By Loyd McIntosh, For the Tribune
LEEDS – The Leeds girls’ basketball team ran into a buzz saw Wednesday night, falling to Pelham at 67-31 Wednesday night.
The Lady Green Wave fell behind from the opening tipoff as the Lady Panthers walked up and down the floor en route to their 15th win of the season. The loss dropped the Green Wave to a record of 1-12 on the year.
Leeds struggled against a Lady Panther defense that forced multiple turnovers and controlled the rebound game even as Leeds was able to move the ball around the perimeter at times. However, scoring opportunities were hard to come by as the Panthers displayed an ability to block shots and cut off Lady Green Wave passing lanes, especially in the paint.
At halftime, Pelham held a comfortable 40-17. Leading all scorers in the first half was Pelham’s Laci Logan with 16 points, one point shy of Leeds’ offensive output in the first two quarters.
The second half saw more of the same as the young Lady Greenwave failed to any kind of offensive rhythm established as Pelham intercepted passes in the paint, created multiple opportunities in transition, and pushed its lead to 34 points by the end of the third quarter, 59-25.
The fourth quarter saw Pelhem remove its starters as the bench finished the game out, defeating leads by 36 pointers, 67-31.
Despite the loss, Leeds Head Coach Brian Gulock said he is proud of the young squad’s grit and determination and believes they are gaining valuable experience that will help them succeed next season and beyond.
“Our girls always compete hard no matter who we’re playing and what’s going on. They’ve got a lot of pride, but sometimes you just get outmatched,” said Gulock. “We’re really young right now and we’re taking our bumps and bruises, but it’s going to pay off in the end.”
The Leeds Lady Greenwave will host Carver on Tuesday, January 31 at 6 p.m.