3rd Quarter Eruption Vaults Lady Generals to Big Road Win

After tipoff was delayed 30 minutes waiting the arrival of the officials, the Lady Generals seemed stuck in first gear as they plodded to a 7-6 first quarter lead. Harding then grinded out an 11-6 lead early in the second quarter, but fouls began to mount as 4 out of the 8 healthy Lady Generals dressed for the game found themselves in foul trouble with 2 fouls each.  The host Lady Pioneers then finished the quarter on a 6-2 run including a bucket in the waning seconds to trim the visitors' lead to 13-12 at the half.  The second half was a far different story, as Harding erupted for 26 points while its swarming defense blanketed all 84 feet of the court and held Poplar Grove School to just 2 points in the quarter.  Olivia Craig led the way in the third scoring 11 of her game-high 17 points.  The Lady Generals cruised through the fourth quarter and, after giving up a buzzer-beating bucket at the end, claimed a 48-20 win.  In addition to Olivia Craig's 17, Ella Craig scored 12 points - 10 in the second half - and Kendall Burch and M.H. Wall each scored 6 points despite battling foul trouble throughout the second and third quarter.  Also contributing significant quality minutes in the second and third quarter of the big win were newcomers Mary Haley and Anna Lindsley, who scored her first basket of the year.  The win also marked a special moment for the Harding Academy Varsity Girls Basketball program, which won the opening game of the 2013-2014 season at Poplar Grove School on December 9, 2013.  58 games and three years later, in the very same gym, the program won its 50th game against 8 losses in three-plus seasons. Up next, the Lady Generals host Merrol Hyde Magnet School on Thursday, December 8, at 4:30 to finish out the December portion of the schedule.