to a question regarding the recent gang fights at Halifax County High School, Assistant School Superintendent Larry Clark said the incident is being handled and the school is safe for the county’s students.
Supervisor Lottie Nunn asked if incidents in early January that led to petitions against 10 high school students meant violence was increasing in the county’s schools.
On Monday, January 9, four students were taken into custody as a result of a fight at the school. Later in the day, five petitions were issued for students believed to have been encouraging the students. A tenth student was charged with disorderly conduct and released to his parents, according to police reports of the incident.
Clark said Friday during the school board’s meeting with supervisors that he believes school administration has “a better handle… on the various factions in the schools” as a result of the incident.
“I will use the word gangs,” he said. “We know that when these individuals from the various gangs get in the same space, things carry over from the community into the school house. It’s where the people are.”
But Clark had nothing but praise for the way the January incident was handled.
“I think the situation you’re talking about is one that was dealt with by the school administration,” he said. “I think (HCHS Principal Albert) Randolph and his staff took care of the problem.
“I can assure you that the people who committed these acts will be recommended for expulsion,” Clark added. “Our charge as school administrators is to provide a safe, secure environment for our children to learn and our teachers to teach.”
The assistant superintendent said he didn’t believe the fight was indicative of increased violence at the schools.
“I don’t think the situation has escalated, it’s being dealt with when it occurs,” he said. “We won’t put up with it.”
School Board member D.H. McDowell said the students involved would most likely be expelled for their actions.
“We’re on top of it,” he said. “There were four main individuals involved and they won’t be back for a while.”
Clark said the School Board will address the potential expulsion of the students involved during its February Board meeting.
“When a child is expelled in Virginia, that child is out for 365 days,” he said. “If these children remain in our community, there are programs available for them, depending on their age. There is some flexibility in how the Board can deal with an expelled student, but it’s certain they won’t be in a schoolhouse for 365 days.”

 

Three-Year-Old Accident Victim Out Of Coma

The three-year-old child who was airlifted to the Medical College of Virginia (MCV) in Richmond following an accident in South Boston on Tuesday is out of a coma, according to South Boston Police Chief Mick Reed, who spoke with the child’s mother yesterday at the hospital.
The child is also conscious and responding to doctors, according to Reed.
Also, the child has been moved out of the intensive care unit and is in a private room at the hospital.
Reed said that the mother told him, “the last two days have been very positive.”
The child was injured during a three-vehicle accident Tuesday night in South Boston at the intersection of North Main and Broad Street.
The Nissan sedan the child was riding in was allegedly struck in the rear by a white pickup truck while the car was stopped at the intersection, according to the police report.
The driver of the truck, Anna Rose of South Boston, was later apprehended in Centerville and charged with felony hit and run, DUI and refusing to submit to a breathalyzer test, police said.
Three adults were also injured in the accident, according to police.

 

Obituaries

Robert Thomas Seamster

Mr. Robert Thomas Seamster, 59, of Rosehill Drive in South Boston, died Saturday, January 28, at Halifax Regional Hospital.
He was born in Vance County, N.C., on September 20, 1946, the son of the late Albert Bernard Seamster Sr. and Della Adams Seamster. Mr. Seamster was a former chemist with the South Boston water plant.
One daughter, Tamara S. Smith of Florence, S.C., one son, Robert Sterling Seamster of Charlotte, one brother, Albert B. Seamster of Roxboro, and four grandchildren survive Mr. Seamster.
A memorial service will be held at a later date.


Lena Betterton Dawson

Funeral services for Mrs. Lena Bettterton Dawson will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, February 7, at the Winns Creek Baptist Church with the Rev. Jim Kopco officiating.
Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
The family will receive friends tonight from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. at Powell Funeral Home and at other times at the home of E. Howard Dawson, 5136 Clays Mill Road, Scottsburg.
Mrs. Dawson, 88, died Saturday, February 4, at the Berry Hill Nursing Home.
She was born October 2, 1917 in Halifax County, the daughter of the late John Howard Betterton and the late Martha Little Betterton and was married to the late Dewey Dawson. She was a member of the Winns Creek Baptist Church, where she was a former Sunday School teacher.
Survivors include one daughter, Patricia D. Bordeaux and husband Donald of Midlothian; one son, E. Howard Dawson and wife Phyllis F. of Scottsburg; one sister, Sarah B. Satterfield of Yanceyville, N.C.; one brother, William O. Betterton of Tuscon, Arizona; four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
For memorials, please consider the Halifax Volunteer Fire Department.

