COVINGTON. – Win or lose, the annual Buccaneer Holiday Classic is always a great experience for players, coaches and fans each and every year and the opening round for the Lady Buccs was extremely impressive considering the execution in all phases of the game in a 55-17 win over neighboring rival, Bradford.
Despite the final score, a huge amount of credit goes to the Lady Railroaders due to the effort they put forth on the floor throughout the entire game. Many teams quit when the scoreboard isn’t in their favor, but Bradford never quit.
Another huge credit goes to the Lady Buccs and the way they executed in all phases.
First, the defensive pressure was extremely impressive as each and every Covington player who stepped on the floor had a huge impact in making scoring opportunities difficult for Bradford. That’s why the Lady Railroaders were only able to drop in 17 points on the night.
Second, Covington controlling the glass with rebounds made a huge difference by giving themselves additional shot opportunities. Senior Gabrielle Hartwig stood out, but it wasn’t just one player who had a huge impact with rebounds because every player on the team was able to pull down a rebound in a critical situation.
Last, and not the least, the scoring success for the Lady Buccs was outstanding. Senior Maggie Anderson is extremely talented and her leadership led to a game-high 31 points – which set a single-game scoring record in the Buccaneer Holiday Classic. Her 31 points came in just two and one-half quarters as she was pulled from the game midway through the third.
Plus, the team-first mentality was successful as Gabrielle Hartwig scored 10 points, and the rest of the players combined for 14 more points.
The win boosts the Lady Buccs’ overall record to 8-2 and they will play Arcanum in the championship match tomorrow night.
| 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | FINAL | |
| COVINGTON | 22 | 17 | 14 | 2 | 55 |
| BRADFORD | 5 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 17 |
COVINGTON SCORING:
Maggie Anderson – 31
Gabrielle Hartwig – 10
Delaney Murphy – 6
Avery Koffer – 3
Emalyn Johnson – 3
Mackenzie Grear – 2
BRADFORD SCORING:
Lilly Canan – 8
Hayven Evans – 4
Ryleigh Dotson – 3
Megan Wood – 2
THREE-POINT SCORING:
Covington: Maggie Anderson (3), Emalyn Johnson (1)
Bradford: Lilly Canan (2), Ryleigh Dotson (1)
