Defending
champion Davenport Assumption is another step closer to a return trip to the
Class 3A title game.
The
top-ranked Knights raced to a 16-0 lead and beat a young Red Oak team 71-25 to
start this year's 3A tournament.
Assumption
has shown great balance all season and it was evident again as the Knights
improved to 23-2 for the season. All five starters scored in the opening burst
and three players finished with 12 points each to lead the team -- Danielle
Moore, Morgan Pavlich and Maddie
Irmen. Kate Fennelly added
eight points for the Knights, who are in the tournament for the fourth straight
year and ninth time in the last 10 seasons.
Moore
also had six assists and six steals. Pavlich went
4-for-6 from three point range and had three steals. Irmen shot 5-for-6 from the field and Fennelly
was 2-for-4 from 3-point range. Assumption played aggressive defense throughout
and amassed 19 steals.
Twelve
players scored for the Knights and things went so well that reserve Kennedy
King banked in a 3-pointer from the left wing.
After
going undefeated in the Class 5A-heavy Mississippi Athletic Conference,
Assumption has been cruising through the postseason so far, winning by margins
of 33, 34, 42 and now 46 points.
Red
Oak earned its first state tournament trip in 90 years with a lineup of three
juniors and two sophomores, so the Tigers might not have to wait as long for
their next trip. Sophomore Kate Walker led Red Oak with 10 points and junior
Blake Bergren scored seven.
Assumption
will play in the semifinals at 3:15 Thursday afternoon. Red Oak finishes with a
13-12 record.