Gary Waverly Cole

Gary Waverly Cole, 52, of 5092 Kingswood Road, Virgilina, died February 2, 2006, at his home.
Mr. Cole was born in Halifax County on July 17, 1953, the son of the late Waverly M. Cole and Doris S. Cole. He was a member of Shady Grove United Methodist Church, and was a former surveyor with Martin Jones.
Survivors include his mother of Virgilina; three sisters, Teresa King and husband, Mike, of South Boston, Janey Hunter of South Boston, and Amye Gravitt of Danville; and one brother, David E. Cole and wife, Judy, of Virgilina.
A memorial service for Mr. Cole was held February 4, at 2 p.m. at Brooks Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Don Davidson officiating.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider the Halifax County Cancer Association, P.O. Box 875, South Boston, 24592.

Vernia Pulliam Coleman

Vernia Pulliam Coleman, 64, of 1012 Coleman Drive, Alton, died February 1, 2006, at Halifax Regional Hospital.
Mrs. Coleman was born in Halifax County on July 9, 1941, the daughter of the late Clarence Pulliam and Martha Garland Pulliam, and was married to Allen Coleman. She was a member of New Bethel Baptist Church.
Survivors include her husband; one daughter, Tiffany Coleman; one sister, Vera Pulliam; one brother, Clarence Pulliam; and two grandchildren, Tamara Pettiford and Tamia Bailey; and her mother-in-law, Pattie Coleman, all of Alton.
Funeral services for Mrs. Coleman were held February 5, at 2 p.m. at New Bethel Baptist Church with the Rev. Harvey Bigelow officiating. Burial followed in the church cemetery.

Barbara Ann Wood Smith

Barbara Ann Wood Smith, 65, of Chase City, died February 2, 2006, at her residence.
Mrs. Smith was born in Charlotte County, August 27, 1940, to the late James Wood and Blanche L. Wood. She was a member of Rocky Branch Baptist Church, Saxe, and a homemaker.
Surviving are eight children, Glenda Smith, Brenda Smith, Barbara Smith, William Smith Jr., Loretha Traynham, Tyrone Smith and Kim Smith, all of Chase City, and Keith Smith of Saxe; 16 grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; her mother of Saxe; seven sisters, Gracie Pulliam of Keysville, Beulah Wood, Arlene Redd and Joyce Ann Wood, all of Wylliesburg, Hazel Harris of Saxe, Mahalia Smith of Chase City, and Sandy Hughes of North Carolina; three brothers, Irvin Wood of Brooklyn, N.Y., James Wood of Newark, N.J., and Isaiah Wood of Saxe; three sons-in-law; three daughters-in-law; seven brothers-in-law; and two sisters-in-law.
Funeral services for Mrs. Wood will be held at 1 p.m. today, February 6, at Rocky Branch Baptist Church with the Rev. James E. Scott officiating. Burial will follow in Brown’s Memorial Gardens in Saxe. Email condolences to harrisfh@kerrlake.com.

Samuel Ernest Puryear Jr.

