With seniors Brittany Tatum, Steara Mitchell and KaBrenna Smith leading the way, expectations are high for the Lady Grangers (2-0) this season.
Those three showed what could be in store for the opposition Tuesday night against East Coweta when they combined for 52 points in a 64-46 victory.
The two guards, Tatum and Mitchell, had 20 points apiece, and the post player, Smith, had 12 points and made life miserable for East Coweta while blocking shots and pulling down rebounds.
LaGrange head coach Jan Jones believes if those three play to their potential, this team could be in for a big season.
“I tried to tell them, those three, KaBrenna, Brittany and Steara, if those three will feed off of each other, and then let the others contribute in their own way, we’ll be hard to beat,” Jones said. “They have to buy into that.”
Jones said she’s also stressing to the players the importance of not just starting the season strong, but finishing with a flourish.
A year ago, LaGrange won six straight games in January before finishing the season with seven losses in nine games, including a loss to Columbia in the first round of the state tournament.
“Last year, I feel like we kind of lost sight of January and February and March,” Jones said. “These games are getting us ready. We have to get better. We can’t get relaxed. We have to keep getting better.”
In Tuesday’s game, the Lady Grangers started a bit slowly, and they were down 15-13 after the first quarter.
LaGrange outscored East Coweta 13-4 in the second period, though, to break it open and take a 28-17 lead at the break.
LaGrange maintained a comfortable lead throughout the second half.
Jones said it was the team’s defensive intensity that made the difference, and that at the moment, the defense is ahead of the offense.
“We work so much on defense in practice that we’re having a hard time with our offense,” Jones said. “I feel like the offense will come, though.”
LaGrange will look to move to 3-0 when it hosts Newnan on Tuesday.
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