Lady Indians pick up nail-biter against Lake Forest on the hardwood
Indian River High School’s girls varsity basketball team may have faltered last week against Polytech, but a riveting game this past Tuesday, Jan. 17, hosting Lake Forest, has put the Lady Indians back in the hunt for a three-peat of the Henlopen Southern Division title. Consistency, strong defense and teamwork came together to help lift the Lady Indians to a 46-43 victory and a positive record.
Coastal Point • R. Chris Clark
Shanekqua Holden goes for two against Lake Forest in a close game. IR came out ahead, 46-43.
Sisters Keiosha and Keeonya Shelton led the Lady Indians with a dozen points each, as Indian River’s relentless attack finished off the Spartans of Lake Forest this past Tuesday. The Indians got out to an early lead, heading off the Spartans, 13-7, in the first quarter, but a determined Lake Forest squad wasn’t going to go down easily. By halftime, the tables had turned, and the Spartans grabbed the advantage, 22-17.
“Near the end of the first half,” said Indian River head coach John Frye, “[Lake Forest] started boxing up on Destiny [Blake], and it caught us off-guard. We decided to make some defensive adjustments, and we broke from our man coverage to a 2-3 zone. This allowed us get the ball out to our wings on transition, where Keiosha and Shanekqua [Holden] were waiting, and kept Destiny on the ball. Keiosha made some nice cuts through the middle and was able to stay out of foul trouble, and that’s when we turned it on.”
In three of Indian River’s four losses for the season, the third quarter had proven to be an Achilles Heel. Opponents seem to have done the most damage to the Lady Indians at the start of the second half and, in many cases, even in games they have won, the Indians had typically been outplayed in quarter number three.
But that was not the case against Lake Forest. The Lady Indians came out in the third quarter and put up seven uncontested points in the opening minute of the second half, retaking the lead, 24-22. Well-timed passes, steady ball movement and consistency from the free-throw line gave the Indians the slight edge through the second half.
Blake hit all four shots during her trips to the foul line, including two with under a minute left in the game, to give the Indians a two-possession lead, while Keiosha sank eight of her 11 foul shots on the night. Blake finished with nine points, and Holden contributed eight points in the win.
“This game was really important,” said Frye, “coming off of the Polytech loss. The way I look at it is we were 5-5 heading into this game. Now, with this win, as we enter the second half of the season, we’re 1-0. We really want to take this momentum now and show these teams what we’ve got.”
There has been no lack of suspense in Indian River’s last two games, as Polytech slipped by with only a three-point margin, 45-48, before the Indians did the same to Lake Forest on Tuesday. While Frye said he is hoping that the team can duplicate the success they’ve been finding and work together as a unit, he has noticed an obvious improvement in the division.
“Seaford’s playing strong,” he said, “and Delmar’s right there, too. In my four years here, this is the toughest I’ve seen the Henlopen South Division, from top to bottom. All the programs – Polytech, Woodbridge, Seaford, Lake – have all improved a lot. There are no gimmes anymore. We need to do our homework and be prepared for each and every game.”
And the Indians need to avoid slipups, now more than ever. This Thursday, Jan. 19, Indian River was set to host Milford, in their sixth straight conference match and fifth straight division rivalry.
“Milford’s always a strong team,” said Frye, “and we need to stay on track. It’s a matter of keeping our composure and being aware of the game. Our girls need to bring that intense pressure every time they step out there. We have to stay consistent on our foul shots. If we didn’t hit them like we did [against Lake Forest], we might not have won that game.
“Destiny is still controlling the game for us, and that really helped out, too. If coverage picks her up, she’s looking for movement off the ball. That’s where Keiosha, Keeonya and Chanel [Handy] come in. Everyone battled through, and that’s what we need.”
The Lady Indians will hit the road in the upcoming week, as they face Laurel on Tuesday, Jan. 24, then visit Stephen Decatur on Thursday, Jan. 26.