Samuel Ernest “Poochie” Puryear Jr. died at Duke Hospital February 2, 2006.
Mr. Puryear, the son of Samuel and Lottie Puryear, was born on December 26, 1930, in South Boston. He was a graduate of Hargrave Military Academy, Chatham, and attended the University of Richmond. He was married to Doris Jones Puryear.
Mr. Puryear served a tour of duty in Korea. He was in the automobile business for 30 years in Richmond, and later moved to Danville where he owned and operated, along with his son, Richard, Danville Volkswagen-Mazda. Upon retirement, he served as an assistant chaplain in the Good News Prison Ministry in Danville, before moving to Raleigh, N.C. in 1998.
In his lifetime, he served as a Sunday school teacher, an active member of the Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship, and as an advisory board member and president of the Salvation Army board of Danville. He was part of the original Board of Directors for Little Life pregnancy support ministry in Danville and co-chaired along with his son, Richard, the first Little Life Golf Tournament fundraiser which is now an annual event. After moving to Raleigh, Mr. Puryear was a founding member and elder at Life Pointe Christian Church.
Survivors include his wife; three children, Richard and his, wife Ronda, of Stanardsville, Kelly Downing and her husband, Rob, of Hillsborough, N.C., and Beth Ohmann and fiancé, Bob Kent, of Raleigh; six grandchildren, Angie and Kate Puryear, Laura, Sam and Emma Downing and Drew Ohmann.
Mr. Puryear was also preceded in death by his brother, Dean Puryear.
Funeral services were held Sunday, February 5, at 2 p.m. at Brooks Funeral Home. Burial followed at Oak Ridge Cemetery.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider the Eastern North Carolina Chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, 410 Harrison Oaks Blvd, Suite 200 Cary, N.C. 27513 or Life Pointe Christian Church, 8411 Garvey Drive, Suite 109, Raleigh, 27616.

Freddie Douglas Pettus Sr

Freddie Douglas Pettus Sr., 63, of Chase City, died February 2, 2006, at Community Memorial Healthcenter, South Hill.
Mr. Pettus was born in Mecklenburg County on April 18, 1942, to the late Samuel E. Pettus Sr. and Leslie Pamplin Pettus. He was a member of Concord Baptist Church and a retired employee of Timberlake Masonry.
Survivors include three sons, David and Freddie Pettus Jr. of Richmond and Anthony Pettus of Chase City; two daughters, Wanda Mosley of Clover and Tammy Oliver of Portsmouth; 19 grandchildren, six sisters, Yvonne Brown of Pleasantville, N.J., Betty Jean Love, Doris Burton and Estelle Pettus all of Irvington, N.J., Nancy Credle of Richmond, Mary Moore of Fayetteville, N.C.; four brothers, Samuel Pettus Jr., James Pettus and Glenn Pettus all of Chase City and Woodrow Pettus of Fayetteville, N.C. Funeral services for Mr. Pettus Sr. will be conducted 1 p.m. February 14, at the chapel of Giles-Harris Funeral Home, Chase City. Burial will follow in Concord Baptist Church Cemetery. Email condolences to harrisfh@kerrlake.com.

John Clifton Bailey Sr.

Funeral services for Mr. John Clifton Bailey Sr., will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, February 8, with services at the Crawford House Chapel in Halifax.
Burial will follow at the New Bethel Baptist Church cemetery in Halifax.
Mr. Bailey, of Mountain Road in Halifax, died Wednesday, February 1, at the VA hospital in Nashville, Tennessee. He was 69.
He was born in Halifax County on October 16, 1936, to the late Samuel Bailey and the late Bradie Goode Bailey. He was married to the late Julia Brown Bailey and was a U.S. Army veteran.
Mr. Bailey is survived by one daughter, Tia Nicole Henry of Nashville; two sons, John C. Bailey Jr. of Nashville and Barry Eugene Bailey of Vernon Hill; four grandchildren; two brothers, Lewis Bailey of Jamaica Queens, N.Y., and Sherman Bailey of Brooklyn, N.Y.; two daughters-in-law, Linda Bailey of Nashville and Norris Bailey of Vernon Hill, and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
The family will receive friends at the residence, 2158 Mountain Road, Halifax.

