The Paint Branch Girls’ Varsity Basketball team fought off an elusive Blake team, coming out on top 75-52.  Senior guard Kiara Colston had one of the biggest nights of her high-school career as she dropped in a whopping 36 points.

The team’s overall structure struggled most of night as they not only could not find high percentage shots but also struggled to defend Blake’s seamless scoring from the outside.  Throughout the first quarter, Paint Branch’s zone looked sloppy, often leaving players wide open due to miscommunication and out-of-place defenders. Scoring was slow for both teams, as it took well into the quarter for the Panthers to find their second bucket. Although an obvious advantage in athleticism kept the Panthers in the game, it was clear early that this contest would not became the blowout many had projected.

The second quarter brought more of the same frustration for most of the Panthers.  However, Colston and junior guard Daisa Harris found ways to pile up the points to keep Paint Branch ahead, but strong offensive play from Blake senior guard Asha Henley and junior guard Citiana Negatu helped the Bengals keep the pace. The duo would finish the night with 22 and 20 points, respectively.

After the half, the game swung in a more positive vein for the Panthers, as continued strong play from Colston and Harris were aided by stronger rebounding on both ends of the courts by the Panthers.  Because of this, the Panthers were able to score on fast breaks and second-chance shots more effectively.  Defensively, the team stepped it up as both the front and back courts took advantage of lazy ball handling by Blake and converted turnovers into easy transition buckets. Despite this, a relentless Bengal backcourt refused to back down and continued to keep the team in the game and cause more headaches for Paint Branch.

An injury scare in the third quarter after a scary fall by Harris had everyone holding their breath, before she managed to leave the floor under her own power.  Not letting it affect them, the Panthers ignited their rockets as they pulled away from the Bengals in the fourth.  In the fourth quarter, everything seemed click for the team as they could do no wrong.  Better shooting from beyond the arc and getting to the rim was all Paint Branch needed to secure victory over their crosstown rivals.

Paint Branch improved to 16-2 on the season and looked to take on a tough Magruder squad on February 11th.