Doris Nichols Covington

Graveside services for Mrs. Doris Nichols Covington will be held Monday, February 6, at 11 a.m. at the Pleasant Grove Christian Church cemetery. The Rev. Tim Cannon will officiate.
Mrs. Covington, 84, died Friday, February 3, at Halifax Regional Hospital.
She was born in Halifax County on September 8, 1921, the daughter of the late James Warren “Booker” Nichols and the late Utilla Guthrie Nichols. She was married to the late Thomas Kent Covington Sr. Mrs. Covington was a homemaker and was a member of the Pleasant Grove Christian Church.
Survivors include two sons, Dean Bruno of South Boston and Thomas Covington of Clarksville; four granddaughters, Carolyn Tucker of Richmond, Jessica Bruno of South Boston, Christy Elliott of Nelson and Laura Covington of Oxford, N.C. and two grandsons, Jonathan Bruno or Richmond and Mark Covington of Raleigh.
Two brothers, Warren J. Nichols and Eugene J. Nichols, one sister, Estelle Nichols Johnson, and one son, James Wilson Covington, preceded Mrs. Covington in death.
For memorials, please consider the Pleasant Grove Christian Church cemetery fund.

Lawrence Edward Seay

Funeral services for Mr. Lawrence Edward Seay will be held Tuesday at 2 p.m. at the Powell Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Bonnie Pizzeck officiating.
Burial will follow in the Clover Cemetery.
The family will receive friends today from 7 – 8 p.m. at Powell Funeral Home.
Mr. Seay, 91, of Main Street in Clover, died Saturday, February 4, at Halifax Regional Hospital.
He was born in Halifax County on March 31, 1914, the son of Clarence Edward Seay and Virginia Alina Seay, and was married to Mary Bridgman Seay.
Mr. Seay was a member of the Clover United Methodist Church, a World War II U.S. Army veteran and a retired employee of the Virginia Department of Corrections.
He is survived by a brother, James Herbert Seay of Clover, and a sister, Sarah S. Guill of Scottsburg.
In addition to his wife, he was preceded in death by a sister, Mary Elizabeth Seay and three brothers, Charlie Alfred Seay, William Andrew Seay and George Hubert Seay.
For memorials please consider the Clover United Methodist Church, c/o Becky Moorefield, Clover, Va. 24534.

 

Lions Boys Cagers Win Second Straight Title

HCMS Whips Wyatt 57-43 Saturday To Win Conference Hoops Championship

The Halifax County Middle School boys basketball team picked a good time to have one of its better games of the season, three players finishing in double figures Saturday during a 57-43 win over E.W. Wyatt in the finals of the Southside Middle School Conference Tournament.
Halifax reached the finals, held at Nottoway High School, with a 60-46 win Friday over Russell.
The tournament championship was the fourth in coach Mike Hailey’s seven-year tenure at the middle school, and the second consecutive, the Lions completing back-to-back undefeated seasons for the first time.
Halifax 57 E.W. Wyatt 43 (Championship Game)
Lemal Adams led the Lions with 21 points against Wyatt, 12 coming in the final period as Halifax pulled away from a 37-28 advantage to the win, its third this season against Wyatt.
Deshon Dabbs scored 13 points and Tevin Gayles 11 points for the Lions, which got nine points from Devin Walton, two from Quinton Wooden and one from Dale Trent in the win.
L. Darden, B. Gillus and D. Sloan each finished with nine points to lead Wyatt, which finished 10 of 17 from the foul line, compared to 12 of 26 for Halifax.
Hailey pointed to a solid overall performance from his team, particularly from the starters, in addition to consistency on the defensive end as keys to the win.
“Our starters (Adams, Dabbs, Gayles, Walton, Marcus Williams) could not have done better,” said Hailey.
“This was a solid performance, especially on defense to give us back-to-back undefeated seasons.”
Halifax built a 15-8 lead after one quarter of the title game, despite a season-long nemesis, poor foul shooting.
Adams had six points in the quarter, Gayles and Dabbs four, and Walton was one of two from the foul line. The lead could have been greater but the Lions were two of seven from the foul line.
Another solid defensive effort by Halifax extended the lead to 30-17 at halftime, Dabbs breaking loose for six points, while Gayles scored three points. Adams hit three of four foul shots, Walton a basket and Trent his foul shot for another 15-point quarter.
Halifax withstood a third-quarter rally by Wyatt to put the game away in the fourth quarter.
Dabbs scored his final three points of the game, and Walton and Gayles added baskets, but Wyatt got scoring from five players to close to within 37-28 going into the fourth quarter.
With a quarter remaining to claim a second tournament title in as many years, the Lions stepped it up a notch, outscoring Wyatt 20-15 to claim the championship.
Adams, the season-long scoring leader for the Lions, hit 12 of his points in the final period.
Walton added four points and Wooden and Gayles two each, while Halifax hit four of four foul shots to help Halifax clinch the title.
“This was a fabulous end to a wonderful season,” noted Hailey.
“We played a great first quarter and a great fourth quarter. We had a good game plan coming into the game, but even better execution.
Halifax 60 Russell 46
(Semifinal Game)
The Lions withstood an early three-point barrage from Russell to reach the finals with a 60-46 win Friday at Nottoway.
Halifax went to its strength in the paint to take care of a familiar foe for the third time this season, Walton finishing with a game-high 19 points, Adams 12 points, Gayles 11 points and Dabbs with 10 points.
Those four also finished a combined 14 of 23 from the foul line.
Point guard Marcus Williams hit two big three-pointers as part of his eight points, and that helped compensate for seven treys by Russell.
Russell hit five threes out of their first seven or eight shots and made this a close game,” began Hailey.
“We basically put the game away in the second quarter by pounding the ball inside, just as we did the entire game.
“Devin (19) and Tevin (11) played well, Lemal had a great overall game, with scoring, rebounding and assists, while Deshon also had an excellent all-around game.”
Friday’s semifinal came down to Russell’s outside shooting against the Lions’ inside game, with Halifax ultimately prevailing.
The Lions’ four double-figure scorers were the primary beneficiaries of that strategy, while Williams kept the Russell defense honest with his two treys
Russell bombed away from the perimeter to match the Lions inside strength early on, hitting four treys in the first quarter to help it take an 18-15 lead.
Halifax kept pace with seven points from Walton, five from Dabbs and three from Adams, but the Lions clamped down on defense in the second quarter.
Gayles scored six second-quarter points, Walton five, Adams four and Dabbs two, while Williams scored five points, including a trey.
Adams had the other three-pointer, as Halifax jumped to a 37-25 advantage at intermission.
Gayles added five points, Adams a trey and Walton three points in the third period, but Russell stayed within 48-37 with a quarter remaining.
The Lions wrapped up the game by outscoring Russell 12-9 in the fourth quarter, Walton working inside for four points, Williams hitting his second trey, Dabbs hitting three of four foul shots and Adams his final basket.

 

 

Lady Lions Take Fourth Straight Tourney Title

HCMS Defeats Bluestone 61-31 In Finals

The Halifax County Middle School girls basketball team had the task of defeating conference opponents E.W. Wyatt and Bluestone a third time each this season to win the Southside Middle School Conference Tournament.
The Lady Lions proved to be up to the challenge, defeating Bluestone 61-31 Saturday at Nottoway for its fourth straight conference tournament title, and seventh in coach James Smiths’ nine years at the helm.
Halifax reached the finals with a 48-28 win over Wyatt the previous night, the two-game sweep giving the undefeated Lions an 18-win season for the first time ever.
As expected, both Bluestone and Wyatt proved tougher for the Lions the third time around, but Halifax used its season-long strengths, defense and depth, to capture the title.
“Our defense has been there for us all season, and it was there again for both games,” noted Smith.
“You can have an off night offensively, but if your defense is consistent, you’ll be in every ball game.”
The Lions’ depth also proved to be a factor, as Halifax seized control of both games by early in the third quarter, according to Smith.
Halifax 61 Bluestone 31 (Championship Game)
Halifax shook off a stubborn Bluestone team to take the tournament championship with a 61-31 win in what turned out to be a physical contest, with a total of 41 fouls called during the game.
Miyisha Younger led three Lions into double figures with 18 points, all but two in the first half to help Halifax take a 35-13 halftime advantage.
Whitney McCargo scored 12 points and Destiny Betts 10 points for Halifax, which also got five points from Stephanie Carr, including the Lions’ only three-pointer of the game.
Tiffany Wilson chipped in three points, Nia Brown and Johanna Spencer two points each, and Chaquetta Guthrie a point at the foul line for the Lions.
Jennifer DeSantis led Bluestone with 11 points, including four of eight from the foul line, while Dominique Osborne added seven points, including a seven for eight night from the charity stripe. Angelique Sturdifen was next with six points for the Trojanettes, including her team’s only trey and three points from the foul line.
Bluestone went to the line 39 times in the contest, hitting 18 to account for more than half its points, while Halifax was seven for 15 as a team.
The championship game turned in the Lions’ favor in the second quarter, but not before the Trojanettes reversed the tables on the Lions, surprising them with a full court press to take an 8-3 lead to start the game.
“We hadn’t been behind by that many points all year, and I think it kind of stunned us,” said Smith.
“No one had tried to press us all year, and it took us by surprise at first, but as it turned out, that may have been what we were looking for. It opened up the court for us and that’s our kind of game.”
The Lions settled down, with Younger scoring eight points, McCargo and Betts four, and Wilson one of two from the foul line, as Halifax outscored Bluestone 15-1 the remainder of the quarter to take an 18-9 lead.
With Younger scoring seven points, McCargo and Jameshia Smith four points each, and Spencer two points, the Lions stretched that margin to 35-13 at halftime.
Halifax led 51-16 by the end of the third quarter, with Betts scoring six points, McCargo four points, and Wilson, Jamilia Smith and Jameshia Smith two points apiece.
Carr added five points in the final quarter, while Younger and Jameshia Smith added baskets and Guthrie her foul shot, and that was more than enough, despite a 15-point quarter by the Trojanettes.
Bluestone went to the foul line 18 times in the final quarter alone, hitting 11, and was 12 for 22 in the second half, but had only four field goals after intermission.
The Lions’ depth proved decisive in the title game win, according to Smith.
“Miyisha played well against Bluestone, probably the best she’s played all year, and Whitney again led us in points,” he noted.
“Destiny and Jameshia combined for 18 points and that was a big plus for us. And, although she scored only three points, Tiffany was a factor on the boards.
“Our depth eventually wore them down as the game went along and that was the key.”
Halifax 48 E.W. Wyatt 28 (Semifinal Game)
The Lady Lions faced another challenge from a team that it had already beaten twice in the regular season in the tourney semifinals on Friday.
Halifax was again up to the challenge, defeating E.W. Wyatt 48-28 to advance to the title game.
McCargo scored 14 points and Younger finished with 10 for the Lions, which got scoring from six other players in the win.
Wilson scored nine points and Betts and Spencer four points, while Jessie Bagbey hit a trey and Carr three points for Halifax. Melyse Brown added one of two foul shots for the final Lions’ points totals.
Kierris Doyle led Wyatt with 10 points, including a trey, but the Panthers were only one for eight from the foul line.
Halifax was little better, finishing five of 20 from the charity stripe.
Unlike Bluestone, the Lions played a good first quarter (14-4) but went cold in the second period before pulling away after halftime, according to Smith.
Wilson and McCargo had six points, while Younger added a field goal in the first quarter, but the Lions added only six more in the second period, three points by Wilson, two by McCargo and one by Spencer.
“We played pretty well in the first quarter to take the 14-4 lead, but we scored only six points in the second quarter,” said Smith.
“Our defense was there, but our offense wasn’t clicking,” he added, while noting a good defensive effort by Wyatt in the first half, which ended with Halifax holding a 20-11 lead.
A few adjustments paid big dividends in the second half, and the Lions gradually pulled away, outscoring the Panthers 17-9 in the third quarter and 11-8 in the final period.
“I noticed early on that they were trying to take Whitney McCargo (the Lions’ leading scorer) out of the game,” said Smith.
One of their players followed her while in our half-court sets, so we simply rotated another player to the spot vacated by that player.
“We started taking the basketball inside to Younger (eight third-quarter points) and got our running game going.”
With McCargo and Betts each adding four third-quarter points and Brown a foul shot, the Lions led 37-20 with a quarter remaining.
Bagbey hit her trey, Carr and Spencer three points each, McCargo a basket in the final period to seal the win.